The so-called vinyl revival continues apace, with record industry trade body the
BPI predicting that a million vinyl albums will be sold this December in the
pre-Christmas rush.
That figure would represent an increase of 26.1% on the same period last year and would be the highest December sales recorded since UK industry records began in 1994. It would see total sales of vinyl for the year in this country eclipse the four million mark.
More than 3.2 million vinyl records were sold in 2016, itself a rise of 53 per cent on the previous year. This year’s figures have been boosted by the success of reissues such as The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Radiohead’s OK Computer, although Ed Sheeran’s Divide has been 2017’s biggest-selling album on vinyl to date.
“More and more of us have been rediscovering the joys of vinyl as artists and labels release more of their new titles and classic albums in the format,” says the BPI’s Geoff Taylor. ” The aesthetic appeal of vinyl albums also make them a highly desirable Christmas gift item that friends and family will love to receive. Vinyl is aspirational, collectible and has a high perceived value despite being generally affordable, and this December we’re expecting more than one million [vinyl] LPs to be purchased”.