Another great Chicago vinyl institution located in the Loop. The have a wide range of genres of music with a huge selection of new and sealed pieces. The store is fairly large and the music is well organized. They do stick of few used pieces of all genres of music but "new" wax is definitely their specialty. Store is located right in front of the Wabash lights which is an art installation that uses L.E.D lights to create visual art on the L tracks. Reckless is a great store to check out when you are in downtown Chicago. It's just a few blocks of Michigan ave, and not far from the Theater District of Millennium park. Enjoy!! read more

Reckless Records - Music & DVDs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Had every record I was looking for. Great selection and great vibes. Prices are reasonable. read more

Reckless Records - Music & DVDs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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It's like a video game level up. Gandalf the Grey becoming Gandalf the White. Beautiful space, much bigger than their old one around the corner. Nothing else has changed as far as what they carry, there is just more room to navigate. Friendly staff, great selection of records. read more

Reckless Records - Music & DVDs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

When my girlfriend and I travel we aim to hit up local record stores for the love of the hunt in finding hidden musical treasures. We have it just right where we live in this regard, but we ALWAYS have to checkout new shops abroad. A good (local) friend recommended numerous stores, including RR locations here and up by our hotel, to us and we were able to get to all of them. However this one was the most memorable. Unfortunately it wasn't for our finds, but for the offensive experience with the staff. --------------------- Between the 2 of us we probably spent $500 elsewhere on music before seeing a Bowie tribute show at The Metro on Saturday. Some great finds appeared and we found it hard to say no at times!! This place got far, far less, because of the vibe when entering the store. They certainly had the inventory! --------------------- While getting our bearings coming in from the snowstorm, I had politely asked this employee if the New & Used was mixed together. They made a VERY pained and sarcastic face and nodded as They blew past me. Now I've been going to indie shops for quite some time and work a table at the record shows as such, so I'm very aware of the way things go, but this was different. This was a quiet Friday afternoon with no foot traffic on 1/30/26 about lunchtime as the snow was coming down. We were the only 2 customers. When the time came I went to the register with my items and was flat-out ignored by the staff. One employee with her coat on had to run and refused to ring me up. The other, which made the face earlier, sat staring off at the snow and their phone, ignoring me while doing nothing as They sat in their seat. A looooonnng handful of seconds went by and I finally held up the items to signal Them it's go-time. They begrudgingly sauntered over to complete the sale. "Would you like a bag?" "Sure." "DON'T CALL ME THAT!" "Call you what?" "Sir!!!" "I said, Sure!" Most people would recognize the error and make it right. They had no apology for the misunderstanding. Why They thought the correct answer to Their question was 'Sir,' we'll never know. Assuming I'm flagrantly discriminating and then doubling down in Their mistake is just flat out offensive. I would've stopped the sale if I didn't want the items as much as I did. My girlfriend didn't catch all this, but when she came over finally she thanked Them and said goodbye, while again, They gave a VERY pained/sarcastic/defiant nod dare I say smile. My parting words, "Have a better one!!" I don't expect much of any service in independent record stores, but if you can't do the bare minimum and then decide to insult the customer based on your own form of discrimination laced with social politics - I can't say I'm primed to give repeat business (or recommend to others) upon a revisit to a great city like Chicago!!!! read more

One of the best record stores in chicago! Visited Reckless Records in the loop. Their selection always has a good variety, is well organized/labelled nicely, and staff is friendly/helpful. The prices do have a bit of a premium but most record stores you will go to these days will be. Highly recommend checking out this location or one if their others further north! read more

Reckless Records - Music & DVDs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Amazing selections of new and used of all media but definitely large collection of vinyl! A must if in the area

Very organized and cute inside. Located right in the middle of the Loop, which is nice for tourists. They have a huge variety of vinyls and tote bags perfectly sized for them! Prices were reasonable as well. From new releases to music from the 80's, they had them all. read more

