Vinyl comeback: The US musicians who sold the most physical singles: One of the most surprising comebacks of the digital age is the rising number of Vinyl LP sales. According to Luminate, 43.5 million LPs were sold in the U.S. last year, up more than 48-fold compared to 2006 when the vinyl comeback began. Vinyl LPs have also become increasingly popular as collectors’ items for fans, who listen to music digitally but still want to own a physical object. As we witness the evolution of physical music sales, experts from Offline Marketing Company, Oppizi reveal the top 10 US artists of all time who have sold the most physical copies of their music. The research analyzes the most recent data from Chart Masters, which takes the top US music artists of all time and calculates the number physical single sales units sold.
Boston, MA | The Vintage Underground curates both the styles and sounds of Boston: For decades, anyone taking a stroll on Boston University’s West Campus had two nearly back-to-back options for scouting out new music: Hitting a show at The Paradise Rock Club, or venturing into the belly of In Your Ear Records’ underground shop. But when In Your Ear shuttered that longstanding Boston location last August, the neighborhood’s vinyl selection miraculously didn’t evaporate — it just got a makeover. On the heels of In Your Ear’s departure from 957 Commonwealth Ave. last autumn, a new store called The Vintage Underground has moved in, bringing a fresh selection of music to the same well-worn basement space. The shop is the hybrid of existing local businesses Vivant Vintage and Cheapo Records, offering a “best of both worlds” stock that ranges from leather jackets and tarot-themed tote bags, to rare LPs, CDs, and rows of fashionable music memorabilia. “Cheapo’s owner, Bob Perry, was a friend and customer of In Your Ear for over 20 years, so he was thrilled to carry on their legacy,” employee Rosie Deaderick tells Vanyaland.
Meadowhall, UK | Sheffield band Lina and the Lions play live at HMV Meadowhall launch in celebration of music on vinyl: A Sheffield ‘retrowave’ band will play live at the launch of HMV’s new store in Meadowhall – just like it was 1990. Lina and the Lions have been invited to kick off the record store’s new residency on the Lower Arcade with their 80s new wave sounds. The retailer is moving after 33 years on the High Street and says its new shop will be ‘better fan-focused’ and sell more than 20,000 products – including 4,700 vinyl albums. Lina, who sings lead and plays bass, said there was something special about non-digital music. The band has released six singles, two EPs and an album. She added: “The reopening of the store is a special moment for HMV and music lovers alike, as it’s clear to us all that there’s something special about tangible music—something digital just can’t replace.” Lina and Lee Feltham (guitar) met as young teens in a Sheffield pub and formed the band in 2020. With drummer Bradley Mitchell joining them live, their sound ‘fuses classic 80s new wave with glimmering synthesizers and bass lines’.
Bingley, UK | Radiohead’s Philip Selway visits Bingley record store: Radiohead drummer Philip Selway signed copies of his latest solo album, Strange Dance at Five Rise Records, Park Road, Bingley, yesterday (Sunday, February 26). Five Rise Record posted a number of pictures from Mr Selway’s shop visit on its Facebook page, writing: “Wow what a day…. A huge thanks to Philip Selway for coming to good old Bingers!! “What an absolute gent he was, Mr Selway. you’re welcome back anytime! “And most of all a huge and massive thanks to everybody who came today, we wouldn’t be here without you. “Thanks to Philip for coming… and to everyone who came out!” His Bingley album signing visit in Bingley is one of a number of appearances he is making to record stores across the country to mark the release of his LP. Radiohead are seen as one of the biggest British bands of the last 30 years. They initially found fame with their 1992 single ‘Creep’ and their popular albums include Kid A and OK Computer. Radiohead were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
QUARdisc, digital music finds its physical support: The twentieth century was the century of the record. But the new century is one in which music has dematerialized, has lost its physicality, has become volatile. This absence of objects through which to establish a connection with the music, however, has been in many cases a loss, a lack. Especially for fans, enthusiasts, collectors, all those music enthusiasts who have not resigned themselves to being just ‘users’ or ‘consumers’, people who want to have a relationship with music and its authors and performers. more direct and constant, therefore taking advantage of the marvels offered by new technologies, but which at the same time do not want to lose the physicality of something not to be ‘consumed’, to be kept forever. And it is with this audience in mind, not small and very loyal, that a new Italian startup has created a new type of support, in line with the technological innovations that have radically changed the world of music, but also capable of giving a new physicality to the music itself.
Manila, PH | One Stop Record Fair at Estancia holds selling event, celebs spotted digging vintage records: Thousands of record enthusiasts, vinyl aficionados, and music lovers visited the One Stop Record Fair at Estancia Mall in Pasig in February, with celebrities spotted joining the event hosted by Collectors Con. The event featured 25 record sellers offering discounted vinyl pieces, rare OPM CDs, music-themed t-shirts, and audio gear to visitors. “Filipinos love a good bargain. Music enthusiasts go crazy for discounted quality vinyl records. There is a sense of anticipation to get first dibs on rare items and we are happy that we were able to provide a good time to our visitors and our merchants,” Collectors Con Lead Sari Osorio said. …Music filled the entire place with DJ sets and rock bands from morning until evening, setting the mood for all music lovers. Upcoming artist Liza Uraning of DB Brothers rocked the scene when she sang the cover of Alanis Morissette’s “You Oughta Know.”
Nashville, TN | Worker Who Dropped Lunch at Pressing Plant Inadvertently Creates Limited Edition Egg Salad-Swirl Vinyl Variant: Local vinyl pressing plant employee John Rolland pressed a limited-edition “egg salad vinyl” version of Last Ritual’s debut LP after dropping his lunch into the machinery, several hungry sources report. “Once chow time hit, I decided to go above and beyond and run the press while I huffed down my lunch to make up for lost time after being on the can for 25 minutes,” vinyl press operator John Rolland said. “When I went to take the first bite of my delicious egg salad sandwich, I looked down and realized I was holding two pieces of rye bread while the rest of my lunch splattered all over the wax. Times are tough, so I decided not to throw out the material, and if you ask me, I think it looks pretty badass. I’m super hungry now, though, and hoping my boss doesn’t ride my ass about sound quality.”
Ringo Starr Reissuing 1981 Favorite On Vinyl For Record Store Day: Ringo Starr is reissuing his star-studded 1981 Stop And Smell The Roses collection on April 22nd for Record Store Day. The album, which was his first release following John Lennon’s 1980 murder, featured contributions from Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, Stephen Stills, Al Kooper, and Harry Nilsson, among others. The new double-vinyl package will feature the six bonus tracks featured on the CD release and is pressed with a “lava lamp effect clear red/white & 2nd Lava lamp effect on clear red/pink color vinyl.” During his 1981 chat with Tom Snyder, Ringo admitted that recording an album piecemeal over the course of a year was unlike anything he had ever undertaken before: “With this, because we had George, who mainly stays in England, and Paul, who lives in England, but is willing to travel; we worked in France with Paul. And Stephen Stills is here but he likes to be in Hawaii. And Ronnie Wood — you might was well get them all in (laughs) right now.”
