The Renaissance of Vinyl Records: Why Teens are Turning to Retro
Sebastian Pallant
For many young people today, it’s possible they’ve never seen—let alone listened to—a vinyl record. A few weeks ago, my grandfather was planning to sell some of his Neil Diamond records and asked me if I’d like to keep any. I said yes, even though I had no way of playing them. In fact, the only time I’ve ever actually listened to vinyl being played was—of all places—in my physics class.
Most people I know who listen to music use a streaming service, whether it’s Apple Music or Spotify. The ability to carry all the songs you want in your pocket is what made the Sony Walkman and iPod so popular. After all, it’s not practical to carry a record player everywhere you go. Plus, most vinyl records can only hold one or two albums, and the Walkman can only store about 90 minutes of music.

It’s also cheaper to subscribe to a music streaming service than to buy individual vinyl records. A one-month subscription to Apple Music costs $10.99 and gives you access to millions of songs, whereas a single vinyl record can cost between $25 and $50.
Apple offers two main ways to listen to music: Apple Music and iTunes. While they serve different purposes, they’re often mixed up. Today, Apple Music is the app you use to stream music with an Apple Music subscription.
Before 2019, users could purchase individual songs and albums through the Apple Music app. However, due to declining sales, Apple transitioned Apple Music to a subscription-based service and moved all song purchases to iTunes, where they remain today.
Given all of this, why do vinyl records still exist—and why is there a revival in its popularity?
Although invented in the late 19th century, vinyl records weren’t widespread until the 1950s and 1960s, when they became the standard way people listened to music. It wasn’t until the early 1980s that long-play, extended-play, and vinyl singles began to decline, giving way to the rise of cassettes and eventually CDs.
Vinyl records never disappeared, however, thanks to audiophiles who praise their superior sound quality—some even spend hundreds of dollars to acquire them. The top vinyl player recommended by The New York Times costs $600, proving that this hobby is far from cheap.

The past decade has seen the sharpest growth in the vinyl industry since the 1970s. Leading the resurgence is pop artist Taylor Swift, who recently concluded her record-breaking tour in early December. Many of her most recent albums have been released on vinyl. In fact, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), a trade organization representing the U.S. vinyl industry, reported in late December 2024 that vinyl sales increased to $1.2 billion, up 17% from the previous year. Vinyl even outsold CDs, with 41 million records sold compared to 33 million CDs. However, vinyl still represents a small fraction of total music purchases—around 8%.
Much like physical books in the age of e-readers, vinyl records offer fans something physical—a keepsake from their favorite artists. Even as technology advances, vinyl records remain unchanged: just punched pieces of polyvinyl chloride with grooves that capture music in its purest form.