Record Store Day 2026 preview: 1980s rock & post-punk

Our RSD ’26 previews continue with a batch of all of the 1980s rock and rock-adjacent reissues that have caught our eye. This includes records that can be categorized as post-punk, power pop, new wave, goth, hi-NRG, indie, jangle-pop, college rock, and [other].

We’ve actually broken down today’s post into three categories. The first is a trio of RSD releases that we probably should have put in last week’s 1970s roundup. Oops. Here they are, and fortunately they all bear some thematic connection to the styles of music covered in the second section: The 1980s reissues. That part should be pretty straightforward.

The third section highlights some of the non-US ’80s releases that we’re hoping to track down on Record Store Day morning. They’re all part of the UK’s Record Store Day list (and many are on other European countries’ lists as well) but do not appear on the US list, so they’ll require a little extra luck and fortitude to score.

If you missed our earlier installments, be sure to check them out here:

• Record Store Day 2026 preview: Jazz, blues & Latin
• Record Store Day 2026 preview: Hard rock, punk & metal
• Record Store Day 2026 preview: Hip-hop, soul, R&B & reggae
• Record Store Day 2026 preview: 1960s & 1970s rock, pop, folk & country

1970s LEFTOVERS

The Stranglers: Rarities [Rhino]

Initially released in 1988, Rarities is a compilation of early work by the Stranglers, the punk-adjacent UK group, that cobbled together non-album singles from 1977 to 1981, such as their arch take on the Bacharach/David classic “Walk On By” and alternate versions of fan favorites like “Peaches” and “No More Heroes.” The gemstones of this collection are the two tracks that the band recorded with singer Celia Gollin under the name Celia and the Mutations for a 1977 single. Never before issued in the US, Rarities is getting a welcome Record Store Day pressing on white and purple splatter vinyl. It follows the original vinyl tracklist, without the extra tracks that came on the CD version. RH

The Walker Brothers: Nite Flights [Legacy]

The Walker Brothers found plenty of success in the UK after emigrating there from the US in 1965, but their final album in 1978 was a major departure for the group. Not only did they eschew the chart-friendly sounds of previous efforts in favor of darker takes on disco and early post-punk (David Bowie’s Heroes was apparently a huge inspiration), but all three members also brought original material to the table as opposed to than recording covers. The finished album is wild, tense, and weirdly funky art rock that, not surprisingly, flopped hard upon its release. Nite Flights has since gotten its due, as fans of the solo work of Scott Walker found the first flashes of the dank, sticky sound of future classics like The Drift in the four songs he wrote for this album. The LP has been in and out of print since its initial release, so this Record Store Day exclusive, cut from the original analog reels, should be a hot commodity. RH

Various Artists: Power Pop! American Power Pop For The Now Generation 1977–81 [Soul Jazz]

You can usually find UK label Soul Jazz assembling killer reggae comps, but over the years they’ve also put their formidable curatorial powers to use with a line of excellent punk releases as well. This Record Store Day disc collects rare American punk, power-pop, and new wave singles from the late ’70s and early ’80s, with nervy, jagged tunes alongside pure blasts of major-chord adrenaline. The emphasis here is on melody and rarity, with acts like Ambulance, the Reactions, Nastyfacts, the Reruns, Hot Dates, and 10 other US bands that often didn’t last long enough to do much more than put out a one-off private pressing 7-inch. The album comes on red wax with liner notes and a download code. NL

1980s

Camper Van Beethoven: Tusk [Cooking Vinyl]

After quashing their internal tensions and agreeing to reunite in the early ’00s, Camper Van Beethoven did what any band would: release the song-for-song remake of Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk that they had begun recording in 1987. According to bassist Victor Krummenacher, the group rose to the challenge, in part, because some members hated the original LP and wanted to improve on its coke-fueled excess. Whether they succeeded or not is in the eye of the beholder, but I certainly get a kick out of their deconstruction of radio single “Sara,” the wild-eyed take on the title track, and frontman David Lowery’s frantic vocals throughout. Released on CD in 2002, Camper’s Tusk is getting its first vinyl pressing for Record Store Day. RH

The Cars: Heartbeat City Live [Rhino]

