Vinyl Music Is Coming Back | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Entertainment

Vinyl Music Is Coming Back

The past decade has witnessed an occurrence in the music industry that everybody believed impossible; here's what we know.

19
Vinyl Music Is Coming Back

A strange phenomenon has emerged over the past few years that has both Baby Boomers and members of Generation X alike scratching their heads. In the late 1980s the music industry saw a momentous change when society’s attention was grasped by compact cassette tapes, rendering records a relic of the past. By 1990 vinyl was pronounced dead and gone, and it became virtually impossible to purchase records anywhere. Hardly anyone questioned the permanence of this extinction, which is why the recent and dramatic vinyl revival is considered astonishing by many.

Today’s music industry is dominated by apps such as Apple Music and Spotify that enable listeners to instantly stream whatever song or album they would like without directly purchasing it. It isn’t, therefore, very shocking that, on top of the drastic decline of the physical music market that began in the 1990s, even digital album sales are now plummeting. However, one niche of this capricious market has managed to defy the pattern: in 2014 record sales grew by more than 50%, an upward trend that continues today. So, how could this be? Wasn’t vinyl supposed to have dropped off the face of the earth once and for all around the same time as feather earrings and Duran Duran? Is the indie-dork/hipster/retro-maniac community or whatever they’re calling themselves now really large enough to single-handedly resurrect a forgotten market?

The sentiment of nostalgia that has become endemic over the past decade is certainly an important contributing factor to the happy return of vinyl. Throughout many preceding decades there has been a distinct push towards the future in pop-culture, just ask Marty, Luke, or Spock. However, this all seemed to change in the 2010s with the rise of the antithesis, a modern condition referred to by some as “retro-mania”. Lee Barron for Newsweek.com concisely describes these circumstances: “Old bands are reforming, new artists are building their sounds and looks on classic acts and enthusiasm for the fashions and cultural paraphernalia of the past is endemic. The revival of vinyl could be similarly motivated by mere nostalgia for the antithesis of digital streaming: large and fragile discs in cardboard sleeves that manifest a distinctly un-digital crackle when played on the similarly redundant technology of the record player.” So, sadly, we cannot help but conclude that we owe some thanks for this phenomenon to it being ‘trendy’ at the right time, and to all the bandwagon, different-for-the-sake-of-being-different types out there.

Thankfully, this potential reason is much more heartening. Many people contend that it is the audiophiles out there, the musical purists who prefer to listen to a song the way it was intended to be listened to by its artist, who brought about this extraordinary return.

Whatever the reason are for this remarkable recovery, from college students desperately trying to stay with the trends to those who simply prefer the fuzzy sound of records, the truth is vinyl is back and we must be thankful.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

185244
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

11514
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

455451
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

25094
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments