Snap, Pop. What's old is new again. 

by Mike Kravinsky

I am so glad I haven't gotten rid of my old records yet. Neilsen reported this week that sales of vinyl records doubled in 2008 from 990,000 to 1.88 million. OK, a drop in the bucket, but during that same period, CD sales dropped by almost 20% from 450 million to 361 million. This past year artists like Madonna, U2 and REM have decided to release their latest recordings on vinyl as well. 

The increase in sales has been of particular help to the small independent record shop, that has seen sales erode because of digital downloads. Sales for digital albums last year increased by 32%, from 50 million to 66 million units. 

Record purists have long insisted that there is a warmth to the analog records that can't be duplicated on CD or digital download which has a much more processed sound. Also, there's the advantage of being able to hold and look at the artwork or read the liner notes or look at the photographs on the cover without a magnifying glass, something that can't be duplicated with CD's or downloads. 

Along with vinyl sales increasing, sales of turntables and other accessories are also on the rise. The top vinyl albums were In Rainbows by Radiohead, 25,800, and Abbey Road by The Beatles, 16,500. New LP's sell for about $14 to $30. Groovy. 

Photo of Turntable by flickr user Mael Frize used under a Creative Commons license.