2011 vinyl sales up 40% - plus biggest selling LPs revealed

[Clare Newsome]

All in our news story here.

So, how many of the 2011 vinyl top 10 did you buy?

 

[John Duncan]

So, how many of the 2011 vinyl top 10 did you buy?

Ummm...

 

[Simon Lucas]

Two. Neither of which were Adele.

 

[chebby]

Overall sales of music are still plummeting despite massive growth in digital downloads (24 percent over this year).

Nothing can seem to make up for the death of CD sales (down 20 percent again this year).

I think it's down to demographics. The biggest music buying population ever (the so called 'baby-boomer' generation) is now somewhere between about 45 years old and just retired. Natural attrition on their numbers and changing tastes (and the fact that most of them have completed their music collections long ago) are all taking their toll.

Younger generations simply aren't anywhere near as large in numbers or as affluent.

'50 quid bloke' is now buying a 'two quid coffee' and surfing on his smart-phone at lunchtime instead of grabbing a handful of CDs from HMV. (He is probably saving his money to help his kids afford somewhere to live/go to Uni/pay for ever increasing energy bills/help his wife look after after grand-kids so his kids can go to work without having to find expensive child-care.

Oh, and there is a recession with rampant inflation, record numbers of unemployed and no prospect of any improvement for at least the next 10 years or more.

A few extra tens of thousands of LP sales are (sadly) not going to reverse this. So I hope no-one is going to take from Clare's news that LPs will - some day - become a dominant format again.

More likely it will all go down the pan within a few years. Digital is likely to go through it's market cycle (growth -> cash cow -> death) far quicker than CD ever did. I'll give it 10 years... tops.

 

[John Duncan]

I did buy two on CD because they weren't on Spotify yet. One of which was Adele.

EDIT - actually scratch that, 'Build A Rocket Boys' was on Spotify.

 

[John Duncan]

45 years old

Natural attrition

Sheesh, thanks for that...

 

[Anonymous]

Fascinating stuff. Not a vinyl bloke myself, all digital from NAS drive etc. Don't posessa turntable or CD player now. However my younger (and probably wiser) brother is a vinyl freak and I have to say when I listen to his stuff it is firstly eminently listenable and secondly the experience of a record spinning on his Michell Gyrodec is mesmerising. As for CD's, well there's only HMV left now and their choice is abysmal, forget classical CD's from that lot as they are non existent.I do wish I had physical space for some vinyl kit though as it seems to me a great interactive experience. Theres something in that pick up arm slowly descending onto the grooves that I just like.

 

[MajorFubar]

Taking into consideration Chebby's thoughts, it would be interesting to know the demographics of the typical record buyer.
I mentally pictured two types of buyers:
1) A 40/50-something male buying 180g re-issues of classic albums from his youth and playing them on his Michell Gyrodec (that's kind of me, except for the Gyrodeck);
2) A rock/indie 'fanboy', who wouldn't know a TT if he tripped over one, buying them purely as must-have collectables to be scurried away with rare gig posters and other scarce memorabilia, never to be removed from their shrink-wraps.

But those two stereotypes don't explain why Adele has the second-best selling LP of the year.

 

[Clare Newsome]

Also doesn't explain the fact that the vast majority of turntable sales are of cheap USB decks, rather than 'hi-fi' models....

 

[Anonymous]

I have bought 4 of them, none of the Adele....

 

[nopiano]

Taking into consideration Chebby's thoughts, it would be interesting to know the demographics of the typical record buyer. I mentally pictured two types of buyers: 1) A 40/50-something male buying 180g re-issues of classic albums from his youth and playing them on his Michell Gyrodec (that's kind of me, except for the Gyrodeck); 2) A rock/indie 'fanboy', who wouldn't know a TT if he tripped over one, buying them purely as must-have collectables to be scurried away with rare gig posters and other scarce memorabilia, never to be removed from their shrink-wraps. But those two stereotypes don't explain why Adele has the second-best selling LP of the year.

Mmm, well I'm much closer to (1) but haven't bought any new LPs this year as am enjoying playing again all those I bought in the 70s and 80s (plus the odd charity shop purchase). Adele seems to have achieved a universal appeal, like Dido did a few years ago, and James Blunt more recently, that translates into huge sales.

Interesting that the top selling LPs all seem to be current, so presumably all those 180/200g reisues, whether classic rock or Frank Sinatra, number just a handful.

 

[MajorFubar]

Must admit, for an 'obsolete' format, players still fetch a decent price. Twenty years ago, there are people who would have predicted that by 2011, we'd be using LP12 turntable plinths to start bonfires on Guy Fawkes nights. Last time I looked at ebay, quite a few cult classic turntables (not just LP12s and SL1200s) were still fetching very healthy prices as a matter of routine. Presumably people spending big bucks on a turntable aren't just buying it to look at.

It's the format that won't die

 

[Lost Angeles]

I doubt anything I bought would have been in the top 100. It's nice to see sales expanding and not all through 180gr re-ssues of which I have bought a few.

So how many of the Top 10 did you buy Clare ? my guess would be zero.

 

[Clare Newsome]

there are 3 of the 10 in our record rack - the Kate Bush, Nirvana and Adele

 

[nopiano]

Crumbs, LA, haven't you seen how often Clare posts on your thread about what vinyl we are listening to? Not that she needs me to spring to her defence, but you're a braver, or more foolish, man than I am.

It wasn't a coincidence that I mentioned Frank Sinatra above, you know...

 

[Lost Angeles]

Crumbs, LA, haven't you seen how often Clare posts on your thread about what vinyl we are listening to? Not that she needs me to spring to her defence, but you're a braver, or more foolish, man than I am.

It wasn't a coincidence that I mentioned Frank Sinatra above, you know...

I know Clare buys lots of vinyl but her taste seems to be towards Sinatra, Sam Cooke and Nina Simone and other early 60s stuff of which none appears in the top 10. Did you note that she stated that the 3 albums were in the rack and not that she bought them, it could have been her partner/hubby (Not sure of status here) or are they in the WHF rack?.

Not sure if this is a brave or foolish post, probably both.

 

[Clare Newsome]

It is true that I do spend a lot of time listening to dead people sing, but not exclusively

(And anyway, Kurt Cobain is dead, bless him, so that covers off Nirvana)

And these three are more in the shared area of the home record rack, rather than at the his and hers extremes.....

 

[Ravey Gravey Davy]

(and the fact that most of them have completed their music collections long ago)

Speak for yourself- my music collection is growing -I do actually listen to modern music and am better placed to buy that and stuff I always wanted before.

Younger generations simply aren't anywhere near as large in numbers or as affluent.

younger generations not as large in numbers?? Hah

Not as affluent maybe but dubious -but then they can get it all free illegally .Impossible in the "old days". And it is far easier to share FOC these days as well.

 

[nopiano]

It is true that I do spend a lot of time listening to dead people sing, but not exclusively

Ha! That reminded me of the famous retort by the composer Ravel about his Pavane pour une infante défunte (Pavane for a Dead Princess).

Apparently, after a particularly slow and plodding account of it, he said to the pianist that it was called "Pavane for a Dead Princess", not "Dead Pavane for a Princess"!

Apologies for getting a bit Off Topic.

 

[John Duncan]

Am I the only person who bought Adele? Don't I feel the ******' *******...

 

[John Duncan]

Kate Bush is dead?!?!?!?

 

[plastic penguin]

Am I the only person who bought Adele? Don't I feel the ******' *******...

Too many negative waves, JD. It could be traumatic if you were a fan of the Osmonds.

 

[mitch65]

Am I the only person who bought Adele? Don't I feel the ******' *******...

Ummmm...no, I bought it as well, along with Beady Eye and Kate Bush - I don't care who knows about it either!

 

[mickeyjoef]

I've bought alot of vinyl this year, but nothing from the Top 10. I already have Nirvana from 20 years ago, and I would of bought Kate Bush, but Mrs beat me too it and came home with the CD.

Most of my LP purchases have been of older music, such as The Byrds in mono, and The Doors back catalogue, but I would buy more new music on LP if the artists I am interested in actually released it on vinyl. I imagine it is much more economical for musicians such as Heather Findlay, or The Reasoning, as examples, to get CDs only pressed, which is why they do not release LPs.



Mike

 

[smuggs]

i must say i have 1,2,3,4,7

radiohead i bought the £35 newspaper edition and only played it once. Play the cd ripped in flac on my squeezebox now and then but not sure about it.

adele mrs likes and i thought it would make her like the turntable, though i love her cure cover plus amazon did it for £8.99

beady eye i loved oasis and have time files box set on vinyl so it was no brainer the only bit of vinyl i listen to once a month without fail and have not got the cd yet ti rip.

love the artic monkeys and got a letter from domino records and it was only £9.99 so had to. what i was gutted though was i bought alex turner submarine on the basis of Piledriver Waltz one of my 2011 classics and then when suck it see turned up its on there main album so my nice 10inch submarine lp never gets a look in.

must say i missed elbow and could not find it cheaper than 20 notes

i have noels album turn up and on tuesday get coldplays even though im not stuck on the single off it.