BIG DEBATE: Has iTunes ruined the real music browsing experience

As the music retailer HMV heads into administration, young music fans are losing a portal into the world of discovery and wonder, something that iTunes cannot replace, writes Anthony Barnes

The demise of HMV will mean the end of an era for music fans who have whiled away hours browsing for nuggets which have gone on to become the soundtrack of their lives.

For generations of teenagers, and for those who refuse to let go of their youth, a trip to a record shop to flick through the racks was a weekly — or more frequent — ritual.