Vinyl sales have recently skyrocketed, reaching the highest levels seen in 20 years: if any format is growing in the digital age, it’s the analogue record. At Her Campus Exeter, we can see the appeal of these beautiful objects. The crackle as the needle finds the groove in the record and the somehow richer sound it produces. Just magic! But, what is it that has made the return of the vinyl so successful and why has this trend suddenly reappeared?
It is safe to say that this digital decade has more than embraced the return of the beloved vinyl of the 60s, 70s and 80s. With chains such as Urban Outfitters, HMV and copious other shops endorsing the reappearance of records, both new and old. The Official Charts Company has even recognised this by launching new vinyl charts, with separate countdowns for singles and albums. Bands such as Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys and singers like Adele and Rihanna have released albums and even singles on vinyl.
It seems that young people are beginning to crave the forgotten and bygone era in which musical charts, radio and home listening relied purely on the played record. So is it about nostalgia? A longing for the past in which we will never live?
Films such as “The Boat that Rocked”; “LaLa Land”; “The Great Gatsby” show us the supposedly more dazzling and glamorous worlds of the twentieth century. Photographs taken on a film camera of beautiful parties, holidays or recording studios. Even a parent’s old vinyl collection in perfect condition can stir up a nostalgia for something you never knew. And the one thing that seems to link them all together… Music. The “golden ages” of music. When we think of the 1940s, for example, our minds automatically go to Frank Sinatra. The 60s, to the Beatles, Beach Boys and Elvis. The 80s to Prince, Bowie and Queen. Our view of the past is undoubtedly fixed in music and the way it was listened to in the past- via vinyl.
So is it this longing for older music styles that has brought the sudden resurgence of the record? Partly, yes. We can even see the correlation between newer music and that of the twentieth century – musicians are embracing these musical eras for inspiration in their own creations. Who hasn’t listened to a band like The 1975 and thought how 80s they sound? (Ironic, hey?!) With the return of the vinyl comes the younger generation’s love for old music.
But what if it’s not about the music itself? What if it’s about finding a more lasting, decorative way to listen to music and make memories? To invest in a record player is a massive deal, they aren’t cheap, but they will last forever. Unlike a tiny phone, on which music can be downloaded, deleted, lost and found, a record player will be around forever. Even the covers of vinyl records seem like pieces of art, so much more tangible than a tiny picture on a blue-lit screen. How many of us have heard our parents exclaim about an old record they find up in the attic, about a certain memory or story attached to it? I bet more than a couple of us. Our modern ‘vinyl revival’ seems to be about more than just music – it’s about creating a culture more about physical memories instead of the digital ones we see on our phones.
Well, here at HCX we are extremely pleased about the reappearance of vinyl into our modern age!