Remember music stores those once-hip establishments whose pierced employees -- all of whom seemed to moonlight as bass players in multiple bands -- scoffed at your musical taste while selling you records then cassettes then CDs... But now they aren't selling you much of anything. The iconic Virgin Megastore in Manhattan’s Union Square has already closed its doors and an equally emblematic Virgin outlet on Los Angeles's Hollywood Boulevard is slated for extinction soon. Clearly music lovers are finding their tunes elsewhere. Though reports of the CD's death appear to have been grossly exaggerated they've definitely taken a severe hit. ...

In the years ahead parent company Musicland floundered --  not just in the face of increased competition but with the rise of the digital MP3 format. To stave off losses it shuttered hundreds of Sam Goody stores and eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2006. Musicland was acquired by Trans World Entertainment Corporation (TWMC) which changed all the locations to FYEs -- stores that make Sam Goody look like Vintage Vinyl.While you won't find a Sam Goody tucked next to a Waldenbooks or Calendar Kiosk today a cassette suitcase or Sony Discman might conjure a fond memory or 2.