Reckless Records - Laufey - Music & DVDs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Sweet spot to get some great vinyl at a good price. Had a nice time browsing for quite awhile and just enjoying myself. Only saw a couple of posers in there filming content for their various social media, so be aware that you might have to ask them to move so you can get to your desired records lol. Staff was nice and friendly. Great spot! read more

I'm a huge record store fanatic. And have been visiting every Reckless Records location for decades. Could spend hours perusing. Great space! I love their selection of rare music. The staff know a lot about the music they sell. read more

this is one of our favorite hangout spots to look for new music, videos, and oldies. They have a wide array of music genres to choose from the staff is always friendly and efficient. read more

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Found some great records here. Staff was great, they were helpful and very friendly and good pricing.

A largely good selection, reasonably priced, certainly worth visiting, I grew up in London and was a frequent buyer at the west end store in London where everyone was super cool and nice. I've been twice to the downtown Chicago location and bought several records there, my only criticism is that the staff can only be described as ignorant bores. They seem just vile individuals with no personality. I heard a guy in front of me complementing their selection only for the boringly obvious "shop assistant" to ignore him completely and treat him like utter s&$t Come for the vinyl but expect to be treated like crap by people who would otherwise be miserably folding pants in a lesser retail hell. read more

I'm in Chicago visiting for the first time and earlier this evening I was wandering around downtown and found this place. I immediately saw a CD that I wanted which was amazing. Of course they only have empty plastic cases on the shelves so i went to the counter to ask an employee if he could get the CD for me. His response was "That ISSSSS the CD!" Huh? It clearly was not. It was just the plastic case, but I didn't say anything else because I was baffled by his response. Then he said "Yeah! It's in the plastic case because we don't want anyone STEALING our stuff. I can go in the back and get it for you." I still didn't say anything else to him. He brought out the CD a few minutes later, rung me up for the $2 purchase, handed me my change, and did not say thank you, have a good night, or anything. Not a word. Very weird experience. He did not speak to any of the other patrons that way. read more

Reckless Records - Music & DVDs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Stopped into Reckless Records to pick up a CD (not a typo, long story) and found this place to be wonderful! They have a HUGE selection of all kinds of music in different formats and it is all nicely organized and easy to browse. I found exactly what I was looking for and in no time flat and the CD was in like-new condiiton. The cashier was just kind of there but he was nice enough and had me checked out quickly. In and out in under 5 mins with exactly what I sought - great experience! I'm already planning to return tomorrow and will recommend this spot to anyone looking for a great selection of used music. read more

They absolutely crushed it with the new store. Same location, lots more space, great lighting, much better air and inventory and super super helpful staff. read more

I found a limited edition Mac Miller vinyl here that I fell in love with and had to buy! I also got a tote bag to carry it around town. Cute little location and everything was labeled very well; the workers were so nice and helpful. I recommend stopping by if you're looking for some shopping downtown. read more

I found Ants From Up There on vinyl and it wasn't even a markup in Chicago. That's all I need to say.

Stopped in when we visited the city last week. Bought three albums. We enjoyed browsing. Staff were friendly.

The service was excellent and very knowledgeable about their locations. The selection was vast and my mom found some music CDs. The value was very affordable and I think people would appreciate that if they not have so much money read more

My fav record store in Chicago. I go here each time I visit! The staff are super friendly

I've been here a few times. for a downtown Chicago record store it is pretty small but they have a hefty selection of vinyl and CDs. They typically don't keep vinyl in the sleeves, I guess for security issues, so even the new stuff will be open and they have to go in the back and grab the actual vinyl to put in the sleeve. I have found some good deals here over the years and some rarer items too. read more

excellent selection and well organized! didn't end up buying anything but people were friendly and had fun perusing

Told me on phone they buy 45s and albums. Lugged my collection there. They said they looked it it and weren't interested. Probably only looking for rare items at my expense. Waste of my day. Disrespectful!! read more

