Skip to Content
Architecture

The Wrecking Ball Cometh ~ Tower Records, Sunset Blvd.

Tower Records

From the LA Times:

Preservation of what once was the Sunset Strip's most colorful place has turned into a black-and-white issue in West Hollywood. Preservationists complain that city leaders blocked their application to have a former Tower Records building declared a historic resource because color photographs of the brightly painted building were attached to the paperwork instead of black-and-white pictures that officials said were required. As activists hunted for black-and-whites to add to the paperwork, a Chicago developer planning a multimillion-dollar office and retail complex at the record store site filed his building request at City Hall.

Now the iconic music industry landmark at 8801 W. Sunset Blvd. famous for its hundreds of impromptu rock 'n' roll performances and album signings awaits demolition. Its iconic yellow facade has been repainted somber blue. Some preservationists are beginning to feel the same way.

Photo Credit: 02ma

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

Daily Memo: California Is Installing ICE AI Surveillance Tools As Trump Goes After Your Civil and Constitutional Rights

Either through willful ignorance or foolish naivety, our local governments are building the surveillance apparatus that ICE currently uses and will continue to use to persecute immigrants, people of color, and dissidents to Trump. 

Why Did Anaheim City Council Vote to Install Nearly $1M-Worth of License Plate Surveillance?

Forty-one of the cameras will be deployed across the broader Orange County operational area as part of a regional surveillance network.

April 29, 2026

Final Round of TACO MADNESS Voting Is Now Open! Meet the Last Two Taquerías Left

The winner will be announced live on stage this Saturday at our TACO MADNESS live event at Grand Park! Members get in for free and it's our biggest fundraiser of the year for our independent journalism.

Daily Memo: ICE Unveils Plan To Detain Children In “Toxic” Louisiana Military Site

The raids continue here in Southern California, as we’ve been seeing many vehicles targeted and stopped. In one case, ICE deployed spike strips before chasing a fleeing woman into a residential area with their guns drawn.

USC Graduate Student at Center of Arturo Flores Sexual Assault Scandal Speaks Out

Since the news broke, there have been ongoing recall efforts and public pressure for Flores to resign. However, Flores remains a sitting council member.

April 28, 2026

Diners, Dommes, and Dives: The 13 Best Restaurants in L.A., According to Dominatrixes

Los Angeles, it turns out, has a tight-knit domme community. They’re caretakers, interpreters of human behavior, and, in their own way, societal pressure valves. Providing a safe and consensual place to release the stress and desires of clients. These are the spots they love to eat.

See all posts