Record Collector – October 2026

Summary

Two Record Collector scribes pick Kate Bush's 50 best songs in issue 588, and October 2026 backs that cover with a £100k Northern soul single at page 56, Subway Sect at 62 and Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody at 68.

Record Collector magazine October 2026 (issue 588) leads with Kate Bush on the cover, running her 50 best songs at page 72 with two writers making the selections. Support comes from Seattle Revisited at 50, The £100k Disc at 56, Subway Sect at 62 and Snow Patrol in the 45 minutes slot at 68. News opens at 8, the collecting strand runs The Vinylist at 20 through Most Wanted at 34, and opinion carries Catherine AD at 40, Talking Heads at 42 and 33 1/3 minutes with Henry Rollins at 44.

Reviews fill the back: From the Vaults at 86, New Albums at 96, Books at 102, Singles at 104 and Lives at 116. Reader services and Coda follow with the crossword at 122 and 10 of the Best at 130. The issue also prints a correction note for a page 25 error in the previous issue. For anyone who owns Bush records, the cover feature is the reason to buy; for collectors, The £100k Disc is the one that teaches.

—————

Content Guide

▸ Cover Story
p.72 · COVER STORY KATE BUSH
Two Record Collector writers select 50 of Kate Bush's finest songs at page 72, arguing through her catalogue from Wuthering Heights onward. The piece pairs each entry with a reason rather than a ranking alone. Check your own shelf against the 50 and see which ones you are missing.

▸ Features
p.50 · SEATTLE REVISITED
The issue returns to Seattle some thirty-odd years after it stood as the capital of American alt.rock, checking which venues survive and where the grunge spirit remains. The piece names the venues that closed and the ones still standing. Visit the surviving venues named here on any Seattle trip.

p.56 · THE £100K DISC
Record Collector traces how a Northern soul fan in West Yorkshire ended up with a 7" single worth a huge sum, using the genre's backstory to explain the price. The piece names the record and the collecting culture behind it. Learn the genre's history before chasing a Northern soul 7" at auction.

p.62 · SUBWAY SECT
Vic Godard and the surviving members of Subway Sect run through their shifts from the White Riot tour to a lounge act, arguing for the various line-ups. The piece names the records and the eras. Play the early punk sides and the later lounge work back to back.

p.68 · SNOW PATROL
Gary Lightbody takes the 45 minutes slot at 68, looking back on a surprise multi-platinum smash and the band's recording of it. He names the song and the circumstances around it. Revisit the album the single came from with the interview in mind.

▸ Collecting
p.22 · RC INVESTIGATES
RC Investigates at 22 looks at records given away with breakfast cereals and similar promotions, naming the discs and how they turn up now. The column separates the valuable freebies from the junk. Check cereal and promotional giveaways before you throw one out.

p.24 · THE COLLECTOR
The Collector at 24 returns to Nigel Adams after last month's glitch, presenting the profile as intended. The column names what he collects and why. Compare his focus with your own before adding a new category.

p.34 · MOST WANTED
Most Wanted at 34 covers Boy George's old outfit and Jagger's belt going under the hammer, giving the lots and the interest around them. It names the items rather than just the prices. Watch the auction results for the lots listed here.

▸ Opinion
p.40 · CATHERINE AD
Catherine AD, The Anchoress and an RC columnist, writes on the threat posed by AI "art" at page 40. She names the technology and the musicians affected. Read it before you accept an AI-generated track as a genuine release.

p.44 · 33 1/3 MINUTES WITH HENRY ROLLINS
Henry Rollins takes the 33 1/3 minutes interview at 44, speaking on his work in the column's fixed format. He names the records and projects he is involved with. Look up one project he names here after you finish.

▸ Regulars
p.6 · FOR THE RECORD
For the Record at 6 prints readers' letters, including reaction to the previous issue. It is where corrections and arguments surface. Read it for the letters about the cover stories you just finished.

p.86 · FROM THE VAULTS
From the Vaults at 86 covers reissues and deluxe editions, including Nirosta Steel and Ten Years After, with labels and formats named. It flags which reissue earns the shelf space. Choose the reissue named here over an inflated original.

p.96 · NEW ALBUMS
New Albums at 96 reviews fresh studio records, with veterans such as Johnny Marr and Roger Taylor alongside newer names. Each review gives a verdict. Sample the veteran releases named here before the newer ones.

p.130 · 10 OF THE BEST
10 Of The Best at 130 closes with ten picks on one theme, naming records and reasons. It is the last page most readers finish. Take the first two picks and ignore the rest if the theme is not yours.

—————

Editor's Take

Record Collector issue 588 is the strongest of this run: the Kate Bush 50 best at 72 is a real piece of work with two writers arguing the selections, and The £100k Disc at 56 is the best single feature here, explaining a price through Northern soul history rather than gasping at it. Catherine AD on AI art at 40 gives the issue a position, which is more than most music months manage. The weak point is Subway Sect at 62, which rambles through line-ups without landing a conclusion, and the back reviews run long. The cover, built on "This Woman's Work" with Bush's 50 best, is clean and the best-designed of the three issues. Note the magazine itself prints a correction for the previous issue's page 25. This is the one to buy if you buy a single issue; completists and Bush fans both get value.

Strengths
• Kate Bush 50 best argued by two writers
• £100k Disc explains price through genre history
• Catherine AD takes a real position on AI art

Weaknesses
• Subway Sect rambles without a conclusion
• Back reviews run long on minor titles

Verdict: Essential — Kate Bush cover, £100k Disc and a real opinion column in one issue.