I've never been in a record shop, so when I stopped in here, I was in love. I went looking to see if they had my dad's record (Universal Togetherness Band..under Numero Group. Look them up.). And they had it! it was so cool because they didn't know who the band was, but they looked through their inventory for me and my sister and found the record. Don't think I'll be visiting often, but I will always remember my visit! read more

Reckless Records - Music & DVDs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I love Reckless Records and I always drop in one of the three locations when I visit Chicago. Reckless is a Chicago institution. The Madison location is the smallest of the three, with a limited inventory, but it's worth a visit. Be prepared that most of the stock in the racks do not include the vinyl - only empty sleeves. The vinyl is kept behind the counter. You can inspect the vinyl and reject your choice. No problems from the staff if you do that. The vinyl is conservatively graded and well priced. Meaning, it's priced what it's worth, not overpriced or over graded, but not under priced either. read more

There's some great finds and a wide selections genres to choose from. Want that album by that band you heard at Forever H&M Outfitters? They've got it. Want to relive your embarrassing and questionable crust/gutterpunk phase and get some d-beat or grindcore album? Definitely! Into obscure cult/horror whatever genre films? They've got them a plenty. All reasonably priced for the most part. The only downside is that you play Russian roulette with the staff. Some are friendly and some live up to the stereotype of pretentious record store clerk. While I can see that flying at other reckless locations that have been around for much longer (Belmont or Milwaukee) the staff here is much younger (shout out to you art school students) than the rest, so save the snark and sass for social media. Less attitude and more service. read more

A nice small cool record store. If you like plastic this is the place to find your beat. If there is something specific that you want I would call first. read more

Reckless Records - Pay counter - Music & DVDs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I bought some records here from the new arrival bin. They were all fine except one which skipped. When I tried to take it back they refused to accept it because I did not have a receipt. Even though it was only a few days later and I know they have a record of what sold from their inventory. So if you buy something here make sure you get a printed receipt and leave the sticker on the record. Truthfully the vinyl section here is not amazing as some reviews seem to indicate. It's mostly overpriced new stuff and there is a lot of junk in the used section. There are many better record stores in Chicago than this. read more

A Reckless Records in downtown Chicago? Sign me up! While much smaller than their Wicker Park flagship and Broadway locations, this shop sells plenty of new and used LPs, CDs, DVDs, to keep those of us who still buy music satisfied. I've gone in here plenty, and have been known to occasionally buy a used CD or two in the "dad rock" category. The clerks should certainly roll their eyes like those jerks at Championship Vinyl, but they never do! They're always super helpful, especially if you're buying up some Reckless exclusives or hard to find buys. Yay, Reckless downtown! read more

Reckless is my favorite Record Store in the known universe. In my teenage years I was a regular at the Broadway location but this was my first trip to the Loop store. While smaller than the Broadway store the selection is top notch and I managed to find a couple of records I had been unable to find in Detroit. Go to Reckless. GO THERE NOW! read more

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I like that they buy used CD's, DVD's, Vinyl's and video games (the video games part is a plus). I was looking for a local way to get rid of my old CDs from when I was a teenager. The way the store is set-up reminds me of how record stores look in the movie because there's lines of inventory all around. It's small, but cozy. I liked that there was a good amount of people there since it's always nice to see prospering local records stores. It's cool to see that they have local magazines like New City and Chicago Innerview on display, too. I definitely try to drop in there when I am in The Loop. Would recommend this place to others. read more

What a record store. This location doesn't offer a lot of space, but they do well with what they have. They offer up a lot of records, both new and used and also carry stock in many genres. There's a good chance that if you're looking for something it's in the store. I know because the gentleman next to me pulled an old "Empire Strikes Back" soundtrack out while we were digging. My inner five year old was crushed, but present and adult me congratulated him on his find and gave him a pat on the back. One genre that I noticed was lacking at this location was the local one. There were a couple of Chicago acts I wanted to dig through and see if I could find some material, but came up empty. I will say that the store was busy, busier than I expected it to be on a Monday morning so I may not have seen it while I was making my way through the maze. EDIT: I wrote above about how I noticed a lack of a local genre among the record sections. I found out at a sister store that Reckless Records doesn't have a local section, but places those releases among the regular releases for whatever genre it is, be it rock, hip hop, blues, etc... . If you're looking local it's probably in here, you'll just have to dig for it. read more

