Although vinyl was popular in the 1980s, its resurgence is due to the millennial and Gen Z population rather than the adults who lived through that particular time period.
Once a novelty, vinyl records give listeners a personal connection to music in a field dominated by deceptive advertising techniques and cheap tricks. Not to mention that, for some, it’s not just about the music itself, but the memories attached to them.
“I like records because they make me feel nostalgic. They remind me of when I spent time with my grandparents when I was younger,” said Jensen Puckett, fellow Long Beach State student and vinyl owner.
Puckett also states that it allows her to focus more on the music as a whole. Not to mention the aesthetic of the records is just as appealing to her as the sound.
Puckett thinks it’s great younger people are discovering artists from past decades, as her parents have always exposed her and her siblings to older music.
With that, some of Puckett’s favorite artists happen to be The Wallflowers, James Blunt, The Backseat Lovers and The Lumineers.
Mia Villalobos, another student who owns vinyl, possesses a similar mindset.
“It’s interesting how a simple interest in records can pique someone’s interest in music from different generations as well as different genres,” Villalobos said.
Being so passionate about music, Villalobos’ favorite artists consist of Omar Apollo, Thee Sacred Souls, Amy Winehouse, Hozier, Santana, Måneskin, Bad Bunny and Pink Sweat$.
In terms of why they love vinyl so much, Villalobos touched on the history behind the records themselves.
“It became really interesting to me how something as simple as a piece of plastic can change the way people experience music. But I’ve also always been heavily influenced and exposed to 1970s and ‘80s culture and music because of family,” Villalobos said.
When it came to buying vinyl, there was excitement that came from the idea of it being something their family used to use. Nothing compared to how liberating it was to actually hear the music and how it sounded using different mediums.
Five years ago, the local record store Record Box in Long Beach started off as a renovated FedEx truck.
Within the substantial time the shop has been open, owner Jose Jurado has noticed there is no specific group of people they cater to.
“Our main demographic is really wide. Teenagers to retirees come into the store to discover something they haven’t heard or re-discover something from their past. Music serves as a memory and can take you back to when you first heard a song,” Jurado said.
Not to mention, at $2 per vinyl in particular selections, it gives the younger audience and many others an opportunity to satisfy their experience affordably.
Altogether, the running theme here would be the connection of songs to personal memories. That is likely why the younger generation has taken up an interest in the different physical mediums of listening to music.