You could call it a vinyl revival.
For many years, vinyl records were relegated to yard sales, dusty basements and hardcore collectors.
However, now, vinyl records are outselling CDs for the first time since 1987.
It’s not hard to see why vinyl records were so popular during the mid 20th century
“The idea of taking a record out… putting it on the turntable and then sitting down and listening to the whole thing,” said Geoff Arsenault, a record collector since 1974.
But during the late 1980s the format experienced a drop in popularity.
“They got rid of the vinyl because of the sales? I’m not quite sure; the industry always dictates as to what format is going to be out there,” added Arsenault.
Then, with the growth of the internet, physical media as a whole struggled to keep up with the convenience of streaming
But over the last couple of years, vinyl has been making somewhat of a comeback. In 2022, Midnight by Taylor Swift became the first major album to see its vinyl sales outpace CDs since 1987.
“The demand is so high… what used to be six weeks we’d get a turnaround in vinyl is now three to six months,” said Holly Destun, owner of one of the last remaining Sam the Record Man stores.
And it’s not just older music fans taking part in this resurgence.
“The first one I purchased myself was Lover by Taylor Swift,” saod Shiloh Turnbull, who only began collecting records in 2016.
While Turnbull is no stranger to vinyl, she said that while she loves the convenience of Spotify, nothing compares to the experience of a good, old-fashioned record.
“Vinyl brings it back to: I’m experiencing this album start to finish, every bar for every bar, me and the music,” she added.
While she couldn’t say why vinyl is rising in popularity, whatever the reason is, for these collectors, it’s music to their ears.
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