I don’t know how hard you keep your finger on the pulse of modern music, but if you have been paying any attention at the department store or at your local used book shop recently, you’ve probably noticed an uptick in both the availability and browsing of an unexpected item.

Vinyl record albums.

Yes, for those of you of a certain age, you heard that right – that record collection gathering dust in your attic or basement is making an unexpected comeback in popularity.  Today’s younger generation is discovering the joy of listening to an entire album side of their favorite artist on an “honest-to-God” record player.

According to Billboard Magazine, vinyl album sales have been steadily rising for the last 17 years.  As a matter of fact, in 2022, they accounted for over 54% of all albums sales, outselling even CDs.  Over 43 million EPs/LPs were purchased in the last year alone.  While that’s a far cry from the glory days of album sales (in 1977, there were almost 350 million vinyl records sold), and while today’s physical record sales only make up about 5% of the total amount of music purchased (when including sales either via streaming or downloads), it’s still a significant increase from the near-extinction that the coveted vinyl album endured less than twenty years ago.  Big name artists like Taylor Swift and Harry Styles are releasing their new music on vinyl again as well, and fans are gobbling it up.

What’s even more astounding is that less than 50% of Americans even own a record player.  That’s changing, too.  Bookshops and electronic stores are offering record players for sale again, although today’s models offer Bluetooth connectivity and other fancy add-ons. My own daughter even asked for a record player as a college graduation gift.

It’s fun to watch as she figures out that records can be played at different speeds, she’s learning the subtleties and frailty of the phonograph needle, discovering the “pop” and “hiss” between songs, and is even asking the old man if he has any records she might try out.  I gave her a copy of an old Sting album I had (“The Dream of the Blue Turtles”, his first solo outing), and it brought a smile to my face as I walked by her room and she was sitting at her desk writing thank you notes while “Moon Over Bourbon Street” was playing in the background.  She also picked up a few vinyl albums of her own choosing at the store to start her own collection. 

The lost art of listening to an entire album seems to be making a comeback with “Generation Z”, and I’m all for it.  Now, I can even recommend my favorites for her to add to her growing treasure trove of music.  I’ve got a few ideas.  I’m thinking Peter Gabriel’s “So” is a good choice to start, as well as the “Best of the Eagles”.  The list is endless.

Now, if cassette tapes ever make a comeback, I’ll have even more “classic” music to share with her, that is if they will even still play after being in that storage box I’ve kept under the seat of my car for the past thirty years.