By Larry Jaffee

Larry Jaffee

Every family has a record collector, someone who never gave up on vinyl. Well, you might have heard that vinyl is back, and not only that, but it’s also the most popular physical music format, last year overtaking CDs in terms of revenue. Vinyl’s return as a deluxe product in the digital age defies all economic, technological, and ecological logic in the 21st century, especially when any and all of your favorite music is available at your fingertips from your mobile phone.

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.

Larry Jaffee’s new book, subtitled “The Most Improbable Comeback of the 21st Century,” explains this unique cultural phenomenon. We meet Larry in May 2022 in Greenwich Village, NYC, where he discussed his inspiration for the book and how important vinyl has been to our generation.

Watch the video on our YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/1zk2CahFVYM.