Several years ago when my son pulled the turntable out of what had become a very antiquated sound system in the basement, I didn’t think twice about it. Sure, I had a couple thousand record neatly alphabetized. But I never listened to them.
And the question that came to mind was, how many people are actually purchasing vinyl records anymore?
Apparently, more and more music fans are. And it’s not just at vintage record stores. This data from Nielsen came out last spring, and supports a surge of interest in vinyl. And while catalogue product leads the way, current albums continue to trend steadily upwards.
More than 9 million albums sold last year is significant – a more than 50% increase from 2013. And you have to believe it has grown this year.
The New York Time’s Rob Walker calls it “analog fever,” and notes that consumers are buying books again as well. But it’s the vinyl music pie of this back to the future movement that has caught the attention of many. While not a large percentage, part of the Adele juggernaut is about fans purchasing the vinyl version of her new album. In its first week on sale, 25 smashed many records, and sold 22,000 vinyl copies.
I got some validation for the vinyl phenomenon over the Thanksgiving holiday. Detroit is becoming an exciting place to be, and the newest sign of its continuing revival is that Jack White’s record label, Third Man Records, built its own store near the Wayne State University campus. On the day it opened to the public, people stood out in the cold rain for more than a half hour to wait their turn to see this amazing facility.
Detroit-based music and entertainment guru, Gary Graff, wrote a great piece about Third Man Records, noting the space also features a listening booth (bottom right in the photo montage), a photo booth, and a Voice-O-Graph self-recording booth.
Aside from being able to purchase Jack White-related merch and music from his bands, ranging from the White Stripes to the Raconteurs to Dead Weather, Third Man Records will feature a vinyl record production plant with eight machines on order from Germany (upper left in the montage below).
Third Man Records’ Ben Blackwell talks about this amazing nearly 4,000 square foot facility:
“I’m unaware of any other plant in the world where folks can walk in off the street and watch the manufacture of vinyl records. I know some plants offer scheduled tours occasionally, but to have this open and visible to the public for hours every day…that showcase the ability for folks to truly be hypnotized by process…that’s incredibly unique.”
Blackwell notes that rather than referring to vinyl as the comeback medium, it “never went away.”
He points out that “It’s been a format/medium since the 1880s. I don’t know how much of what is going on now (‘rebirth,’ ‘comeback,’ or ‘renaissance’) is some sort of actual movement or how much of it is due to the inevitable demise of any other sort of physical format. 8-tracks, reel-to-reels, cassettes, DATs, mini-discs…those have all come and gone. The CD is on the way out. I think some time ago, probably the 1980s, vinyl had cemented its ‘never going to be gone’ status. Personally, it’s just my preferred format, so that’s what I’ve chosen to focus on whether collecting, listening at home, or releasing.”
Radio has gotten the message, too. WMMR/Philadelphia’s Pierre Robert has hosted a “Vinyl Cut” feature for years, obviously wise to the trend before it became a trend. And most recently, Scott Jameson’s KQRS/Minneapolis showcased an all-vinyl version of the Beatles A-Z to commemorate the passing of John Lennon. You can expect more of this, especially for stations whose music originated on the vinyl album format.
These are just two examples of the vinyl celebration, rebirth, or renaissance – or whatever you want to call it. Like holding a book versus an eReader, a vinyl record provides a tactile sensation that somehow makes the music feel more tangible, more real.
As everything has moved to the cloud, gripping an album, taking it out of its jacket, admiring the photography and design, reading the liner notes, and setting the tone arm on a great record is an experience that all of us over the age of 40 knows well. As for Millennials, more and more appear to be connecting with vinyl as an old/new format – another thing that perhaps they’ve missed out on in the Digital Age.
As The Times’ Walker puts it, “To own or experience the analog version of the latest from a favorite musician, author, filmmaker and so on, is an act both sensual and symbolic.” You can experience that in action at the new Third Man Records store. And watching its leader, Jack White, play one of his favorite songs in the It Might Get Loud documentary on a record player tells you all you need to know about the cultural significance of a classic media format – the vinyl record.
During a recent discussion about the birth of the Classic Rock format, I talked about how the advent of the compact disc turned out to be a serendipitous event. Many fans of the classic bands of the ‘60s and ‘70s rushed to revitalize their music collections, replacing worn out albums with shiny new, space-saving CDs.
It’s ironic that in the past few years, the vinyl comeback has come at the expense of the medium that seemingly replaced it 25 or so years ago, the compact disc.
Long live RPMs.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Fred- thanks for the ink, KQ’s Beatles A-Z on Vinyl was fun, the sound was full, rich and blew our collective minds all over again. What our fans really enjoyed was the short-attention-span narratives and behind the scenes story telling. This feature on John’s anniversary was a catalyst for accelerated social media engagement as well with many KQRS listeners sharing Beatle memories. While all the Beatles songs on vinyl sounded great, the middle years, Rubber Soul and Revolver were my favorites.
Scott, thanks for sharing some of the insights about your special feature. It sounds like it was a memorable and meaningful programming stunt. Thanks for commenting and for giving me a great example of what heritage brands are all about.
Since earlier this year, I’ve curated The Vinyl Experience Station on I Heart Radio. Each cut in my several-hundred song rotation library was dubbed from an LP or 45 source on my own audiophile vinyl playback system. The interstitials and imaging support the music and culture of records. It’s not a classic rock station per se (there are currents and recurrents and the music splits between rock and adult alternative) but it is a library-based format that literally celebrates a record library–mine!
There’s a lot to work with, to be sure! Thanks, Paul, and we appreciate you reading our blog.