This is my kinda place. A creepy staircase leading up to a hidden shop with interesting finds galore. The staff has great taste in music, and the shop specializes in underground and avant garde. You’ll also find a good selection of metal, jazz, and an odd assortment of used records and CDs. Prices on new stuff seemed to be $ 1 or $ 2 cheaper than anywhere else. I picked up a couple of Severed Heads re-issues, Tame Impala live versions, another copy of the Top Secret soundtrack for a gift, a handful of 80s 12″ singles and an amazing 2LP Pye Corner Audio which I overheard in the store. Will definitely be back.
Diana B.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Philadelphia, PA
My husband and I have recently gotten into vinyl so we’ve been making an effort to check out local shops wherever we go. Cheap Thrills was a fantastic surprise for us. After reading other Unilocal reviews on various record shops in Montréal, we knew this was the one for us. Don’t be fooled by its appearance – they have SUCH an impressive supply. We didn’t go in looking for anything specific, but we left with a full bag of music. It’s organized really well and is easy to search. The staff wasn’t really into talking music with us and weren’t all that inviting, but we left with great records nonetheless. They were also pretty fair on their pricing. Also: don’t be fooled by the somewhat confusing entrance. This shop is on the second floor. Walk up the stairs from the sidewalk and then up two more flights of stairs once you’re inside the building.
Nick C.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Barrie, Canada
This is a fantastic little record store in the heart of Montréal. A tight little spot that is well organized with an amazing variety of vinyl. Their used vinyl records were in good shape and had some rare and unusual albums that most record shops don’t have. I found some real gems that I’ve never seen before. They also have a fantastic selection of new music on vinyl. The staff were very helpful and enthusiastic about helping me find what I wanted. They made some great recommendations when looking for new artists. I had many questions and they were more than happy to answer. I really enjoyed my experience here. The prices were very reasonable. It looked like they were continuously getting new stock of the latest music. Very up to date. I will return and always shop here first when looking for my music. Keep up the good work. The best record shop in the East! Cannot wait to save up some more money so I can return and buy some more records!
Grace B.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Montreal, Canada
Awesome place. Cheap used records, books, and CDs as well as new records and concert tickets. Cool place to just browse for a while. Music lovers need to check it out.
Steven V.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Melbourne, Australia
I can’t believe I never reviewed this place. By far the best record store in Montréal. Most interesting collections, both new and old, most fair pricing, and old school knowledgeable staff. I love Cheap Thrills so much.
Chelsea Laine H.
Rating des Ortes: 5 Tacoma, WA
I have a tradition where I buy my husband a local record whenever I go out of town. This trip to Montréal I found Cheap Thrills… so glad I did! I often ask for a recommendation as I am looking for local music. The reactions are hit or miss from people but the guy(assuming the owner?) was awesome and so helpful! He asked what kind of music I was looking for and had lots of suggestions but never pushed me to spend hundreds of dollars like has been done to me! I scored what I am sure will be an awesome record… can’t wait to give it to the Mr. The space is also convenient(note it’s up a walk-up so check the address when searching). The new and used selection was also great. They have a book section also but I didn’t venture over to that side. I definitely recommend this place for record shopping in Montréal!
Samantha M.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Halifax, Canada
Cool store, kind of hard to find. It’s up the stairs in a little building that features a Vietnamese restaurant on the ground floor. If you keep your eye out for the restaurant you’ll be able to find this place. This place is really small, but it has a really excellent selection. For a Sunday afternoon it was surprisingly busy. There was one guy working at the counter who greeted us and asked if we needed help. I find a lot of music shops have a really stupid, hard to maneuver organization system but we were able to find the section we were looking for fairly quickly. They had a really nice selection of rock, indie and I saw a bunch of jazz too. I’d say if you were looking for anything you can’t find at HMV this is the place for you.
Anthony K.
Rating des Ortes: 4 Montreal, Canada
It seems odd to describe Cheap Thrills as a stalwart fixture of Montréal’s downtown, considering the apparent uncertainty of a stone 3-story walk-up within a sea of skyscrapers, shopping complexes, and parking facilities, and the general shabbiness of its second-story location, but they’ve been around since 1971 and they’re still alive and kicking, so there you go. In fact, you might even consider Cheap Thrills something of an oasis, given the state of things. The thrills in question come in the form of LPs, CDs, and books. CDs and LPs come new and used. Books are strictly second-hand. Most of the above qualify as «cheap.» Cheap Thrills is a tiny operation, but the shelves run high and they’re generally well-stocked with auditory and literary finds of all kinds. On the music side, they specialize in rock, jazz, soul, indie, beats, and experimental, and their collection could safely be labeled«savvy.»