It's Biz-erkeley. You got Amoeba's, You got Rasputin. You got freakie-people, college kids and geezers. You got music. They have a nice selection here. read more

Good selection of music. The customer service kinda sucks. Whenever I go there to sell DVD's the guys are a little rude and just do not care. Not the best customer people in the world, but hey they give you a fair amount when you sell. Ameoba down the street is better for selling. read more

A lot more room to breathe compared to the SF store where cds, dvds, etc are stuffed into each floor of a 7 floor building. The selection over here is better than the SF store too. The pricing of cds and dvds are affordable even if it just came out. Heck, they even have stuff you can't find at other places. I was able to find some Pete Rock and other underground hip-hop artists cds that didn't burn a hole in my wallet. I'm still mad though that they bought all my used cds that I brought except for that Seal single... read more

If you're in the area then you have to stop by here. Can't go wrong with music! They don't' have much of a selection as they used to and their DVD section has increased significantly! They even have video games (which I don't play so I am unfamiliar with how recent their selection is). They have vinyls, Cd's, DVDs, shirts and accessories. It used to be better but it is still a place to check out! If you're looking for a Michael Jackson cd to 2 Chainz then this is a place to check out! Used and new products. They don't give oyu much for when you try and sell your cds or DVDs. Note: Have your parking ticket validated if you parked at the parking garage across the street. read more

One word...Nostalgia... In the times of Amazon, iTunes and eBay many don't actually remember or have ever experienced the religious experience it is to physically sift through a sea of CD's/DVD's and even vinyl records. The joy when you found the CD you may or may not have been looking for. I love my iTunes but seriously there is nothing like wondering in the vast collections of music and movies and not giving a hoot about the time. I wouldn't make Rasputin my to go to place for music but it's an experience and a treat to yourself to do it once in a while. read more

Rows and Rows o LOVE!!! I love music shopping and Raspies is my go to store all of the time due to the fact that if you want it usually Raspies has it. Be it a DVD, CD, DVD, VG, Poster or T shirt lol. This Rasputins is reall chill I love the atmosphere and it is really open like most Rasputins are anyways. Huge selection of new and used chances are if you find it here new it is already available to you in the used section, my boyfriend of the time taught me this, everytime Id be holding a CD to purchase new hed drag me to the used section and hand me the used one...Hey it works for me I get more music for my roll lol...SCORE!! Definitely a "must stop by" place. read more

Been going here for years. Never can get enough of the feel of a real record store. In my Dee Jay days you would of thought I lived there since I was there all the time for hours LOL...The feel of a record store is like no other read more

Rasputin Music - Music & DVDs Near Me - Berkeley, California

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STRAIGHT FIVE STARS BRUH! i mean, if you like bay area raps, theres nowhere better. fuck a jay-z. read more

Yeah absolutely love it!!! got the vibe, good music playing.. everytime friends come over from overseas i'll bring them to this cool record store!!!! Friendly and useful customer service. . when i want to cheer up my soul i go for a quick visit, a place where music is alive :) read more

I always find some gems at this spot. Vinyl collection gores every time I stop here. My wife tried to keep me away from this place cause it's usually at least 25 or more vinyls in my want list that I find. Typically walk out under 100 with a good variety. Sometimes the prices are slightly a bit higher than other spots but quality usually is on point. read more

You certainly don't go here for the staff. A single hardworking girl struggling to keep pace at front counter. Amongst the aisles, at least three men having a grand old time. At first, they were so loud that I thought they were part of a flash mob and instantly felt at home in inner city Chicago. Nope, they worked there. Downstairs, same story. Single guy working furiously to stock. Back upstairs, three guys continuing to actlike they're on a Chicago street corner. At Mad Monk down the street, I witnessed the staff embark on a surreal argument about how best to handle the checkout line. In contrast, a serious work ethic is not a problem here. I'd buy on line rather than be part of a social welfare scheme. read more

I am always treated like royalty in here by all the nice people .Also i find treasures galore here .You can find here rare electronica or some kool obscure album from the 80's for reasonable price .Sometimes you find great rare blues album for a price of a cd ---- but who wants a cd ??? i know i dont .Vinyl is the king and rasputin is my royal treasure chest . The girls at the counter are always sweet and we always chat up about music and fun stuff .People are helpful and nice ! read more

For some reason, I think Amoeba has a better atmosphere for browsing used music. I don't kow why, but I do.

