Vinyl Outsells CD's for first Time Since 1987

So says my neighbors's today's Wall Street Journal [whose cat we're feeding].

Streaming is by far the elephant in the room in regards to revenue.

But who'd a thunk this day would return?

https://soulfuldetroit.com/images/vinyl2.jpeg

This is great to hear.

For me it's a 'whatever'. I think it has more to do with the death-and-dearth of cd sales than any other factor. Cassette sales, too, are 'a thing'. I was all-in for buying vinyl again until I read up on the unpredictability factor of the various claims of bespoke vinyl producers as regards remastered 45-rpm lps, 180 gram, you name it. Way too much drama for me!

I remember doing a project in my Grade 11 math class, 15 years ago, using data of digital, CD and vinyl sales and projecting the trend into the future. My teacher loved my presentation but doubted my conclusion, which was that I estimated that the sales of digital downloads and and vinyl would eventually outpace CD sales. It's funny to look back on that moment now.

I have been buying used and new vinyl since 2001, but the ever increasing prices of the format, along with skyrocketing shipping costs around the globe, and decreasing quality control by some record labels, has slowed down my collecting. I guess it that was bound to happen for me, either way.

I almost always check out reviews on Discogs, Amazon and the Steve Hoffman forum in regards to remastering and production quality of new vinyl reissues, before purchasing. Vinyl that is mass produced by the big labels, Sony and Universal, is almost always flawed, in some way. In those cases, it's best to check out reviews before buying. I never have any issues with the vinyl pressings being put out by smaller indie labels like Real Gone, MusicOnVinyl, etc.

I guess I am the type who expects too much from this world but to me, vinyl and CD are such radically different formats that they should each be able to survive. Vinyl has the advantage of giving you more of a visual presentation, whereas CDs are soooo convenient to store and to flip from one track to another. 8 tracks and cassettes were of course the worst since you had to physically rewind to repeat a track not to mention the tapes breaking.

Now of course others will say that downloading is easier than everything else put together and that is quite likely true, but I am a creature of habit and want to stick to physical product for as long as possible.

I agree, David. I still love, buy and play my CD's. I'm not convinced that the CD format is going to completely fizzle out. I think they too will eventually make a big comeback, one day. The ever-climbing costs of producing and shipping vinyl, along with the general increase in poor quality control, is eventually not going to bode well for sustaining high sales figures for vinyl into the long-term future. People won't continue paying more and more for something, when they feel they're getting less and less value for their dollar.

I love my CDs, too, Carlo. From what I've read, the quality control problems plaguing today's vinyl releases [[records pressed off-center; warps; surface noise, etc.) are the same flaws that drove me into the arms of CD's back in 1987.

I'm waiting for the 78 rpm renaissance. The cracking and breaking of shellac, the skipping, the bulk, the clicking, the needle getting stuck in the same spot...oh for the good old days :rolleyes: https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/i...lkFG36CjSPng&s