Hipsters Lead Return to Vinyl RecordsBy Gummi Fridriksson

Vinyl Resurgence

While it once looked like record stores were on their way to extinction, a resurgence in interest in vinyl has led to record-setting sales and new life for independent storefronts selling old-style music recordings. 

Vinyl Resurgence

So-called young adult "hipsters" originally brought about the vinyl revival. 

Vinyl Resurgence

Drawn to the old-school recordings that don't mask musical flaws and odd sounds the way that digitized music does, these hipsters helped increase sales of vinyl records by 32 percent in 2015. 

Vinyl Resurgence

The year’s US$416 million in vinyl record sales was the highest since 1988, according to information from the Recording Industry Association of America. CD sales, on the other hand, decreased 17 percent in 2015. 

The surge in sales means that vinyl records are now much easier to buy. Nostalgic music listeners can now find them at retail chains such as Barnes & Noble and Whole Foods, although one record can cost as much as US$40.

Some of the world’s most popular artists are also embracing the return to LPs. Taylor Swift released a vinyl recording of her album 1989, and Justin Bieber released a 12-inch picture record of his song “Purpose.”