Music is constantly changing and evolving, as is the method by which we listen to it. It has never been stagnant, and new artists, genres, and sounds surfaced daily. Vinyl has been around for decades, with the first one being created in 1930 by Peter Carl Goldmark. Mainly used for DJ copies, they did not become popular with the general public until around 1948. This was revolutionary, seeing as people could listen to their favorite songs and grow a collection of music they held dear. Then, with the introduction of CDs in the 1980s, the slow decline in popularity of the vinyl LP was noted. CDs were more compact than the previously adored cassette tape and much easier to maneuver through which song one wished to listen to. With the constant development of modern technology, listening to music has become largely digitized. So, that begs the question, “Why have vinyl records and CDs made a comeback?”

Music is quite literally everywhere. In most grocery stores, coffee shops, malls, and in your car, some kind of music is likely playing. Without a doubt, you will spot someone with headphones listening to music on their phone, which obviously wasn’t seen 30 years ago. The way we consume it has surely changed, but “The ability to stop and sit and listen to an album from beginning to end will always be relevant”, says the CEO of Victrola, Scott Hagen in an interview with The Manual. In 2014-2018 with social media platforms like Tumblr and Instagram amassing many young users, the desire for a nostalgic feel surfaced. Young adults and teenagers were pining for the faraway feeling of the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, and gravitated towards things that transported them back in time. A CD or vinyl record was just the thing they needed in order to experience that level of nostalgia.

Aside from that feeling of reminiscing, listening to vinyl and CDs has the ability to introduce you to new music as well as entire albums. In my opinion, most people don’t listen to full works of music frequently, but rather to individual songs picked from several different albums and EPs. Vinyl has beautiful sound quality, which sounds a lot clearer as opposed to listening to music on a streaming platform such as Spotify or Apple Music. Not to mention the experience of entering a record store and physically seeing hundreds of albums and artists is an unmatched experience. Being able to hold the music that you enjoy and keep a collection of it is just another reason for the boom in CD and vinyl LP sales amongst young people. And more recently, many record stores have implemented live music nights in their shops to draw people in. One that my friends and I frequent regularly is Three Feather Records in Fairfield. It’s an awesome family-owned record store that is constantly updating its music selection. They have nights where local bands play, which absolutely draws in a mix of all ages. The retro feeling of owning vinyl and CDs is largely responsible for the surge in popularity, but the need to discover new music is just as responsible for the peaked interest in young people. So whether you’re an experienced audiophile, amateur collector, or casual listener, CDs, and vinyl have something for everyone. If you’ve been considering purchasing your own, let this be your sign to go for it!