UK vinyl sales have their highest weekly total in 30 years thanks to Taylor Swift

01 May 2024, 08:00 | Written by Tyler Damara Kelly

(News)

(Taylor Swift)

The combination of 2024's Record Store Day and the release of Taylor Swift’s The Tortured Poets Department meant vinyl sales last week had their highest weekly total in 30 years, according to analysis by ERA.

Data from the Official Charts Company shows 269,134 vinyl albums and 37,656 vinyl singles were sold in the week of RSD 2024, making a total of 306,791. This is higher than in any week since 1994 when current statistics began. Since then, four of the top ten biggest weeks for vinyl in the past 30 years have come in the past 12 months.

Kim Bayley, CEO of ERA, said it is no coincidence that vinyl should reach another high point in the week of Record Store Day: “Indie record shops were first to realise that the growth of streaming would paradoxically provide an opportunity for the most physical of physical formats, and vinyl has sat at the heart of Record Store Day’s celebration of indie record shop culture since 2008.“

“Taylor Swift has long been a supporter of indie record stores and served as Record Store Day’s global ambassador in 2022,” she added. “Her support has undoubtedly helped drive even more younger fans to indie record shops, helping sustain the stores which are one of the most vibrant elements of the music ecosystem.”

The Tortured Poets Department, Midnights, and 1989 (Taylor's Version) are among the top three performing vinyl albums week of release since 1994.