Years passed, and eventually Berliner invented the disc system. This had substantial commercial advantages, as these vinyl discs could be mass-produced through pressing. Various other technological advancements were also made, such as the invention of the smooth tipped stylus, which improved functionality.

Getty Images

5 / 29 Fotos

Popular amongst the public -

As the technology improved, became more consistent in production, and cheaper, record players as we know them became more widely available to the public by the 1950s, which resulted in various music cultural phenomena.

Getty Images

6 / 29 Fotos

Magic on wax -

The analog audio quality, the ritual of putting the record on the turntable and placing the tonearm, the ample 12-inch canvas for cover art, and liner notes all made and make the vinyl an attractive purchase.

Getty Images

7 / 29 Fotos

Cultural value -

Culturally, vinyl's value lies in rarity, exclusivity, and relevance to dance, electronic, and hip-hop music, as visible grooves permitted disc jockeying.

Getty Images

8 / 29 Fotos

Significance in club culture -

As mentioned, the value of music on vinyl is also rooted in DJ and club cultures. We saw this in full force in the '70s, but it still remains true today.

Getty Images

9 / 29 Fotos

CD -

From the 1980s, vinyl was replaced by the CD.

Shutterstock

10 / 29 Fotos

P2P file sharing -

The invention of the MP3 file format and widespread access to high-speed broadband subsequently led to P2P file media sharing networks such as Napster.

Getty Images

11 / 29 Fotos

Streaming services -

Today we see a range of services offering unlimited streaming at extremely low prices.

Getty Images

12 / 29 Fotos

A phasing out of the physical -

Though Apple Music ties with Spotify in market share, the pay per song model that the former operates under is not expected to last.

Getty Images

13 / 29 Fotos

Acquisition to access -

Music has gone from acquisition to access, and experts expect this trend to continue, except for vinyl.

Getty Images

14 / 29 Fotos

Ownership -

It was the prevalence of streaming that made the ownership qualities of vinyl more attractive for consumers.

Getty Images

15 / 29 Fotos

“Crate digging” -

Its aura and authenticity lend a hand to those music lovers who find themselves in record shops “crate digging” and going to extreme lengths to find a boutique batch pressing of an album (i.e. imagine an original edition of all old record).

Getty Images

16 / 29 Fotos

Buying in person -

Vinyl is expensive to ship, so the cheaper used items tend to sell in physical stores instead of online.

BrunoPress

17 / 29 Fotos

Originality -

Originals are valued the highest since most are lost in a sea of digital reissues.

Getty Images

18 / 29 Fotos

Vinyl replaces CD -

Vinyl is now taking up the market space the CD used to have. Doubt it?

BrunoPress

19 / 29 Fotos

Prices soar -

Since 2017, vinyl sales were higher than CD sales for the first time in 33 years. From 2007 to 2017, the average price of vinyl records increased by 490%, with a new pressing selling for US$4.80 in 2007, to being sold for $28.40 in 2017.

Getty Images

20 / 29 Fotos

A hero's death -

Some music icon’s deaths are also a key driver in vinyl sales, as people invest in records as mementos.

Getty Images

21 / 29 Fotos

David Bowie -

One example: David Bowie’s death resulted in five of his albums charting in vinyl sales.

Reuters

22 / 29 Fotos

‘Back to Black’ -

Amy Winehouse’s ‘Back to Black’ sold 351,000 copies in the last decade.

23 / 29 Fotos

'Thriller' -

‘Thriller,’ the Michael Jackson album, sold 334,000 new copies in the last decade.

Getty Images

24 / 29 Fotos

"Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash" -

Of course, it's not always recent deaths sparking sales. Pink Floyd’s album ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ sold 376,000 new pressings in the last decade.

Getty Images

25 / 29 Fotos

‘Rumors’ -

Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Rumors’ sold 304,000 copies in the last decade.

Getty Images

26 / 29 Fotos

‘Abbey Road’ -

Also in the last decade, the Beatles' album ‘Abbey Road’ sold 558,000 new pressings.

Getty Images

27 / 29 Fotos

‘Legend’ -

Bob Marley & The Wailers had the fourth highest-selling album on vinyl of the last decade. ‘Legend’ sold 364,000 new copies.

28 / 29 Fotos

‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ soundtrack -

A surprisingly successful and somewhat recent vinyl edition was the soundtrack from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ (2014). ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Mix Vol. 1’ sold some 367,000 copies.

Sources:(Forbes)(Consequence of Sound)(Library of Congress)

Getty Images

29 / 29 Fotos

Looking into the vinyl revival

Vinyl lives on

21/01/21 | StarsInsider

MUSIC Records

Vinyl behaves as more than just a commodity–it's seen as an enchanted object that contains socially constructed meaning, giving way for it to be deemed iconic. Vinyl records are symbolic of originality. Other forms of music acquisition have come and gone, yet vinyl lives on.

Music recording has been around for over a century, and the original principles of playback are still the consumer's choice today. Click through this gallery to learn about how the way we listen to music has changed dramatically, and why vinyl has seen a massive increase in sales in the past decade.