Vinyl record collecting has been a hobby since the first needle hit those grooves, but today’s college-age generation may be single-handedly helping keep this trend alive and thriving.
Generation Z is now the driving force behind vinyl’s current popularity, says the , the world’s leading industry collective for vinyl. to people born between 1997 and 2021, which includes today’s traditional college students.
But what is the draw to vinyl over more accessible and portable media such as MP3s and streaming services?
“I started collecting vinyl because I saw other people have them, and I loved the aesthetic,” Gavin Barnhouse, a junior accounting major told ɫҹ Today. “Vinyls have a vintage and old feel to music rather than on Spotify or other platforms.”
For others, parents influenced their children into loving vinyl.
“I started collecting vinyls because my parents had this antique record player in our home since I was little,” Sarah Espenschied, a sophomore studio art ceramics major, said. “I always thought there was something so magical about picking out a record and watching it spin while the music plays.”
Alanna Dowdy, a sophomore public relations student, believes social media plays a big part in making vinyl popular.
“Our generation has an infatuation with the past, and finding media from those times feels like our own time capsules. I think social media has contributed to the popularity by showcasing vinyls as a collector’s item rather than actual pieces people listen to,” Dowdy said.
The Vinyl Alliance also notes that young buyers consider vinyl a “luxury pursuit,” meaning Gen Z recognizes the sometimes-high price for this physical media but thinks it’s worth it for the quality and durability. For some, it’s the high price that’s the draw. For others, the alliance notes, the price is driving students to the popular used vinyl market.
In downtown Kent, Last Exit Books and Coffeehouse is one place to find new and used vinyl records.
“I love going there, the people and the atmosphere are cool,” said Alexis Shelatz, a junior interior design major in the School of Architecture and Environmental Design.
Last Exit Books and Coffeehouse offers not only vinyl records but also CDs, DVDs and books. The ɫҹ community is a large part of the audience for the store.
Miranda, a staff member of Last Exit, has seen Gen Z customers engage in buying vinyl. “You can’t replicate the sound of the record. It’s really the sound quality.”
There’s also a certain energy a customer gives off when they enter Last Exit.
“As soon as a customer walks in you can tell who's into records,” she said. "And the ones who are new to it, who think it’s so cool and end up falling in love with them.”
She said that Last Exit tends to see Gen Z buying newer and more popular records, mainly pop, punk, R&B and rap. Occasionally somebody will purchase a metal album, she said.
Students like Espenschied love the vintage aesthetic and treasure older media.
“I love physical media, but I think that today it’s super cool that you can download music onto your phone, so that it’s more accessible,” Espenschied said. “Physical media like vinyls and CDs add a novelty that a lot of us never experienced growing up that makes music more intentional to experience.”