How Vinyl Got Its Groove Back: Its Dominance, Decline & Comeback

The vinyl comeback isn’t just spin. In 2020, records accounted for $626 million in U.S. sales — exceeding those of CDs and contributing 5.2% of industry revenue, according to the RIAA. And MRC Data shows vinyl sales have been rising for 15 years, to 27.5 million units last year, up a staggering 46.2% during the pandemic. “It’s the movie theater,” Jack White told Billboard about the format in a March 14, 2015, cover story, “compared [with] the iP