UK | The top 10 biggest-selling records of 2023, revealed: Vinyl sales in the UK were at their highest since 1990, with a number of new releases making the top 10. Taylor Swift and The Rolling Stones helped to boost UK vinyl sales to their highest level since 1990, as fans continue to enjoy music in physical formats. The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) trade group reports that vinyl sales in 2023 rose by 11.7 per cent to 5.9 million units, marking an increase for the 16th consecutive year. The format has enjoyed an ongoing surge in popularity, thanks to fans who believe that vinyl offers better sound quality over streaming, while also appreciating the collectible nature of LP records. Compared to previous years, which have been dominated by or split evenly with classic records, 2023’s top 10 was full of new releases. However, classic albums such as Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours and Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon (Live at Wembley 1974) also continued to perform well.
Kent, UK | Kent vinyl stores say sales are continuing to rise year on year as the UK industry sees demand reach highest level since 1990: Bosses of vinyl shops across the county say they have seen their “best year yet” as sales hit their highest level since 1990. The country has seen an 11.7% rise in purchases – around 5.9 million units – this year, according to an analysis of the Official Charts data by the music association British Phonographic Industry (BPI). …Last week, more than a quarter of a million albums were sold making it the highest sales week for the format this century. And businesses in Kent have benefited from the boom in the industry, with the owner of Medway Record Centre, Phillip Jessop, explaining “sales have gone up dramatically over the last eight years.” Phillip, who has run the store in Canterbury Street, Gillingham, for almost three decades, said: “It is here to stay. I think people want to own a product and have the item in their hands. “They want to hold the item and put it on the decks. It is about owning something.”
Cleveland, OH | Loop Coffee Shop and Record Store in Tremont Is Closed After 14 Years: The West 11th Street cafe known for supporting local art announced the closure today on Facebook. After 14 years in business, Loop Tremont is closing its doors for good. The Tremont coffee shop announced it will no longer carry on in a Facebook post today. Dec. 27 was its final day of operation. “It’s been a good run Tremont. It is with mixed emotions that we announce our closure after 14 years of serving our customers, friends, and neighbors,” the statement said. “We want to express our deepest gratitude for our customers and employees over the years. “The decision to close was not an easy one, but it’s time for some new adventures. With heartfelt appreciation, LOOP.” Loop specialized in coffee that was roasted in-house and also had the uniqueness of doubling as a record store.
Wolverhampton, UK | ‘Very sad’: Wolverhampton city centre record store shuts due to fall-off in trade: An independent record shop in Wolverhampton city centre has ceased trading. Saturday, December 23 was the final day of official trading at Stay Loose Records in Farmers Fold, off Victoria Street. Owner Ian Davies, who opened the shop specialising in vinyl in 2018, said that it was “soul-destroying” to have had to close the business. “It is very sad after being here for five-and-a-half years and getting through Covid,” said 46-year-old Mr Davies, who is also a DJ and performed at last weekend’s Blast Off reunion at the Civic at The Halls. “Footfall has been really down and the city has gone really quiet since Covid, and the roadworks in Victoria Street have really changed things. “There have been fewer people coming past since it was pedestrianised and there are no longer bus stops nearby. “It has just been so quiet I couldn’t afford to keep going,” he added.
Hobart, AU | Iconic Hobart record store Music Without Frontiers continues on under DarkLab: The music will continue to play at one and Hobart’s longest-standing record stores, thanks to DarkLab (the team behind Dark Mofo) stepping in to keep it open. Music Without Frontiers on Liverpool Street has been much loved by musical enthusiasts for decades and now, under DarkLab’s In The Hanging Garden precinct, they’ll be able to connect, buy and sell vinyl and CDs into the future. The store’s founder, Stefan Markovitch, devoted five decades to Hobart’s music culture before he passed away a couple of months ago. “Stefan was so passionate about music and enjoyed the enduring bonds of friendship that he had made within the recording industry, including with customers, musicians, and suppliers,” his wife Jenny Markovitch said. “He was overjoyed knowing that DarkLab had decided to continue the store’s future operation as part of In The Hanging Garden.”
Soho, UK | ‘Big players are good for Soho’s independent record shops.’ “Big players” like HMV are good for independent sellers, according to a creative who has hopes of a brighter future for Soho’s record shops. Artist Joel Peter Levack, who created the vinyl album art for The Kooks’ Junk of the Heart, is positive about the return of HMV to Oxford Street. Between 1946 and 1996, there were more than 170 record stores in neighbouring Soho, according to the British Record Shop Archive and Museum of Soho. Now there are seven. “Opening a shop that competes with online sales is really important,” 43-year-old Mr Levack says. “I think the big players are good for independents.” The flagship London branch of HMV at 363 Oxford Street reopened on 24 November, four years after it shut when the company went into administration. Owner Doug Putman says he wants the century-old chain to once more become a “mainstay on the UK High Street.”
Regina, CA | ‘They’re vital’: Vinyl collectors rejoice after reopening of Regina’s X-Ray Records: Record enthusiasts are excited for the return of a beloved vinyl shop in Regina. Kent Roberts is thrilled to again be thumbing through albums at X-Ray Records. “It was a big loss to the community for – I don’t know, was it two or three months – while it was closed and you really noticed because you don’t get this anywhere else,” Roberts told CTV News. Regina’s only store dedicated to new vinyl closed in June following the death of its beloved owner Dave Kuzenko. X-Ray Records had been in business since 1987. Store employee Noah Biegler partnered with his father, Lawrence to take over the business. “We did the close out sales with his daughters so then it was kind of like ‘oh, probably should take it over because everybody wanted for it to keep running,” co-owner Noah Biegler recalled.
Terre Haute, IN | ‘More old-school rock ‘n’ roll stuff.’ Brett Siples, owner of Siples Records, which opens today, said, “I’ve been buying records since I was in middle school when no one was buying records.” He added, “I’ve been wanting to open a record store for a real long time. I started hitting record stores across the country really hard in 2013. … This is all that it is, ever, for me. And Terre Haute needs more music.” Siples Records’ emphasis is on new and used vinyl, which puts him in competition with a couple of other local stores that he enjoys visiting. “I’ve been going to Headstones for a long time,” Siples said. “I haven’t told them, ‘Hey, I’m opening a record store.’ There’s room for everybody and everybody has their own little thing. “Headstones is a head shop, they tend to go towards the hippie side of things. The Local Vinyl is a more eclectic, hipster type of thing. “And you have me, which is more old-school rock ‘n’ roll stuff.”
Detroit, MI | Flames Favorite Record Store: 21 Years of Transforming Lives in Detroit Through Music, Poetry and Inclusivity: In the heart of Midtown, Detroit, sits a store committed to uplifting the lives of Detroiters with disabilities through the power of music and poetry. Flames Favorite Record Store was brought to life 21 years ago by James Carr, a former Child Development Specialist in the city of Detroit. Originally built as a resale shop, Flames Favorites Record Store underwent a pivotal transformation two years into its operation. Recognizing an opportunity to make a substantial impact on the community, Carr redirected the store’s focus toward music, specifically tailored to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities in Detroit. In 2006, Flames Favorite Record Store took a pioneering step by hosting its inaugural Diversity Awareness through Music and Poetry (D.A.M.P) concert. What started with a modest gathering of five attendees has become a much bigger event, drawing more than 200 attendees.
