Vinyl revival facts for kids

A record store in Barcelona in 2016. Record stores have experienced a boom following the creation of the annual worldwide Record Store Day.

The vinyl revival is when people started buying and loving vinyl records again. These are also called gramophone records. This renewed interest began around 2007. Vinyl records became popular again in Western countries and East Asia. Sales went up steadily. People also became more interested in visiting record shops. There are even music charts now just for vinyl sales!

Vinyl records, made of a material called polyvinyl chloride, were the main way to buy pop music from the 1950s to the 1980s. Then, cassette tapes and later compact discs (CDs) took over. After the year 2000, CDs were partly replaced by digital downloads and then streaming services. But surprisingly, vinyl record sales kept growing. By the early 2010s, they were selling at levels not seen since the late 1980s. Even so, records are still a small part of all music sales. For example, in the US in 2023, they were only 8% of sales. Along with records, sales of new record players (turntables) have also gone up a lot.

The vinyl revival became strongest in the 2020s. Many music experts and stores say that Taylor Swift helped a lot with this. In 2022, her album Midnights was the first big album since 1987 where vinyl sales were higher than CD sales. About 600,000 vinyl copies were sold in the US and 80,000 in the UK. In 2023, Swift's re-recorded album 1989 (Taylor's Version) was the first to sell over a million vinyl LPs in the US in one year. In 2024, her album The Tortured Poets Department broke the record for the most vinyl sales in a single week in modern times, with 859,000 copies sold. The Recording Industry Association of America reported that in 2022, money from vinyl records grew by 17% to $1.2 billion. This was the sixteenth year in a row that sales increased. Vinyl made up 71% of all physical music sales. For the first time since 1987, more vinyl albums were sold than CDs (41 million vs 33 million). In some countries like Japan and Germany, CDs still sell much more than records.

The Story of Vinyl's Comeback

In June 2017, Sony Music announced they would start making vinyl records again. This was the first time since they stopped in 1989. The BBC reported that Sony even had trouble finding older engineers who knew how to make records.

Vinyl's Rise in Brazil

Brazilian record companies reported that in 2023, money from vinyl records jumped by 136%. This was the biggest increase for any physical music format. Even though physical music is a small part of Brazil's music industry, the growth in vinyl sales helped it reach its highest level since 2018.

Vinyl's Rise in China

China has become one of the world's biggest music markets. The last vinyl record factory in Shanghai closed in 1998. But in 2015, an experienced audio company opened a new factory in Guangzhou. Since then, vinyl records have become much more popular. China even has its own version of Record Store Day. Many Chinese people had never experienced vinyl before. This is because most people were living in poverty when vinyl was most popular in the West.

Vinyl's Rise in France

Between 2016 and 2021, sales and money from vinyl records tripled in France. In 2023, 5.5 million vinyl units were sold. This is half the number of CD sales. However, vinyl brings in a similar amount of money. This is because vinyl records cost more to buy.

Vinyl's Rise in Germany

A second-hand record store in Flensburg, Germany (2012)

In Germany, vinyl records became popular again in the 1990s. This happened with the rise of rave and techno music. By the mid-1990s, rave culture was huge in Germany. Raves had tens of thousands of people. Youth magazines gave styling tips. TV channels launched music shows about house and techno music. In 1998, a magazine called Der Spiegel said that LPs were "in again." CDs were seen as "uncool." Vinyl records were easier to mix for DJs and had more space for cool album cover art. Record bags were a popular fashion item. In the early 2000s, the mainstream rave movement slowed down. Many "techno record stores" that opened in the 1990s closed.

Around 2007, vinyl started to become popular again. This time, it included collecting other types of music, like pop music. The music industry also helped promote it more. In 2016, there were 476 record stores in Germany. 3.1 million vinyl records were sold. In 2020, sales of vinyl LPs in Germany increased to 4.2 million units. Almost three-quarters of the 20 most popular records that year were rock music.

Vinyl's Rise in Japan

CDs started selling in Japan in 1982. By 1986, CDs began to replace records as the main way to buy music. Unlike Western countries, CD sales stayed very strong in Japan. Over 100 million CDs were sold each year from 1998 to 2018. In the early 2000s, people started feeling nostalgic for vinyl records. Japanese record stores began promoting vinyl in 2012, inspired by Record Store Day in the US. Popular musicians like Sakanakushon, AKB48, Perfume, and Masaharu Fukuyama started releasing their music on vinyl. In 2014, HMV Record Shop, which sells many vinyl records, opened in Shibuya. Tech companies like Sony Electronics and Panasonic released new versions of record players starting in 2016.

