What’s your own favourite festive song – The Pogues’ ‘Fairytale of New York,’ Wizard’s ‘I wish it could be Christmas…,’ or something more contemporary, like Taylor Swift’s ‘Christmas Tree Farm’?
Take a moment to decide. Now, ever wondered if it might sound better on vinyl?
I ask because, despite us already being twenty-five percent of the way through the 21st century, millions of people are certain their own Christmas favourite does.
According to data from the BPI, the UK record labels association, vinyl purchases reached 5.9m units during 2023 – their highest annual level since 1990.
And major High Street retailers have taken note. As Business Live reports, ‘WHSmith is bringing back vinyl records for the first time for more than 30 years across a raft of stores. The Swindon-headquartered chain said it would stock vinyl in 80 high street shops as it looks to capitalise on its surging popularity among a new generation of music fans.’
So how come technology first invented by Peter Goldmark, a Hungarian-American engineer at Columbia Records, in 1948, is preferred to Spotify or iTunes?
US specialist-retailer Decker and Sons, think they have the answer: ‘With vinyl, you get an analogue sound that reverberates and creates a warm sound you can't find in any other medium. The music and vocals are closer to the way artists sound live, with a lossless format that isn't overly compressed.’
But it’s not just Boomers, nostalgic for Christmases past, spent belting out Pogues’ lyrics in their local boozer, driving the phenomenon. Gen X and Gen Z have also been won over by vinyl’s unique tone.
Business Live again, ‘the format has come back in fashion, helped by new releases by artists such as Taylor Swift, who announced that her 11th studio album – The Tortured Poets Department – will be made available on vinyl.’
WHSmith first began selling vinyl albums in the 1950s. But stopped selling them in the 1990s after their popularity plummeted, thanks to the arrival of CDs.
Emma Smyth, Commercial Director of WHSmith, commented: ‘To me it’s no surprise that vinyl is growing in popularity again, and we are very excited to be bringing back record selections to…stores across the UK.’
Encouragingly, the vinyl renaissance has also been good news for small independent retailers. As The Guardian reports, ‘A study by ERA, the digital entertainment and retail association, found that there are now 461 indie record shops in the UK, 122 more than 2014.’
For Britain’s indies then, vinyl means Christmas has come early.