A type of renaissance appears to be happening, influencing the pop culture of today, particularly in the musical realm of things. Not only has the sound of recent albums been nostalgic, the physical form music lovers prefer is also taking a step back to the days of vinyl records and cassette tapes.

Though record sales are inching their way up the charts as digital and compact disc sales sink lower, vinyl still has quite a way to go before even breaking even on unit sales. Even then, there is a noticeable change in pop culture’s music taste. Numerically speaking, vinyl sales grew about 52 percent to over a million unit sales in 2014, the highest since 1996. Just as vinyl saw its high, that same year digital albums saw a 9.2 percent decrease in sales. Digital albums sales still soar over vinyl sales by the millions, but this shift has been noted.

As a result, music artists have begun marketing their albums on vinyl again, and that’s drawn in a new crowd, those raised in the digital age. Senior Cody Anderson stands behind this revival

“More bands are making vinyls of their music and people are liking the sound and the feel,” Anderson said.

Vinyl became obsolete due to their immobility and impracticality, but it’s the sound and the idea of owning a tangible piece of music that lured new buyers in.

“It’s nice to have physical medians of music versus just digital,” Anderson said.

Many others, including myself, agree with this statement. Even with the personal attachment that comes along with owning records, many vinyl owners are met with criticism about the price and impracticalities.

“Vinyl are a thing you collect over time, I think it’s worth the price if you’re willing to put in the effort of maintaining it,” Anderson said. “It’s just like collecting anything else—you grow a liking for it, even if it seems kind of impractical in the beginning.”