We all have our reasons for why vinyl matters, but it’s always nice to know why our favourite medium has found its way into the hearts of others.
Artists have long heralded the vinyl format as the superior way to experience music. Many bands insisted that their music get vinyl release, even at the height of CD popularity. For many, vinyl is not just a means of listening to music, but a way of defining self, community and culture.
In 2016, vinyl sales overtook digital sales for the first time in the UK. Step into major supermarkets such as Tesco, and you will now see vinyl on sale. Record stores, selling only vinyl records, are opening on our high streets. Vinyl, once thought to be a dying market, is now facing a major revival.
In Why Vinyl Matters, Pop culture writer and historian Jennifer Otter Bickerdike explores, and celebrates, the vinyl revival. She interviews some of our most iconic artists, including hip-hop stars, Indie legends, DJs, producers, album cover designers, photographers, label founders and record store owners. Each superstar and superfan talks about their own experiences of vinyl and what it means to them, and the importance of its re-emergence – seemingly against all odds – as a physical format in the era of the digital economy.
Why Vinyl Matters is part history, part future forecasting, part nostalgia and all celebration. A collection of more than 25 interviews, all illustrated with photos, sidebars, quotes, album covers, outtakes and much more.
The perfect gift book for any audiophile – Why Vinyl Matters is a must-read in 2017
“Vinyl is the means by which music was meant to be listened to: on big speakers, speakers which vibrate through the ceiling, the floor, the walls and the body.” – Mike Ness