From the mid-2010s, vinyl records have been very popular. Special shops opened in Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ginza. From 2010 to 2020, vinyl sales in Japan increased ten times. They went from 105,000 copies to 1,219,000 copies. This was the best sales figure since 2004. Popular artists like Perfume and Back Number have helped lead the vinyl revival. CD sales in Japan went down by 35% from 2008 to 2018.

Vinyl's Rise in the United Kingdom

In the United Kingdom, CDs also became more popular than records in the late 1980s. This led to a slow drop in vinyl sales during the 1990s. But in 2006, the popularity of indie rock music caused sales of new vinyl records to go up a lot. This was especially true for 7-inch singles. Sales of vinyl LP records in the UK increased every year between 2007 and 2014. In November 2014, over one million vinyl records had been sold in the UK that year. Sales had not been this high since 1996. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) thought Christmas sales would bring the total to about 1.2 million. However, vinyl sales were still a very small part of all music sales. Pink Floyd's The Endless River became the fastest-selling UK vinyl release of 2014. It was the fastest-selling since 1997, even though it only sold 6,000 copies. In 2016, 3.2 million vinyl records were sold in the UK. This was the best sale in 25 years.

The revival continued in 2016. UK vinyl sales even earned more money than streaming audio for the year. In January 2017, the BPI reported that vinyl had "another stellar year." Over 3.2 million LPs were sold, a 53% increase from the year before. The BPI also said that David Bowie was the biggest-selling vinyl artist. Five of his albums were in the top 30 best-sellers after he passed away. His album Blackstar was the most popular vinyl recording of 2016. It sold more than double the copies of Adele's 25, which was the best-seller in 2015.

In October 2017, BBC Radio 4 discussed the increase in coloured vinyl releases. Artists like Beck, Liam Gallagher, and St. Vincent had new albums in this format. According to the BPI, over five million vinyl records were sold in 2021 in the UK. This was an 8% increase from 2020. It was the 14th year in a row that sales increased since 2007. The BPI guessed that almost one in four album purchases that year were on vinyl. This was the highest percentage since 1990.

In March 2023, the BPI said that vinyl purchases had increased for the 16th year in a row in the UK. The vinyl market in 2023 grew by 11.7% from the year before, to 5.9 million units. In 2024, the BBC reported that vinyl records were included in the goods used to track prices and calculate inflation in the UK. This was the first time since 1992.

Vinyl's Rise in the United States

In 1988, the CD became more popular than the record. Vinyl records quickly lost popularity between 1988 and 1991. This happened because major music companies changed their return rules. Stores used to rely on these rules to swap out records that didn't sell well. First, companies charged stores more for new products if they returned unsold vinyl. Then, they stopped giving any credit for returns. Stores were afraid they would be stuck with records they couldn't sell. So, they only ordered popular titles and gave more space to CDs and cassettes. Record companies also stopped making many vinyl titles. This made records even harder to find and led to factories closing. This quick drop in records made them less popular. Some people think this was a plan to make people switch to CDs, which made more money for record companies. Between 2003 and 2008, over 3,000 record stores in the US closed.

But since 2007, vinyl records have become popular again. Annual sales increased by 85.8% between 2006 and 2007 in the United States. They increased by 89% between 2007 and 2008. In 2009, 3.5 million units were sold in the US, including 3.2 million albums. This was the highest number since 1998. In 2014, Amazon was the biggest online seller of vinyl records. Urban Outfitters was the biggest physical store for vinyl records.

US vinyl sales in units, 1995–2020

In 2016, the Recording Industry Association of America reported that vinyl album sales were up 4% to $430 million. They made up 26% of all physical music sales. This was their highest share since 1985. In 2019, Rolling Stone magazine said that vinyl records earned $224.1 million in the first half of 2019. This was close to the $247.9 million earned by CD sales. Vinyl revenue grew by 12.8% in late 2018 and 12.9% in early 2019. CD revenue barely changed. If this continued, records would soon make more money than CDs. Best Buy stopped selling CDs in 2019 but still sells vinyl. Target Corporation and Walmart still sell CDs. However, they use less shelf space for them and more for vinyl records, players, and accessories.

