After filing for bankruptcy in 2004 following the decline of physical album sales and the rise of digital music, Tower Records closed its Rockville location shortly after the 2006 holiday shopping season.
The iconic chain was more than just a record store. In addition to selling albums, Tower Records offered books, magazines, videos/DVDs, and concert tickets. The store also hosted record release events and live performances by major artists, including Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, Good Charlotte, and Blink-182.
Tower Records originally opened at 1685 Rockville Pike in Congressional Plaza in 1989 before relocating to its second site at 1601 Rockville Pike in the early 1990s.
The video below, created by staff members at Tower Records Rockville in 1995, was uploaded to YouTube by despinapp in 2009, and perfectly encapsulates the vibe of the store and the culture of the time.
We recently posted about the store on Instagram and these were some of the best responses:
Watch the full Pearl Jam concert from 1991 below:
In November of 2020, Tower Records returned as an online retailer at www.towerrecords.com
