Glasgow is officially the UK’s vinyl capital
Over recent years there has been a massive resurgence in the popularity of vinyl records, despite the easy accessibility of listening to music via streaming services. Whereas CDs overtook vinyl in popularity in the late 1980s, outselling both vinyl and cassette by 1989, the sale of compact discs peaked in the early 2000s.
Rather, vinyl has returned, triumphing over CD and cassette. The vintage quality of records that crackle on the turntable, the release of special collector editions, or the enjoyment of searching through second-hand record stores are just some of the reasons why the medium might be so popular today. In an age where we can access nearly everything we need online, having a physical music collection is an exciting idea.
In the UK alone, vinyl records brought in £135.6 million last year. Almost a quarter of all albums purchased in 2021 were on vinyl, with Abba’s Voyage becoming the top seller. Abba were closely followed by Adele’s 30 and Rumours by Fleetwood Mac.
Coin-makers The Royal Mint have conducted a recent study on collecting habits, finding that Glasgow is the vinyl-collecting capital of the UK. 32 per cent of the UK’s vinyl collectors reside in Glasgow, contrary to the expectation from many that London would be home to the biggest vinyl obsessives.
In fact, the second highest area for record collecting is the North East of England, which accounts for 25%. The study also found that Glasgow is the biggest area for rare book collecting too, and it seems as though the people of Glasgow have a real affinity for collecting vintage items.
