U.K. Vinyl Sales Hit a Nearly Two-Decade High
Proponents of vinyl received something else to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.
While Americans celebrate Record Store Day's Black Friday event, the British Phonographic Industry announced that this year's record sales in the U.K. reached, then surpassed, the one million mark last weekend. The milestone hadn't been reached for almost 20 years.
Record sales have been on a slow but steady upswing for some time now,and this upward creep in record sales is happening despite a downward spiral in music sales in general. But vinyl editions of Arctic Monkeys' 2013 album, 'AM,' and Pink Floyd's 'The Endless River' have helped push the medium forward.
Gennaro Castaldo of the BPI said in a statement:
We have entered an exciting best-of-all-worlds era where there is space and scope for all kinds of music to be discovered and enjoyed in every type of way, including on vinyl once again. Many of us assumed it had become an obsolete format, but while the flame may have flickered, it never quite went out, and we are now seeing a burgeoning resurgence in demand led by exciting new acts such as Royal Blood that is likely to keep vinyl on our high streets for many more years to come.
The year's not over yet. If you've got a music nut on your holiday shopping list, you should check out our holiday gift guide and if you decide to pick up some vinyl for yourself or a lucky loved one, consider shopping local. That's what Chris Brown -- the founder of Record Store Day -- would want. Check out our interview with him here and watch him unbox today's Black Friday releases below: