Despite the entire music industry taking a massive nose dive from 2019-2020, regarding employment numbers dropping 35% and the industry’s overall contribution to the economy also dropping a staggering 46% (that’s a loss of about £2.7bn), this year marks the 14th consecutive year for growth in vinyl sales in the UK. For the first time since 1991 vinyl sales have crossed the 5 million units mark; thanks to massive sales from Ed Sheeran, Adele, and most notably of all ABBA. Around 23% of all vinyl records sold in the UK this year were copies of the group’s 10th number 1 studio album, and their first output in over 40 years, Voyager.
Back in November, you may remember the apparent ‘vinyl shortage’ the world was experiencing. Many attributed this to Adele and her monster of a success that was 30, but as exciting as it sounds blaming a single British artist for a worldwide shortage… it’s probably quite unlikely. 500,000 copies of the album were ordered for release, and that only accounts for about 0.3% of records pressed this year. It seems far more likely that the cause of the disruption was simply a combination of Covid restrictions, supply-chain issues and labour shortages. Materials, production power, and transportation all took a big hit right at the same time. The vinyl issue didn’t even register on the scale that is Adele’s recording-breaking album release.
On the opposite end of the scale, however, CD sales continue to decline. The CD renaissance is yet to hit the general public after sales drop to just 14 million; the lowest figure since 1988. It’s not all doom and gloom though, (unless you insist on consuming music like it’s 1997) because the CD drop off is showing signs of plateauing. Sales only dropped 12% from 2020, which seems okay compared to the near 1/3 drop off from 2019-2020.
ABBA’s success can reasonably be attributed to its massive pre-order campaign, as well as the general predictability of the British populous. 29,891 vinyl copies were shifted in the first week after a pre-order of the album allowed you to access pre-sale codes for the group’s upcoming virtual tour next year. The trick worked though, according to the official charts; the album became the fastest-selling record of the century.
And to round out all the good news, in case you’re interested, cassette tape sales also increased this year! Give or take 190,000 tapes were shifted this year, making 2021 the formats most successful year since 1991.
