As a man who doesn't like most electronic music, I felt alienated the second I walked into the store. I mean, every one of the employees talked to me and everything, so in a way I was really just alienating myself. I grabbed a record I knew, took it to the back, and listened to it on their turntables. That was cool, until a skinny guy with a weird haircut looked at me. I had to leave shortly after that. read more

I loves me some Beatport (http://www.beatport.com) so that has kind of killed Gramaphone for me as a worthwhile destination--athough they did have an excellent selection back in the day. They used to be a super cool spot to find excellent wax, and run into people, but now I just type in a few parameters, make a couple exclusionary clicks and *boink* have my new tracks. I give it 12 months of continued existence (3 months if it were in New York). Sorry guys! I hope you can figure out a niche within the new economy pretty soon... read more

This my favorite place to find my house records in Chicago. I like how it's usually relatively uncrowded and you can browse records in peace. I'm thankful that there are so many listening stations. I always find something I love whenever I come in here, and the clerks are helpful. I also find the prices to be very reasonable, and each record is priced fairly. It's neato! read more

I've been going to Grammaphone since 1991. My trips there are less frequent now because I'm old and crotchety and do not like getting around Lincoln Park anymore. I am not one for nostalgia over improvement, so I like the new location. I remember going to the old place in the winter and bumping into everything and everyone because of my coat. For some reason I always had to pee about half way through my visit and the close quarters always made it worse. I'm a hip hop head so I've always thought this was among the top 3 record stores I've ever been to. The others were Fat Beats in NYC and Ear Wax in Atlanta. read more

Gramaphone is my favorite record store. They've got a great selection of both new and used hip-hop, house, disco, downtempo/midtempo, drum and bass, and techno. They're a bit more expensive than other places, but if you take advantage of the extremely knowledgeable and helpful staff, it is a great value. Also, notice that the person who gave Gramaphone the lowest rating on this site is talking about beatport. I shop at beatport too, but trying to compare Gramaphone to beatport is like comparing Whole Foods to Wal-mart's food center. It's just doesn't work. read more

When I go to Chicago, I always has to dig into the crates. I usually go to Reckless Records, and one day I found Gramaphone records. If you're looking for vinyles and CDs (mostly vinyles), every kind of music, you're at the right place. The owner was very nice, and he helped me to find the vinyle I was looking for. And you what ? He has a tons of music from Chicago artists (Vakill, LEPs, Twista, Kanye...) What else ? read more

One of the better stores in Chicago for your music - the perfect gift for an aspiring deejay is a gift card here :-) The staff here is very knowledgable and super friendly. read more

We could not even believe this place was still in tact and relatively unchanged - nearly 2 decades later! Very cool and so many options on vinyl which was a real treat on our visit! read more

Most record stores in Chicago have a specialized style of music that they provide beyond the other stores. The specialty of Gramaphone Records is House music. They have a wide array of Chicago and Detroit-based music as well as other genres of music. Last Sunday, all of the used vinyl was half-off, so I picked up some fun stuff. There are numerous listening stations and the staff is a friendly bunch. It's one of the best vinyl shops in the city. read more

For anyone interested in house music, this is one of the best spots in the city. If you are a fan, you have to check out this store. Always a cool staff also! read more

Every real DJ should be familiar with Gramaphone Records. This store has attracted and gave birth to some of the nation's greatest club DJs since the 1980s. Not only does this place carry the best records and CDs, the staff are icons themselves for defining dance music in the Chi. Definitely a place for electronic dance music lovers and a valuable piece of Chicago's history. Thank you Gramaphone Records! read more

Without this place the EDM scene in Chicago would be screwed. This record store has been THE staple for serious djs ever since it opened. Many other stores come and go, but Gramaphone is always there. I'm honored to be a happy customer that has purchased vinyl here for over 12 years. Keep up the good work. read more

Wax, wax, wax. They have been at their location for less than a few months now and I still miss the charm of their old space. A definite stop on the "places to find hidden gems" for all crate diggers stopping in the northside of Chicago. The staff is very knowledgeable as they are local artists for the most part and it's a great watering hole for anyone who wants to know what shows or concerts are going down in Chicago. read more

It's true, back in the 1930's I used to spin at and throw those devil "rave" parties that everyone's heard of from 20/20. It was a life of cop-fleeing, gas-powered generators, and sneaking into illegal buildings. But you know what? It was fun, and while I have not been a part of that lifestyle for some time now, I do still spin on occasion, and sometimes I even go out and buy records for this activity. My place of choice for said vinyl shopping? Gramaphone. While I do miss the small, friendly feel of the old location, the new one isn't too shabby either. Beyond that, they probably have the best record selection around, unless you want to trek up to Massive in Milwaukee (which may not even exist anymore). It also depends on what you spin, of course. I spun a few different styles, so I'll break down how G-Phone fits each. For progressive house (not to be confused with that club shit labeled "progressive"), this place has a pretty good selection. I usually walked out with more than a few records when looking for new jams for this type of set. I also spun (real) techno, and Gramaphone has a pretty fantastic amount of records in this genre, whether you're looking for acid, hard, minimal, experimental, etc. Finding breaks here was never fantastic, especially if you wanted funky breaks instead of nu-skool, and finding hardcore here was impossible, but finding hardcore in most places is impossible. So there you have it. While Gramaphone is a mecca around the world for finding house music (it's in Chicago, duh), you can also get some other pretty good stuff here. I really do miss that old location though... read more

