The British Phonographic Industry figures show UK vinyl sales rose by 11.7% to 5.9 million units this year, increasing for the 16th year in a row. Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s version) was the best-selling LP and she has two further albums in the top 10. This picture is from December 2023. So, yeah, vinyl is back.
Peter Nicholls / Stringer via Getty ImagesVinyl is back, baby. In a HUGE way!
Good news, music fans. Artists are projected to make 5.2 billion (That's with a "b") in vinyl record sales in 2024, according to weraveyou.com. You know what that means? More artists are going to release their music the old-fashioned way. Vinyl! And that, my friend, is good for music lovers.
Vinyl Records Do What Downloads Can't
Having music easily accessible on your phone is awesome, I get that. But man, there is nothing like putting the music back into the listeners hands. Opening the sleeve and pulling out an actual album. Placing it on a record player, putting the needle on the groove and hearing the crackling of the first note.
The sound is raw. Pure. And most importantly, it connects us.
Vinyl brings people back together. Record stores are once again a hub for music lovers to converge and look for their favorite artist. Or even find a new one. It revitalizes the music community. When I was a young punk kid, I used to go to Tower Records, Rhino Records and specialized record shows at convention centers. And finger my way through entire racks of albums looking for that one special vinyl (the major score was finding Killer P----'s “Teenage Enema Nurses in Bondage” with the paper sanitation wrap).
Sorry, I meant. Killer P----...what the... why can't I say P----? Stupid Suits!
Anyway, the rarity. The unusual. The one I could afford. That's what I was after.
Current Value Of Vinyl Records
Since the resurgence of vinyl, the value of records has gone through the roof. The top ten most valuable records of all time is listed on bigfudgevinyl.com. Their top spot goes to the Wu Tang Clan’s album "Once Upon a Time in Shaolin", which currently commands $2 million, according to the website. That's a lot of C.R.E.A.M. Now, there's only one copy, which is why it's worth so much money. And the guy that owns it is that Pharma Bro jerk Martin Shkreli (which I think should devalue it, but that's my humble opinion).
Coming in second is "The Beatles (White Album)". It's a classic, so any copy of it will bring in some cash. But Ringo Starr's Copy, which is the first one ever pressed, went for a cool $790K. That's classic CASH! Jack White owns the third most valuable record on Big Fudge's list. He dropped a ton of cabbage for Elvis' first recording ever. $300K, to be exact.
And the Beatles, once more, are at number four on the list with "Sgt. Pepper". I had a copy of the Fab Four's most iconic album too. Although mine wasn't worth as much as the one that sold for $290K stated by bigfudgevinyl.com. Because, unlike that copy, John, Paul, George and Ringo didn't grace their signatures on mine.
And the list goes on, proving one thing: vinyl is back! It's valuable, and not just when it comes to money. But also because it brings people together, rich and poor. And since I'm poor and can't afford a couple of hundred thousand on an album, I’ll just go to my local record store and see if I can find that elusive Killer P---- record (damn, thought I'd sneak that one in).
11 Classic Rock/Pop Titles Added to the National Recording Registry in 2023
The National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress has unveiled its new additions for 2023. This year's selection is filled with some of the most popular classic rock/pop titles of all time.
Among the artists being recognized with having music added to the National Recording Registry are Madonna, The Police, Eurythmics, John Lennon and more. The National Recording Registry has existed since 2002. Each year, 25 new recordings are added. Recordings that are added to the registry must be at least ten years old and are "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant."
In a statement on the newly added recordings, Librian of Congress Carla Hayden said, "The National Recording Registry preserves our history through recorded sound and reflects our nation’s diverse culture. The national library is proud to help ensure these recordings are preserved for generations to come, and we welcome the public’s input on what songs, speeches, podcasts or recorded sounds we should preserve next. We received more than 1,100 public nominations this year for recordings to add to the registry."
To see which classic rock/pop titles were added this year, keep scrolling.
For a complete listing of the 2023 National Recording Registry titles and to learn more about the registry, head over to LOC.gov.
“Sherry” — The Four Seasons (1962)
Jason Kempin/Getty ImagesNEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 19: Singer Frankie Valli attends the Frankie Valli And The Four Seasons 50th Anniversary Celebration event at the Broadway Theatre on October 19, 2012 in New York City. (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
“What the World Needs Now is Love” — Jackie DeShannon (1965) (single)
Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesAmerican singer-songwriter Jackie DeShannon, UK, 24th October 1964. (Photo by Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
“Déjà Vu” — Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young (1970) (album)
Handout/Getty ImagesE367543 01: Undated File Photo: Pictured Clockwise From The Top Left, Neil Young, Stephen Stills, Graham Nash And David Crosby Of The Music Group Crosby, Stills, Nash And Young. (Photo By Getty Images)
“Imagine” — John Lennon (1971) (single)
Central Press/Getty Images21st May 1971: Ex-member of the Beatles, singer and songwriter John Lennon (1940 - 1980) on the beach at Cannes, France. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)
“Stairway to Heaven” — Led Zeppelin (1971) (single)
Evening Standard/Getty ImagesJune 1973: British rock band Led Zeppelin. From left to right, Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Bonham (1947 - 1980), John Paul Jones. (Photo by Evening Standard/Getty Images)
“Margaritaville” — Jimmy Buffett (1977) (single)
Rick Diamond/Getty ImagesGULF SHORES, AL - JULY 11: Musician Jimmy Buffett performs onstage at Jimmy Buffett & Friends: Live from the Gulf Coast, a concert presented by CMT at on the beach on July 11, 2010 in Gulf Shores, Alabama. (Photo by Rick Diamond/Getty Images for CMT)
“Flashdance…What a Feeling” — Irene Cara (1983) (single)
United Artists/Archive Photos/Getty ImagesCoco Hernandez (Irene Cara) performs at a graduation ceremony in a scene from 'Fame', directed by Alan Parker, 1980. (Photo by United Artists/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
“Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” — Eurythmics (1983) (single)
Emma McIntyre/Getty ImagesLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 05: (L-R) Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox of Eurythmics pose in the press room during the 37th Annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Microsoft Theater on November 05, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)
“Synchronicity” — The Police (1983) (album)
Showtime/Courtesy of Getty ImagesA promotional portrait of the British rock band The police (L-R)" Sting, Stewart Copeland, and Andy Summers, circa 1983. (Photo by Showtime/Courtesy of Getty Images)
“Like a Virgin” — Madonna (1984) (album)
Hulton Archive/Getty Images1986 Madonna.
“All I Want for Christmas is You” — Mariah Carey (1994) (single)
Michael Loccisano/Getty ImagesNEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 03: Mariah Carey performs at the 82nd annual Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Rockefeller Center on December 3, 2014 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
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