I'll give this place between 3 and 4 stars. Let me first just say that I love descending the stairs to a basement record shop, with great music on the house stereo and a grungy basement feel. Despite the grunge, I agree with other reviews that the selection of new vinyl is decent, the used is limited, and the prices are moderate to high-ish, but not ridiculous. A plus is that the condition of all of the used records has been graded, and, to my eye, the grades are conservative rather than inflated, which I really respect. I walked out with a few used jazz titles that I have not seen elsewhere, so, despite the limited supply, there were treasures to be had! This was the first of three record shops I visited in Burlington and, if these three are representative, Burlington punches above its weight in the vinyl shopping department! read more

Pure Pop Records - Music & DVDs Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

I love this place, have been in a couple times and always find something interesting for a reasonable price - huge selection of records and CDs, also have listening stations - and it feels like what you'd expect a 70s-90s record store to feel like. I really enjoy browsing in here and listening to the music they're playing in the shop, will come back will recommend. read more

Good selection but that goes down the drain when you find a roach inside of a record. Spent 80+ $ and had to throw them all away because of live roaches inside of purchase. read more

Pure pop = Pure love. They are hands down the best place in Burlington to go for all your music needs. Ample CDs, records/vinyl (new and old), posters, local band music & merch, you name it! The steps down into the store (it's below street level) are a bit steep but don't let the poster-lined entry way deter you. It's possible that you've even walked past it a million times downtown but it's definitely worth the stop in. My favorite part about Pure Pop, other than the fact that they carry such a diverse array of music, but also that they have several recommendation racks, a sampling from a variety of tastes, along with listening stations to inspire your musical preferences. I've had great luck finding new music and inspiration here and would suggest if you're in a musical slump that you head down, pop on a pair of headphones, and start punching through CDs. Also, they have a small stash of posters for the taking, so look for the bin on your left/under the first shelves of CDs as you first walk in. read more

Pure Pop Records - New releases ... - Music & DVDs Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

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One of those places where you could spend a whole afternoon flipping through their huge collection! The staff was very knowledgeable, helpful and even went out of their way to help me find the best way to get my records shipped home to me safely. Every record I bought there is my favorite because of the pristine condition they're in. read more

Indie realness to the core. Friendly, knowledgeable, first-rate service and a collection that will have you coming back for more. read more

Pure Pop Records - Happiest guy in the world with this new release of Howard Shore's soundtrack to The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. Thanks, Pure Pop!! - Music & DVDs Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

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I've been coming here since i first moved to Burlington 6 years ago and have enjoyed it every time. I generally only buy vinyl, so i will not comment on the cd section (which is quite large). They have a great selection of new vinyl at good prices. Their selection seems to lean heavily towards rock/pop, which is fine, but i'd love to see a bit more emphasis on Jazz. The staff has always been helpful and i have used them to order lp's they did not have in-store on a number of occasions. Their used vinyl section is pretty disorganized, but the prices are fantastic! They have a small book section (about 40 titles) whose titles have been nicely thought out and should appeal to many. Small comic section as well, with great titles! Absolutely recommend this shop to anyone interested in music and books! read more

Favorite record store in the country hands down. And not just because the staff (and ex-staff) kicks ass. Independent, great selection and staff are dyed in the wool music lovers. Can't go wrong! read more

Not good! Upon walking in there were 3 people working there and not one of them even said hello or asked if I needed any guidance. Additionally there was no music on which fostered a really awkward vibe in the store. Come on, its a record store, SPIN SOMETHING! I also found their collection to be mostly new vinyl that was overpriced. The used section was very small and not impressive. I did like however their color coded system for the condition of their used vinyl. I will not return. read more

that review is comlete rubbish. Pure pop is the exclusive music store in the area. Once again this goes with my SUPPORT LOCAL rules and regulations. Pure pop has so many exclusive imports and hard to find albums. They have cds, wax and every kind of music you will desire. The only reason the staff would seem arrogant is because they know they are the best and they are. Maybe they treated you poorly because your a dumb custy trying to buy matchbox 20. Go to itunes for your corporate custy music. Go to pure pop for serious music collectors interested in crazy imports or boxed sets. They also special order any music you like. I have ordered many hard to find albums from Jamaica and Europe. Always have had good results. Also check the free bin. They always have free music and posters and random musical items in the free bin. How can you dis a company that is so chill? Anyways. Forget COCONUTS... Forget corporate. Keep it local and support PURe POP. I LOVE YOU PURE POP. ALWAYS HAVE ALWAYS WILL. Keep treating the custys like they are.... read more

Let's say it's a 3 1/2 star! There are definately some cool things in this store and the prices are decent. They have a good selection of CDs and LP. Things are very well organized in the store. Only downer is the staff is not so friendly but as the store is so well organized that we don't have to ask much. read more

Good selection of cd's and the best selection of new vinyl in Burlington. Here's the problem: Their used vinyl selection is pretty poor. Burlington Records, which opened a few months ago, has them soundly beat (probably 20x more used records and generally in better quality). And while their new vinyl selection is good (especially with regards to indie rock), their prices aren't all that great (at least for vinyl). It's hard to find anything under 15 bucks, with most of the new stuff in the 20-25 dollar range. While there is a certain amount of joy flipping through stacks, the fact is that you can order these records from label websites for 5 dollars less pretty consistently. Given all that, they still get 3 stars for the cd selection and for the ambiance: it is always fun to go to indie record stores like this and look around, even if you aren't buying. read more