Every time I'm looking for a hard to find house CD, this is where I look first. The staff is super knowledgeable. I try to drop by every time in in Chicago. read more

Great, friendly and knowledgeable staff. Definitely appreciate being able to listen to records and CDs (yeah, I still buy the hard stuff) before purchase. Which unlike 30 sec digital previews actually allows for you to hear the build ups, rhythm change ups, and beat drops and truly be able to determine a worthy purchase. Besides, a lot of the good stuff is still only released on vinyl. Always the place to get the best in House Music and all things DM and Electronic, hip hop, .... even dubstep (if you're in to that sort of thing). If it's not in-store they'll order it for you. Love Michael. Love Gramaphone. Patron for life. read more

A world class record store no exaggeration. Knowledgable staff, helpful cool. If you need a rare record this is where you go first. Can be pricey but most stuff is reasonably priced. Located near brown line diversely stop makes it easy to get too. read more

Oh how the staff knows their music. Love this place if only I knew how to dj. I use to always come here with my cousin back in the day and see what music he was gonna pick out and he would ask me for advice. I need to make a visit. read more

Ground zero for house music on vinyl period. Helpful & knowledgeable staff. A real piece of Chicago music history.

Obviously they are known for Chicago House, dance, techno grooves but they also have a large selection of rock, and other genres on vinyl. The fact that they have a divider card for Warp Records is pretty cool (even though there was nothing too great in there). You kinda have to know what you are looking for otherwise it can be a little overwhelming. Most of the labels they carry are white label release that you need to know about otherwise it's all just a sea of untitled labels. I went in looking for familiar stuff like Warp releases, classic techno reissues, Detroit techno classics, etc. No luck for me. What I did notice was lot of the records there have some significant shelf wear or are sold as new when they are open/unsealed. Especially the used LP's are going to have some wear on them. So if you are buying anything you really need to give it a good visual inspection. I can't help saying that if you are not a DJ, then it's a touch sell to come here regularly. Being a legendary shop is only so cool; for my time and money Reckless is still the best place for dance/electronic selections. read more

"a music lover's sanctuary" ahhhh... yes... my home away from home. the old location still brings back many fond memories of looking thru crates for a gem. and spending hours and hours listening to every record plucked. and every once in while seeing Derrick Carter or Jeff Mills or other local djs come thru and just chat about music and events. *sigh* but getting back to the review... so many styles of music represented... whether you're into techno, house, hip hop, electro, and drum and bass. every style is available. and what about imports? yes, they're there also... and you can listen before you buy... whether its a record, cut out, or cd... you can find it here. and of course... the helpful staff... willing to help you find that damn tune thats been playing in your head since you heard it at the club this past weekend. chances are... that record is on the wall... or someone there will know of it. its a family afterall... for music lovers. read more

I'm not a resident of Illinois, but have been to Gramaphone 5-10 times over the past 10-15 years. I stop in for a few hours every time I'm in Chicago. Over those 10ish years, as I'm sure you know, the vast majority of brick and mortar record stores across the country that specialize in dance music have closed (including all 3 in the town I live and others in Chicago). Thank god Gramaphone has persevered. I find the employees to be very knowledgeable about their stock. On trips that I don't have hours to dig around, I can walk in there, give a couple record labels' and producers' names that I'm into to an employee and they will pull a stack of records for me to listen to so I can get in and out. I should mention that I primarily buy house music. There are several (more than 6) listening stations in the store, which is awesome, but often more than one are not in working condition. The record spins and sound comes out of the headphones but it is so distorted that it's actually hard to get a feel for the tune. That's my only gripe, but it is common among the busier stores across the country. Anyhow, thanks Gramaphone. I have walked out of your shop with a good lot of my favorite records. Please don't ever close - I don't want to buy Serato. But please maintain your listening stations. read more

best.store.ever. the always have all of the obscure vinyl I like --- and much much more. i could spend every cent I own at Gramaphone in about 45 mins... read more

My second favorite record shop after Dusty Groove. Basically, if I'm not buying online, I'm either going to Dusty Groove or here.

this place is awesome. if u like electronica, you have GOT to hit this place up if you're in chicago. they have a wide variety of stuff on vinyl and cds. staff is really laid back and helpful. i found some really cool limited release stuff in the cd bargain bins. i could've spent all day here. LOVE IT! read more

I love downtempo and house, and with my collection of obscure compilations that's been built throughout the years, I have a list of artists that I swore were unpublished beyond a compilation mix. Gramaphone has proven me wrong many times! Since the fall of Virgin Records a few years ago and the demise of Borders' electronic/house section, I had lost faith in finding a place where I could preview and discover stuff. Gramaphone has a pretty extensive collection of downtempo/house, and surprisingly, those records seem to outnumber the big-name artists (which can, at times, be a con). Put aside a few hours for an exploratory shopping spree. read more

Long live the grandpappy of north side dance music stores!!! Gramaphone's got good fuckin' records and CDeez!!!