Riding high off the huge success of 1984’s Heartbeat City, Boston power-pop band the Cars filmed their show at Houston’s Summit arena on September 11, 1984, for release as a videotape. That show’s audio later became the fourth CD in last year’s deluxe reissue of the album, so naturally here it comes as a separate vinyl release for Record Store Day. The setlist is jam-packed full of the band’s new-wave hits, relying heavily on Heartbeat City gems like “Drive,” “Magic,” and “You Might Think,” and the band is performing in slickly professional mode, which suits these synth-driven songs to a T. The smooth background vocals sound like they might have been prerecorded, but the Cars’ harmonies were always their secret weapon on LP, so who can say for sure what they were capable of doing in person? NL

Stewart Copeland: The Rhythmatist [Demon]

As the Police were breaking up, Stewart Copeland went to Africa to make a film and album, ostensibly, but also probably just to get away from Sting. The end result was 1985’s The Rhythmatist, a documentary that, among other things, depicts Copeland playing drums in a cage surrounded by lions. The accompanying album is a world-music record that predated Paul Simon’s Graceland but followed in the footsteps of other Western musicians like Peter Gabriel and David Byrne who had begun to incorporate African elements in their music. While the film includes several onscreen collaborations with tribal musicians, the music on the album itself is almost entirely performed by Copeland himself, with contributions from Congolese singer Ray Lema on three tracks. Largely recorded with Copeland’s mobile studio during a stay in Iraq, this is its first vinyl reissue since 1985, and it comes on blue vinyl with new artwork and a print signed by Copeland. NL

Marshall Crenshaw: The Bootleg Sounds of Marshall Crenshaw: 1984–87 [Yep Roc]

Some have accused Marshall Crenshaw of being a farm-league Elvis Costello, but this is just a convenient comparison made simply because both tunesmiths wear glasses. Elvis Costello, for example, probably couldn’t have convincingly played Buddy Holly in the 1987 La Bamba movie, as Crenshaw did, nor would he have written songs as guilelessly sweet and romantic as those on Crenshaw’s 1982 self-titled debut. This RSD comp collects unreleased Crenshaw tracks from the mid-’80s, including demos for his Downtown and Mary Jean & 9 Others albums (from 1985 and 1987, respectively), plus live tracks—and, fittingly, a version of Buddy Holly’s “That’ll Be the Day” recorded with E Street Band members Max Weinberg and Garry Tallent for La Bamba but not used in the final movie. NL

The Cure: Greatest Hits [Rhino]

The Cure’s Greatest Hits collection was released way back in 2001, so it certainly doesn’t tell the complete story, and they were always better suited to the album format anyway, making this really the kind of disc that’s best suited for bar jukeboxes and road trips. But it’s being released on silver eco vinyl for the diehards—who probably already have the picture disc vinyl that came out on RSD 2017—as well as the band’s newfound fans, who will no doubt delight in this sterling run of singles, dating from 1979’s “Boys Don’t Cry” to 1997’s “Wrong Number.” (Psst, new fans—your next stop is Disintegration.) The compilation primarily focuses on the band’s remarkable growth during the ’80s with tracks like “Close to Me” and “Just Like Heaven,” with some rare mixes, edits, and two new songs thrown in for good measure. The acoustic disc of re-recorded tracks that the Cure released in 2001 as a bonus disc to the original CD is also getting a separate vinyl release on RSD. NL

The Dream Syndicate: Sketches for Medicine Show [Fire]

This red-vinyl collection selects highlights from Fire Records’ mammoth 4-CD box set from last year that encompassed the era around the Dream Syndicate’s 1984 sophomore album Medicine Show. That album, their first and only for A&M Records, found the LA band evolving past the Paisley Underground sound that made their 1982 debut The Days of Wine and Roses an instantly indelible landmark and attempting a more polished arena-rock sound. This disc should prove a bit more palatable to the fans of the band’s earlier, rawer work, as it includes live tracks, rehearsals, and outtakes, including a scorching 11-minute take of “John Coltrane Stereo Blues.” NL

Ian Dury and the Blockheads: Live in London 1980 [Demon]

On Christmas Eve 1980, post-punk poet Ian Dury and his ace backing band the Blockheads took the stage at London’s Dominion Theatre and tore through a smoking-hot set of tracks that leaned heavily on the recently released album Laughter. Like that LP, the performance was pushed to new heights by the band’s newest member, former Dr. Feelgood guitarist Wilko Johnson, who added a caustic tang to the evening. The set was both filmed for broadcast on The Old Grey Whistle Test, the premier TV showcase for music on BBC2, and recorded for eventual transmission on John Peel’s radio show. Previously only available on vinyl on increasingly expensive transcription discs, the full set is getting a proper double-LP pressing on orange wax for Record Store Day. RH

Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Radio One Sessions 1982–1983 [UMR/ZTT]

On the way to their massive success with 1984’s Welcome to the Pleasuredome, Liverpool pop group Frankie Goes to Hollywood made several stops at BBC’s Maida Vale studio to record short sets for Radio 1’s most popular music programs. These four sessions—two for DJ extraordinaire John Peel in 1982 and 1983, and a February ’83 performance recorded for Kid Jensen’s program—capture early renditions of future blockbusters “Two Tribes” and “Relax” along with unheralded gems like “Krisco Kisses” and “Junk Funk.” This material was included on last year’s deluxe reissue of Pleasuredome but is being pressed to wax for the first time for Record Store Day. RH

Peter Gabriel: “Sledgehammer” zoetrope 12-inch [Real World]

Ordinarily, a zoetrope picture disc of a Peter Gabriel single should not be anywhere near top of your RSD shopping list, no matter how much you like Gabriel or the song in question (“Sledgehammer”). But the B-side is “Don’t Break This Rhythm,” a pretty phenomenal track that was booted off Gabriel’s 1986 blockbuster So album when “Sledgehammer” materialized at the last minute. Featuring layered percussion, an ominous verse, and a resolute chorus over a bed of minimalist synths, it’s the slightly more dance-friendly counterpart to So’s centerpiece, “Mercy Street.” However, original “Sledgehammer” 7- and 12-inches are still quite plentiful, so you can always land the song that way. The other track on the B-side is an alternate mix of Gabriel’s “I Have the Touch,” a track from his 1982 fourth album (titled Security in the US) that was recently used in Marty Supreme. NL

The Jesus and Mary Chain: Some Candy Talking EP [Third Man]

Following last year’s 40th-anniversary reissue of Psychocandy, Jack White’s label Third Man Records moves forward in the discography of Scottish post-punk group the Jesus and Mary Chain with a reissue of the 1986 follow-up single “Some Candy Talking,” a song that found the band dialing back the feedback and putting the spotlight on William Reid’s acoustic guitar. This EP collects the tracks from the double 7-inch and 12-inch releases that were issued on Blanco y Negro at the time. Curiously, the press notes for this reissue claim that the acoustic take of Psychocandy’s “Taste of Cindy” is previously unreleased, when real heads know that it appeared on both the original 12-inch and the 1988 compilation Barbed Wire Kisses. Do your research, White. RH

Joan Jett and the Blackhearts: Live at the Ritz NYC 1981 [Blackheart]

At the end of 1981, Joan Jett was the newly reigning rock queen, with that year seeing the re-release of her debut album Bad Reputation as well new album I Love Rock ’n’ Roll, whose title track was about to become an absurdly massive hit the following year. On New Year’s Eve, Joan Jett and her backing band the Blackhearts played a blistering gig at East Village rock palace the Ritz, which had only just opened the previous year. The King Biscuit Flower Hour were on hand to record the show for radio broadcast—and, fortunately, posterity, as the full set is now coming to vinyl for RSD. It features songs like “Bad Reputation” and “(I’m Gonna) Run Away,” plus a bunch of covers that Jett made her own: “Crimson and Clover,” “Nag,” “Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah),” and of course “I Love Rock ’n’ Roll,” plus versions of “Shout” and “Rebel Rebel.” NL

Tommy Keene: Songs from the Film: The 1984 Reflection Sessions [dBpm]

Before he was signed to Geffen for 1986’s Songs from the Film, power-popper Tommy Keene recorded an early version of that album at Charlotte’s Reflection Sound Studio, the spot where R.E.M. laid down Murmur and Reckoning. Keene enlisted Don Dixon and T-Bone Burnett to produce the album, but it was all jettisoned once Geffen came aboard, who had Keene re-record the album with Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick, adding on a new version of Keene’s indie-label hit “Places That Are Gone” for good measure. Here are the original sessions, released for the first time by Wilco’s dBpm Records; sadly, Keene is not here to witness it, as he passed away in 2017. NL

Primal Scream: 1987 EPs [Rhino]

1987 EPs collects the two singles Primal Scream issued on Elevation Records in ’87 for “Gentle Tuesday” and “Imperial” (both tracks from their debut album Sonic Flower Groove). At this point, Primal Scream were a jangly psych-pop group who specialized in gently trippy, starry-eyed love songs, with nary an acid house beat in sight. This single-LP release from Rhino culls all eight tracks from those ’87 singles, includng a dutiful cover of the Shadow of Knight’s “I'm Gonna Make You Mine” and a languorous take on the Who’s “So Sad About Us.” RH

