2020 saw another surge in vinyl and cassette sales. According to the BPI’s annual UK music consumption report, vinyl performed particularly strongly over the past 12 months despite lockdown. A total of 4.8 million LPs were purchased – a leap of nearly 10% on sales in 2019 and a 13th consecutive year of growth since 2007. Vinyl LPs now account for nearly one in five of all albums purchased (18%) and are at their highest level since the early 90s. Rumours by Fleetwood Mac scored 2020’s biggest sales followed by Oasis’ (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? and Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black.
Meanwhile, cassette sales doubled in 2020 to their highest level since 2003 with around 157,000 tapes purchased. Lady Gaga’s Chromatica shifted the most units. However, streaming now accounts for around four-fifths of our total music consumption.