Hi, I’m David Wood and welcome to my blog: Music Shops That Have Closed.
Below is a comprehensive list of UK musical instrument [MI] retail shops that have closed over the years. MI retail has been undoubtably been one of the toughest industries to survive in for many years; and this page is an acknowledgement, show of respect, and little nod to all the thousands of employees who worked in the shops below, before they closed.
If you’ve read my blog why music shops are closing, you’ll know that ‘not all’ music shops that close, do so because of financial failure. Although some owners have failed due to financial difficulties (some spectacularly!) other reasons can often be a factor like: [1] The owner’s retiring. [2] The owner’s had enough of the MI industry. [3] The owner’s had enough of retail. [4] The owner’s decided to pursue other things. [5] The owner’s restructured their retail locations. [6] The owner’s become too ill to carry on. [7] The owner’s died. [8] The owner’s got divorced. [9] The owner’s had disputes with stakeholders (co-owners, suppliers, landlords, etc). [10] The owner’s circumstances have chaned (e.g. the music shop owner who won $148m on the Euromillions).
The list below has been compiled by myself and my dear MI industry friend and legend, Alan Greensall. In case you don’t know Alan, he was the former sales manager of Rose Morris, and Roland; MD of Sound Technology; director of Line 6, Red Sound, Novation Music, and the MIA; CEO of Dark Matter Audio; partner of Advanced Audio Distribution; owner of Synergy Distribution; and he’s now CEO of Synergy Statistics.
Sincere apologies if Alan and I have missed any shops or locations off the list. If you can help us fill in any blanks, please email me the shop name and the town/s they were in to dw@davidwood.biz – Thanks in advance.
Music Shops That Have Closed
– A1 Music [Chain: Manchester, Stockport & Preston]
– ABC Music [Addlestone, Esher, Kew Gardens, Surbiton, Slough, Oxford, Bristol, Market Harborough]
– Academy Chimes Music Shop [London]
– Academy of Sound [Mansfield, Sheffield, Manchester, Stoke, Glasgow, Birmingham, Norwich, Derby, Nottingham, Leicester]
– Ace Music [Bradford]
– Accent Music [Camborne]
– Accordion Depot [Birmingham]
– Accordion Shop [Rochdale]
– AdLib Music [Greenock]
– Air Guitars [Gateshead, Newcastle]
– Aire Valley Guitrs [Keighley]
– Aisco-Techniques [Birmingham]
– Alan Gregory Music [Manchester]
– Allodi Accordions [London]
– Academy of Sound
– Achille-Roma Music [Poole]
– AG Guitars [Hetton le Hole]
– Aire Guitars [Bradford]
– Alberts Music Shop [Farnham, Guildford, Twickenham]
– Amen Corner Music [Bracknell]
– Antone’s Guitars [Hull]
– Apex Music [Reading]
– Apoco Music [Lancaster, Chorley]
– Back Alley Music [Chester]
– Bad Dog Music [Hull, Darlington]
– Band Box [Risca]
– Bandland Music [Stockton-on-Tees]
– Bandwagon Music Shop [Perth]
– Banks Music [York]
– Barratts Music [Manchester]
– Beats [Rochdale]
– Bees Music [Poulton-le-Fylde]
– BEM Music [Brixton]
– Berry’s Music Shop [Worksop]
– Beverley Music Centre [Beverley]
– Biggars Music [Glasgow]
– Biggles Music [Bristol]