Ryuichi Sakamoto and Danceries: End of Asia [Gearbox]

Originally released in Japan in 1982, End of Asia is a fascinating entry into the huge discography of Ryuichi Sakamoto. The album features rearrangements of 11 songs written by Sakamoto for either his solo albums or his recordings with Yellow Magic Orchestra, performed by Danceries, an ensemble that specialized in Renaissance and medieval music. The adaptations are bracing and wild, with the original synth and piano lines taken here by crumhorn, viola da gamba, and santoor, while the straightforward pop vocals are given an madrigal spin by mezzo-soprano Mamiko Hirai and soprano Chie Matsui. This Record Store Day reissue was cut by Caspar Sutton-Jones, the in-house engineer at Gearbox Records. RH

The Sisters of Mercy: First and Last and Always (Japanese Edition) [Rhino]

The 1985 debut album by Leeds post-punkers the Sisters of Mercy is also the only full-length by the group to feature what many consider to be its best lineup, with guitarist Wayne Hussey and bassist Craig Adams backing up frontman Andrew Eldritch on a set of dramatic goth rock. Curiously, when First and Last and Always was issued in Japan, it contained different versions of nearly half of the tracks. This alternate version was eventually used for the 1988 CD release, but this new edition will mark the first time it has been widely available on vinyl outside of Japan. The limited-run LP will feature a remaster made from a new transfer of the original Japanese production master. RH

Violent Femmes: The Blind Leading the Naked [Craft Recordings]

It’s a shame that few record collections neglect to delve deeper than the self-titled debut album from Milwaukee roots-punkers Violent Femmes, as they’ve got plenty of other great albums—such as 1986’s The Blind Leading the Naked. Produced by Jerry Harrison, it found the band somewhat reluctantly embracing a more mainstream sound, but the end result is a fascinating collection that merges smart ’80s pop with blues, punk, bizarre mandala-psych, classic rock ’n’ roll, and a left-field cover of T. Rex’s “Children of the Revolution” that combines a martial beat with elements of synth-funk. This 40th-anniversary pressing comes on “candlelit swirl” vinyl. NL

Xmal Deutschland: The Complete BBC Peel Sessions [4AD]

A new generation of listeners have recently gotten wind of the greatness of Xmal Deutschland, the German post-punk group, thanks to a compilation of early singles issued by Sacred Bones in 2024, and last year’s box set Gift: The 4AD Years, which collected the two LPs and two EPs the band recorded for 4AD. Now, new fans have a chance to go super-deep into the lore of this amazing ensemble with this 2-LP set that gathers up the four sessions they recorded between 1981 and 1985 for John Peel’s adored BBC Radio 1 program. Through this set, fans old and new can appreciate the rapid evolution of the band from their scratchy, punkish beginnings into the more mature gothic sound of 1984’s Toscin. RH

XTC: Live Boots: Live at Emerald City 1981 [Ape House]

XTC has, to my knowledge, ignored Record Store Day up to this point, sticking to their own regular schedule of album reissues. So the arrival of this little gem has their legion of fans, myself among them, bristling with anticipation. The first in what is said to be a series of live releases by the Swindon, UK, pop group, this 2-LP set captures a performance at New Jersey’s Emerald City club in 1981, when the then-quartet was touring in support of their fourth album Black Sea. Originally recorded for radio broadcast, the gig has been bootlegged regularly over the years but has been cleaned up and mastered under the watchful eye of XTC’s Andy Partridge for this limited vinyl pressing. RH

OTHER ’80s REISSUES OF NOTE:
The Blasters: Rare Blasts: Studio Outtakes and Movie Music 1979-1985 [Liberation Hall]
Dead or Alive: The Youthquake Tour [Demon]
Foreigner: Foreigner 4 Live Tour 1981–82 [Rhino]
The Power Station: Raw Power: Live at the Spectrum, Philadelphia [Rhino]
Romeo Void: Live ’81–’85 [Liberation Hall]
Ultravox: The Remixes [Chrysalis]

NON-US RELEASES

So far our picks have all come from the US Record Store Day list. However, there is a huge host of Record Store Day vinyl that’s being made for international markets as well. Here are some of the most intriguing ’80s reissues that are part of the UK’s Record Store Day, with most of these releases also coming out in other European countries as well. (For example, here are the lists for Germany, France, and Italy.) The bigger American record stores will get some of these titles in, but usually in smaller numbers, so they will likely be a bit tougher for US buyers to track down.

