Majority Of Illinois Music Fans Are Embracing Vinyl Revolution

The vinyl revolution just proves to Illinois music fans and collectors to never say never because there's always a chance.

Vinyl Collecting Is Huge With Illinois Music Fans

Thanks to my dad and uncle, I got into music really early in my life. They were going to concerts and buying new albums when I was a kid. There were always tunes playing in our house and also in the car. It had a huge impact on me.

READ MORE: 5 Record Stores Loved By Illinois And Wisconsin Music Collectors

Then I started getting into my own bands. I would save the money from my newspaper delivery route to buy albums. Back in those days, vinyl was king. That's when I started my collection which continues to grow still today.

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Other formats came along like cassettes, 8-tracks, and CDs. I kept buying vinyl as long as I could but it was basically wiped out by the compact discs. I hopped on that bandwagon but I always kept my records and turntable.

Then digital music and streaming services came along. I appreciate the convenience and ease but I was never a big fan of the sound. Unfortunately, the online tunes took over the world and physical media started going away.

It's the perfect example of never say never. A couple of years ago, physical media especially vinyl started to make a comeback in states like Illinois. Record stores have popped up all over the state. Records went from being a dead format to selling over $1 billion worth of products last year.

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Here's the really cool thing. Geeky music fans like myself have always been interested in collecting vinyl. We were the weird dudes you'd see at the record stores. Nowadays, it's a pop culture thing. The collectors are all demographics, ages, and lifestyles. The music being purchased on vinyl is all genres. I'm so happy the younger generation now appreciates it too.