Vinyl records, or LP’s, have existed for nearly a whole century. In the late 1980’s the Vinyl style started to fade and become less popular, while cassette tapes and compact discs became more of the standard. With more durable packaging, portable cassettes and compact disc style albums quickly became classified as collector pieces, reserved for hobby enthusiasts. As a collector, in my heart I want to believe that vinyl records will continue to become increasingly more popular. As the last twenty years have passed, vinyl albums were put to the wayside by artists and youth music lovers, but the advent of downloadable, digital music piracy, artists are slowly coming back to the vinyl look, giving their fans an artifact of sound that is showing to be timeless.  

A classic album collection is not only about the soul penetrating music. The cover and inside sleeve art are strategically designed to grab buyers’ attention and give a brief pictorial description of what the album and the experience you are about to have with it, is all about. Before albums were mass-produced, the cover art work was unimportant and boring. In the 1960’s vinyl records were being produced at an alarming rate because the younger generation with extra expendable income were looking for inspiration in difficult times.

The reason we all purchase music is for the simple reason that we can connect with words and rhythm that hit a specific chord within events of our life, it’s something we can relate to. The sound of vinyl LP’s are superior because of the warmth you feel when sitting next to the speakers, creating an emotional connection between yourself and the sounds you feel. It’s hard to put into words how vinyl transcends, unless you have had the experience, but technically speaking, the sound is more ambient and natural. Not over synthesized or over produced. Real and raw forms of music like these transfer to vinyl without being manipulated.

Still, comparatively, vinyl sales in North America are tiny compared to overall CD and MP3 sales. Over the last couple years sales have shown a steady incline though, becoming the fastest growing source of music for the second time in history. The music industry has noticed this trend and has realized that printing new music in vinyl form has created another revenue source. This source, unlike digital forms of music, doesn’t easily lend itself to illegal downloads, which is an encouraging site for the music industry.

Artists young and old are all slowly coming back to the vinyl look.  Offering a vinyl alternative provides fans with an artefact of sound that is showing to be timeless.  The social connection aspect of sitting around and listening to these raw sounds is also slowly rising with today’s youth, along with the collectible nature of vinyl albums. Whatever the reason may be, this ‘back-to-the-future-like” movement is proof that people are still interested and are willing to spend their hard-earned money on vinyl albums. Finding something “real” at a time where most products are over-produced and synthesized to death.

Steve Jobs was a pioneer of digital music, his legacy was tremendous. [...] But when he went home, he listened to vinyl. – Neil Young

Record Store Day 2012 is nearing. Here is the trailer for the highly anticipated documentary Vinylmania by Italian DJ and director Paolo Campana.