How’s the old saying go: Everything eventually comes full circle? Well, while I’m not sure about everything, I do know that statement can be applied to the resurgence in popularity of vinyl records aka LP’s aka da’ wax! Depending on your age, vinyl was either the primary medium for recorded sound when you started purchasing music, or a passé relic of an era long gone. What led to the decline in vinyl’s popularity in the late 80’s and subsequent resurgence in the 2000’s? Let’s take a gander:

Portability: The compact cassette was the first audio format to receive a portable playback device. Portable compact disc players later followed suit. With a 12” diameter, no electronics manufacturer was jumping to develop a portable LP player. For a brief time in the 50’s, there were Highway Hi-Fi Record Players in certain cars but we’ll reserve that tale for a future column.

Playback: Even with great tender lovin’ care, over time, records are prone to warping, scratches, and dust, all of which affect playback quality.

Playing Time: LP’s were limited to 52 minutes of sound, versus the longer playing time of competing formats like cassette tapes (120 minutes) and CD’s (80 minutes).

Now, with all of the aforementioned disadvantages, why the heck are LP’s outselling cassettes and CD’s in 2023?

Prior to the recent resurgence of vinyl, CD’s were the highest selling format for recorded sound. You could play them anywhere; vehicles, computers, on-the-go (Discman), etc. There were no pops, hisses, or warped sound reproduction to contend with (though they, like records, were susceptible to skipping from time to time).

Even at the height of CD popularity, a small but loyal group of hipsters vinyl enthusiasts could be found in indie record stores all over the world, breathing life into a dying (dead?) format. For some, it was the simple nostalgia of an antiquated listening experience. I can personally attest to this with my patronage of indie record stores here in the DMV starting in the early 90’s. With records, I didn’t have to squint to read liner notes and album art wasn’t compressed into 4.7 inch images. Lastly, some LP’s came with bonus goodies (inserts of posters and iron-on decals). Some of my most treasured childhood memories involve putting a record on the turntable, putting the needle to wax, and watching the record label spin around and around and around and…you get the point.

Supporting vinyl in the 90’s wasn’t easy, at least regarding the purchase of new releases. By that time, many record labels stopped producing and distributing the LP format. It was a simple matter of economics; CD’s just sold more. During my high school lunch breaks, I would walk to the now defunct Vinyl Ink and Roadhouse Oldies (both in downtown Silver Spring, MD) to get my vinyl fix. Both stores thrived at the time because they catered to niche markets. Vinyl Ink specialized in indie rock while Roadhouse Oldies stock-in-trade were second-hand original pressings of classic material across multiple genres (soul, funk, blues, jazz, classic rock, etc.). Rediscovering music of a bygone era was paramount to my musical education and LP’s were the vehicle that transported me to that destination. In time, the industry at large took note of the renewed interest in vinyl and responded in kind.

The death knell for compact discs was the advent of music streaming services. These web-based services (Apple Music, Spotify, Tidal, etc.) allowed users to stream music from their computers or mobile devices. With the increased popularity of these services, auto manufacturers and technology companies gradually ceased production of products that contained CD players/drives. In response, major retailers like Walmart and Target reduced their CD shelf space considerably and made more room for LP’s. By 2020, vinyl sales in the US surpassed that of compact discs for the first time since the late 1980’s. In 2022, it appeared that record labels were favoring the production and distribution of new material on vinyl over CD.

One very important, and many times overlooked, feature that makes vinyl more appealing to audiophiles is that LP’s are the most accurate reproduction of an artist’s studio performance. Unlike CD’s and cassettes, the vinyl production process captures every high, low, and nuance inherent in the studio (or live) production of a musical work. Digital formats compress sound and produce, for many, an experience that is not as warm and dynamic as that of analog formats. With CD production, sounds are translated into binary code, which does not cover the full spectrum of the studio performance. The analog process of cutting the sound performance directly onto an acetate (the mold for record pressings) is a more exact procedure and provides for a more dynamic listening experience, IMHO.

How long will vinyl be at the top of the heap of physical recording media sales? Who’s to say? The resurgence has, unfortunately, had an effect on the pricing of older LP’s. When I started digging (aka collecting records) in the early 90’s, vinyl was reasonably priced. Now that records are “hip” again, prices have skyrocketed. As long as hipsters people are willing to pay astronomical prices for these coveted LP’s, there will be no relief in pricing anytime soon. While on a recent excursion to a record store in New York City, I came across a rather worn copy of Marvin Gaye’s seminal 1971 album What’s Going On for $50. There was extensive scribbling on the album cover. The record itself was scratched. Fifty dollars you say??? Due to how plentiful this album is, a copy in rather good condition typically should fetch no more than $20. But I digress.

The resurgence of vinyl is truly a full circle moment in more ways than one. Also, please don’t allow my vinyl snobbery to dissuade you from dipping your toe into the collector’s pool. I encourage the procurement of a record player and the purchase of your favorite albums, new or old. Aside from being chic and sexy, they make for great conversation pieces at dinner parties. Just place your latest vinyl acquisition next to your fabulous charcuterie board, sit back, and bask in the compliments.

*insert record backspin sound effect*