Vinyl sales in 2021 soared to highest levels in three decades, new report shows

Fleetwood Mac’s classic album ‘Rumours’ and Sam Fender’s new record ‘Seventeen Going Under’ were among the most popular vinyl releases

Vinyl sales were at a new high in 2021 (AFP/Getty)

Vinyl sales continued their upward trend through 2021, as music consumers enjoyed their favourite artists during the pandemic.

An annual report by record labels’ association the BPI, using Official Charts Company data, showed purchases of vinyl LPs accounted for nearly a quarter of album sales in 2021. The figure (23 per cent) marked the highest level of vinyl sales since 1990.

Over 900 titles sold more than 1,000 copies on LP. The album with the biggest first-week sales was Abba’s comeback album Voyage, which was also the fastest-selling album on vinyl this century.

Also popular on vinyl was Amy Winehouse’s Back to Black, which was reissued for National Album Day to mark its 15th anniversary. Other big albums were Fleetwood Mac’s classic Rumours, plus new albums from Adele (30), Sam Fender (Seventeen Going Under), Ed Sheeran (Equals) and Wolf Alice (Blue Weekend).

Geoff Taylor, chief executive of the BPI, Brit Awards and the Mercury Prize, said: “It’s a great time to be a music fan, with wider choice on offer than ever before supported by great value.

“Thanks to record label investment into new music and talent, fans can purchase and collect the music they most love on vinyl, CD and even cassette, whilst also enjoying access to over 70 million songs to stream instantly whenever and how often they want, in turn enabling a new generation of artists to create music and sustain successful careers in a global market.”

The BPI will report its final music consumption figures, including 2021 streaming data, on 4 January 2022.

See The Independent’s 40 favourite albums of 2021 here.