Banana’s Music

Love your store! Its a regular stop for us.

Great selection of vinyl rock albums. I just bought 12, all play fantastically.

It’s hard to find independent stores like this nowadays. Browsing this store brought back many memories with music alone. I was on there for an hour but enjoyed what I saw and had to purchase more than I wanted lol. Definitely will go back! You can also order what don’t have at the moment… love it.

went there to sell a large cd collection. I found them to be completely unprofessional. They rifled through my nearly 1600 cd collection leaving it a complete mess. I think some may be missing as well. I will never trust this place. You’ll be wise to be very careful when doing business with your property. What a disaster.

If you’re a music lover this is the place for you! That CD you loved years ago but can’t find, the record you want for an event or that old but new to you artist you want to explore more… This is the place to find the CDs, DVDs, records even some cassettes and books!
Today I sold them some old DVDs and lightened up my load. They will pay for your well taken care of DVDs, CDs and more. Of course only if there’s a market for them but I did well today! trades and cash!

I was visiting the Tampa area and was in dired need to shop for some vinyl. Found this little gem on Google and headed to St. Petersburg. I’m a metal head and they had some good finds. When cashing out I even got some discounted off the sticker price.

I love going to records stores, and after hearing about the legend of this one my friend and I hopped into my car and took a small road trip.
Yes, there are a lot of records. Can’t say the records are well taken care of, and a lot of them were really over priced for what they are. I think I saw a busted copy of David Bowie’s «Let’s Dance» for $ 15.
I was really impressed by the size of the warehouse without question, but didn’t like the quality of the product.
As for the main store it had a lot f records as well, but really I found myself looking more at the used CD’s as those had some great prices, and a huge selection. The new vinyl was really limited, and was incredibly over priced. There are a lot of used DVD’s as well, but I’m not sure who is looking for those anymore.
In any case it was fun going out there to see what it was all about, but I doubt I’ll ever be going back.

I had the pleasure of visiting Banana’s a couple of times when I lived in Florida from 2011 to 2014.
Banana’s has two buildings: There’s the «regular» store that has new and used CD and vinyl offerings, and there’s the vinyl warehouse that’s about a mile away on a nondescript side street. The regular store is fine, but the real treasure is the warehouse.
Banana’s says it’s «the world’s largest record store.» Once you’ve seen this warehouse, you’ll believe that statement. You could spend days in the warehouse, and some people travel from around the U.S. and the world to do exactly that.
The warehouse has multiple copies of many pop/​rock albums from the 1960s to 1980s — plenty of them mainstream but also some obscure stuff. The first time I visited, I spotted something like five or six copies of Buckingham Nicks’ 1973 album, which I have never seen anywhere else in a brick-​and-​mortar store!
I was looking for some pretty obscure «West Coast/​AOR» albums from the 1970s and 1980s on my two trips to Banana’s, and they had many of them. Again, this was stuff I had never come across anywhere else in a brick-​and-​mortar store.
Your experience might differ from mine, but I really found this place interesting. Sure, you could track down these records online, but I think it’s more fun to hunt for them at a place like Banana’s. Even on two trips, I didn’t have a chance to see every area of the warehouse. That’s how deep the stock is at this place. And it’s pretty well organized, too, considering the amount of product they have for sale.
Most of the records are located on shelves that go from the floor to several feet off the ground. The records are arranged by style (rock, R&B, soundtracks, etc.) and are in alphabetical order. The warehouse is kind of like a library of vinyl records, and it’s easy to spend hours in the aisles. One key piece of advice: Bring a list of what you’re seeking, or else you’ll end up feeling overwhelmed!
Banana’s is one of the most interesting record stores I’ve visited, and I’ve been to many! The customer service was great both times I went. I highly recommend Banana’s for vinyl lovers!

If you are into house and techno music like me, forget about shopping here. I don’t understand how they can hold the title of «world’s largest record store» without ANY electronic music. Owners, if you are reading this — what’s the deal?
Also– don’t go here looking for new needles/​styli. They don’t even stock the Shure M447 (most common DJ needle in the world).
I give this place 2 stars because if you are into crate digging for random pieces of old wax, it has potential. I found a couple of nice Blue Note jazz records. However, if you are a DJ, please look elsewhere. I guess there is just not a huge market for house/​techno vinyl in the Tampa Bay area, which is a real shame.
I’ll continue to do most of my record shopping at Gramaphone Records when I’m back home in Chicago.

As an avid collector of 20+ years having been to many record stores all over the U.S., I was excited to check out this legendary store. Apparently, I went to the wrong location, as this placed sucked. Super high prices on beat up, common records. I tend to buy more electronic and ambient records. This place had nothing of the sort. Looking for rock stuff from the 60’s through the 80’s? This place could be for you. Otherwise, I would suggest going elsewhere. Perhaps their Archive on 16^th ave is better. Next time I make it to St. Pete I will try that location. Not sure it would be worth my time judging by the prices, though.

