Quite possibly the closest I have come to a record paradise is this warehouse store in Silver Spring, MD. A nearly exhaustive inventory of records in an exhaustive number of genres, with posters, covers, and memorabilia lining the walls. Had a sale for 50% off everything under $6 when I came, so I spent ~1.5 to 2 hours searching their discount bins, ending up with some gems from Erroll Garner, Count Basie, Oscar Peterson, Ray Charles, and Sinatra. Especially happy that I found Dizzy Gillespie's 'Have Trumpet, Will Travel' on Verve. While prices in the main section tend to be a tad pricier than what I have seen at stores in Los Angeles, the 50% off sale has made their prices comparable and competitive with anyone. In the end, I walked away with ten albums for ~$15. A deal. Getting these through the TSA, however, will be another challenge. One thing other Yelpers have noted is the 'stoned' cashiers and the lousy customer service. To them I must tell them to put on some Miles and chill, and chill some more. I am a clean liver (both literally and physically)- I don't do drugs, alcohol, incense. I love good music- and that is what I am here for. For the music- 5* read more

A friend brought me down here the other day. I've just moved into the area and he noticed the stack of records I'd slowly amassed where I last lived and thought it needed a boost. So we met down here for a browse, and I was not disappointed. The selection is vast, and although I've shopped at cheaper record stores, I've definitely shopped at pricier ones as well. Joe's isn't gouging ya by any means. I definitely plan to go back down there to browse for more records. They also have a nice selection of CDs and posters. Some books, some equipment laying around for sale... My favorite part of the whole Joes shopping experience was that they did have some headphones for you to give your records a spin on before buying them. I had a couple I was going to buy on a whim and wanted to listen to first. Being able to listen sealed the deal on those. read more

Was cleaning out my shelves, had some interesting DVDs that I needed to get out of the house. They were also cleaning out, and had no interest in my stuff. Some they already had, some just weren't their market. read more

Felt like I was in the movie high fidelity!! Super cool record shop. The selection is awesome. It is in a great area with a lot to do around it. If you are thinking about starting to collect records or you already collect records this a great place to go. The staff lets you browse and they leave you alone. It's nice no pushy salesman. read more

Joe's Record Paradise is a huge, multi-room record store that's perhaps the largest in the D.C. metro area. The shop sells CDs and vinyl in a variety of genres -- rock, R&B, country, hip-hop, blues, jazz, etc. -- and they sort new arrivals in separate bins, which is always a plus. There's also an area roped off for what they consider their rarest vinyl. I finally had the chance to check out that part of the store on a recent visit, and while there are some nice items there, their definition of "rare" is pretty liberal. There are a lot of CDs and vinyl records, including 45s, in this shop. However, some of the prices -- especially for the vinyl -- are on the high side, and quantity generally beats out quality. That's not to say that you won't find things to buy here. In fact, the sheer volume of product means that you probably will find items to purchase, especially if you're a collector. It's just that the overall quality of the stock isn't as impressive as it is at my favorite record stores around the country. Also, they have their CDs in these plastic security devices that make flipping through the bins a bit of a pain. Those things said, the service has been good during my visits and they do carry enough interesting items to keep me coming back for now. The selection is big enough that if you're a CD or vinyl collector, you should at least give Joe's Record Paradise a chance. read more

This is a blast from the past for me, as I used to goto the Plaza del Mercado location, this one by far is the coolest, and reminds me of my favorite shop growing up the long and sadly deceased Phantasmagoria. This place has a great selection of music related items, and is really worth a trip for anyone. They gots it all' in many different formats. They even have little shows here on occasion. read more

As good as it gets. Been to record stores across the country and never seen one so affordable/expansive.

If you are a music fan and collector, you must make a pilgrimage to Joe's! It can be overwhelming at first (its larger than the typical shop), but start by focusing on an artist then branch out from there. I have read reviews about this place and their customer service (or lack thereof). I frequent Joe's quite often (though not a regular here) and I'm always treated well. However, I don't go there to make friends. Last time I was at Joe's (this past Saturday) I ended up chatting with customers and employees ab American music history and had a blast. My only problem with Joe's is pricing. I reviewed Som Records recently, and I hailed it as the best record store in metro DC because of their combination of quality stock and decent pricing. The only reason Joe's is not in that spot is because EVERYTHING of quality seems to be super expensive.They even have this "VIP area" roped off where a lot of good, rare, and quality bands, names, and albums are. The area is all $20 and up, price-wise. It is really good stuff, but some of it can be priced fairer.They do have a decent 2 dollar bin, too though. Overall, Joe's is like your parents record store. An old-fashioned feel that I like about record shops and its like a music warehouse in size. The modern record shop is tight, usually darker or gloomy, and this is something Joe's has on the other DC shops. Its a bit more open. As I said before, a music-head must make their way to Silver Spring for a day of digging at Joes. Its not the greatest in terms of pricing, and you won't leave feeling like a responsible adult if you choose to buy what you have found, but its well worth it for a once a month or bi-monthly treat. read more

