Surge in sales of vinyl LPs sees 'record' high

The resurgence in popularity of music on vinyl discs has seen the highest number of records sold since the early nineties, it has been announced.  

According to official figures from UK labels’ association, BPI, vinyl sales reached a 25-year high, with more than 3.2 million records sold last year.

The rise in popularity is thought to have been led by the release of David Bowie’s album, ‘Black Star’, with demand for vinyl hitting a 53 percent rise on last year and the highest annual total in a quarter of a century since 1991, when Simply Red’s ‘Stars’ topped the annual best-seller charts. 

Though still niche in terms of its size within the overall recorded music market, at just 2.6 percent, BPI says the demand for vinyl illustrates the “enduring appeal of music on physical formats”, particularly in a “multi-channel world”.

As a testament to the rise in popularity of vinyl, chemicals company, Inovyn, chose to use a trophy in the shape of a record to give to prize winners at its recent Awards ceremony.

Commenting, Daniel Martinz, Technical Marketing and Development Manager - Speciality Vinyls at Inovyn, said the decision to use a vinyl record for the trophies “typified the way in which PVC products can experience new life.”