The Point

The Point

The Point

Are Vinyl Records Back?

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Considering the global domination of streaming music and digital downloads, is it reasonable to believe that vinyl records are having a resurgence?  Nielsen SoundScan, the most recognized tracker of music sales throughout the US and Canada, has reported that vinyl record sales hit 6.1 million last year, which is the highest sales level since 1991.   And, Billboard Magazine reports that vinyl sales are up 32%, which is the continuation of a growth trend that began in the early 1990s and took off in 2007.  While the unit sales are still relatively small, Billboard reports the growth trend as startling, especially since it is occurring alongside the growth and domination of digital suppliers such as Pandora and Spotify.

To get a local perspective on this phenomenon, I interviewed Neal Canter, the owner of Record Surplus on Santa Monica Blvd. in Los Angeles (www.recordsurplusla.com).  According to Neal, who has owned and operated Touch Vinyl for 29 years, the store is seeing younger people and many more females buying vinyl records.  His shop historically only carried classic vinyl, but market conditions forced it to start carrying new vinyl about three years ago, when all new releases started being released on record again.  Sales of classic releases still dominate, he thinks because the price point of new vinyl is too much for many consumers, but new vinyl sales have definitely picked up in the last several years. And, Neal has been informed by industry insiders that there is currently a 6 month wait to press records, which has delayed many album releases.  This reflects the trend of every artist wanting to release on vinyl.  Record Surplus also sells record players, ranging from an entry level recorder costing $250 to a more-high end model costing $4,000.  For the last several years, sales of record players have soared during the holiday season.

I also spoke with Sebastian Matthews, the owner of Touch Vinyl on Sawtelle Blvd. in Los Angeles (www.touchvinyl.com).  Sebastian confirmed that there is definitely a renaissance going on with records.  His sales of vinyl have increased 40% over the past four years.  His store offers new and used vinyl, which sell equally in terms of the number of units.  His store is seeing high sales of reissues of older classic rock, like the Beatles, whose vinyl record albums have recently been reissued mono format to increase audio quality.  According to Sebastian, “Vinyl never died, it was always the best sound.”  To help spread the pleasure of the quality sound, Touch Vinyl also offers turntables for sale.  Sebastian is most excited about the Music Hall entry level turntable that sells for $250, because it includes a built in turntable amplifier that can plug into a lot of computers and stand-alone speakers, making it an affordable and practical choice for college students.

Our own Sea King, Leslie Vilicich, music aficionado, and frequent purchaser of vinyl buys records because “they use the analog recordings while CDs and digital formats use the digital recordings. The analog recordings produce a fuller and generally better sound.” Leslie further describes records as sounding “warmer than digital music.” She enjoys the “nostalgia that comes with buying a record” because it is “the way your parents and grandparents listened to music.” She also appreciates “having a tangible form of the music” she buys rather than a mere digital copy. And, many parents, who knew only records growing up, share that music use to be a much more communal experience– you would rush home, peel the plastic off your album, gently bend the cover to reveal your new record, releasing and holding it only on its edges, careful not to smother it with fingerprints, and then sit around with your friends, playing it over and over.  Their version of “replay” was knowing which groove to gently set down the needle in.

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The sudden popularity of vinyl records could just be another phase of the fickle American consumer, mirroring America’s obsession with all things vintage.  But, maybe, it’s a reawakening of a more communal time lived without electronic devices that substitute for human relationships.  Maybe, Sea Kings, it’s time we all pull the ear buds out of our ears and start sitting around the turntable again enjoying music with friends.

Wondering what to put on your holiday shopping list?  Perhaps, a turntable.  Because, vinyl records are back!

Top Ten Selling Vinyl Albums According to Tower Records
  1.     Kind of Blue, Miles Davis
  2.     Abbey Road, Beatles
  3.     Back to Black, Amy Winehouse
  4.     Legend, Bob Marley
  5.     Born to Die, Lana Del Rey
  6.     Thriller, Michael Jackson
  7.     Sigh No More, Mumford & Sons
  8.     A Love Supreme, John Coltrane
  9.     Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd
  10.   In Between Dreams, Jack Jackson