Terrible experience, especially on record store day!! 1. You could not see or go through the records yourself!? 2. The staff had a major attitude and the store didn't have a list prepared to even know what they had or ordered!? Their recrimination was: "you should have printed it out yourself!" "It's your own damn fault" 3. After standing in line for 45 minutes, not worth it. 4. Then I actually looked though what small selection of music that they did have... Nothing worth buying, basically the crap that's at a Salvation Army.... .... Not a fan!!! read more

Reckless Records - Bag from the one record I found - Music & DVDs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I really enjoyed stopping by here - it's not a large store, but it's chock full of records, CDs and DVDs. I'm most interested in classical music and old jazz, and they had a selection of both on vinyl. The prices for used LPs were decent and dependent on condition and rarity. The records are already condition-graded for you so you can expect what they will look like, though the discs themselves are kept behind the counter and you can inspect them just before you purchase them. I had good luck that day and walked away with a dozen LPs. You never know! I'll happily stop by here the next time I'm in town. read more

Nice source for classic vinyl. Also have CD's and DVD's. A little pricey from some shops I've been to, but nice to have all items graded and clearly prices. I will shop here again! read more

Cute place that has records, cds, dvd's and cassettes. Nice selection and reasonable.

I'm a fan of old school record stores and so I'm happy to see a place like this still in business. I grew up working in music/record stores so feel a bit jaded by most accounts, but this place looked to be doing it right. Even within the small space, there was lots of variety, well labeled shelves, even plenty of formats for the discerning shopper. There wasn't a huge selection, but when was the last time you found cassette tapes in a store like this? The employees I was less impressed by, wrapped up in discussion behind the counter, actively ignoring the clientele. Whatever. At one point I sincerely thought they were trying to drive people out of the store with their in store music selection. We get it, you control what we're listening to, you can play death metal if you want...lol. Grow up, or you can go back to your parents basement because stores like this won't survive if you don't play nice with your customers. Regardless, found a couple of bargains and bailed after a longer than necessary check out procedure. Yay, to see old school music formats still around, boo to the less than friendly staff who currently peddle it. read more

Reckless Records - Plenty of variety. - Music & DVDs Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Sweet place with used and new items. Loved finding it in the middle of all the dept chain stores

I love that this place is 2 blocks from my office. I also love that since my office is business dress, I feel like the I guy I smirk at whenever I'm in a record store and it's not my lunch hour. For a record store in The Loop, Reckless is remarkably complete, it even has employees that are fully prepared to judge your selection and make you feel bad about yourself. The kind of record store employee that would probably burn their favorite album if you bought it from them. Oddly, I love a good and condescending record store employee. It's conveniently located for us cube-farmers and has a solid selection of music on vinyl (or CD if you're not as hip as me and those wicked employees who will undoubtedly look down on you for buying a CD). read more

This little place fulfills my hankering vinyl fix. Although not as big as I'd like it to be, it serves the purpose for that close-by cheap thrill in the loop. If you are a lover of classic rock, a head banger to metal/punk, love all that jazz or have the classical airs about you, yep, this is the place to be. Huge selections of punk and metal in particular. They sell used and new 180-gram vinyl, and keep all of the actual vinyl records at the counter. Only the jackets are out on display. There is also a tiny DVD section against the walls, nothing spectacular. The CDs range from $3.99 to $7.99, (others cost a bit more) and they have a small clearance strip on the floor for $0.99. The tees are also a marvel of work. $15 for a great quality shirt. Next time I plan on purchasing one to support our record shops! If you're strolling the Magnificent Mile or find yourself fresh out of Millennium Station, stop by and let the good times roll. read more