UK vinyl sales hit 25-year high

Following deaths of music legends.

Over 3.2 million LPs were sold in 2016, a rise of 53% on the previous year and the highest figure recorded since 1991, when Simply Red’s Stars topped the charts.

Deaths of music legends and a renewed interest in tangibility have been cited as the main drivers of sales. The biggest-selling vinyl artist was David Bowie, with five albums posthumously featuring in the top 30. Bowie’s Blackstar was 2016’s most popular vinyl recording, selling more than double the number of copies of 2015’s best-seller, Adele’s 25.

Over thirty titles sold more than 10,000 copies last year, compared to just ten in 2015. Compared to the low-point of 2007, when just over 200,000 LPs were purchased overall, the depth of the revival is extremely apparent.

Encouraged by Record Store Day, increased retail space and a new audience amongst younger fans, these figures, released by BPI, represent the ninth consecutive year that demand for vinyl has grown. Even supermarkets like Tesco and Aldi are now stocking vinyl.

Top ten vinyl albums of 2016

01. David Bowie – Blackstar
02. Amy Winehouse – Back To Black
03. Various Artists – Guardians of the Galaxy Mix 1
04. Radiohead – A Moon Shaped Pool
05. Fleetwood Mac – Rumours
06. The Stone Roses – Stone Roses
07. Bob Marley – Legend
08. The Beatles – Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
09. Prince – Purple Rain
10. Nirvana – Nevermind