by Michael Baggs

Vinyl sales at a 12 year high? It's probably got a lot to do with X Factor

Why are so many people turning back to LPs?

 

Vinyl sales at a 12 year high? It's probably got a lot to do with X Factor

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Vinyl sales have today been revealed to be at a 12 year high in sales, with recent releases by Daft Punk, David Bowie and Arctic Monkeys leading a mainstream resurgence in this seemingly archaic format.

As boring as it is to listen to a vinyl enthusiast bang on about how good music sounds on record, the simple fact is that it's true. Now, with sales figures on the up, it seems that a love of vinyl has hit the mainstream, and it's not just beard-stroking fans of sixties psychedelia who are indulging in love for records - the kids are dancing around to Daft Punk on vinyl as well.

New figures from the BPI reveal that sales of LPs have increased 100% in the past 12 months, with over 550,000 albums being sold in 2013 alone. "The LP is back in the groove," said BPI and BRIT Awards Chief Executive Geoff Taylor. "We’re witnessing a renaissance for records – they’re no longer retromania and are becoming the format of choice for more and more music fans."

He's right - and it's probably a lot to do with the likes of One Direction and Justin Bieber.

In today's music world, music has become more disposable than ever. It's hard to have any genuine emotional attachment to a 69p download from iTunes, let alone anything illegally ripped from a Youtube video. Obviously you'd look ridiculous with a portable record player and we doubt anyone could survive the commute without MP3s, but the disposable nature of modern music and the high turnover of music superstars has resulted in the creation of a modern day music conossieur, one wanting albums recorded to be listened and consumed in full - the likes of which Daft Punk, Arctic Monkeys and David Bowie have delivered in 2013.

So while millions of people have dived headfirst into sugar-coated music by the likes of One Direction, Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber, the overwhelming quantity of overproduced, unsatisfying pop has left us craving for something more, something substantial. This has surely contributed to the search for quality which has resulted in a resurgence in love for vinyl.

2013 has been a great year for albums, and the top ten best selling vinyl releases of the year reflects that. The likes of Queens Of The Stone Age, The National, Boards Of Canada, Atoms For Peace, Nick Cave and more delivered some truly epic albums this year. None of them have scored any hit singles, and neither did they need to. That's what stars of talent TV shows are for these days.

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