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One chaotic day at an indie record store, a crew of lovable misfits, and a washed-up '80s pop star named Rex Manning. It bombed in theaters — then home video made it a cult classic, and fans still celebrate Rex Manning Day every April 8. Damn the Man. Save the Empire.
The ubiquitous mall record store where 90s kids bought CDs, cassettes, and band tees. Sam Goody was the go-to destination for new releases and the social hub of music shopping before big-box discounters and digital downloads reshaped retail.
The iconic big-box music retailer founded by Russ Solomon in 1960, which grew into a global chain of 200+ stores before collapsing under digital competition and file-sharing. Tower Records was the archetypal "browse-the-racks" record store — deep catalog, knowledgeable staff, late hours, listening stations — that became a cultural hangout and symbol of pre-digital music retail.