When people think of the term “record”, they generally think of it as another term for an album or CD. Well, don’t be deceived, because the term actually refers to vinyl, which is form of music from back in the day before cds and cassettes.

Vinyl has been around ever since the 1950s when Ewing Dunbar Nunn invented it; it is now making its comeback. More and more young people like myself are discovering the pure sound that comes from vinyl.

We live in a digital age where the thought of listening to music on anything other than our phone or computer is bizarre. Listening to music through a phone isn’t even close to the experience one gets from listening to vinyl. There’s just something oddly satisfying and relaxing about watching the record go round and round as the needle hits the grooves.

Many people are getting back into vinyl because they miss hearing the songs they grew up with. According to statista.com, Vinyl sales in the U.S went from 1 million in 2007 to a record 11.9 million in 2015. This is mostly due to the fact that vinyl is the easiest way to find music as far back as the 1950’s.

People of the younger generation are discovering that vinyl is the way to go.

“Listening to vinyl is a totally different experience than listening to a song a on a phone, it sounds real. When you put songs into an MP3 file it can get distorted and lose depth, unlike vinyl,” says senior Kendall Barachy.

It’s possible to time travel through the decades with vinyl as it provides us with music from decades we weren’t even alive in. Junior Bailey Brown describes her experience with vinyl as being timeless: “Every time I play a record it kind of takes me back in time. I have a Sam Cooke album and each time I drop the needle it brings me back to the 60s.”

If you’re looking to get into vinyl, a good start would be asking your parents if they still have their old record player. If not, some of the higher quality players that are reasonably priced are Audio Technica, Electrohome, and Jensen. Despite how popular they are, Crosley’s are actually one of the cheapest made players out there, so if you want quality sound I don’t recommend buying one of these. Other great stores to find both old and new records are The Exclusive Company or Half Price Books.

Vinyl is something that has been appreciated since the 1950’s and as it’s on the rise I believe people will discover the pure and timeless sound of it. It can bring back memories and bring people together at the same time. So next time you listen to music on your phone, imagine how it would sound on vinyl instead.