The last time more vinyl records were sold than compact discs in the United States? It was in 1987.
According to a report by the Recording Industry Association of America, 41 million LPs were sold in the United States in 2022, compared to 33 million CDs, marking a 3% increase in sales for the oldest of the two formats, and a drop of 28% for his younger brother. The announcement of the resurrection of the CD, proclaimed last year after its sales jumped by barely 1%, was obviously a little hasty.
Taylor Swift tops vinyl bestseller charts with 945,000 copies of her album Midnightsfollowed by Harry Styles (480,000 copies of Harry’s House), Olivia Rodrigo (263,000 copies of SOUR), Kendrick Lamar (254,000 copies good kid, mr. AA d city) and newcomers from Fleetwood Mac (243,000 copies of Rumors).
Is the record industry saved from its shipwreck? Not exactly. In 2022, streaming services, digital radio, social media platforms and fitness apps accounted for 84% ($13.3 billion) of total recorded music revenue.