Vital vinyl: Washington's top 5 record shops in visit now

Songbyrd Cafe. | Photo: Sandra J./Yelp

Shopping for vinyl records?

Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the top vinyl record outlets in Washington, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of the best places to settle in for an afternoon of crate digging.

1. Red Onion Records

Topping the list is Red Onion Records. Located at 1628 U St. NW (at 17th Street), it is the highest rated vinyl record store in Washington, boasting 4.5 stars out of 77 reviews on Yelp. It buys, sells and trades new and used records (no CDs) across genres, from jazz to indie rock. The shop in the U Street Corridor also has a listening station and occasionally hosts in-store performances.

2. Songbyrd Record Cafe

Next up is Adams Morgan's Songbyrd Record Cafe, situated at 2477 18th St. NW (near Columbia Road). This unique shop is many things at once: cafe, live music venue and record shop. The music selection includes LPs from jazz and R&B to hip-hop and indie rock. It features listening stations and posts its inventory online. With four stars out of 158 reviews on Yelp, Songbyrd has proven to be a local favorite.

3. Som Records

The U Street Corridor's Som Records, located at 1843 14th St. NW, is another top choice. Like its competitors, there are listening stations to preview the collection of used and new vinyl. The selection at Som is diverse as well, from go-go music to punk. There are also rare discs and imports available. Yelpers give this spot 4.5 stars out of 51 reviews.

4. Smash Records

Smash Records in Adams Morgan, is another go-to, with four stars out of 42 Yelp reviews. It's got CDs and DVDs, in addition to vinyl. The emphasis is on punk, but other genres are covered as well. There are also shoes, T-shirts and skateboards for sale. Head over to 2314 18th St. NW, Floor 2 (between North Belmont and North Kalorama roads) to see for yourself.

5. Joint Custody

Finally, back on U Street, check out Joint Custody, which has earned four stars out of 25 reviews on Yelp. It's run by veterans of the local hardcore scene, and while you'll find plenty of punk at Joint Custody, there's also hip-hop, jazz, indie rock and more, many of them imports. It also sells vintage clothing and accessories. You can find the store at 1530 U St. NW.