Dad, Put Your Records On
Vinyl is back. Not as a niche hobby or cool posture, but as something families are actively building into their lives. Sales have been climbing for years, younger listeners are buying records in large numbers, and what was once the preserve of collectors and DJs is turning up in family living rooms. For many parents, it’s a way to share music with their kids that’s much more interactive than Spotify Duo.
In the UK, vinyl’s clocked nearly two decades of continuous growth, with more than 6 million records sold last year alone. Globally, revenues have pushed past £800 million – a miracle in the age of streaming. And it’s not just older listeners driving the trend. Mainstream artists like Taylor Swift and Harry Styles regularly top vinyl charts, sitting alongside perennial favourites like Fleetwood Mac and David Bowie.
So what’s behind it?
For DJ Santero, who’s represented the UK in the Red Bull 3Style World Finals, held a residency at Ministry of Sound, rocked parties from Bali to Berlin and seen in multiple New Year’s Eves DJing the Shard: the answer isn’t technical, it’s emotional.
“There’s a romance to it,” he says. “There’s something about owning a physical item which connects you to the artist. Even the size – the artwork on a 12-inch record – you just don’t get that with digital. You have a physical relationship with vinyl.”
