Sometimes, old technology is the best technology.
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We’re talking about vinyl, of course. Vinyl sales have been increasing every year since 2007. The format even outsold CDs in 2022, marking the first time since 1987 that vinyl purchases raked in more money than CD sales. When it comes to overall music revenue, streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music still rule the roost, but the vinyl resurgence is hard to ignore.
Is vinyl really better? That’s up for debate. Vinyl is a lossless, analog format that contains more sonic information than a compressed digital file, but it’s also subject to surface noise. We’re talking about the hisses, pops, and crackles that you hear once the needle hits the wax. To some, that noise is part of the listening experience. To others, it takes away from the purity of the music itself.
One thing that’s not up for debate is the manner in which a vinyl record engages its listener. There’s a physical process to pulling a record out of its sleeve, lining up the needle, and waiting for the first song to begin. It requires far more effort than a quick flick of a button on one’s phone. Since skipping tracks on a vinyl record involves more needle work, people are more likely to listen to the entire album in order. The experience is a little more active (and a lot more nostalgic) than listening to a modern-day streaming service, and with all that increased activity comes increased attention, too.
If you’re looking to drop the needle and enjoy some vinyl sounds of your own, consider these five albums, all of which sound particularly warm on a good turntable.
5. Tapestry, Carole King
When Carole King released the Grammy-winning Tapestry in 1971, artists like The Shirelles, The Monkees, and The Chiffons had already turned dozens of her songs into towering, ornate pop masterpieces. Tapestry was lighter and airier than those recordings, with King performing the songs at her piano, backed by light musical accompaniment and a small string section. That sonic combination makes it a great record to hear on vinyl, particularly if you can get your hands on the 50-year LP reissue.
4. Desperado, Eagles
Desperado is the Eagles‘ cowboy album, full of acoustic songs and electrified roots-rockers that loosely revolve around the theme of Wild West outlaws. The album was recorded in London over the course of four weeks, and it sounds both expansive and expensive. That sound is given extra dimension on vinyl, where songs like “Saturday Night,” the gorgeously underrated “Bitter Creek” (written and sung by Bernie Leadon, whose role in the band is all too often overshadowed by his replacement, Joe Walsh), and “Doolin-Dalton” sound like Western opuses.
3. Band on the Run, Paul McCartney & Wings
Paul McCartney kept himself busy during the early 1970s. When Band on the Run appeared in December 1973, it was the fifth album he’d released since leaving The Beatles’ lineup three and a half years earlier. Full of propulsive rockers (“Jet,” “Let Me Roll It”) and hauntingly sparse ballads (“Bluebird”), the album sounds fantastic on vinyl, where Wings’ unique sound is given depth as well as drive. For those who can’t get their hands on an original pressing, the 21st century reissue—released on 180-gram black vinyl, along with restored artwork—does the trick, too.
2. Pet Sounds, The Beach Boys
Even the Library of Congress is a fan of The Beach Boys‘ Pet Sounds, which was given a permanent place in the National Recording Registry back in 2004. Since then, the album had been reissued several times, including a 40th anniversary edition that focuses on the original mono mix. To understand Brian Wilson’s original vision for all those layered harmonies, bicycle bells, and progressive-pop melodies, the mono mix is the way to go. Wilson suffered from impaired hearing in his right ear, after all, so he wouldn’t have been able to properly envision the album in stereo format. For those looking for a truly immersive listening experience, though, a 2023 remix was conducted by Giles Martin (see entry No. 1 on this list) in sparkling Dolby Atmos sound.
[RELATED: 4 Songs You Didn’t Know Brian Wilson Wrote for Other Artists]
1. Let It Be: Special Edition, The Beatles
We love the original pressing as much as any Beatles fan, but Let It Be‘s deluxe reissue—the one that came out in 2021, with an updated mix courtesy of famed producer and “fifth Beatle” George Martin’s son, Giles Martin—is a must-have for any open-minded vinyl collector. There’s a lot of bonus material here, including B-sides, unreleased songs, and an entire album’s worth of rehearsal footage. Giles Martin’s remix is the real treat for audiophiles, though. The audio quality is so crisp, it feels like you’re discovering this familiar album all over again. This is a modern remix, of course, and old-school Beatles devotees might not enjoy the liberties that Martin takes. Even so, “Let It Be” sounds particularly lush and revitalized, every single instrument occupying its own corner of the wax. 180-gram vinyl was made for an album like this.
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