The best part about Joe's besides the music selection is the atmosphere, pretty much one of the cooler places in the Montgomery County area. Posters, oddball stuff, and records line the walls and salesfloor. I usually come to find new bands, instead of buying new albums of familiar bands--Joe's lets you listen to the cd before you buy it to see if you're interested. They have a pretty good rock section and a big jazz section, the record collection is decently sized but I don't have a player so I can't comment on the musical selection. It's always nice in cold in there too. The people who work there are good people. I usually park at the meter's near the firehouse and walk across the street, there's usually parking there. read more

Despite having a large selection, my daughter and I were unimpressed by the total apathy displayed by the three people working there. No one spoke to us, acknowledged our presence, nor asked if we needed help. And who is "Micheal" Jackson? Better service and knowledge at Record Exchange. read more

like a long, long, long, long time ago, like a million years ago, dudes used to have to play music on these like gianormous, black circle things made out of crap that was like, a billion jillion years older than dinosaurs, and it's not like it was their fault or anything, it's just they didn't have any other choice, cause like that's all there was, these big black record things, that you put on top of this spinning thing and it spun round and round, and you could see it spin round and round, then you took this little arm thing that had a thing called a needle on the end, even though it looks noooottthhhhhiiinnngggg like a needle when you are shooting up and stuff, and then the music came out (i said came) of the out the amps, well not at first, at first you hear like this fuzzy scratching noise and then like, after like a million seconds, music would play and it is so awesome, like 1982 awesome. i know all this stuff, cause these hipster like guys who shave, like once a month, at this record store played these record things on this record player thing for me and my BFF and we instantly tweeted that John Mayer even sounds cute in ancient sound. so cool. FTW! not only that, they had like music records that my grandparents would like, like jazz dancey records and goofy folky crap that only old people could ever like. OMG. i should, like bring them here. it would be 2 cute. dude, i even found 2 records that my dad likes. The Clash's London Calling and The Ramones - The Ramones. i know he had been looking for them, for like ages, and now i got them. OMG. i am soooo awesome. this record store is soooo totally cool. hecks to the yeah! read more

Joe's Record Paradise - Music & DVDs Near Me - Silver Spring, Maryland

Let me preface this by saying that I've recently re-discovered the merits of vinyl, versus my MP3 collection. Just got a sweet vintage turntable, and I'm looking to build a collection again. That being said, maybe I'm just not hip enough. Or maybe I've forgotten how to buy music from a store....but I didn't exactly enjoy my 1st trip to Joe's. Stuff was really hard to find. The term "New releases" doesn't mean new albums apparently...it means "old shit that hasn't been organized yet". Employees responded to greetings and niceties with grunts and empty stares. In the end, I did find two choice albums, for under $15 though...so maybe it was worth it....but I still can't say I enjoyed myself. read more

As soon as you walk in the store, it is almost overwhelming. There is such a ridiculous amount of vinyl in this store, it's hard to know where to begin. I would dedicate 30-45 minutes at the least to look through everything. There's so much in the store that if you are looking for something in particular (that isn't the main vinyl you see at every store like Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, NOFX, Neil Diamond, etc) you will most likely have to dig for it. It seems difficult for the employees to keep up with what they have and don't have. For example, I asked if they had any Death, Slayer, or Pantera and they just said "I dunno.. did you check the rare section?" I did find The Beatles - Abbey Road and Johnny Cash - Get Rhythm in the discount bins for $2 a piece though. They have good stuff for extremely cheap in here, you will just have to look for a while. read more

I went to this store while visiting a friend of mine in Silver Spring, MD. The selection is pretty good. However, the woman who checked me out had the worst attitude EVER. It was pretty much the worst customer service I'd ever received. I still feel bad about purchasing that Bobby Hutcherson album after being treated that way. Needless to say, I won't be going back. read more

How does a place like this get any less than 5 stars? Have you seen all the vinyl?? Dude, there are tons of records! I found some great classic rock albums and my wife found some old jazz albums. My only problem was that we didn't have enough time to peruse all the awesomeness that lay before us. Hell, they even have goddamn turntables for you to check the records before you get them. We'll have to go back in the near future as we picked up about 8 records for 35 bucks. Last time I checked, 8 albums on iTunes would run 80 bucks at the LEAST and then have the audacity to not sound nearly as great as the vinyl. Time for some CCR! Oh, we stopped at Cubano's as well. Hence my sangria fueled giddiness. read more

