Backtracking Forward: 2009- A Vinyl Resurrection

posted in: Features

The polls are closed and the ballots have been counted” Wax is back! Nielsen SoundScan released their 2009 numbers and although new vinyl only accounted for less than 1% of total music purchases in 2009, another spike occurred. Sales of new wax jumped from 1.8 million units sold in 2008 to 2.5 million units in 2009 ” a drastic increase for a medium that was still in deep hibernation only a few years ago. To the multi-millionaire music mogul, the spike is promising but barely noticeable when placed against digital download sales (over 76 million for albums and 1.1 billion for songs). To vinyl junkies though, the increase in LP sales points to both record albums spinning on more turntables than ever in almost two decades and fresh faces joining the front to continue carrying the torch in favor of 12 inch discs made of polyvinyl chloride.

Why is this format, which was left out in the cold and rain for almost 20 years, regaining popularity? To record enthusiasts both young and old, the answer is a no-brainer but there are still many who are scratching their heads over this resurrection. LPs are bulky, unwieldy, susceptible to scratches that affect playback and serious magnetizers of dust and static. Records also cost a few bucks more than a CD or digital download, prompting consumers to shell out more cash for a product they can obtain cheaper, or free. To an outsider, the return to platters of wax is just unrealistic and merely a passing trend.

On the other side of the debate are the revivalists who are quick to stand behind the beauty of vinyl. From the start, large and crisp album jackets proudly display artwork or photographs that are meant to catch the eye and lure a listener into the musical experience being offered. Once obtained, the feeling of breaking the seal on a tight shrink-wrapped LP and dropping the needle onto virgin grooves can be quite stimulating. The sound, which naturally gives off an amplified power that has to be simulated on CDs, is overwhelming as lush analog notes of music blast through speakers and fill a room with a warm blanket of music. The LP is eventually filed away in a collection of other discs (alphabetically, by genre, or maybe even chronologically) that is proudly displayed in one’s home, inviting guests to explore the shelves and peruse a collection of tangible objects that offer a personal glimpse into their owner.

The ongoing resurgence in vinyl has prompted many retailers to jump on the record bandwagon. Physical stores like WalMart, Barnes & Noble and Best Buy have added racks of wax to their music sections while online behemoths like Amazon have ramped up their inventory as well and offer a greater variety due to operating in a digital domain. Despite the big guns profiting on this resurgence, Nielsen SoundScan reported that two out of every three new vinyl albums purchased in 2009 was from an independent record store ” the last bastions of retail coolness in our society of corporate chain monsters.

So who’s buying what? A glance over at the chart to the left spotlights the Top 10 artists in vinyl sales and, personally, the first 3 are no surprise. Radiohead has become a global entity and Thom Yorke is a strong advocate of vinyl and unique pressings. As for the second and third runner-ups, The Beatles and Michael Jackson, are timeless folks. Those two will forever be in Top 10 lists for the rest of existence and their albums will continue to be repressed, repackaged and resold with gimmicks, outtakes, new mediums and more. It’s the bottom of the list, though, that has caught the eye of customers and executives alike. Experimental indie favs Animal Collective share the lower rungs of the ladder with the folky rock sounds of Iron & Wine and Bon Iver, showing that today’s generation of music consumers are supporting their contemporary favorites on vinyl.

An uncharted yet notable mention to consider is the increase in private, independent vinyl pressings by local and unknown bands throughout the world. Vinyl has always been a preferred medium for up-and-comers, and the punk and hardcore scenes continued to embrace this medium throughout the 1990s and into the new century. The few pressing plants that are left in this country are not only seeing increased business from the likes of Warner and Sony but from the small labels as well. Who knows if the debut LP that your band painstakingly wrote and recorded will be getting pressed alongside the next Dylan album or, Gasp, even share the same pressing machine!

The question looming over everyone’s mind” from industry tycoons to collectors” is whether vinyl has the staying power to continue its ascent in this unpredictable and turbulent market that is constantly evolving with technology. Only time will tell but even if sales of new vinyl becomes stagnant or drops off, these fresh devotees of analog platters have stepped further into a world where the quest for used original LPs from decades past becomes a healthy, yet expensive, addiction. For an entrepreneur of collectible vinyl like myself, it means the rent will continue to paid on behalf of Miles, Jimi and thousands of other artists who will continue to be rediscovered by new generations.

Keep Digging!
-Gregorious-