I literally stumbled across this basement shop, and was glad I did. Great selection on new indie titles, and some bargains in the vinyl bins. Also features a remarkably smart selection of music-related books. SO much more fun than buying music from iTunes or Best Buy. read more

Pure Pop embodies everything you could ever ask of a basement record store. Unlike most languishing independent music shops, this place is fresh and thriving. I spent about an hour just cycling through records on their listening booths. They also stock a small collection of hard to find/out-of-print books and movies. The staff have excellent taste in the music they play. There's not much else to say. If you want pretty modestly priced vinyl, or unseen albums on CD, check them out for sure. read more

Pure Pop has a really good selection of vinyl...a majority of modern and new artists are available, not just used options from the 1970s. That alone is worth a visit. Will be coming back to peruse the album collection for my newfound infatuation with the record player. read more

This might be the best record store I've ever been to. A couple years ago I took a trip out to visit a girlfriend at UVM. Without hesitation I can say my time in this establishment was the highlight of the trip. What a great selection of vinyl. Everything I didn't know I wanted was staring me right in the face. Really cool staff, though lord knows if it's the same people now. Kudo's to you all for being cool, knowledgeable people without the pretension I seem to find at most independent record stores. I'd almost go back to Burlington just for another opportunity to shop at this place. read more

This place is a Burlington landmark. Fantastic selection of vinyl, especially their eye popping metal section! They also have plenty of other mainstream and eclectic genres in CD and vinyl formats, the best prices for a retail store and ALWAYS the best friendly service. I've been a customer for 22 yrs and counting! A must for any physical format music fan. read more

I used to buy albums here in the 80s. The place still has a charming and magical quality to it and an excellent selection of music for you. I heard everyone to support this place because if you looking to buy music you might as well buy it here. read more

At least once a year me and the family come up to Burlington Vermont and on our list of things to do is Pure Pop Records. I love this record store. Walking down the steps into the store adds a 90s punk feel to it. This store has decent prices, great records and many more selections. I recommend it highly. read more

The last bastion of independent music stores in Burlington. Great selection for the small space, knowledgeable and friendly people behind the counter, and they are open fairly late. A good selection of vinyl, movies and used music as well as a broad library of new CDs. read more

Walking down the narrow stairs to this subterranean record shop is like traveling through time. It seems that no significant cosmetic changes have been made over the years, but their selection of vinyl is always current. You're sure to find the most recent release from your favorite indie artist, and you'll likely find previous releases from artists who've been on the scene for a while. Their selection of used and vintage vinyl is cool and sophisticated. If you're looking for releases from local artists, they've got you covered. If you're still rocking CDs, they're on top of it. The staff is knowledgeable, opinionated, and always ready to order something for you if they don't have it in stock. read more

Excellence in vinyl...more for the pop and alternative rock fan; I found some nice Prestige (jazz) reissues, though. Quiet, helpful, friendly. read more

Overrated. Stopped in to find some Tragically Hip albums and they had the same selection as the mall store. Good selection of indie music.

My only complaint is that I'd need to drive up to Burlington to get some new vinyl. I guess that isn't entirely a bad thing. Great shop.

I finished my college degree in Burlington, Vt. in 2008-2010, and Pure Pop became one of my favorite places in Queen City. They have a tremendous selection of indie rock, avant garde and experimental music, blues, jazz, soul and R and B, Afrobeat, Ye-Ye, post-punk, etc. In addition to providing music junkies with a wide array of CDs and even vinyls to choose from, they also have many items at excellent prices. I used to spend many days off from school browsing the used section for treasures-and very rarely did I go home empty handed. Additionally, the staff is very knowledgeable about many genres and sub-genres of music, and are very helpful-they even back ordered for me a few times, too. read more

Man, I love Pure Pop -- their vinyl collection is large and growing larger. Unsurprisingly it's mostly indie rock, but there's a nice amount of hip-hop, jazz and classic reissues too. Their selection of used records isn't as large as some of the other record shops nearby, but Pure Pop is pretty much the only game in town for new vinyl -- luckily, they're on top of it. Good prices, friendly service, and always something interesting on the stereo, too. read more

This is the only good place to get music in Burlington. It's one of the cool stores to go to aside from Crowe Books and Earth Prime Comics. They have a good used section; decent prices compared to a place like FYE or Borders. I've always found the staff to be an interesting (read hot chicks) and friendly...friendly in the sense that it is an underground music store that caters to people that know why they are there and know what they want and don't need to ask retarded questions. If I wanted a happy crappy walk-me-over-to-my-selection staff I would go to a place like Borders. If I want a hard copy of something new for $13 I go to Pure Pop. Otherwise I use Amazon for the $9 DRM free music. read more

Classic record store with fair priced records and nice CD and vinyl sections. Not a huge used vinyl section but there are gems to be found. Worth checking out every time your in the neighborhood. read more

A cool local music store that has some obscure and hard to find titles. A little elitist in that if you bring up a Phish CD or a more pop title like No Doubt, the person checking you out will likely mock you on your way out. Oh well. :) read more