Stephen Varanko III – Why LPs Came Back to the Fore

I never lived through the days of the vinyl record but ever since I was a young boy I have always loved playing music in this way. In fact when I was in my teenage years my biddy Stephen Varenko III and I would swap vinyls and listen to them together because nobody else we knew was listening to them. In the last 15 years however we have seen a huge increase in the popularity of vinyl and this renaissance is something which is extremely refreshing to see, especially given the ease of use that digital music brings with it. Let’s take a look then at why it has once again become such a popular format to play music.  

Albums 

There are still a huge number of people who enjoy listening to albums and this isn’t quite the same when you are listening via a digital source. The reason for this is that there is so much choice and it is so easy to flip between songs, that many simply won’t have the patience to listen to an album in its entirety. With vinyl however, it is easier to listen to an album and changing constantly between songs can be quite an effort given that you are physically doing so.

Retro 

Retro has been in fashion since the mid-90s and many people are always trying to find the next cool retro things. Well it doesn’t get more retro than listening to an LP and this is definitely the appeal for many.

Abundance 

Because of the fact that records were ditched when CDs came along, there is quite literally a treasure trove of millions of LPs around the world which can be snapped up in the records stores. In some cases stores have cottoned on to the fact that vinyl is more popular and raised prices, but in most cases a person can head to the record store, pick up 4 or 5 great albums, and get change out of a $20 bill. The low cost makes the music super accessible and it gives people the chance to try out new artists without risking too much money.

Drama

There is no question that one of the reasons behind the rise in popularity of vinyl is the theater and drama which playing a record brings with it. Taking the vinyl from its sleeve and placing it on the record player, dropping the needle into the groove, hearing the white noise crackle and then watching it spin dizzyingly on the turntable is a truly special experience which can’t be found when listening to music in any other way. Furthermore there is a huge amount of information on the sleeve of the record which music lovers can dig into, learning about who plays on the tracks and who was involved in the making of the music. There is also the artwork of the album to consider too, all of which forms part of the overall listening experience.