The Rise, Fall and Rise of Vinyl Records
The popularity of vinyl records has fluctuated since the first commercial Long-playing (LP) record was launched in 1931. The rise of vinyl records in recent years has been a topic of much discussion. So, what happened? And is vinyl truly making a comeback today?
What is it about vinyl that appeals to us so much? Is the lossless format providing us with a unique listening experience? Or is it simply the beauty of owning a physical record that we can see and feel that poses as a constant reminder of history? The rise of vinyl continues to captivate both seasoned collectors and new listeners.
Where It All Started
The lifespan of the vinyl record has proven over the years to be a mystery to us. Just when we think it may be over, it attracts us once more and skyrockets in popularity. But where did the rise of vinyl begin?
RCA Victor produced the first commercially available long-playing vinyl record in the USA in 1931. It took the form of a flexible plastic disc 30cm in diameter. The disc was capable of playing for around 10 minutes on each side. You may be surprised to hear that these records flopped in the American market due to the lack of playback equipment and customer hesitance during the great depression.
The first 12-inch vinyl record was Beethoven’s Symphony No.5 in C Minor, played by the Philadelphia Orchestra and released by RCA Victor in 1931.
Strong Competition
Following the initial disappointment of vinyl record sales, Columbia Records started to further the development of vinyl technologies in 1939. From 1948 to 1950, the two giants RCA Victor and Columbia Records battled it out in what was known as the โWar of the Speeds.” Despite this, the rise of vinyl continued to unfold as its appeal gradually grew.
In 1962, the first cassette was developed by the Dutch company Philips. This did not prove an immediate threat to vinyl sales since, in the 1960s and 70s, vinyl records held around 45% of the entire volume of sales of all music formats. However, cassettes had the functionality to rewind, fast-forward, pause, play and stop. This subsequently piqued the interest of a large audience away from vinyl and towards the new technology.
Later, in 1974, Philips began the development of a new and accessible form of media, the Compact Disc, or CD, as it’s more commonly known. Only a few years later, the decline of vinyl had begun in the late 20th century. From 1988-1991, there was a continued drop in sales, and throughout the mid to late 90s the remaining customer base was mostly made up of audiophiles and collectors. But as we now know, the rise of vinyl was far from over.
Both Cassettes and CDs were designed by the Dutch company Philips. They were strong competitors for vinyl, offering unique inputs like stop, play, pause, and rewind. Yet vinyl persisted in rivalling these products with richer, desirable sound quality.
Further Complications
Vinyl was already falling behind in the market, and when the first portable MP3 player was released in 1997, it truly felt like the end for good. But those who advocated its superior sound quality kept it as relevant as possible. Despite this, sales continued in a consistent decline. The rise of vinyl seemed impossible at this point.
For almost two decades, new technologies had not only overtaken but far surpassed the sales of vinyl records. This was hard to confront for those who understood the many differences between vinyl and its counterparts. They provided completely unique functions. The new technology was easy to use, cheaper and served its purpose of portable listening. On the other hand, vinyl gave a distinctive listening experience, as if you were in the recording studio.
The future of vinyl looked dull; nobody could have predicted what would happen next.
Vinyl’s Resurgence
In 2007, vinyl records boasted an unexpected increase in sales after year upon year of struggle in the market. By 2010, sales of vinyl records had been increasing at a surprising rate. What had once been leading the market, stripped of its dominance by new technologies, was now rising again in popularity. But why?
It was clear that after two decades, the hype for digital music was beginning to wear off. The features that previously attracted customers now turned them away. Many people missed browsing shops in person, making purchases and coming home with a record in hand. Scrolling through hundreds of digital music files with a few clicks of a button took away from the authenticity of the music.
In 2010, just under 250,000 long-playing vinyl albums were sold in the UK. By 2017, this number had increased to over 4,000,000, the highest number sold since 1991. The rise of vinyl was proving to be more than a passing trend.
Raging Pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people couldn’t go out, see friends and family or follow their regular routines. This meant that everyone was looking for ways of entertaining themselves in the comfort of their home. Online sales skyrocketed in almost every industry, and high-end audio was no exception.
The pandemic not only encouraged die-hard vinyl fans to broaden their collection but also brought in a massive influx of new customers who had never considered purchasing vinyl products. During a very difficult time, people were able to encounter a completely different listening experience and enjoy a new hobby that was rising again in popularity.
Many predicted that after the pandemic, vinyl sales would mimic the past and see a huge decline, and although we are not out of the pandemic for good, sales have been retained, and the spark for vinyl records is far from extinguished. The rise of vinyl appears stronger than ever.
Join The Growing Community
Vinyl’s journey has been full of ups and downs, and we can’t predict the future, but we do know that, as of now, vinyl has no real competitor. It’s an entirely unique product in the market.
Want to join the community of enthusiastic music listeners and see what all the hype is about? Feel free to browse our range of high-quality turntables and our vast vinyl record collection.