CHARTS IN A SPIN AS YOUNG DISCOVER VINYL THRILL
THE vinyl revival is shaking up the pop charts, with sales propelling new releases and reissues from superstars and indie aspirants into top 10 debuts.
And Australian artists are the big winners in the growing demand from the streaming generation for collectable and tangible LPs.
King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard are the kings of the vinyl charts, with Butterfly 3000, their 18th record in nine years, debuting at No.2 on the ARIA charts last month. They have topped the ARIA vinyl chart six times since it was launched in 2019.
The Avalanches celebrated the highest chart result for their 2000 debut record Since I Left You with the 20th anniversary reissue landing at No.5 last month. Other recent top 10 debuts propelled by the release of vinyl versions was Powderfinger’s One Night Lonely (No.4) and the Nick Cave and Warren Ellis collaboration Carnage, which hit No.2, surpassing its No.40 debut in March from digital and streaming sales.
ARIA reported the 7.3 per cent growth of the Australian recorded music market in 2020 was partly driven by a 32 per cent boost in vinyl sales, worth almost $30m.
Chief executive Annabelle Herd said the boom in portable record players was fostering a love of vinyl among younger fans. “From my teenage daughter’s point of view, it’s about holding a piece of Harry Styles in her arms, to put on the wall, to listen to,” she said.
Melbourne’s Rocksteady Records owner Pat Monaghan said his customers were tribal in their taste, and committed to supporting Victorian artists, particularly those released on independent labels.