This is a tremendous record shop. I ended up passing on several records I'd really like to have, mainly because I'd spent too much money at other shops over the course of the day, but I was pretty astonished by the number of great records they had sitting in well-organized bins. There are several listening stations. The staff is very friendly (something rare in record shops of this kind and caliber). There is a "rare" section that kind of intimidated me for a while, but once I finally started looking in there, I found that most of the stuff was pretty reasonably priced ($15-$20). That section was packed with great stuff -- a fair amount of 90s indie, for example, which is indeed difficult to find. read more

Great selection for just about everything except punk, progressive and new wave. Those are hard to find at any shop, but they have everything else covered, especially jazz. read more

This is hands down the best place to pick some records. In addition they have an excellent selection of CDS at great prices. The current Sliver Spring location is great and worth the trip if you are looking for some tunes beyond the radio bs. I would go here and get albums I want as opposed to digital on-line services cause it is cheaper. Not sure where all the hate is coming from about the staff but I think they are all cool and do not come from a how can I kiss your ass customer service. read more

Great but it's hard to find. I got a cool Pint Glass and Otis Redding greatest hits all and all it's a pretty cool place.

No matter what genre of music , what playback format suits your needs (with the exception of mini disc and reel to reel) and what budgeting restraints you may face, Joe's Record Paradise has you covered. With hundreds of CDs, thousands of vinyl albums and singles, a very nice selection of DVDs as well as used books and magazines all at great prices! I consider Joe's a very well hidden gem as they can be a bit difficult to find. Being in the basement of the Sun Trust building on Colesville Pike and Cameron ave. in Silver Spring makes it very easy to miss the fact that they are there. read more

if there's anything that helps me call a place "home", it's a good local, independent record store. and joe's may have just done that for me after moving to the DC area in late 2014. as i walked up to joe's record paradise on georgia ave, i didn't think too much of it. it looked like a typical store front with average space. that opinion completely changed upon opening the door. the front is the smaller portion of the store, with it opening up to a massive cavern of audiophile heaven in the back. joe's has EVERY format of audio and video available for sale. 8 tracks, cassettes, vinyl, CDs, and even laser disc. yes. laser disc. i was i a bit surprised, too. it definitely has that feel of you're in someone's basement of entertainment and they haven't quite had enough time to completely organized things. yes, the audio is divided by genre, but it's a bit haphazard. which for me at least, adds to the fun. i love searching through piles and stacks of music for that gem. there were 2 employees on the clock when i was there on a sunday afternoon, and despite the size and volume of the space that is joe's record paradise, that was enough. it was never busy. i just hope it's always busy to keep its' doors open. read more

Love the options and endless aisles to search from as well as a place for my kids to enjoy.

Crazy good. An massive selection of vinyl. Give yourself time to browse in depth. I look for jazz and prices for good LPs ranged from $4 to $12. read more

I had an extremely cool experience today I was driving a long and I decided to stop at a record store that I hadn't been in for years! The store was Joe's Record Paradise in Silver Spring Maryland! It's been so many years.... It's such a great experience to walk in a store and search through the bins of old records to find a Vinyl record surprise! It's magical it's something the younger generation doesn't understand.... Before YouTube before the internet you had to get the opinion of the owner of the record store! It's like a musical treasure hunt! The best record store in The DC area read more

This place is amazing, one of the biggest record stores I've ever seen. It's even bigger than it looks in pictures. Their selection of newer stuff is pretty slim, but if you're looking for stuff that came out before 1990, you'll be set. Prices are reasonable and it's not badly organized for such a huge place. I took off one star, because the rare records section is roped off. I don't know how they expect to sell records in a section that people aren't allowed to browse. I have no idea what's in there, because I'm not going to go through the hassle of finding an employee and asking permission to enter the sacred rare records section. I sometimes buy rare LP's too, so it's their loss. read more

Great (and huge) selection of records at all price points and for all musical interests. Make sure you give yourself ample time to peruse the record bins and maybe find a hidden gem! read more

Absolutely humongous selection. Absolutely meh pricing. Absolutely indifferent staff. You'll like it depending on what you're looking for in a record shop. Here you will most likely find what you are looking for in regard to vinyl, unless it is ultra rare. read more

