12 for 12 - Episode 4: Reckless Records
Today, vinyl records sales are growing faster than downloads and streaming. According to data by
Nielsen Soundscan, more than 9.2 million vinyl records were sold in the
U.S. last year — an astonishing 52% increase over the year before.
The Wall Street Journal also reports that the vinyl sales are the highest since
Soundscan started tracking them back in
1991. Even more startling are the figures that show a decline of digital downloads.
So, what’s behind this resurgence of vinyl—especially here in
Chicago—where, according to Nielsen, it accounts for over 9 percent new vinyl sales in the entire country?
This month we head to the
Wicker Park headquarters of Chicago’s largest record store,
Reckless Records, to answer this question and find out how they’ve thrived by keeping the “record” in
...