The method in which people have listened to music has changed a lot over the last century. In the 1970s, ‘80s and ‘90s cassette tapes and compact discs became the primary way for people to listen to music. Today it’s music streaming services such as Spotify and Apple Music that dominate the industry.
But for a majority of the 20th century, vinyl records were the preferred and only way to listen to one’s favorite artist, song or album without paying to see them live.
After being considered a dead industry for more than four decades, something miraculous happened. Vinyl record sales began to increase. In 2005 the record industry recorded $14.2 million dollars in total revenue. In 2022 the industry recorded $1.2 billion dollars in total revenue.
In the age of streaming and music finding a permanent home on the internet, music’s oldest physical format is experiencing a renaissance unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.
Underneath all of the headlines is one question: After nearly fourty years of vinyl being phased out, why is it coming back now?
We can’t talk about the revival of vinyl without talking about “Record Store Day.”
The holiday was first founded in 2007 by a group of independent record store owners and employees in order to bring more awareness to the unique culture surrounding nearly 1,400 other independent stores around the country.
This day has seen new record pressings find its way into the hands of collectors. While you can find traditional vinyls at retail stores such as Target and Walmart, these different kinds of pressings can only be found at independent stores. This allows stores to compete with box chains in terms of sales, and contribute to making special edition vinyls into collectables.
American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift’s latest studio album “The Life of A Showgirl” is a perfect example of the collectable culture the vinyl industry has. The basic pressing was announced hours after the album itself was announced. Over the course of the next two months, she would announce seven other record variants only sold on her website. Those variants are now considered rare because of their availability and limited supply.
However, it’s not just special edition records that fit that criteria. Collectors everywhere have vinyls that are considered rare, therefore increasing their value. Others have vinyl’s lack monetary value but hold immense emotional value.
As a collector myself, I have certain records in my collection that are special to me. Not because of the price, but because of the story behind them.
For my 18th birthday, two of my friends got me Coldplay’s third studio album “X&Y” as a gift. Our combined love of the band has been something the three of us have bonded over, making it an extra special record in my collection.
There’s also the aspect of ownership in record collecting that people resonate with. Whenever you buy or stream a song, you’re doing it on a platform that isn’t your own. But when you buy and listen to a vinyl record, you’re listening to your own copy of the song. It’s your copy that you’re playing on your own player. It’s an indescribable feeling knowing that you have the physical version of a song or album that means so much to you.
Vinyl’s resurgence proves the longing desire that people have to be entertained by something real. To be entertained by something they can hold, touch and treasure. At the end of the day, vinyl’s comeback isn’t just about nostalgia — it’s about connection to the moments in our lives that can only be played through physical media.
Fourty years since its prime, vinyl exists not just as a method to tell stories, but a way to keep the love of music alive for the next generation.
