There is a new craze sweeping across North America like a rampant bull. For the past few years you may have even noticed it yourself. Perhaps at the mall? In the streets? Maybe you have even seen this in your own home? The new craze of nostalgia has taken over. You don’t have to look very far to see the impact it’s having on modern culture. Board game companies are re-releasing games with their original packaging. Beanie babies and other collectibles litter the store shelves again. Retro gaming has made its way back into households. Even the word “re-release” is seen everywhere. There is one part of this however that may be more than a fad or craze.
Vinyl has made a comeback and has, in fact, showed some surprising statistics to prove that it is here to stay. According to the Recording Industry Association of America vinyl sales were up 32 percent, accounting up to $416 million dollars in sales. While CD sales still account for the majority of music sales, they were down by 17 percent. Vinyl sales in 2016 were even higher than on-demand services such as Spotify and Vevo.
The interesting thing about these statistics is that despite both CD sales and vinyl sales, the music industry is in turmoil. Technology has almost eliminated music stores. The majority of CD sales in the past few years have been due to the use of digital stores such as Apple Music. Music chain stores such as HMV and F.Y.E. are closing at alarming rates. Yet the sale of vinyl proves there is life in the music industry after all.
The vinyl resurgence started only a few short years ago. It was rumored that the hipster movement brought this into the forefront. There were 20-30-year-olds who were looking for alternatives to listen to their music. The once popular MP3 was slowly being phased out for its sound quality. Vinyl is known to have a better sound than digital media. This is because MP3s are compressed and that dulls the highs and lows of the track. Technically this will make the MP3 sound better to an untrained ear. When compared side to side with vinyl, however, the quality of the latter becomes very clear.
Brad Whitlock, an employee at HMV in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, said, “Currently vinyl and record players are the store’s biggest seller. We have the third largest sales of vinyl and vinyl products in Canada.” Brad went on to say that vinyl was more than just a fad. “Our sales numbers keep rising for vinyl sales every year. We noticed that CD album sales have decreased.”
When asked why this was, Brad didn’t have to think long. “I think it’s because a lot of music can now be purchased digitally, where vinyl can’t be. There is also that nostalgic factor where people like the album artwork and going back to listen to their parents’ old records. We also have a lot of the older crowd come in and want to relive their old records that they have kept in their basement.”
Clinton Thompson is a local musician and vinyl collector. I asked him why he thinks vinyl has made a comeback. “Vinyl never went away,” Clinton said. He invited me into his home to look at his collection. “I have been collecting vinyl since the ‘80s. They have continued pressing albums on vinyl all these years. The past couple of years have seen a vinyl boom.”
Many artists and bands are releasing new albums on vinyl. Some are even re-issuing old releases on vinyl. Prices vary, but most vinyl albums range in price from $25 to $30. Clearly there is still an active market for a once-forgotten music source. Pitchfork media expects the sales of vinyl to continue to rise in 2017. Pitchfork media has also reported a record number of vinyl forum users, proving that there is still growing interest. It’s clear that the records will continue to spin for some time to come.
