Music Millennium: Portland Record Store Founder Seeks Buyer After 55 Years
- Music Millennium, the oldest record store in Portland, Oregon, is seeking a new owner after more than five decades in business.
- Currier, who discovered the store as a teenager, described Music Millennium as his “university,” where he received an invaluable musical education.
- “I found myself going to Music Millennium two or three nights a week after I got off work,” Currier wrote in a recent Instagram post.
Portland Institution Music Millennium Seeks New Owner
Music Millennium, the oldest record store in Portland, Oregon, is seeking a new owner after more than five decades in business. Current owner Terry Currier, 70, announced his intention to find a successor to continue the legacy of the iconic shop, which opened in .
Currier, who discovered the store as a teenager, described Music Millennium as his “university,” where he received an invaluable musical education. He recounted starting to frequent the store after getting off work at age 17, and eventually working there full-time during his senior year of high school to fund his record collection.
“I found myself going to Music Millennium two or three nights a week after I got off work,” Currier wrote in a recent Instagram post. “I got out of school at noon and was able to work 40 hours a week my senior year, and all the money went to music.”
The store has hosted performances by numerous well-known artists over the years, including Joe Strummer, Sheryl Crow, Everclear, and Cheap Trick. Currier emphasized his desire to ensure the store remains a fixture in Portland’s landscape, stating he has previously turned down offers from developers seeking to purchase the building.
“It’s time to find a successor to keep Music Millennium going for many years to come,” Currier said. He is open to various arrangements, including selling both the business and the building, or selling only the business while remaining involved during a transition period.
Music Millennium’s survival through the challenges faced by record stores in the digital age is noteworthy. While thousands of record stores closed in the early 2000s – dropping from approximately 7,500 in 2000 to around 1,500 by 2007 – the store has persevered and even benefited from a resurgence in vinyl popularity.
Currier noted that the COVID-19 pandemic unexpectedly boosted business, as families rediscovered their record collections and turntables while spending more time at home. “We started seeing parents and their kids, and their grandparents shopping in the store together,” he told OPB. “Actually wanting ownership in physical music.”
Currier is already receiving inquiries from potential buyers and plans to step down once a suitable successor is found, allowing him to focus on caring for his wife, who has Alzheimer’s, and organizing his personal music collection of approximately 30,000 records and CDs.
Beyond its role as a music retailer, Currier also played a part in Portland’s cultural identity. He was the first business owner in Portland to print and distribute stickers proclaiming “Keep Portland Weird,” as a way to encourage support for local businesses over national chains, inspired by a similar movement in Austin, Texas.
Music Millennium is consistently recognized as a top record store in Portland, appearing on lists of the best record stores in the city as recently as , according to Yelp.