So I know that "Music" is in the store's name, but the reason to go here is for the films. They have the entire criterion collection for way less than anywhere else and I have purchased a few my favorites for a mere Hamilton (eXistenZ and Heathers to name a few). In terms of music, it's 50/50 that they'll even have what I'm looking for and 50/50 that it'll be a better price than Amoeba. This is also a great place to buy albums the week they come out, as they usually mark them down to $10 or $11. read more

My first thought walking into Rasputin on Telegraph: So uhm, who buys cd's any more? Alot of people apparently. Including the 20 or so folks zigzagging around the place, Fancyface and myself by the time we had left, and by all accounts, the stinky man who fanned his nose at *us* in the anime aisle. Rasputin has that vintage, thrift-shop quality to it...In the way that it's not the type of place you just *pop* into to get a couple things and *pop* right back out. In fact, to my knowledge, there isn't a lot popping going on. This is the type of place that obliges an extended look around at their colossal collection of cd's, dvd's, film posters & games....the fruit of pop culture's loins, to all intents and purposes. To lend some illustration to the motley collection found here, I'll tell you that within the first 10 minutes of perusing the aisles...I passed the album that took Mariah multi platinum, the first five seasons of Mad Men, Nirvana's iconic, Nevermind and some long lost episodes of Fancyface's childhood favorite, Transformers Beast Wars. Moreover, I suspect that this place probably has an extensive backstock of Gigli on VHS. Whatever it is that scrambles your eggs...chances are they've got it. The staff are not only friendly but incredibly knowledgable as well, which comes in plenty handy when your powers of recall fail you and you need a little help. Prices here, especially on used items, are also pretty awesome. We'll definitely be back to dig around some more... read more

5 whole stars for the guy downstairs in charge of the vinyl collection. He went through hundreds of albums in search of an album I was looking for. He didn't find it but the effort alone will make me come back to this store alone. read more

This location is MUCH bigger than you would think by the exterior and with such a large exterior comes a huge selection. When we went to the DVD section I was pleasantly surprised to find quite a few contemporary and classic Iranian films in the Foreign Film section. I was able to buy Day Break for $5.95 and got an 11% discount for showing them my old UCSC ID. Anywhere with such a wide selection and student discount is good in my book. Also, my cousin was looking at the new releases section for some CDs and the guy stocking the shelves approached her if she needed anything and directed her to the right section both in new and used - no hint of snobbery or annoyance. read more

For the record, I came here out of nostalgia when you couldn't find music online anywhere. I did have to go here the other day because there is an album I am trying to locate and haven't had much luck online. I still like browsing through but somehow, I think I may have lost that excited feeling to discovering new music. But the novelty of being there is worth it. It's like a travel back in time and felt like I was making my own movie watching my past life unfold. read more

What's not to like about the flagship Rasputin store? It's not only better than its rival, Amoeba, but also much more spacious than its San Francisco Union Square store. Sure, the store smells like piss and could definitely use some humidifiers, but you're here for music and movies. The staff is laid back and will help you out if you need anything. The store has an incredible inventory of artists, from mainstream to independent artists. The hip-hop section is bar none the best I've ever seen, even better than Amoeba on Sunset in L.A. Furthermore, their DVD selection will consume film connoisseurs of all kinds. Prices are a little high for brand new movies, but their used selection is awesome and will undoubtedly drain your wallet. Prices on new music are nicely priced at about $10-12 for a new album. Oh, and don't forget their artist in-store appearances. I've caught E-40, Frontline, Murs, The Jacka, just to name a few. Lastly, don't forget to get validated at checkout; it'll get you a 50% discount on parking at the adjacent parking garage. Pros: Music Selection (the biggest independent hip hop selection in the Bay) Movie Selection (porn!) Used Selection Prices Shopping Environment Parking Validation Cons: NONE read more

I shop here for great buys on cds and dvds. Their selection is awesome. They almost always have what I am looking for. The staff is very helpful and friendly and usually can tell me exactly where what I am looking for is in the store.Their prices can only be beat online, but then you gotta pay shipping and wait for the mail, and it's better to support a local business. As always when shopping in Berkeley, keep an eye on the parking meter. On June 22 there will be live music here as part of the Berkeley World Music Festival. read more

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Not only do these guys have a great selection of both used and new CDs for affordable prices... Not only do they have a Cal student discount (11% as of Dec 2010)... Not only are the staff fairly professional and knowledgeable... But, oddly enough, they have an awesome collection of pinball machines here too, some of which are playable for free, some of which are broken (well, what do you want), and some of which can be played for only 25 cents! less than three Rasputin! read more

This place isn't all that it thinks it's cracked up to be. Yes, it's true that I couldn't find the Peter Himmelman album I was looking for, but yeah, I'll admit it has a good selection. But it doesn't have to advertise that it has "the best selection in Berkeley" when it's 1/2 a block away from another record store (you all know which one I'm talking about) that is roughly identical in most ways. Second, what is the point of the 11% student discount? Are you trying to one-up the "other" record shop, which offers a measly 10% discount (but slightly better prices)? This place is such like the 3rd grade bully who thinks he's bigger and smarter than everyone else, except that it's an inanimate object bullying another inanimate object. wtf. read more

