Back before MP3s, before CDs, even before cassettes, there was the record. The visual and tactile experience as well as listening to the record itself is magical. And many people make the argument that the best way to listen to music, if you are not listening to it live, is to listen to it on vinyl. That magic is the reason we're celebrating Vinyl Record Day on Friday, August 12.
I grew up in the 1980s, and it's hard to say which record we played most—the Footloose soundtrack or the Flashdance soundtrack. They both provided my sister and me with inspiration for endless hours of choreographing dances. (In the mood for the movies now? Check out Footloose and Flashdance.)
My parents, however, would say the album on repeat was 1999 by Prince—with me dancing around singing "Little Red Corvette." (You can see Prince in movies, too.)
Some might have thought it weird to bring a record player to college in the late 1990s, when CDs were everywhere, but that's just what I did, and a new friend showed up at my door with a Marvin Gaye record in hand. Unfortunately, it was also in college that improper storage destroyed my record collection. This destruction, however, hasn't stopped me from carrying my record collection with me each time I move.
Don't let your lack of records or a record player stop you from listening to one on Vinyl Record Day. We have records you can check out, so see if we have a copy of your favorite album.
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