By 2019, vinyl sales kept growing well. This happened even though other physical music formats struggled. It also happened despite streaming becoming very popular. In the first half of 2020, vinyl records made more money than CDs in the US for the first time since the 1980s. In 2020, vinyl records made up 5.1% ($619.6 million) of all US music money. CDs made up 4% ($483.3 million). Digital and streaming music made up the rest of the $12.2 billion in US music money. Paid subscriptions made up 57.7% of total revenue. Americans of all ages have helped keep vinyl records alive. A 2019 poll found that 31% of people in the US would pay for music on vinyl. This included 36% of Baby boomers, 33% of Generation X, 28% of Millennials, and 26% of Generation Z.

Taylor Swift is a big reason for the vinyl revival. Her album Evermore (2020) sold 102,000 vinyl LPs in one week in June 2021. This broke the record for the biggest vinyl sales week for an album since 1991. In 2021, for the first time in 30 years, vinyl record sales were higher than CD sales. One out of every three albums sold in the US was a vinyl LP. Small, independent stores sold almost half of all vinyl LPs. Taylor Swift was the top-selling artist for vinyl. She accounted for 2.6% of all sales. In the first six months of 2021, 19.2 million vinyl albums were sold in the US. This was more than the 18.9 million CDs sold. This is partly because fans want physical ways to enjoy music. In 2022, Swift's album Midnights sold 945,000 vinyl LPs in the last two months of the year. This was the most vinyl sales for an album in history. Swift sold 1.695 million vinyl LPs across all her albums in 2022. One out of every 25 vinyl LPs sold that year in the US was a Swift album. This was more than the next two biggest vinyl sellers combined: Harry Styles and The Beatles.

In March 2023, the RIAA reported that in 2022, vinyl made $1.2 billion of the $1.7 billion in physical music sales. This was the first time since 1987 that vinyl sales grew faster than CD sales. CD sales dropped by 18% from the year before.

Why People Love Vinyl Records

Records are seen as more lasting. They come in much bigger packages. This allows for more detailed album art. They might also include extra items that a CD copy doesn't have. For example, a poster, a piece of clothing, or special liner notes. These things can make a CD seem less valuable, even if an LP costs more.

CDs can play sound more accurately. They also have no noise or sound problems. But many listeners find the small imperfections of records more enjoyable than digital music. The increase in vinyl demand also happened as streaming services became popular in the 2010s. Many listeners buy a favorite album on vinyl after finding it on Spotify or Apple Music. Records are also physical items you can touch and collect. They offer a very different way to listen to music than streaming services.

Even though many record sales are for modern artists, records can also be seen as part of retro style. This means they benefit from a general interest in old technology and media. According to Adriaan Neervoort, a record store owner, "Vinyl has a more engaging human sound, it comes beautifully packaged. People want to know more about music and they want to engage with it more."

Top Selling LPs in the US

Graphs Showing Vinyl Sales

• 

  Global vinyl sales in US dollars

• 

  US vinyl sales in units

• 

  UK vinyl sales in units

• 

  UK vinyl sales in UK pounds

• 

  British spending on music formats

Record Store Day: A Special Celebration

Most customers like to buy vinyl from small, independent record stores. These stores often have a bigger selection than larger department stores. Record Store Day is a special day celebrated around the world. It happens on the third Saturday of April each year. It was created by Chris Brown, who worked at an independent record store. Its goal is to celebrate the art of music. This day brings together fans, artists, and thousands of independent record stores worldwide.

Record Store Day officially started in 2007. Hundreds of artists take part by making special appearances. They perform, meet fans, have art shows, and release special vinyl and CD items. They also offer other promotional products for the event.

In 2013, during the week of Record Store Day in the United Kingdom, 68,936 records were sold. This was an 86.5% increase from 2012. From December 29, 2017, to June 28, 2018, there was a 19.2% increase in vinyl sales compared to the same time the year before. Vinyl sales make up over 18% of physical record sales in the United States. This is a 7% increase from previous years.

UK Official Record Store Chart

The Official Record Store Chart is a weekly music chart. It is based on how many physical albums are sold in almost 100 independent record stores in the United Kingdom. The Official Charts Company (OCC) puts this chart together. The number one album each week is announced on Sunday evenings on the OCC's website.

The chart was first announced by the OCC on April 17, 2012. At that time, British record stores were selling 4.5 million albums each year. They were responsible for 95% of the country's total vinyl sales.

See also

• Album era
• Conservation and restoration of vinyl discs
• CX (noise reduction)
• UC (noise reduction)