"everyone put their heart and soul into it, hoping to change the world."
Rough Trade was born into a decade of restless creativity, where independent music scenes crossed borders, blurred genres and rewrote the rules. The scene our record store emerged into was open-minded and collaborative, reflected in albums spanning punk, ska, reggae, electronic, soul, and everything in between.
From a small store in West London to a global community of music heads, in 2026 we celebrate the people, music and communities behind Rough Trade - then and now.
This is 50.
London, 1976. Possibility, purpose and a fiercely collective spirit.
Rough Trade opened its doors in West London at a moment when music felt urgent, political and increasingly communal. Punk was ripping through the capital, but it didn’t exist in isolation, intersecting alongside reggae sound systems, politicised art, DIY publishing and a wider cultural shift that stretched from sound to style. In the wake of the King’s Road explosion in the mid-late 70s, fashion became another form of expression and resistance, shaped by figures like Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren, where clothing, attitude and music fed directly into one another. Movements like Rock Against Racism brought artists and audiences together across different scenes and backgrounds, while bands such as The Clash and The Slits redefined what punk could contain. West London was a meeting point for new ideas, driven by a growing sense that culture could be made outside the mainstream.
Nigel House, Rough Trade Co-owner reflects:
“There had been independent labels and artists before punk (Chess, Topic and countless soul labels out of Detroit, to name a few), but punk changed the way people thought about access. It made musicians, fans and record shops realise they could do it themselves. And they did.
When Buzzcocks released Spiral Scratch, it wasn’t just a record, it was a signal. From there came an explosion of independent record stores and scenes across the country, places that stocked, supported and shared this new music. Rough Trade, alongside peers like Mute, Factory and Zoo, became hubs for discovery, conversation and belief. Some lasted the course, many didn't, but everyone put their heart and soul into it, hoping to change the world.”
That shift in mindset opened the door to an ever-expanding independent landscape. Joy Division, The Specials, X-Ray Spex, The Damned, The Raincoats, The Fall, Stiff Little Fingers and The Smiths each carved out distinct paths in the UK, while across the Atlantic, artists like Hüsker Dü, Talking Heads, The Feelies and Suicide were pushing similar boundaries. Connected by records, fanzines, word of mouth and shared values, Rough Trade grew within this network, not just as a record shop, but as part of a wider ecosystem built on faith in music’s power to travel, connect and, ultimately, endure.
In setting its own rules, the movement Rough Trade was born into saw the initial shock of punk give way to something more exploratory. Its aftershocks fed into post-punk and a decade defined by experimental sounds, sharper ideas and music that pushed creative possibility forward.
50 Records for 50 Years - Drop One: 1976-1985
Revealing our Rough Trade 50th Anniversary Editions, one for each year Rough Trade has been open. Featuring an exclusive vinyl pressing*, with special bonus material: unique liner notes, stories, and fresh interviews.
*press quantities are final
1976: Patti Smith - Radio Ethiopia
The first album credited to the Patti Smith Group channels raw energy into something ritualistic, confrontational and unrepentantly free. Radio Ethiopia is a sprawling testament to punk poetry, where spoken word, freeform rock and spiritual intensity collide, capturing an artist pushing past the limits of the form in real time. Marking Patti’s decisive shift toward rock stardom, the record stands as a fearless statement of intent. Released in 1976, it feels fitting to share our 50th year with such a vital and uncompromising piece of recorded music.
Emily, Rough Trade Head Office
1977: The Clash - The Clash
A searing 1977 dispatch from London. The Clash captured the spirit of a city on edge, where punk met protest across urgent, unvarnished songs on a debut album that sits as one of the best of all time. A staple in any collection since it first graced our shelves and a beacon for what independent music could be when it spoke directly to the world around it.
Emily, Rough Trade Head Office
1978: Dr. Alimantado - Best Dressed Chicken In Town
Any serious collector of 1960s-1980s reggae will own this album and anyone familiar with West London counter-culture will know Dr Alimantado as integral to this scene. TBDCIT launched iconic UK reggae label Greensleeves in 1978, compilng ten of Alimantado's sought-after singles, lilting and lyrically artistic creations featuring the vocals of Massive Attack legend Horace Andy and Gregory Isaacs. Dr Winston Alimantado himself was a regular visitor to our Rough Trade West store, bringing his own records in for us to sell. A formidable legacy as Alimantado and Greensleeves helped reggae captivate the mostly punk-leaning audiences of the time, introducing the reggae toaster deejay style alongside interesting arrangements and engineering by legends such as Lee 'Scratch' Perry and Scientist.
Georgia, Rough Trade Head Office
1979: The Specials - The Specials
Released in 1979, The Specials’ self-titled debut channelled the tension of its moment, fusing punk’s bite with ska, reggae and unflinching social realism. It spoke directly to a Britain on edge, giving voice to anger, unity and life on the streets and carrying that urgency from the streets of Coventry out into the world.
I had the privilege of working as artist liaison for Terry Hall at his Home Sessions, part of Coventry City of Culture 2021, an experience that reminded me how often his genius was underestimated. While he’s rightly celebrated for The Specials and their seismic cultural impact, what’s sometimes overlooked was Terry’s extraordinary gift as a songwriter and vocalist.
What stays with me just as strongly is the man himself. Terry was sensitive, kind, and wickedly funny, the sort of humour that arrived sideways, understated but razor sharp. There was a gentleness to him that made people feel seen, and a generosity that never asked for attention. Remembering his artistry means remembering that humanity too.
Nina, Rough Trade Berlin
1980: Young Marble Giants - Colossal Youth
Minimal to the point of mesmerising, the Welsh band's first and only full-length album drapes skeletal drum machines, funky basslines and Alison Statton’s deadpan clarity in eerie stillness. It's a post-punk whisper that only grew in appeal and influence with each listen. Remarkably, it was recorded in just five days. Dream big.
Emily, Rough Trade Head Office
1981: Brian Eno and David Byrne - My Life in the Bush of Ghosts
A monument of experimental percussion, tape looping, found sound and sweet serendipity, Eno and Byrne’s first collaboration curated snippets of evangelist preachers, Algerian chants and US talk shows and tethered them to Afrobeat, funk, electronica. Visionary in 1981, it still sounds wildly futuristic today.
Emily, Rough Trade Head Office
1982: Cabaret Voltaire - 2X45
Cabaret Voltaire, one of the most influential groups electronic music, released their fiery industrial funkhybrid, 2x45, in 1982. Emerging from post-industrial decline, the Sheffield trio channelled the DIY ethos of punk into an exciting and experimental sound built on repetition and groove. This record laid the groundwork for post-punk dance and the electronic underground.
Cammy, Rough Trade Head Office
1983: Cocteau Twins - Head Over Heels
Head Over Heels trades post-punk's edge for shimmering, textured dream pop soundscapes, led by Elizabeth Fraser's haunting and unmistakeable vocals. It's an album that laid the groundwork for dream pop, influencing shoegaze, alt-rock and anyone chasing atmosphere and emotion through sound.
Cammy, Rough Trade Head Office
1984: Sade - Diamond Life
Forever an album which puts British soul on the map, Sade's debut album Diamond Life is the epitome of classic. Named after its enigmatic frontwoman Helen Folasade Adu, the band's timeless elegance owes a lot to the British-Nigerian singer-songwriter's serene voice and chic signature look. An artistic identity which continues to inspire today's generation, a sound that transcends into modern music via samples and nostalgia, a story that represents where London was going in that era: a new wave of British R&B-oriented artists emerging from a diverse and thriving London music scene.
Georgia, Rough Trade Head Office
1985: The Fall - This Nation's Saving Grace
Unruly yet hypnotic, This Nation’s Saving Grace captures Prestwich's The Fall at their most locked-in and lethal. A serrated blend of motorik grooves, cryptic sloganeering and post-punk abrasion, its 16 tracks are a masterclass in chaos wielded with precision.
Emily, Rough Trade Head Office
Join Our Club
Each month, receive a Rough Trade Exclusive vinyl album from our 50th Anniversary series, as well as access to Club benefits including free shipping, select priority event access and special discounts. Limited to 500 subscribers only.