– Bill Lewington Music [London]
– Birmingham Band Instrument Co. [Birmingham]
– Blackpool Sound Centre [Blackpool]
– Bootleg Music [Epsom]
– Brian Taylor Music [Swindon]
– Bruce Millers [Aberdeen]
– Cadno Music Shop [Llanelli]
– Cambridge Strings [Cambridge]
– Carlsbro Sound [Mansfield, Sheffield, Nottingham]
– Carousel Music [Haywards Heath]
– Chandler Guitars [Kew]
– Charlton’s Music Shop [London]
– Chas. E. Foote [London]
– Churchgate Music [Leicester]
– Cleartone Music [Birmingham]
– Cliff Owen Music [Ilford]
– Clinkscale Music Centre [Galashiels]
– Colbeck’s Music [Birmingham, Sutton Coldfield]
– Compass Music [Ipswich]
– Cookes Pianos [Norwich]
– Counterpoint Music [Lincoln]
– Courtyard Music [Redditch]
– City Music [Truro, Exeter]
– City Music [Birmingham]
– County Music [Canterbury]
– Coventry Music Centre [Coventry]
– Cranes Music [Swansea]
– Cranes Music [Worcester]
– Creighton & Tweedie Music [Penrith]
– Dale Pianos [Preston]
– Dawson’s Music [Belfast, Chester, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Reading]
– DCR Music [Attleborough]
– Dennis Todd Music [Bedlington]
– DG Music [Exmouth]
– Dolphin Music [Liverpool]
– Digital Village [Birmingham, Cambridge, Southampton, Bristol, Acton, Barnet, South London]
– Dirty Red Guitars [Norwich]
– Dr Rock [Bury, Rochdale]
– Drum Central [Edinburgh, Glasgow]
– DS Music [Monmouth]
– Duck, Son & Pinker [Bath, Bristol, Gloucester, Swindon, Swansea]
– Dudley Music [Dudley]
– East Coast Music [Hornchurch]
– EBGB Musical Instruments [Durham]
– ED Brown Organs [Barrow, Morecambe, Colne, Nelson, Blackpool]
– Eddie Moors Music [Bournemouth]
– Electro Music [Doncaster]
– Elephant Music [Gravesend]
– Elvic Electronics [Braintree]
– Enjoymuzic [North Shields]
– Eric Reynolds [Burton-on-Trent]
– Flying Pig [Hanwell]
– Foulds Music [Derby]
– Forth Music [Kirkcaldy]
– Fox’s Music [Doncaster, Sheffield, Leeds, Nottingham, Lincoln]
– FretMark’s Music [Bedlington]
– Freedmans [Leytonstone]
– Future Music [Chelsea, Chelmsford, Portsmouth, Southampton, Brighton]
– Gamlins Music [Cardiff]
– GAK [Brighton]
– George Clay Music [Birmingham]
– George Gladstone Music [Darlington]
– George Harrison Music [Blaydon, Sunderland,
– Gigsounds [Streatham]
– Gordon Simpson [Edinburgh]
– Guitar Player [Rochdale]
– Guitar Zone [Halifax, Harrogate]
– Guitarzan [Middlesborough]
– Gough & Davy [Scarborough, Grimsby, York]
– Hands Music [Kingston upon Thames]
– Hardy Smith Music [Sutton]
– Harker & Howarth [Bolton, Morecambe, Lancaster, Wigan]
– Hard Rock Music [Milton Keynes]
– Hardy Smith Music [Sutton-in-Ashfield]
– Harmony Music [Boston]
– Harrods Music Department [London]
– Hartnoll Guitar Centre [Plymouth]
– Hayward Guitars [Winchester]
– Herga Music [Harrow]
– Hessy Music [Liverpool]
– Hey Jude’s [Newport]
– Highams Harmony House [Manchester]
– Highway Music [Manchester]
– Hobbs Music [Lancaster]
– Hobdays Music [Birmingham]
– Hodges & Johnson [Westcliff-on Sea, Leigh-on-Sea, Southend, Maidstone, Colchester, Chelmsford, Romford, Chatham]
– Hogan Music [Newbury]
– Holiday Music [Leytonstone]
– Hooters [Windsor, St Albans, Watford]
