The Vinyl Comeback—What Goes Around Comes Around

By Larry Jaffee

Here’s a relatable story for many baby boomers: I parted with my record collection—although unlike most other music lovers, I amassed 4,000 LPs, dating back to my teenage years. I waited until 2010 to make that decision, mainly because I was moving and needed to downsize. I thought I’d give iTunes and downloads a shot. Within two years, I realized what a colossal mistake I had made, as the first reports of vinyl’s resurgence were showing that this was not a fad but a trend with traction.

After seeing the national chain Tower Records implode, in September 2017, about 150 independent record store owners decided to create a holiday called “Record Store Day” (RSD) to celebrate their importance to their local communities. Record stores are where music fans learn about the latest releases, discover what they might have missed, and meet new friends, bandmates, or even potential spouses. The stores convinced labels to press new vinyl that would be of interest to collectors. The strategy worked. Fifteen years later, 1,400 U.S. stores that participate in RSD have experienced exponential, double-digit sales growth. Not even a two-year pandemic, including a four-month lockdown, stunted RSD’s momentum, now celebrated on every continent except Antarctica.