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Before fans went online for music, they got in line. And though the information age has made acquiring one's jams more convenient, there's still plenty to be said for the irreplaceable value of brick-and-mortar record shops.

Everyone knows legendary superstore J&R Music and Computer World, but the five boroughs are also home to many smaller, hidden gems. Whether you're looking for the latest release from the Walkmen, classic salsa by Héctor Lavoe or the Spin Doctors' out-of-print sophomore album Turn It Upside Down, there's one thing you'll be sure to find at these music dispensaries: the human touch. (And if you're looking for Rick Springfield's Human Touch, you may also be in luck.)

Disc-O-Rama
This store stocks near-limitless reserves of cheap music. You could spend hours browsing the used section, there's abundant vinyl in the basement and most new releases are $10 or $11. The best bargains of all, though, are in the disorganized stacks, where freshly wrapped titles often sell for $5. It's one of the best places in NYC to find a long-lost out-of-print album.

Come here if you like:
• New releases—most are $10 or $11
• Gospel
• Anything out of print

Generation Records
Screeching guitars. Painted faces. Primal yelps. Some music scares parents. Generation provides an onslaught of such hardcore, punk and metal—including enough vinyl to fill a mosh pit. "You can't come in here and buy just one record," says manager Matt Pullman. "There's always something you're going to discover." If you're lucky, you may even catch a favorite band performing in-store (but don't thrash so hard you knock the albums over).

Come here if you like:
• …And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead
• Bridge and Tunnel
• Agnostic Front

Academy Records
Think your records are ancient? Some music predates LPs themselves. Those who rock it really old school can take heart in Academy's extensive secondhand catalog. According to owner Joseph Ganun, "If you want the original cover art and a nice package [for certain rare recordings], the only way you'll find it is in a secondhand store like this one." Academy doesn't forget the 20th century, either—its jazz selection is outstanding.

Come here if you like:
• Johann Sebastian Bach
• John Coltrane
• Philip Glass

Other Music
True to its name, Other Music wants patrons to discover new artists. "It's about coming in and finding a lot of interesting, diverse underground music," says co-owner Josh Madell. Whether you like indie rock, electronica or experimental jazz, this is the place to find high-quality tunes that haven't hit the mainstream. The shop also prides itself on supporting local musicians (of which New York City has no shortage).

Come here if you like:
• The Walkmen
• Deerhunter
• Portishead

Earwax
Earwax owner Fabio Roberti feels strongly about tastemaking in his hip Williamsburg neighborhood, and prefers his store's carefully chosen inventory to "all the [hogwash] that's on every website on the planet. There's a lot of [hogwash] out there." If you want to leap from Vampire Weekend to the next next big thing, Earwax's knowledgeable staff may clue you in to your new favorite band. And, of course, Earwax has a huge selection of wax (records, that is).

Come here if you like:
• Roots, blues and/or country
• Psychedelic, Krautrock and/or alternative rock
• Noise and experimental, world music and/or reggae

Colony Music Center
This store is aptly situated on Broadway. It's overflowing with CDs and sheet music from blockbusters that have lit up the Great White Way over the years (and today), and the memorabilia and hyper-knowledgeable staff practically make it a Broadway museum ("You can hum a song over the phone and we're pretty much gonna know it," claims employee Warren Tesoro). Still, there are nods to other trends: current selections include Miley Cyrus karaoke and Guitar Hero sheet music.

Come here if you like:
• Spring Awakening
• South Pacific
• Sheet music and karaoke

The Thing
The Thing is an ever-growing blob of $2 vinyl and whatever else its proprietors find. "Right now, I'm looking at Chinese artifacts, …a Yellow Submarine kind of outfit from the Beatles…[and] broken dishes," explains owner Larry Fisher. Though searching the piles almost requires spelunking gear, customers often unearth the valuable and unusual. "One of the craziest collections we recently got," says Fisher, "was this jazz collection that was worth a ton of money, except [its owner] put every record in one sleeve."

Come here if you like:
• Secondhand appliances
• Every John Coltrane record shoved into one sleeve
• Entropy

Breakdown Records
At $2 for albums and $1 for 45s, owner Anthony Cascella calls his shop—which he started with 2,000 albums from his own collection—"paradise" for wax collectors. Here, dedicated music geeks spend hours sifting through vinyl mountains. "People say they've been looking for [an album] their whole lives or they had it when they were a kid," he says—and they find them at Breakdown.

Come here if you like:
• Led Zeppelin
• The Supremes
• Variety (you never know what Breakdown has in stock)

Casa Amadeo
This venerable store has stood on the same corner for half a century, fueled by owner Mike Amadeo's love for and knowledge of music. This isn't necessarily the spot to seek out the latest chart-toppers: "Anyone who has any sense about what music is can come to me and I'll help them out, but not with the reggaeton," explains Amadeo. It's a place for classics—including tunes by artists like Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Cheo Feliciano, for whom Amadeo has composed.

Come here if you like:
• Tito Puente
• Willie Colón
• Héctor Lavoe