The vinyl revival outsells CDs for the first time in decades
A surge in vinyl sales saw records outsell CDs in the US for the first time since the 1980s, a striking twist in the streaming age.
In a striking twist in the age of streaming, vinyl records outsold CDs in the United States this year for the first time since the 1980s, the culmination of a remarkable, years-long revival that has turned a once-obsolete format into a thriving symbol of music fandom and physical ownership.
The vinyl resurgence had been building for well over a decade, driven by a mix of nostalgia, a desire for a tangible connection to music in an era of intangible streams, appreciation for album artwork and the ritual of playing a record, and the format's embrace by younger listeners who had never known it the first time around.
While streaming overwhelmingly dominated the way most people listened to music, accounting for the vast majority of industry revenue, physical formats retained a devoted and growing niche, with vinyl in particular becoming a prized collector's item and a popular way for fans to support favourite artists.
The milestone of vinyl overtaking CDs reflected both the enduring appeal of the older format and the steep decline of the CD, which had been the dominant format of the 1990s and early 2000s before being eclipsed by downloads and then streaming.
The vinyl revival became one of the more unexpected stories in the modern music industry, a reminder that even as technology transforms how music is consumed, the desire for a physical, lasting connection to the music we love endures. Record shops, pressing plants and special release days found new life, and the humble LP enjoyed an improbable renaissance.