Great variety, I did not look thoroughly but I did manage to get Factory Girl brand new for $15.99 + tax cheapest price I've ever seen it at I will definitely come back when I visit Berkeley once more. read more

Not a very good tape selection. Decently priced LPs and a better 7" selection than Amoeba (in Berekeley, at least). I've found a good amount of "scores" every time I stop by. Trade your stuff into Rasputin. They usually pay way more than other record stores. Big plus for that! read more

Of the six Rasputin stores that I have had the pleasure to visit, this one is the best. If you are going to take time and visit one of the nine Rasputin locations, this is the one to go to. They have an outstanding jazz and classical basement, right on par with Amoeba Berkeley (which is a block away). The CD section for the jazz and classical takes-up roughly 50% of the basement while the remaining 50% is their vinyl section (rock, indie, jazz, classical, etc.). They have a very excellent jazz vinyl section, but I cannot say the same for the classical. The classical section consists of one small section with the same Bach, Beethoven and Mozart records you could find at any garage sale for a quarter. Rasputin is not known for quality control. I have to say that I check every disc that I buy from any of the Rasputin stores at the checkout. I feel bad to say this, but I generally do not buy 30% of the items that I intend to purchase due to excessive scratches, but with that being said when you see a disc for $3.95, you are probably not expecting it to be pristine. read more

I don't live in Berkeley anymore, but I still make the trek to Rasputin whenever I'm looking for something a little out of the mainstream. They have extensive selections of the "other" genres most stores skimp on, like jazz, latin, soundtracks, and electronica. Their stock is divided into subgenres to make it easy to find not only the album you're looking for, but also to browse other artists in a similar style. On the rare occasions that I can't find the CD I'm hunting, I always find five other things I want, at prices that don't make me feel too guilty. Unlike others, I've never had a negative experience with the staff. In fact, when I was there yesterday they were extremely helpful! I was looking for a particular bachata album, and while the artist was listed (in the subgenre of Merengue/Bachata, which I've never seen separated out anywhere else), the CD wasn't there. I asked about it at the counter as I was buying my other albums. The lady looked it up on the computer and saw that they should have two copies, so she radioed the staff and three different clerks joined the hunt. They searched the whole Latin section, plus the sale/clearance endcaps and the rock section in case it had been misfiled. When it became clear that they didn't actually have the CD, one of the clerks came out from behind the counter to personally apologize and explain why it might have been pulled from the shelves. I left the store without one of the CDs on my list, true, but also with the certainty that I will be back! read more

No, I haven't been to Streetlight Records. Yes, I've been to Amoeba, and the pricing and selection didn't really impress me. I lean towards classical music, and I like having CD's because of quality issues. Hold your pitchforks and torches and lynch mobs and let me finish - I also keep to myself and usually kinda know what I want. I don't have to interact frequently with the (supposed, according to a lot of people here on Yelp) jerks that run the store. I personally found the staff to be really nice and pretty helpful on the rare occasion I needed to ask questions. The selection and the prices here are all good. For the classical fan, there's a wealth of stuff on the upper level to dig through and perchance stumble upon for an excellent price. The service - well, checkout is _supposed_ to be fast, so I don't fault them for not really grinning at me the whole time and pretending to care about how my day's going or disguise the briskness in their actions. That's fine. I'll be coming back again and again just because - well, c'mon, albums for less than $5. How could you say (in light of Megaupload going down, on the record) no to that? read more

Went looking for rare gems and good used deals and made $40 of purchases that were awesome finds and I'm really happy with. The stockers were all really helpful and friendly however, MARK (think middle eastern Sideshow Bob), who checked me out acted like a complete prick to me. I don't spend my money to be yelled at and sighed at. If I wanted that I'd have a kid. Mark, a trained monkey could do your job and it would be more pleasant to the customers. Rasputin management, take one of your friendly floor guys and put him behind the counter. I'm sure there's something for Mark to do in the basement or a toilet that needs cleaning until he learns to be at least as polite as the stockers. Next time, I'm gonna check out the neighboring establishment first. But if they got nothing I guess I'd still come back. read more

Wonderful experience! I called ahead to make sure they had a copy of the CD I wanted. They held it until I walked down to the store and was greeted by an employee when I walked in (as I have been here a lot the greetings are few and far between so I was lucky) The aisles are wide enough that your are contorting your body to pass another shopper. I wish there was vinyl. (very few in store) but I won't hold that against them. I also wish they were opened later than 7pm. read more

