When CDs hit the market in 1982, many thought it would spell the end of vinyl records. And it almost did.
Some thought vinyl LPs provide a superior sound than CDs, although I don't agree. With CDs, you don't get the rumble or scratches and pops that you often hear on vinyl
CDs can hold more music, so you don't have to get up to turn a record over after 15 or 20 minutes.
To me, the biggest drawback of CDs was the scaling down of the album cover art.
Even as CDs took over the market, vinyl maintained a loyal following, especially with fans of indie and punk bands. But the numbers tipped heavily in favor of CDs, and by 1987 CDs were outselling vinyl.
But there always remained a group loyal to vinyl.
The Recording Industry Association of America released sales figures a few days ago, and last year, for the first time since 1987, vinyl outsold CDs. The RIAA says 41 million vinyl albums were sold last year, compared with 33 million CDs.
Part of the change comes from the fact that there aren't many "record" stores anymore. Sam Goody, Tower Records and others are long gone and Barnes & Noble, which used to have a decent music selection, now has maybe one rack with a handful of CDs and some vinyl. The records, which now are made on a thicker sheet of vinyl, are priced way above CDs -- averaging in the mid-$20 range and more.
I have hundreds of vinyl records, almost all dating back pre-CD. Almost all of my music purchases since the mid-80s have been CDs and, on the rare occasions that I buy recorded music now, it's on a CD.
Clearly, I'm the exception.