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Albums that are worth owning on vinyl (or buying a record player for)

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UTM chapter.

I’ve been around vinyl records my whole life because my grandmother owned so many. However, I have grown to have my own love for them. We have a collection of my grandmother’s “oldy” records, but my brother and I are working on collecting our own. All music sounds better on vinyl. It is vitally important, though, to listen to specific albums on vinyl.

 

Adele’s 25 was the first major album I got on vinyl. It was all I listened to for about a year. Her voice is already so full and rich that you wouldn’t think it could get better. She manages to sound even better on vinyl. Aside from the improved tone, vinyl art is also incredible. In 25, there are a lot of photos of Adele recording, along with a sweet note from her. 25, an amazing album, is only improved by the scratches.

 

When Joanne by Lady Gaga came out, I knew I had to get it on vinyl. Joanne is one of my favorite albums of all time. Lady Gaga fused so many wonderful genres of music into one work of art. The songs are placed together in a way that makes it the perfect album. Like in Adele’s case, Lady Gaga’s album art is beautiful. It features photos of her as a young girl all the way up to her young adulthood, along with scans of her first lyric sheets. Her country debut is best listened to on vinyl.

 

Finally, the Highwomen’s only album is fit for vinyl. Not only does “Old Soul” directly reference vinyl records and how the scratches sound, the whole album throws it back to old country music. The Highwomen didn’t have enough songs to fill up the four sides, so they filled side D with “custom etching.” The final side is decorated with flowers. The four women that make up the Highwomen truly respect their inspiration band, the Highwaymen.

 

My taste in music is a little spread out. I love a lot of music. I love it even more when it’s on vinyl records. The records aren’t cheap, so you have to really decide that a record is entirely worth it to get on vinyl. I have a growing list of records I want. For now, I love playing the ones I have and using Spotify. Regardless, if you’re interested in owning vinyls, I highly recommend 25, Joanne and the Highwomen. You won’t regret it.

I am a sophomore broadcast communications major and theatre minor at the University of Tennessee at Martin. When I’m not in class or participating in events on campus, I spend my time reading, doing yoga, working out, or petting my cats.
I am a pre-vet major who loves to laugh (especially at myself), drink coffee, and spend time with my dog, Cora. I moved from Massachusetts to Tennessee to attend college at UTM and compete for their division 1 rifle team.