'Another good day': Vinyl sales still surging as Record Store Day turns 17

Apr. 21—JOHNSTOWN, Pa. — Mark Hinton was a little bit late to arrive at George's Song Shop Saturday morning, but he had a "Grateful" look in his eyes as he spotted a limited vinyl re-release of "Nightfall of Diamonds" by the late Jerry Garcia's best-known band.

"You're lucky," store owner John George said. The double live Grateful Dead album was one of just five that the downtown Johnstown store received for Record Store Day.

Three hours after George's Song Shop opened Saturday crowds were still filling the aisles for re-releases from legends such as The Beatles, live show favorites from indie-rock pioneers such as The Replacements, or trending cover songs such as Olivia Rodrigo's take on Noah Kahan's lovesick smash "Stick Season."

A line of vinyl shoppers stretched from the 128 Market St. store toward Main Street when it opened Saturday, George said.

That might have surprised him 17 years ago, but thanks in part to Record Store Day, which started in 2007 to celebrate vinyl records and the independent music stores steadfast enough to carry them, the demand for LPs is nothing new.

What started as a wave of nostalgia is now the format of choice — even for many Generation Z-ers whose parents grew up on CDs and digital mp3s.

More than 49.6 million vinyl albums were sold in 2023 — up 14% from the year before, while digital sales dropped. It was the 18th straight year of increased sales for a music format once viewed as dead.

"We're having another good day again today," George said as he rang up another customer.

Nick Milkovich, a longtime friend of George who has spent years helping prepare for each Record Store Day at the shop, credited some of today's top acts for keeping the momentum going.

"A lot of credit goes to Taylor Swift," Milkovich said.

Swift has embraced the ideas of both limited releases and Record Store Day itself. She was the event's ambassador in 2022.

This year, the Berks County native released her latest album, "The Tortured Poets Department," on the eve of Record Store Day. Swifties woke up to a surprise Saturday morning after word spread that she sent printed notes to fans "from the desk of Taylor" that were distributed to early vinyl buyers.

Those kinds of surprises keep Record Store Day turning with the times, Mikovich said.

Another draw is the timeless tradition of walking into a record shop not knowing what you'll find, said Hinton, of Southmont.

He joked with George about the first album he ever purchased — a kooky track from 1959 called "The Mummy" by voice-over artist Bob McFadden, leading both men to reminisce about the days of WCRO radio.

Nearby, Adam Brown grabbed a used copy of a somewhat newer album — J. Geils Band's "Full House." The young Somerset man said he's been collecting records for five years, but didn't discover George's Song Shop until a friend mentioned Record Store Day.

"I figured I'd come up and test my luck," Brown said. "I didn't find what I was looking for, but this place is great."