The sign that vinyl’s really back ... Tesco is selling LPs again

THE nation has rekindled its love affair with the hiss and crackle of music as it should be heard – on vinyl.

Tesco is reintroducing ‘real’ records to its stores, with 20 albums on sale including new releases and classic collections.

Included in the range is the new Coldplay album released yesterday, and the latest George Ezra and David Gilmour albums. Older albums include Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The USA, Bob Marley’s Greatest Hits, The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper, the Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers, and Elvis Presley – 30 Number One hits. The 20 LPs range in price from £12 to £20.

Vinyl records are enjoying a remarkable comeback despite the rise of digital downloads and streaming services from the likes of Spotify and Apple. Fans enjoy the option of buying a product they can hold and touch, together with all the artwork and sleeve notes, and see the hiss and crackle of a real record as a positive. Vinyl albums have bucked the downward sales trend of other music formats in the past year – CDs fell by 6.5 per cent and downloads dropped by nearly 9 per cent.

Just as records are making a comeback so retailers, including Tesco and John Lewis, are seeing a rise in demand for turntables and speakers.

Tesco said the move was significant because in the past few years the vinyl album revival has been gaining momentum, with sales up by more than 50 per cent in 2014.

The decision to run the trial to bring back records follows a decision to sell the latest Iron Maiden album on vinyl in the summer. Tesco music buyer Michael Mulligan said: ‘Our trial selling vinyl this summer was a real success with all our stock selling out and this really proved to us just how popular the vinyl album format is again with music fans.

‘ Vinyl is definitely coming back with demand growing stronger year by year and we think there will be a big demand this Christmas as music fans look for trendy gift options. We have brought in vinyl albums for everyone, from new releases for established collectors to absolute classics for younger fans and for mums and dads who might have worn out their original copies the first time round.’

After bottoming out at just over 205,000 vinyl albums in 2007, UK sales have grown every year since and in 2014 reached almost 1.3million, the highest annual total since 1995.

Tesco began selling record decks last Christmas and demand has been so strong that it now stocks 12 models, ranging in price from £40 to £140. John Lewis listed record players among its products of the year.