Memphis Loses Historic Landmark

More than just a music store, Poplar Tunes was a Historic Landmark in our city. Founded in 1946 by Joe Cuoghi and John Novarese, Poplar Tunes closed its doors for good this week. The closing is understandable in so much as the music business has changed dramatically with the advent of downloadable music, making it more difficult for the typical record and cd/dvd retailer to remain a viable brick and mortar business. A few smaller niche stores remain open here since these stores also have used records and cds to offer. In just the last year, vinyl records have started making a comeback. Apparently, it must be “camp” to have a turntable and be able to play music in this manner. Digital sounds have taken over the marketplace, leaving the demand for cds and other forms of music mediums in a slump, but there are still collectors and those of us who also maintain a collection of albums. I just need to order a new belt for my belt drive turntable..you guessed it..the old belt dry rotted from age.
Poplar Tunes, also Pop Tunes, has had its home in Memphis for over 50 years, but now will simply be a memory for those of us who grew up here. The original location, at 308 Poplar and a second location on Faronia were closed by Music City Record Distributors of Nashville, who purchased the stores in 2001.