Record Collector Magazine Feb 2026 issue #580

Record Collector Feb 2026 issue #580)

Prince / Bowie

A decade ago, two of pop’s most significant figures left us within the space of a few weeks. We assess Prince and Bowie’s twin legacies, explore their posthumous contributions to their catalogues, and compare and contrast their particular varieties of genius, with input from collaborators and colleagues.

Dave Mustaine

In the RC Interview hot-seat is the Megadeth frontman who talks in-depth about his time with Metallica, health issues, and Megadeth’s new album which may – or may not – be the band’s last…

1976 reggae LPs

Nineteen-seventy-six was Year Zero for punk, but it was also a golden age for reggae. We celebrate the amazing reggae albums that came out that year, from Augustus Pablo and Abyssinians to Big Youth and beyond.

China Crisis

A string of subtly sublime pop confections ensured the Liverpool duo were regular fixtures in the mid-80s charts, but critical acclaim was thin on the ground. The still-gigging Scousers’ Gary Daly sets the record straight.

Stiff Little Fingers

We meet the Northern Irish punk avatars who had the first Top 20 independent album with Inflammable Material and recorded era-defining singles such as Suspect Device and Alternative Ulster.

Soul City

For British soul music fans in the late 60s, Soul City was a precious source of the music they loved – first as a London shop and then as a label licensing rare and in-demand gems from the States. Tony Burke meets its co-founder, David Nathan.

Lesley Woods of Au Pairs

In conversation with the postpunk firebrand whose visceral songs about sexual equality and torture regimes still resonate today.

Coventry 45s

Continuing our monthly focus on the singles output of the world’s great music cities. This issue: the home of Vince Hill, Lieutenant Pigeon and The Specials.