In 2022, vinyl records surpassed CDs as the best-selling music physical format. This is the first time it has happened since 1987. Why the sudden shift? Why did a medium that was kept around mostly because of nostalgia and novelty now take back its place at the top? Invented in 1948, vinyl records became the definitive way of listening to music in just a couple of years and stayed that way for decades. With the invention of cassette tapes, they gradually became less and less popular. Cassettes were just smaller and more convenient, which contributed to their popularity. Vinyl stayed around but the glory days were long gone. With the invention of the internet, then streaming, physical media in general took a backseat for a long time. A few enthusiasts and audiophiles still preferred the warm sound of the vinyl to the alternatives. This community kept the medium alive and even somewhat directly caused the vinyl revival. The bigger cover art that you can display at your home, the joy of going to a record store to talk about music and hunting rare second-hand vinyl records as a hobby all contributed to the recent comeback. They are still less popular than streaming but are widely considered to be the most involved and interesting way of listening to music. Join our YouTube channel by clicking here: https://bit.ly/3asNo2n Find us on Instagram: https://bit.ly/3PM21xW Find us on Facebook: https://bit.ly/3t2Huvb Find us on Twitter: https://bit.ly/3wQfXzA Find us on TikTok: https://bit.ly/3wNsBOu Get the latest stories: https://interestingengineering.com/ Support IE for high-quality journalism: https://interestingengineering.com/subscribe