CDs Bounce Back

Leave it to the constant march of time to give CDs a nostalgic resurgence. News out of Pitchfork, like it's 1999, shows that 2021 was the first time CD's have increased in sales in 17 years. Madison Bloom has the scoop:

The top-10 CD sales list also includes Taylor Swift’s Evermore (213,000 units sold), BTS’ Map of the Soul: 7 (210,000) and Be (187,000), Olivia Rodrigo’s Sour (195,000), and others. 2021 marked the first year that CD sales saw a gain since 2004, when revenue from the format was exponentially higher than it is today.

Last month, vinyl saw its biggest sales week since at least 1991, with roughly 2.11 million vinyl albums sold. Adele’s 30 was also the best-selling vinyl album of the year.

Madison Bloom at Pitchfork

It's no surprise Adele and Taylor Swift lead the charge. They're the biggest artists out there, but what gets me is the fact that people are buying so many of these on a physical format. It's been known for a while that records have made a big comeback, but to see CDs now on the uptake is interesting. They're a great format and never wore out. That feature plus the ability to skip instantly to a track and the portability of them made CDs one of the best formats out there. Could 2022 lead to even more CD sales? It will be interesting to see where it goes.