Vinyl sales are up almost 20 percent this year, with albums by Jack White, Kendrick Lamar, and Michael Jackson in the lead
The first half of 2018 was big for music lovers who like their tunes with a side of nostalgia.
Vinyl album sales this year grew 19.2 percent in the U.S. compared to the first six months of 2017, Nielsen Music reported on Friday. There were 7.6 million vinyl albums sold between December 29, 2017, and June 28, a notable increase from last year's 6.4 million during the same time period. The rise fits into a recent pattern — 2017's vinyl sales were a 9 percent increase from the year before, the 12th straight year of growing sales.
So what albums are people buying on vinyl? It's an eclectic mix. Jack White's Boarding House Reach is in the lead, selling 37,000 albums this year. The second most popular album this year has been Kendrick Lamar's DAMN, which has sold 30,000. Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 took a surprising third place after fans lauded the superhero film's soundtrack.
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Other top sellers included Michael Jackson's Thriller, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, and albums by Panic! at the Disco, Justin Timberlake, Prince and the Revolution, Amy Winehouse, and The Beatles. Since Nielsen Music began tracking vinyl sales in 1991, The Hollywood Reporter writes, 2018 has been the biggest year on record — no pun intended.
