RECORDS BREAKING RECORDS – THE 100 YEAR JOURNEY OF VINYL

We all know that vinyl has been back on the up and up for years now, becoming fashionable and sought after again, years after technology attempted to eliminate it entirely and make way for CD’s, digital downloads and streaming services. It had an incredible stint as the number one way of consuming music since mass production was popularised in 1930, and it’d see many evolutions before and after that.

Since becoming a trend of its own, to discover, purchase and collect vinyl records, in more recent years the music industry has completely changed with well over 7.6 million LP’s being sold last year, which has been recorded as an increase for the 18th consecutive year in a row.

In previous years, vinyl collecting has mainly shone a spotlight on retrospective acts, and brought new audiences to artists that enjoyed success long before the listener was even born. But in a twist of events, what is old, is new again, and vinyl has become the premium way to physically purchase music with top selling artists such as Taylor Swift, Sam Fender and, to nobody’s surprise at all, Oasis, who dominated the live music landscape in 2025 as the Gallaghers finally reunited and brought the wait to an end for fans of all ages.

Of course, as well as younger music fans adhering to the latest trends, the original, older generations have come out to top up their record collections, dragging them back out of the loft for another spin.

Personally, I’ve always firmly believed in spending your money in the physical embodiments of music, and being able to take away as much from your purchase as you can. As handy and instant as downloads are and as explorative as Spotify and Apple Music can prove to be, I’ll never forget when I first started buying CD’s in the early 2000’s, getting home to put them on, sitting by the stereo and playing an album in its entirety whilst studying the album sleeve and lyrics to each track. It was full immersion, and escapism at its finest in the same way people use cinema and literature.

Downloads and streams are fine, but appear so disposable and there have been multiple albums I’ve downloaded and then never really got to know, while at the same time, I know every inch of every record and CD in my collections at home. People want more for their money and they want the real thing, and it just so turned out, it was always here, and it’s rediscovery over the past 15+ years just goes to show that sometimes, what isn’t broken, doesn’t need fixing.

If you’re reading this, there’s no need to tell you, that you can visit Back to Mono record store at 26 Guildhall Street in Lincoln, to continue, or maybe even begin your vinyl collecting journey…

Article by Stuart Green