Tower Records may have been a big corporation, but to many classical music aficionados in New York and other large East and West Coast cities, the chain’s classical department was as close as you could get to a neighborhood record store. “Older record collectors have memories of wonderful, quirky independent stores run by managers who were passionate, if opinionated, about the music they sold. [And Tower’s closing] will have a severe impact on niche markets like classical music. According to one industry insider’s estimate, Tower Records alone accounted for up to 50 percent of sales in the specialty genres.”