Living in Tampa my whole life, I’m ashamed to say I’ve never heard of it until this year. But world’s largest record store is a pretty awesome title to hold.
Buying records for the first time, I found the staff to be knowledgeable and friendly! Their room with deals like $ 2 if you get 5 or more was just what I needed! I miraculously found records of many genres in great condition, including obscure ones! I had a great time there and I can’t wait to check out the inclusive warehouse to get records I wasn’t able to find in other local record shops. Worth the drive from Tampa for a relaxing afternoon.

Horrible, just horrible. This is NOT the largest record store. This is a store with LIMITED (in a bad way) random wax everywhere. No genere bins, no Techno, nothing good. Unless you are a hipster and you want old crummy records then don’t come here. gramaphone in Chicago is a real record store. Not this dump…

Great place for LP shopping even great for CDs. They have an archive about six blocks away.

3.5 Stars
A pretty cool music store with a great selection of used & new CDs, vinyl, and DVDs. The workers there are very friendly and helpful. I always feel like I can’t go with something specific in mind to buy, because odds are they won’t have it (Lumineers CD?). Instead, I do better when I just randomly go through piles — that’s when I have found a few gems.
I’m sure they have a system, but pricing seems very random. I saw the same CD in the 3 for $ 5 rack and also in the main storage area for $ 3.99. I also wish there was some kind of order (alphabetical, at least) to the endless sale CD shelves. My back & eyes gave out long before I found CDs I had to have. If you go, plan to spend some time!

True brick and mortar sources for all genres of music, think country to classic and rock to rap, offered in all formats, from CDs and DVDs to vinyl, are a vanishing breed.
Fortunately the Tampa Bay area is home to Bananas Records, one of the nation’s Top 25 record stores, according to Rolling Stone Magazine.
The well-​stocked store houses a huge inventory of CD’s, videos and records but there’s more in store — or storage — at the warehouse located at 2226 16^th Ave. North in St. Petersburg.
What began as a bookstore in 1977 is now a treasure trove of recordings housed within the combined retail and warehouse space that spans more than 17,000 square feet.
That’s a massive collection tallying in the millions.
Shopping here is like visiting a music museum but the friendly staff are not going to warn you to be quiet or keep your hands off of the merchandise.

The staff is friendly, the archives are filled with an amazing selection of everything music for everyone’s taste. It is a bit of sensory overload in a good way. Although I’m not a vinyl fan anymore, I applaud Bananas being a go to place for those who are!
Keep it up because you all are definitely doing something very right!

Another reviewer felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume. To that person I say ‘SUCK IT UP!’ I have found some serious gems in this place. Finding metal records from the 1980s is no easy feat. I have had them special order items and they didn’t require a deposit! The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable. If you have a problem with this place you need your head examined.

I used to go to Bananas then they were near 66^th St N. Yes, a long time ago. I moved away then came back. I searched for so long to find them. Any group I wanted I found with them. Even now, when my tastes have changed I still find cds there I have not been able to find anywhere else. Now that I have found them again I will go back again & again.

I heart vinyl, oh yes I do. Smelly, musty used vinyl gets my leg shaking. Musty used RARE vinyl gets my heart racing. This place does that. There are two locations and both are pretty darn massive. I could go broke in here. I could spend a life savings in here. I could spend a week in here and not see a tenth of the place. Luckily the audiophiles who work here have such a wonderful organizational ability about them and a keen sense of memory that they can always point you to the genre you are seeking. I have found some lovely rarities in perfect condition for some really good prices. I also have purchased new vinyl and they also have competitive pricing as well.
Banana’s is the mecca of vinyl I think. I have ventured in many shops across the country and this place by far takes the cake.
What makes me even happier is that this fine establishment has been around since I was a teen seeking out rare punk and jazz recordings and it serves me into my mid 30’s just the same. All ages will definitely find some lovely melodies here.
Also, the staff are A+.
Ba-​na-​nas!

After reading that Banana’s Music was rated as one of the best record stores in the United States by Rolling Stone magazine and that they had literally millions of records for sale, I knew had to check the place out. This was something much easier said than done. First, the place is located in a very awkward area surrounded by residential housing which makes it a bit hard to locate. Second, the place has so much music it is literally overwhelming!
Even with their selection however, I can only give Banana’s three stars. I have to admit that the place was pretty cool, and the people working were very friendly, but there was just so much stuff that browsing seemed impossible. Plus, it seemed like the majority of their music was a bit older. There is nothing wrong with this of course, but having new stuff isn’t bad either.
If I lived in the area and I was looking for a very specific record, I would without a doubt call Banana’s up. For the browser however, this place is just way too big. You could go in and never come out alive! Kudos to those who brave the enormity that is Banana’s Music. Don’t forget to leave a trail of breadcrumbs!