Amoeba and Rasputin are sort of the Coke and Pepsi of music stores. Amoeba gets more love from most, but Rasputin generally has lower prices on new CDs (especially if you remember to bring your frequent buyer card). I can do without the sweatshirts, T-shirts, and posters; they're veeringly dangerously close to Hot Topic with some of that stuff. The Berkeley store is organized better than the SF one, but they both have Blondie's pizza nearby. (So does the Pleasant Hill one.) read more

Easily one of the best places to come to get music!!! They've got nice prices here and it's pretty damn easy to find!! read more

Nice selection of CDs and DVDs for an unbeatable price. Bring your hand sanitizer though. Your hands will feel remarkably disgusting after shuffling through everything. read more

Is there always a screaming patron when you shop in Berkeley? Just left Peet's Coffee after watching a ranting Rasta Guy get thrown out and I walk into Rasputin's to catch up w/ my friends who were already shopping in there. Another screaming guy was there. Some non-descript swearing and comments about various music groups. Enthusiastic commentary? Slight case of Tourette's? Nah, I'm just in Berkeley. read more

I love Rasputin. I don't even bother going into Amoeba on Telegraph (although the Amoeba on Haight is excellent and I always go there). Rasputin buys back all the used cds I've outgrown and will even pay me for the lame dvds I get as gifts or buy cheaper than a rental from Blockbuster. I take my store credit and go to town. I can spend hours at Rasputin browsing through the racks and sampling music through their kiosks. They have a great indie/underground selection and do a great job introducing the unknown to mainstream shoppers like me. The used dvd section is equally entertaining as they like to categorize by genre making it easy to find what you are looking for. Got the hots for B rated movies starring Jennifer Aniston? Head straight to the "Six degrees of Brangelina" section. They will even let you rent any used dvd in the store for $2. I tell you, Rasputin thinks of everything. They even have a Rasputin saver card. Don't leave home without it! It will always save you like two bucks off the sticker price. read more

I recently discovered this music store while visiting a friend in Berkley and was quite amazed by the collection of used items here. Rasputin had used DVD, TV series, music (record / CD), VHS videos, and video games (Xbox, Xbox 260, Playstation 2 /3). The collection of anime was quite impressive and the staff was quite friendly and helpful. My only complaint is that you have to check your bag in at the front desk. This was quite strange because at the time I just had a doggie bag from a Thai restaurant across the street. Yet, I had to check the bag in like everyone else. I doubt I can stuff anything into my red curry and rice dish. Strange, but never less I would come here again. read more

Not only does this shop have an excellent assortment of records and various mediums of music, but the ice cream here is actually so underrated! It is WAY cheaper than CREAM (which happens to be right across the street) and the quality is about the same (if not, then cheaper). An ice cream sandwich is $2 with cash, $2.50 with a card (told you it's cheap). I recommend the rainbow cookies, soy french vanilla ice cream, and the green tea ice cream. Really great, check it out if you aren't willing to wait in CREAM's never-ending line read more

Best place to find movies and music old and new! Old vhs tapes are dirt cheap and they have a huge selection. CDs of every genre available, some as cheap as about $2.99! The same goes for DVDs. The workers there are laid-back and helpful, I always have at least one of them ask me if i need any help everytime i stop by. NO big bags/backpacks allowed, so you have to check them in at the entrance. They just give you a number that matches its cubby # for you to claim once you're done shopping. 3 floors of selection, plus the attached movie section room, very spacious (unlike the SF location). Favorite place to go when i'm on a mission to find some musical or movie-cal entertainment! read more

I love this place. They have multiple floors! On the ground floor are all the CDs, on the second floor is a bunch of international/electronic stuff, and on the basement level is nothing but vinyl for miles. Whenever I hear something good on Pandora, and I want to get the CD without waiting for Amazon to ship it, I'll try Rasputin first (and Amoeba second, since it's further down the road) and they usually always have it. I've been pretty surprised on several occasions; it's like magic, or something. Sometimes they even have the stuff that Amazon doesn't carry. I don't know how they manage to always have it (or, rather, who would give up such a great album in the first place), but I am forever grateful. The staff seems pretty chill. Honestly, I'm a little envious of them sometimes. I wish I worked in a music shop, and had people asking me questions about music. ;-; Anyway, five stars. I hope they never ever go out of business. I will support them eternally. read more

I adore Rasputin - this is such a great record shop and I can spend almost as much time in here as I do in bookstores. I discover so much new music by listening to things here - it's really fun to come in and browse with a friend, chat up strangers and get tips on things to check out. Great local business! read more

Waay better than SF. Much bigger and better organized. Go to the basement floor for a great selection of records. As I also find at the SF location, it's good to check here for new releases that aren't so new anymore and have sold out at Amoeba. read more