Senior Nia Rodriguez described the experience of unwrapping records and seeing the discs inside and she used the words “personal” and “special to describe the record shopping experience.

Vinyl is tangible. And the experience of buying it definitely plays a vital role in its popularity.

“I personally like being able to hold my favorite albums. It feels more personal. Digital music is cool for easy access, but there are also people who like to enjoy their music on a more personal level,”  Rodriguez said.

Vinyl records took the world by storm and were the most popular until the late 1980s, but did vinyl really die in the 1990s like some say?

The answer to that question is no. Since the decline of record sales in the 1990s, vinyl records have made a major comeback.

In an era of digital music, vinyl records seem to be gaining more and more popularity.

Vanessa Goldberg, a manager of the Nevermind Shop in Upton, Massachusetts described the increase in sales and popularity of vinyl records.

“More young people have been getting into vinyl. I have seen lots of high school students and even middle school students getting into vinyl. We added a whole ‘Gen Z’ section with newer artists like Billie Eilish for the younger people to choose from”, Goldberg said.

The shop sells other merchandise besides vinyl such as shirts, cassette tapes, posters, and CDs, but vinyl records still remain the most popular, especially with the younger customers she describes.

The experience of vinyl selling and purchasing is one thing, but the production experience is a whole different story.

There are many intricate aspects that go into creating and releasing vinyl.

Sound Performance USA is a record-pressing company that originated 25 years ago in London, but they have been open in a New York location for the past 10 years.

Arthur Nalis, an employee at Sound Performance described his experience of overseeing productions, company tours, timelines, and product release dates.

“Any pressing plant has all these jobs going through their company, and many different departments have to work together to get the products through”.

The production, popularity, and sales of vinyl have changed dramatically over the past few decades. The popularity may have gone away for a little while.

Yet vinyl is making its way back, as the younger generations begin to appreciate the art form and sound quality that comes with vinyl.