Damn! This place is packed with vinyl! Not only was the place cavernous and packed with well-organized tables and tables of vinyl, but there was the added benefit of my feeling like I was in college all over again. Staff were super friendly and offered assistance and opinions without being intrusive. You can listen to anything on 3-4 turntables, some more vintage than others. Collections carved out included New Wave/Synth, Reggae, Rap/R&B, Rock, Rare, Jazz and more. In today's world of sterile big box stores, Joe's made me supremely happy with its piles and piles of records, CD's, and VHS tapes. Can't believe it took me so long to check it out. read more

I do love a good record shop and Joe's is HUGE. I can find some rare items I want but the I tend to only go when I know what I want as the aclectic layout has left it pretty dusty/moldy. Not uncommon for such a big store carrying used items but my alergies kick in too fast. I wish they didn't because I could spend hours digging around all the bins. read more

This place is amazing. Lots of vintage vinyl @ reasonable prices. The staff are a bit gruff, but will definitely help you locate something if you ask. Don't come here expecting to find anything too modern, but for a great collection of vintage rock, soul, disco, and jazz - you've got to come here. read more

Humongous section! Prices are definitely on the expensive side for what they are but not outrageous. Organization is okay. The genre artists are kept in seems biased by whoever is in charge of that. While they have an incredible collection they definitely lack some of the major names that you assume there would be plenty of (specifically for the rock genre). read more

The best record store I've found in the area. A huge, well organized selection, and fair prices.

Joe's is the MUSIC (not just record) Paradise. I gave up vinyl half a life time ago,but there is still lots more here. Inside is a very relaxed atmosphere with free flowing music passion. If you like to treasure hunt here is your place. The store has lots of new material that keeps coming in and there are multiple places to seek your songs. Collecting T. Rex/Marc Bolan thought we had a family collection that was complete. In about 2 years have found 12 rare discs-mostly CD and including a Picture Disc. For collectibles, everything that I really know about they have given me at very low prices. Cannot do better anywhere else! The staff is very knowledgeable -definitely worth asking for help for what you are looking for since this is a warehouse size place. Highly recommended if you wants to remember your teenage dreams and find new ones that become your songs. Joe's keeps the soundtrack of life playing. read more

Best Vinyl selection in the area by far. Tons of cool stuff to look at and always find something for my collection. Love going there for Record Store day been going there for 25 years from the old location read more

It really is a vinyl paradise. I have been rebuilding my vinyl collection from scratch and Joe's has a huge inventory to pick through. I do wish they would not sell cheap, record-destroying, turntables such as Crosley. Vintage records aren't being made, so it's important to preserve what's out here and build awareness of using a good table/cartridge. read more

AMAZING record store!!! They have all sorts of genres. They have a lot of rare records and great quality records, for cheap prices. I got a Billy Joel record for $6 and it's in incredible condition. Barely any scratches on it. I highly recommend Joe's. read more

I grew up in Silver Spring, but I now live in Chicago. I have been visiting Joe's for a few years now during my trips back home, and as an 80s R&B/soul collector and DJ, this place truly is "paradise." I have happily spent hours in this store, and never walk away empty-handed. Requires some digging, but if you put in the time you will not be disappointed. read more

Great selection of stuff. However, Jen, a young dark haired employee was the worst person I have ever met. The second I walked into the store, she gave me an incredibly nasty look as if I was Hitler even after my friendly "hi." Then I went up to purchase my items and she was talking to two people who mentioned they were looking for records of a band she loved. After five (5) minutes of standing there clearly waiting to be rung up, she groaned, rolled her eyes and stuck out her hand to indicate that she needed to see the items to have them rung up. Then when the total came to $20.15, I gave her $21 and she just rudely went "bye." I'm not exactly hurting for money and I support record stores still being in business so the 85 cents in theory means nothing to me. However, that is technically theft on her part. You don't just not give customers back change. I seriously am appalled that any business would hire someone with this level of aggressiveness and general incompetence. read more

I was hoping to sell some records as the workers in the shop told me to call back on friday, they said that the owner would be interested in selling some records. So today I called and the owner was real short and rude with me, I had Vicki Carr and some soul records, he said, " I don't even listen to records ". How can you run a record shop without listening to records? Seems more like a lobbyist or special interest group than the special interests of the customers. I recommend going on craiglist to sell, or even further into D.C. I feel like the old location was better run and less pretentious attitudes, there's only 1 Empire records, and fortunately that was a movie! read more

They have a ton of records, however, most of it is crap you would find at a thrift store. They don't seem to be selective at all about what they accept. You might find something but you are going to have to dig for a long time. Also, their prices are too high. read more