Vinyl is back, and it’s cooler than ever. As part of Get Pop-Cultured, explore our assortment of vinyl records on July 25, with events celebrating vinyl culture, including giveaways, special offers, and exclusives. Explore our newly expanded Music and DVD departments.

Special offers and giveaways (limited time only, in stores only, while supplies last)

Enter for a chance to win a Crosley turntable and headphones

Pick up The Return of Vinyl, Team Rock’s curated review of vinyl’s Best Of lists

Grab a vinyl bumper sticker

Snag a free Vinyl Day tote bag with any CD or vinyl album purchase

Events

Events may include special guests, vinyl collector’s showcases, album art creation, Name the Album Cover contests, Name/Sing That Tune contests, and freeze dancing. Call your local B&N for details.

If you’re building your vinyl collection or starting a new one, you can’t go wrong with the offerings below—just a small selection from Barnes & Noble’s extensive vinyl store.

Stages, by Josh Groban [B&N Exclusive LP]

Much-loved singer-songwriter Josh Groban’s rich voice is perfectly suited to this collection, which steps away from pop in favor of songs from classic musicals and movies. Groban invites Kelly Clarkson to join him on familiar favorite “All I Ask of You” from Phantom of the Opera, and brings his silky stylings to tunes like “Pure Imagination” and “Over the Rainbow,” while also making some unexpected choices with a high-energy rendition of “Anthem,” from the somewhat more obscure musical Chess. Groan’s voice was made for vinyl, and the medium provides for a perfect marriage between talented artist and classic songs.

Classic Quadrophenia, by Pete Townshend [B&N Exclusive LP]

Pete Townshend has been tinkering with The Who’s Quadrophenia ever since the initial release more than 40 years ago. With a rock-opera storyline and songs like “The Punk Meets the Godfather” and “Love, Reign O’er Me,” the concept album was hailed as an instant classic, but Townshend’s never been entirely satisfied. This exclusive double LP iteration is something wildly different: a lush new symphonic arrangement, recorded with London’s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, featuring Townshend, a full choir, and tenor Alfie Boe alongside guest vocalists Phil Daniels and Billy Idol. Even all these years later, The Who can still surprise with this intersection of pop, rock, and opera.

Outlander: The Series, Original Television Soundtrack, Vol. 1, by Bear McCreary [Red Vinyl] [B&N Exclusive]

You might not know Bear McCreary by name, but you’ve likely heard his work. He’s been responsible for the lush, experimental scores for several of the last decade’s most popular and beloved TV shows: The Walking Dead, Black Sails, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. just to name a few. With his score for the Starz network’s Outlander, based on the books by Diana Gabaldon, McCreary returns to some of the themes from his work on the reimagined Battlestar Galactica. Specifically evoking the Scottish countryside, broadly Celtic inspirations run through both works. On this new album, he’s created a score that’s alternately rousing and poignant, with strings and vocalists that can only be enhanced by the nuanced sound of vinyl.

Man Plans God Laughs, by Public Enemy [LP]

Vinyl’s not just for soaring melodies and classical compositions: the venerable rappers that make up Public Enemy are still going strong with the group’s first new album in three years. Chuck, Flavor, Griff, and newer member DJ Lord are all back for this one, and there’s no sign that the group that took the music and hip-hop worlds by storm with acclaimed and politically charged albums like Fear of a Black Planet and Apocalypse 91 is planning to slow down or quiet down for this latest release.

Before This World, by James Taylor [B&N Exclusive LP]

It’s been quite some time since we’ve heard anything new from James Taylor. 2002’s October Road was a critical and commercial success, but Taylor suggested at the time that it might be his last album. Thus, Before This World arrives as a major event, and with an exclusive vinyl LP. Time hasn’t dulled Taylor’s talents. If anything, the voice made famous by hits like “You’ve Got a Friend” and “Fire and Rain” has only mellowed and improved with age. These new songs are classic Taylor: well-written and deeply personal performed by a guy who’s still at the top of his game.

1000 Forms of Fear, by Sia

Australian singer/songwriter Sia is notable for two things: her amazing voice, and a refreshing lack of interest in fame or stardom. After releasing her 2010 album We Are Born, Sia decided to quit being a recording artist and focus her energies on songwriting instead. She went on to pen lyrics for Beyoncé, Flo Rida, and Rihanna, among others, but was still contractually obligated to release another album, which turned out to be 1000 Forms of Fear. As we all know, “Chandelier” blew up huge and has already been certified triple platinum, but “Eye of the Needle” and “Elastic Heart” have proven to be strong singles too, and “Dressed In Black” confirms that Sia’s deep cuts are every bit as good as her hits.