The old adage “everything old is new again” rings true for music lovers. The industry saw a significant bump in vinyl sales over the first three quarters of 2023. Experts predict that the trend will continue into the final quarter of the year. Upcoming releases from acts like the Rolling Stones and Taylor Swift signal a “blockbuster” fourth quarter for vinyl purchasers.
Videos by American Songwriter
Data recently collected by Music Week shows a 12.4% increase in vinyl sales over the first half of 2023. However, Q3 showed the largest growth with a 15.1% year-on-year increase. A total of 3,952,262 vinyl LPs were sold between January and the end of September of this year.
A handful of incredibly popular acts are at the forefront of this increase in vinyl sales. Lana Del Rey, Blur, and Taylor Swift are leading the charge so far.
[RELATED: Lana Del Rey Praises Olivia Rodrigo and Billie Eilish: “I Love Them and Their Music”]
Unsurprisingly, Swift’s Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) moved the most units in Q3. The rereleased record sold 29,648 units. Lana Del Rey’s Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd is the top-selling LP on vinyl. It moved 33,568 units since its release in March. Additionally, Blur’s The Ballad of Darren sold 26,894 copies on vinyl this year.
Releases from Olivia Rodrigo, Wham!, Lewis Capaldi, and Kylie Minogue are also moving tens of thousands of vinyl units.
Experts believe that Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) and the Rolling Stones’ first album of new original music, Hackney Diamonds, will further drive vinyl sales in Q4.
Additionally, Record Store Day Black Friday (November 24) is set to further boost the sales of vinyl in the final quarter of the year. The event will see more than 90 artists releasing limited edition vinyl LPs. Those artists include Post Malone, Joni Mitchell, Willie Nelson, The Doors, and De La Soul, among others.
ERA CEA Kim Bayley spoke to Music Week about the impact of Record Store Day and its Black Friday sister event on the popularity of vinyl. Bayley called RSD the “single most important catalyst” in the resurgence of the format.
However, this growing interest in vinyl LPs doesn’t signal a growth in physical music purchases overall. In fact, CD sales are down 6.3% year-on-year so far. Overall, physical media sales are down by 0.5%. It comes as no surprise that streaming and digital remain the music format of choice for the majority of listeners and continues to grow.
Photo by Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
