Yes, vinyl is still popular with music lovers; here’s why and where to find them
Even in an age of high-resolution streaming music, vinyl is still the gold standard for some.
"A big part of vinyl for me as a kid was seeing the eye-catching art. It didn't matter about genre or style because of how cool the art was, and it gave you something new to listen too" Devin Kollmar of Lindenwold said.
Every era of tech has its committed fans and die-hards, but vinyl has long persisted not only as a collector’s habit, but as a gold standard for recordings.
South Jersey’s connection to vinyl
While Thomas Edison’s invention of the phonograph in 1877 marked the dawn of recorded sound, it was Emile Berliner’s lateral-cut disc record in 1887 that paved the way for the modern vinyl record we know today.
In 1948, Columbia Records made history with the release of the first 12-inch long play records (LPs), revolutionizing the music industry. These LPs, capable of holding a full album’s worth of music, quickly became a staple for music lovers of all generations.
The Radio Corporation of America (RCA) was established in 1919, with its main manufacturing and research facility in Camden playing a pivotal role in the development and production of radio equipment, phonographs, and other electronic devices.
RCA was instrumental in popularizing radio broadcasting in the 1920s, contributing significantly to the growth of the industry. However, despite its early successes, the phonograph record industry faced challenges in the aftermath of the Great Depression.
RCA eventually introduced a small phonograph model that eventually opened the industry to more listener and also developed the 45 rpm model.
Where can you get vinyl today?
Online marketplaces have made picking up vinyl a lot easier than it was just a few years ago, but many audiophiles still prefer to thumb through the bins in person.
Many of the big-box, chain stores carry vinyl selections, but many local and independent shops cater to vinyl fans with bigger catalogs and attractive pricing — as well as equally interested employees.
Stores like the Haddonfield Record Exchange or Sky Valley Records in Somerdale offer huge selections of music categorized by genre and alphabetical order. Some shops also buy and sell used records which can make purchases cheaper.
Some other local shops you can find records at are:
Inner Grooves Records in Collingswood
On the Record in Woodbury
The Record Museum in West Berlin
Tunes in Voorhees
Underground in Smithville
But why vinyl?
Evan McCullough, a Marlton resident and employee of Tunes, said vinyl doesn’t just persist with older music fans; it’s also finding an audience with younger generations.
"We definitely see a lot of younger people buying vinyl. While it sometimes can be a heavy mix of young and old," McCullough said.
And it’s not just collectors, he said. Having a "warm and tactile sound, listening to vinyl is an active experience with flipping the record or moving the needle."
August Baptista of Palmyra enjoys "the sound of them" but thinks that some of them look really cool." Baptista also said "It can sound different from streaming. One of my Blink 182 albums sounds different on turntable vs streaming."
Music fans will agree with McCullough, a Washington Township resident, Guinnevere Phillipp said she likes vinyl "because it is something physical to keep. Not only do you own the music, but you can watch it as well."
The biggest reason McCullough believes people still listen to vinyl is for both the "cool artwork and physical copy of your favorite albums."
Nick Butler is an impact reporter for the Courier Post, the Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times covering community news in South Jersey. Have any tips or stories? Reach out to NButler@Gannett.com. Subscribe to stay in the loop.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Why have vinyl records remained so popular over multiple generations?
