UK Vinyl sales surpass one million for the first time since 1996

In a time when almost every other industry story is about the waning of physical sales or the the crumbling of a machine resistant to modernisation, it's fascinating to see a 'vintage' format totally bucking that trend, going from strength to strength to strength. No longer a niche item for collectors or fuddy-duddies in the stone age, vinyl's a real commodity once more.

This healthy digit has been helped by the efforts of Urban Outfitters, Record Store Day, Jack White and Pink Floyd.

Pink Floyd’s latest LP The Endless River has been named the fastest-selling vinyl release this century (the highest since 1997), shifting 6000 copies in its first week. However, that still isn't challenging the biggest-selling vinyl album of the year: Arctic Monkeys’ AM (it actually came out in 2013).

According to Martin Talbot (Chief exec of the Official Chart Company), speaking during BBC Radio 5 live's Wake Up To Money, the vinyl industry alone is now worth approximately £20 million per year.

“In an era when we’re all talking about digital music, the fact that these beautiful physical artefacts are still as popular as they are is fantastic,” he said. ”Only five years ago this business was worth around £3m a year. This year it’s going to be worth £20m.”

The OCC is also set to open up an exclusively vinyl weekly chart in the near future.

Via BBC