– Honky Tonk Music [Hadleigh]
– Horsham Music [Horsham]
– Howarths Music [Wigan]
– HSK Music [Kirkcaldy]
– HW Audio [Preston]
– Imported Instruments [Aberdeen, Leith]
– Islington Music [London]
– James Dace [Chelmsford]
– Jack White Music [Norwich, Ipswich]
– Jake’s Guitars [High Spen]
– James Dace Music [Chelmsford]
– James Pass Music [Birmingham]
– James Thin [Edinburgh]
– Jax Music Centres [Barnsley]
– JG Windows [Newcastle, Gateshead, Darlington]
– John Boots Music [Southampton]
– John Myatt Woodwind and Brass [Hitchin]
– John Scheerer & Son [Leeds]
– John Williams Music [Bangor]
– Jones & Crossland [Birmingham]
– JP Cornell [Hull]
– JSG Music [Bingley]
– Keith Dawson Music [Huddersfield]
– Ken Astin Music [Blackpool]
– Kay Westworths Music [Birmingham]
– Kenny’s Music [Dundee – other locations still open]
– Kitchens Music [Leeds]
– Klef Music [Norwich]
– Kingfisher Music [Fleet]
– Lakeland Music [Penrith]
– Len Stiles Music [Lewisham]
– Les Aldrich Music [Muswell Hill]
– Lloyd & Keyworth Music [Farnham]
– London Rock Shop [Camden]
– Mad Monks Music [Kendal]
– Malcolm Tysoe Musical Instruments [Farnborough]
– Mamelok’s Music [Manchester]
– Mansons Guitar Shop [Exeter]
– Mayer Harrison [Manchester]
– Mc Cormacks Music [Glasgow]
– Mel-Tone [Melton]
– Middlesbrough Music [Middlesbrough]
– Mike Bowley Music [Worcester]
– Mike Edwardes Woodwind [London]
– Millennium Music [Cheltenham]
– Millennium Music [Nottingham]
– Minns Music [Bournemouth]
– Modern Music [Abingdon, Basingstoke,]
– Monkey Business Music [Romford]
– Monmouth Music Box [Monmouth]
– Morlings Music Shop [Lowestoft]
– Muir Music [Manchester]
– Music & Leisure [Falkirk]
– Music 47 [Worcester]
– Music Cabin [Lincoln]
– Music Corner [Ashton-under-Lyne]
– Music Exchange [Stockport]
– Music Gallery [Berwick]
– Music Ground [Doncaster, London, Leeds]
– Music Junkie [Leicester]
– Music Makers [Colwyn Bay]
– Music Makers [Tamworth]
– Music Matters [Maidstone]
– Music Notes [Liverpool]
– Music Station [Inverness]
– Music Unlimited [Exeter]
– Music Warehouse [Colchester]
– Musical Instrument Exchange [Lancaster]
– Musical Exchanges [Birmingham]
– Music is Life [Bournemouth]
– Music Warehouse [Falkirk]
– Musicroom [Edinburgh, Exeter, Lincoln, Nottingham, Salisbury, Stratford, York]
– Nevada Music [Portsmouth]
– Newcastle Music [Newcastle]
– Nield and Hardy [Stockport]
– Northcote Music Shop [London]
– Northern Acoustics [Leeds]
– Northwinds Music [ Windermere]
– Note-Ability Music [Southampton]
– Note-Orious Music [Taunton]
– Nottingham Drum and Guitar Centre [Nottingham]
– Octave Above [Huddersfield]
– Omega Music [Brampton]
– Opus 13 [Bristol]
– Oswestry Music Makers [Oswestry]
– Park Music [Dunfermline]
– Patrick Reed Music Shop [Kettering]
– Percy Prior’s [High Wycombe, Salisbury]
– Paul’s Music Shop [Scunthorpe]
– Pete Langton’s Music [Wolverhampton]
– Peter Brocklehurst Organs [Mirfield]
– Peterborough Music [Peterborough]
– Pied Piper Music [Halesowen]
– PMT [16 locations at one point]
– Pooles Music Centre [Poole, Grimsby]
– Prince Music [Oldham]
– Production Rooms [Leeds]
– RA Music [Falkirk]
