This year already proved to be a huge year for vinyl record sales. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), vinyls generated $467 million in the United States by mid-2021, more than doubling the $207 million that was made at that point in 2020. The success of vinyl records this year can be credited to projects like Adele’s 30, Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour, Billie Eilish’s Happier Than Ever, Taylor Swift’s Evermore, and more. In fact, 30 recently edged out Evermore to become the best-selling vinyl album of 2021. With just a few days left in the year, vinyls have crossed a mark previously untouched in the last 30 years.
According to Billboard, in the week ending on December 23, 2.11 million vinyl records were sold making it the largest sales week for vinyls since MRC Data began tracking music sales back in 1991. It’s also the first time that vinyl sales have surpassed the 2 million mark in the MRC Data era. It’s a 45% increase from the week prior (1.46 million), which suggests that the spike was caused by the Christmas holiday. In fact, the previous high was set on December 24, 2020 with 1.84 million vinyls being sold. Adele’s 30 was the top-selling album of the week as it moved 59,000 copies.
Furthermore, the week ending on December 23 was the sixth consecutive week that vinyl sales surpassed the one million mark. This past week, vinyl records also accounted for 50% of all albums and 57% of all physical albums that were sold in the United States.