2008 is the year of vinyl, and I’m not talking about that fake leather jacket you’ve had stashed away in your closet since high school. Rather, 2008 is shaping up to be the comeback year of the venerable LP.
2008 is the year of vinyl, and I’m not talking about that fake leather jacket you’ve had stashed away in your closet since high school. Rather, 2008 is shaping up to be the comeback year of the venerable LP.
In the United States, where music sales have already dropped 11 percent this year, vinyl sales have increased an incredible 77 percent since January. International music markets are also seeing an increased interest in LPs this year—Ireland’s vinyl sales are up 20 percent.
With the last decade’s barrage of MP3 devices and online downloading options, many are wondering what sparked the return to the cumbersome and outdated LP. Danny Duggan, a DJ and club promoter, explains the format’s popularity: “It’s a richer sound, there’s more resonance to it. Digital tends to be slightly clipped at the edges with a cleaned-up sound. There’s more to hold and love than an MP3 player too.”
It’s not just the original vinyl generation who understands these benefits, either—customers 25-and-under make up a large portion of vinyl’s new demographic. This is due to several factors, including the release of limited edition LPs, the desire for larger artwork and better sound quality, and a rejection of the impersonal system of listening to low-quality file on a computer or MP3 player.