The old vinyl record just won't go away. In fact, it's appeal just continues to widen. And it's not just boomers with some time and a turntable or DJs who've not gone hi-tech. A whole new generation of listeners now believe that the format is cool (they're right - it is) with a big part of the demand coming from the under 25 crowd.
Projections for this year's vinyl sales see an increase of about 50%, with indie record stores accounting for about 70% of that. There must be some heat in the format since major retailer Best Buy is even allotting it's valuable floor space to records, even as they decrease CD space.
One of the more interesting aspects of the trend is that some record buyers don't even own a turntable, buying it just for the collectible value. On of the major beneficiaries has been Guns n' Roses Chinese Democracy, a release that has generally been considered a stiff but meeting with great demand in its vinyl version.
And finally, in 2008 there were 400 lp's that sold more than 1000 units, with Radiohead, Metallica, The Beatles, Elliot Smith and Bob Dylan leading the charge. By the looks of things, those numbers will increase in 2009.
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