The Vinyl Resurgence: Why The 'Dinosaur' Of Music Is Leading The Pack

I grew up in a house filled with music blaring from my dad’s turntable, where he would play his rather extensive record collection. Although he now reaps the benefits of on-the-go streaming services like Spotify, I don’t think it would be a reach to say that he would always rather put a record on than connect to a Bluetooth speaker.

I’m sure I’m not the only one who now has to admit (through slightly gritted teeth) that because of the resurgence of vinyl, I think my dad might be cool again. But in a digital age where listeners want their music instantly, why is vinyl still so popular?

Mark Elliot of The Record Collector shop in the Broomhill area of Sheffield has been working in record shops since 1988 and credits Record Store Day for the vinyl revival: "I suppose it mainly started about 15 years ago with the advent of Record Store Day which was introduced to try and give a boost to many record shops around the world." He explained: "The press got behind it so there were features in newspapers, on the radio, on breakfast news."

He stated, "It’s certainly taken to the point where none of us really envisaged." At one point, people were worried vinyl would never be popular again because of the rise of the CD, "vinyl was kind of on its backside and fighting for breath."

Mark recalled that it got to the stage where people would come into The Record Collector with no idea how a record worked. He told me the only way that they could understand it was to say, "Oh, is it like a large CD then?" and "How does it work? We’ve never seen anything like this."

He also spoke about how his customer base has changed: "Younger people see it as a fashion. It’s a trend.

"Some of that will die away; hopefully not too much of it. I mean, we still get people who are still buying vinyl - men and women in their 60s and older who have never stopped buying it."

CEO of MiddlerMusic, Will Fenton, speaks on the vinyl resurgence: "The rise of vinyl is a testament to the timeless allure of music in its most organic form. It’s not just about listening to a track. It’s about experiencing the music, engaging with it, and being part of a culture that values authenticity and quality."

It’s a lovely idea to attribute this resurgence to music listeners' longing for tangibility and engagement with their music, and while this is likely true for long-time vinyl listeners, is this the case for the young people who are now collecting vinyl?

I also spoke with my 14-year-old brother, Jack, who has recently followed in my dad’s footsteps and begun his own vinyl collection. When I asked why he collects records, Jack told me: "You get to support the artist more than you could by just streaming them on Spotify." 

He also spoke about the tangibility of owning a record: "It’s also about having something that will last because everything can change so quickly, so you can show an appreciation for the albums that stand out, old or new."

Through my conversations with these different audiophiles, it seems the vinyl resurgence can be attributed to a combination of nostalgia and the cyclical nature of trends. I can only hope that vinyl continues to prosper so that we can continue to support the music industry, local businesses, and artists.