The Colourfield: Deception [Chrysalis]

1987’s Deception, the final album by the Colourfield—the band started by Terry Hall following the dissolution of Fun Boy Three—was an unhappy affair for Hall. The vocalist and songwriter felt he was being overruled in the studio by producers Richard Gottehrer and Jeffrey Lesser and was helpless as the music moved away from the art-pop of Colourfield debut Virgins & Philistines and toward a more dance-floor-friendly sound. The creative tension, however, created an absolutely fascinating album of hard angles and switchbacks rather than the smooth sailing of the group’s previous work. This RSD release features the remastered version of the album used for the recently released CD set The Sound of the Colourfield and includes a second disc of demos. RH

The House of Love: Live at ULU (7 October 1988) [Cherry Red]

The House of Love, the psych-leaning guitar-pop band from London, were on a bit of a victory lap when they took the stage at the University of London’s studio union in the fall of 1988. Their self-titled debut album, released that May, was dominating the UK music press, and the singles “Christine” and non-album track “Destroy the Heart” both spent time atop the UK indie charts. With that wind in their sails, the quartet’s live shows at the time were fiery, high-octane affairs, with the tempos and energy for each song reaching a fever pitch, and sets closing with smoldering versions of the Stooges’ “I Wanna Be Your Dog.” The band’s show at the ULU, as it was known, is no exception; the band delivers everything with notes of punkish fury. I do hope that Cherry Red has found a good source for their RSD release of this particular performance. The bootleg that is widely available is a dodgy affair with either muffled or overdriven audio throughout. RH

The Human League: Being Boiled [Cherry Red]

Sheffield electronic pop group the Human League were miles away from their eventual radio-friendly hits like “Don’t You Want Me” and “(Keep Feeling) Fascination” when they released their debut single “Being Boiled” in 1978. This was a minimalist track inspired by Kraftwerk, the darker side of Funkadelic, and the dank industrial landscape of their hometown. The band futzed with the song regularly in the years since its original release, with a re-recorded version eventually reaching number six on the UK singles charts in 1982. But it’s the original that matters here, as it is being reissued as part of an expanded EP for Record Store Day with the addition of rare tracks and the Peel Session the band recorded in the summer of ’78. RH

Jah Wobble: The Early Years 1983–1986 [Lantern Rec.]

In the years following his departure from Public Image Ltd, bassist Jah Wobble started his own label, Lago Records, and released a series of 12-inch singles that allowed him to play in all manner of styles: art-pop, dub, arch disco experiments, and minimalist world music. Wobble later collected all of those tracks for a 2-CD set on his 30 Hertz imprint. That collection serves as the starting place for a release from Lantern Rec., a label that specializes in reggae reissues but maintains a healthy interest in the lesser-known post-punk acts. This single-LP clear vinyl compilation cherry-picks from Wobble’s Early Years release and gives an ideal overview of the still-vital musician’s work that was overshadowed by the earlier albums he made for Virgin Records. RH

Ludus: The Seduction [Lantern Rec.]

This Record Store Day, you will likely find me scurrying around the various shops in my hometown in hopes of landing one of the 500 copies of this reissue that Lantern Rec. is pressing up. Originally released in 1981, The Seduction was the debut album by Ludus, a post-punk project led by guitarist Ian Devine and Linder Sterling, the graphic designer best known for work like the striking cover of Buzzcocks’ 1977 “Orgasm Addict” single. The group played around with styles in a similar manner to the Pop Group and This Heat, letting dub, jazz, funk, and noise-rock influences pile together in compositions that were equal parts heady and loopy. This RSD release is the first time The Seduction has been reissued on vinyl, and the 2-LP set includes a rare bonus track. RH

The March Violets: Natural History [Jungle]

Although the March Violets were plenty busy, including a high-profile appearance in the John Hughes-penned film Some Kind of Wonderful, somehow the group never released a proper album during their first chapter as a band. The quartet subsisted on a steady stream of singles, EPs, and frequent live performances. So while 1984’s Natural History is a full-length, it’s made up of tracks from the Violets’ first four singles and two tunes they recorded for John Peel’s radio show in 1983. It’s a great overview of an era when the band used an early drum machine and played with a throat-straining agitation. Jungle Records is reissuing Natural History in limited numbers on purple wax that includes a reprint of the $1 zillion US bill insert that came with early pressings. RH