Breaking Into Records: Vinyl is Back and This is Your Ultimate Guide to Listening the Good Ol’ Fashioned Way
*Article from Lexington Line’s Spring/Summer 2022 Issue, pages 70-73
Check out the full issue here
Let’s set the record straight—listening to vinyl has never gone out of style completely, but it most certainly is making a major comeback. In only one year, vinyl sales doubled, with twice as many units sold in 2021 compared to 2020, and for the first time since 1991, vinyl records are outselling CDs.
Now more than ever, our world needs to take a step back in our music consumption and remember what it’s like to truly listen to an album. Here’s everything you need to know if you’re interested in going analog: a compilation of the best record players for easy listening in spaces big or small and a specially-curated Starter Pack for Vinyl Listeners.
Source: Statista
Finding the Turntable for You
Source: Crosley Radio
This turntable is perfect for easy listening in small spaces. A favorite pick for beginners looking to dip their toe in vinyl, the Cruiser Deluxe is a bestseller and one of the easiest record players to find; Urban Outfitters, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target are a few of the places where you can take advantage of this affordable option.
With three speeds, a built-in Bluetooth receiver, and full range of built-in speakers, this turntable gives you everything you need to branch into vinyl without breaking the bank. Bonus: it is designed to look like a suitcase and comes in a variety of colors and materials, such as mustard-colored velvet, white-washed wood, or even blue denim!
For the aesthetes:
Victrola Cambridge 4-in-1 Farmhouse Turntable
$120 (often on sale for ~$75)
Source: Amazon
If you want a record player that will give excellent sound while adding character to any room, this one's for you. As an elevated version of the Crosley Cruiser, this 4-in-1 turntable from Victrola is a step up for a beginners’ turntable and is designed to look like a vintage record player. As a 4-in-1 machine, it includes a radio-controlled by a vintage-style knob. Additionally, this player comes with built-in Bluetooth. Got your own Soundsystem? This machine comes with an RCA line-out for connecting to external speakers.
For the expert listeners:
Audio-Technica AT-LP60X-BT Fully Automatic Belt-Drive Stereo Turntable
$199
Source: Audio-Technica
This option from Audio-Technica is an elevated—but still affordable—option for more experienced listeners. While this turntable is for people who already have a speaker system, you can also listen with headphones or any device that has Bluetooth connectivity. But don’t be afraid of losing sound quality by using the Bluetooth feature; this turntable works with devices that support aptX codec, which offers superior sound quality using a wireless connection.
Important note: the other turntables mentioned can play records at three speeds, 33 ⅓, 45, and 78 RPM, but this player is only compatible with 33 ⅓ or 45 RPM discs. RPM stands for rotations per minute, and most standard 12-inch vinyl records spin at 33 ⅓ RPM.
The Starter Pack for Vinyl Listeners
If you’ve ever heard a vinyl record, you know listening to an album the good ol’ fashioned way is a very different experience than simply downloading an album on Spotify. All in all, a vinyl record feels like you’re hearing a story come to life with each rotation, and the build-up of this story lies in the dramatic pauses in between—particularly in the interlude between side 1 and side 2. In order to immerse yourself in a vinyl record, you have to be fully present, listening, and ready to flip the disc whenever you hear a pause.
In today’s world, where most skip through 20+ songs to find the one they want to listen to, vinyl gently reminds us that albums were meant to be listened to as an experience from beginning to end. Truly excellent records take advantage of this magic. With this in mind, I pooled together my top 10 vinyl records that everybody needs to have in their collection, each one sharing a story completely different from the next.
Source: Target
Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go?
Genre: Pop
Label: Darkroom/Interscope
Year: 2019
With a perfect mix of upbeat energy and slower cry-in-your-car songs, this is a record you can put on no matter how you’re feeling.
Source: Target
Source: Target
Source: Target
Source: Swaggie Records
Genre: Folk
Label: Island
Year: 1972
The authenticity behind Drake’s gentle voice mixed with the hues of a warm evening envelop you in that sense of serenity we all crave.
Source: ODESZA
Genre: Electronic/Synth-Pop
Label: Counter/Ninja Tune
Year: 2014
This is an excellent album to put on while deep cleaning the house, or especially when you need to get “in the zone” before a night out.
Source: Walmart
The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
Genre: Post-Punk/Alternative Rock
Label: Rough Trade
Year: 1984
I still can’t help myself from singing every word whenever I put it on my turntable.
Source: Amazon
Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book
Genre: Hip-Hop
Label: Self-Released Mixtape
Year: 2016
As the ultimate feel-good record, it is filled with anthems for a top-down summer.
Source: Amazon
The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding
Genre: Rock
Label: Atlantic
Year: 2017
Each song tells a story of its own, with songs like “Pain,” whose catchy chorus was influenced by the Buddhist principle relating to suffering and desire.
Source: Bluescentric
Genre: Jazz
Label: Columbia Records
Year: 1959
Miles’s modal jazz masterpiece might be the most important buy on this list.
63 years later, Miles’s modal jazz masterpiece still sounds like a new idea.
Where to Start Building Your Collection
Your Local Record Store!
In the age of Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube, brick-and-mortar record stores need our business more than ever, and shopping local makes a difference. Record Store Day is a great motivator, as twice a year record stores across the nation put out exclusive, limited edition vinyl records that you can’t get anywhere else. This day attracts music fanatics of all kinds, and many die-hard fans wait outside their record store hours before they open.
Newbury Comics
If you’ve lived in New England before or have walked Newbury Street in Boston, you’ve probably passed by a Newbury Comics storefront once or twice. While this was originally an independent record store, since its founding in 1978, Newbury Comics has expanded across the New England area and now holds 28 stores in 5 different states. For a top-notch selection, shop Newbury Comics in-person or online for all your favorite records in one place.
Rough Trade
Rough Trade NYC is a record store owned by the infamous London-based record label Rough Trade, known for signing some of rock’s best artists like The Smiths and The Strokes. With only one location outside of England, Rough Trade can be found in Rockefeller Plaza after relocating from Brooklyn. It’s both a record label and a store, so you are guaranteed to find an album or new artist you can’t believe you hadn’t discovered earlier. For a perfect Sunday in the city, make the trip to midtown and grab a coffee next door at Café Grumpy before spending the afternoon sifting through Rough Trade’s collection of over 10,000 records.
Barnes & Noble
For an easy way to access your favorite vinyl, most Barnes & Noble locations have a solid vinyl collection, and this is a great option for those who don’t have a local store nearby. As a vinyl-lover, I’m always pleasantly surprised by Barnes and Noble’s selection whenever I walk into one of their stores. Important note: not all the records listed online are sold in stores, so always call your nearest Barnes & Noble to make sure they have the album you’re looking for.
Urban Outfitters
When most people think of Urban Outfitters, they think of cropped sweaters and ripped denim, but this retailer also has a great vinyl selection in all their stores. If you’re a more modern listener and enjoy artists like Billie Eilish and Lana Del Rey, Urban Outfitters will have the record for you. As a store that’s targeted toward Gen Z and millennials, its selection is more restricted to indie-pop, hip-hop, and alt-rock, but every once in a while they’ll throw in a classic album like Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours or even a fan-favorite ‘90s album to satisfy your nostalgia.