There is still something about a vinyl record which holds a special place in any record collectors heart. As a music fan, and someone who once had in excess of 10,000 pieces of vinyl in his collection, I can tell you there is something really satisfying about taking an album from its sleeve, gently placing it onto the turntable, and lifting the needle onto the record with that satisfying click.
There’s no doubt digital audio comes out on top, on paper at least, but there’s also no denying that many listeners still prefer vinyl. It’s not only about the record itself, its the sleeve, the pictures and information on the cover which you can actually read and enjoy.
In fact, when you look at consumer statistics released by the BPI, it would appear the ongoing surge in vinyl sales could be less about choosing vinyl over digital and more about adding something tangible to our digital lives. This concept, was perhaps summed up best by BPI Council member, Vanessa Higgins.
“Fans are listening to music in so many ways now – we’ve definitely entered a multi-channel era. Millennials, who’ve grown up digital, are increasingly choosing to experience both current and heritage artists on vinyl also. Meanwhile older baby-boomers are embracing streaming alongside their record collections. And, impressively, in between all that, there is still more than enough space for the CD, which remains popular both with upcoming artists, who need an attractive physical product, and consumers, who still like to gift, collect and own the recordings they love.”
Just take a look at the video for the brilliant Brimful Of Asha and tell me if you would actually spread out all your CDs and choose what to play next – of course you wouldn’t. That joy belongs exclusively to vinyl.
It’s a cliché, but those who love vinyl often talk about the warmth of sound. Even the occasional clicks or scratches somehow add to the ‘feel’ of the music. You just have to ask yourself if this bothers you. For me, a little surface noise is actually desirable and adds character to the music.
There’s a quote from the late Radio One DJ, John Peel…………
“Somebody was trying to tell me that CDs are better than vinyl because they don’t have any surface noise. I said, “Listen, mate, life has surface noise.”
Vinyl sales are now strong and more of us are choosing to buy, collect and listen to our music this way. Here are the six main reasons why we are turning back to vinyl.
- Sound Quality
- Surface Noise
- Nostalgia
- Tactile Experience
- Collectable
- Valuable
In 2020, vinyl sales grew for the 13th consecutive year in the UK, jumping by over a tenth (11.5%) year-on-year to almost 5 million (4.8m). Vinyl revenues increased 30.5% year-on-year to £86.5 million, the highest total since 1989.
RECORD STORE DAY is the one day of the year when over 200 independent record shops all across the UK come together to celebrate their unique culture. Special vinyl releases are made exclusively for the day and many shops and cities host artist performances and events to mark the occasion. Thousands more shops celebrate the day around the globe in what’s become one of the biggest annual events on the music calendar.
Record Store Day recently had Noel Gallagher as their official ambassador, a musician who is a massive supporter of record tores and vinyl..
With his long history of supporting indie record stores and already 5 Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Record Store Day releases which have been amongst the event’s best selling vinyl, Noel Gallagher is undeniably the perfect artist to take on this year’s ambassador role.
Noel said…….
“Record shops were really important when I was growing up. It’s something that’s in my DNA. I think if we can keep record shops open for as long as possible, we owe it to the young people of this country. For this year’s Record Store Day I’ll be getting involved. I’ve got something unique coming out. Hopefully the fans will like it and they’ll keep the flame burning for your local record shop.”
RECORD STORE DAY will be taking place on Saturday 22nd April and if you’d like to find out more about the event and who is taking part, take a look at their site HERE.
Incidentally, I’m ashamed to say that the 10,000 plus pieces of vinyl I once owned are now all but gone. Lack of space, the lure of digital and maybe a bit of family nagging drew me away from them. I’m pleased to say that I am now firmly back on side and slowly building up my vinyl collection once more.
To go alongside Record Store Day the full list of special vinyl releases coming to UK independent record shops has been announced.
As always we’ll be expecting a flurry of queues up and down the country on 22nd April as fans look to get their hands on releases from the likes of Ol’ Dirty Bastard, Dolly Parton, Carole King and former RSD UK ambassadors The Big Moon, or Kae Tempest’s brand new RSD release and Grammy-winning duo Sam Smith and Kim Petras.
So just a gentle reminder that all stock on this year’s release list will be sold on a first-come-first-serve basis. But with so many stores taking part, we recommend sussing out where your nearest participating store is. You can go HERE to find out.
