According to Neilson Music, 2017 was an all-time high for vinyl record sales during a one year period. Total sales were 14.32 million. This is up from the previous record made in 2016 of 13.1 million. If it seems strange that these high sales are being hit so long after the golden eras of vinyl, that’s because Neilson Music didn’t start tracking sales until it first began in 1991. Still holding strong in the vinyl world, The Beatles had the top two selling vinyl albums in 2017; “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” and “Abbey Road”. See the top album list below:
- The Beatles, “Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band” 72,000 sold
- The Beatles, “Abbey Road” 66,000 sold
- Soundtrack, “Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1” 62,000 sold
- Ed Sheeran, “÷ (Divide)” 62,000 sold
- Amy Winehouse, “Back to Black” 58,000 sold
- Prince and the Revolution, “Purple Rain (Soundtrack)” 58,000 sold
- Bob Marley and The Wailers, “Legend: The Best Of…” 49,000 sold
- Pink Floyd, “The Dark Side of the Moon” 54,000 sold
- Soundtrack, “La La Land” 49,000 sold
- Michael Jackson, “Thriller” 49,000 sold
Source: Nielsen Music, for the tracking period Dec. 30, 2016 through Dec. 28, 2017.
With more classic and new albums being released on vinyl, it’s no surprise that the format isn’t dead. Time to head to your nearest record store and start flipping through the crates!