– Rae Macintosh Music [Edinburgh]
– Raymond Wallbank Music [Lytham St Annes]
– Red Cow Music [York]
– Red Dog Music [Edinburgh]
– Reno’s Music [Manchester]
– Reverb [Small UK Chain]
– Revolution Music [Falkirk]
– Reynolds [Manchester]
– Reynolds Music [Omagh]
– RGM Music [Kilmarnock]
– Rhodes Music [London]
– Rhythm House [Stockport]
– Rimmers Music [Blackburn, Blackpool]
– Ringway Music [Birmingham]
– Rock City [Newcastle]
– Rock Island [Oldham]
– Rock Shop [Dudley]
– Rock Stop Music [London]
– Rod Argents Keyboards [London]
– Ron’s Music [Darlington]
– Ronnie’s Music [Haddington]
– Rose Music [Lincoln]
– Rowlands Music [Swansea]
– RST Music [Newark-on-Trent]
– Rushworth’s Music House [Liverpool]
– RWJ Drums [Perth]
– S&J Music [Lichfield]
– Session Music [Belfast]
– Shaftesbury Music [Islington]
– Sharon Music [Maidstone]
– Sheehan’s Music [Leicester]
– Shorrock and Shorrock [Rochdale]
– Side Street Music [Edinburgh]
– Simpsons Music [Edinburgh]
– Sound Attack [Colchester]
– Sound Centre [ Cardiff]
– Sound Control [26 locations at one point]
– Sound of Music [Kendal]
– Soundhouse [Cheltenham]
– Soundland [Manchester]
– Sounds Acoustic [Manchester]
– Sounds Good Music Shop [Larne]
– Sounds Great [Cheadle]
– Sounds Live [Newcastle]
– Soundsavers [Ripon]
– Southside Music [Glasgow]
– Spectre Sound [Bingley]
– Spectrum Sound [Bury]
– Supatone Music [Norwich]
– St George’s Music Shop [Norwich]
– Stan Milston Music [Lancaster]
– Stanton’s Music [Dudley]
– Stock and Chapman [Manchester]
– Stratford Music Shop [Stratford]
– Strung Out Guitars [Glasgow]
– Suffolk Music Centre [Heverhill]
– Swanns Music [Manchester]
– Swn Llawen [Bangor]
– Thatched Cottage Audio [Royston]
– The Acoustic Music Co [Brighton]
– The Full Octave [Dalton-in-Furness]
– The Guitar Shop [Cloth Market Newcastle]
– The Leading Note [Swansea]
– The Music Hut [North Walsham]
– The Monkey House [Manchester]
– The Music House [Stratford]
– The Music Hut [North Walsham]
– The Music Room [Ulverston]
– The Music Shop [Aberdeen]
– The Music Shop [Ashford]
– The Tone Station [Plymouth]
– The Wee Guitar Company [Glasgow]
– Tim Gentle Music [Kendal, Stockton-on-Tees, Southend]
– Tony Savile [Manchester]
– Tone World [Manchester]
– Top Note Music [Aberdeen-
– Top Wind [London]
– Tower Music [Blackpool]
– Tractor Sound [Rochdale]
– Travada Music [Camborne]
– Treble Clef Music Shop [Brighouse]
– Trevor Keys Music [Ballymena, Coleraine]
– Tughan-Crane Music [Belfast]
– Twangs [Rochdale]
– Turnkey [London]
– TWGC [Glasgow]
– Village Guitars [Canterbury]
– Voxtrot Music [Watford]
– VS Music Supplies [Ramsbottom]
– Walden Music [Saffron Walden]
– Water Music [Steyning]
– Wavelength Music [Sheffield]
– Wembley Music Centre [Wembley]
– Wessex Music [Sherbourne]
– Westside MI [London]
– Wilkies Music [Perth]
– Wilks Music [Swansea]
– Williams Music [Chain of shops in the North East]
– Windband [Shrewsbury]
– Wishaw Music [Wishaw]
– Woods Music [Bradford, Huddersfield, Wakefield]
– Woodroffes Music [Birmingham]
– Words & Music [Alnwick]
– X Electrical [Hammersmith]
– Yardley’s Music [Birmingham]
– Ystwyth Music [Aberystwyth]