I collect music, I buy a lot. This is my favorite shop in the world.

This place is definitely worth a stop if you're into electronic music or rap. It's kind of a hole in the wall, pretty small, has a selection of vinyl and CDs and I like the atmosphere. Very laid back, and the employees I've talked to were cool, though they were unfamiliar with most of the artists that I was looking for. I've been there plenty of times just to browse and I've bought maybe 3 or 4 CDs there. Their selection of CDs is small but it's basically all dance, rap, and electronic (techno, drum & bass, house, dubstep, trance) so you may be more likely to find what you want here than at other places, depending on what you're looking for. They also special order stuff but I haven't had much luck with that. I think their supplier is a little unreliable, so you just place the order and hope for the best. I had one come in out of maybe 4 or 5 that I ordered, and it took over a month to come in. I've had trouble finding older albums there, in my experience they may have the artist you're looking for but more than likely just their newer stuff. Price-wise, it's a bit more than what I'm used to paying but part of that might be the genre. Electronic albums tend to be a bit steeper in price. I think the CDs I purchased there ran around 17 or 18 bucks So overall, great to stop in now and then, they might have what you want but I think it's better for people who want to just browse around. read more

I cannot begin to describe to you all of the Gems I've found in this place! Black Sugar, MF Doom, Kid Koala, DJ Pharris, etc. I live in Northwest Indiana and do my damnest to frequent this spot as much as possible! The staff are incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, and very cool! "10-stars, Gramaphone Records :D" read more

NOT for the CASUAL vinyl buyer although you can find some cheap stuff. This is a nice store with friendly staff (which is why I give it 4 stars) but unless you're looking for house/techno etc I wouldn't go out of your way to go here. They have a very small but also very cheaply priced selection of "regular" vinyl, in other words NOT dance music. So if you're in the neighborhood by all means stop in, but if you're not looking for house/techno I wouldn't go out of my way to go here. read more

At home here. Staff and crew is the nicest non-judgey group of music aficionados. A range of priced merchandise from the mystery 12" bags to classics to rarities. They got it. Some things change, GPhone never will. read more

gramaphone been around for years . when the deejays on the radio station say they are playing a record or song that is never coming out i call gramaphone they either have the song or tell me how the deejay got it. i been spinning house for years. and gramaphone have always been around to help me with the hard to get hits. gramaphone is in a class of its own. their the best .they always try to make you happy. they know they stuff. thanks gramaphone for all the help over the years keeping house music alive. YOU ARE THE BEST. read more

Excellent Record Store! Probably one of the 10-15 places in all US where you can expect to see records from quite a few of those strange labels from overseas. I was surprised to see catalog items from Blackest Ever Black, Raster-Noton and Modern Love. They also give good support to local artists. Keep delivering the good message! read more

trax, strictly rhythym, cajual, dust traxx, metroplex. gramaphone loves the eight-oh-eight, but who couldnt with the tracks that came out on those labels! this chicago spot has always carried the bangin' house and techno and is frequented by the ones who know: derrick carter, gene hunt, cajmere etc. they also sell their cuts online (super ghetto site) so if you cant get there in person, browse away any way! read more

gramaphone is a definite must for any techno fan. they have an amazing selection. the only problem is that the stock turns over so quickly that it can be hard to find exactly what you came for. on the plus side though you'll always walk out with a new must have discovery. read more

the selection and the organization was awesome in here. i can't wait to go back and be able to look around for an hour, listen to some songs, move my booty to the beats playin. i found an awesome beastie boys b-sides record, so i grabbed that and left. they have a good local selection too so i am excited to go back with my house-and-trance-music-loving-boyf and snag some good tunes. good location, right across from midwest stereo...it's like the DJ 1-2 punch. read more

i miss the old south location,it had that great feel when you stepped inside.the new store is ok..but they need to step up there ordering of classic hip hop,it just aint like it was before..with all repect this is a good store to find great local chicago artist..like EPIK1 read more

love Gramaphone for the records they have in store but special orders left me a little sour. especially when i could easily order from online but i wanted to support a chicago business plus i love Oscar . the follow up i received was mediocre no one knew where my order was i was told to talk to Mike who never followed up with me . Oscar to the rescue once he got back from vacation he let me know that the record is out of print. the time it took for them to get back to me they could've ordered from another entity and turned around and sold it to me .I know where to get the record and have always known where to get it i just thought i spend hundreds on records online why not support a legendary chicago business . I wont give up i will work mainly with Oscar still a great store to have in the windy city! read more