V I N Y L LONG, LIVE Carmichael Funeral Homes

So what’s the real secret to the resurgence of vinyl? Some say it’s the unique, warm sound quality while others believe Long Plays, or LPs, are just a trend or an aesthetic picked up by the younger generations. Vinyl enthusiasts, however, say records are the whole package — an experience incomparable to any other playback device.

Marietta Book Nook The Cobb Vinyl Haven

Nestled on a corner of Roswell Road in east Cobb resides a local used bookstore, Book Nook, that fosters thousands of vintage comics, cartoons, graphic novels and music. The store has been a staple of Marietta’s used book market since 1973 and also boasts a hefty collection of second hand vinyl. Book Nook store manager and Cobb native Alexa Dunford said every used record has a unique story, but all share one thing in common.

“We really value the treasure hunt,” Alexa said. “We don’t have a consistent inventory and we don’t order from a record distributor, so therefore our record collection is a direct reflection of the Cobb County community and their taste in music.”

The Cobb native said she’s been coming to Book Nook since she was a girl, for over 20 years and took over the store’s management in November this year.

“In a world where everything is fast and we can be so quick with our choices, having a vinyl record and a turntable… is kind of a testament to people’s desire for meaningful music,” Alexa said. “The intentionality and reverence with which you treat a record is what makes it so special.”

Book Nook’s resident vinyl specialist Tyler Rush said the resurgence of vinyl can be credited to a growing interest in vintage memorabilia.

“I think this wave of nostalgia that’s happened over the last decade brought awareness back to the vinyl format,” Tyler said. “As a result, records became trendy and got a lot of people into it even if they weren’t initially doing it because of the sound difference.”

Sweet Melissa The Record Capital Of Marietta

Sweet Melissa Records, an eclectic vinyl store in the Marietta Square, sells a unique assortment of records and antiques. Step into the store and customers are greeted by a nostalgic, antique aroma and a plethora of treasures frozen in time. Aside from the bountiful mix of past relics like refurbished typewriters, rotary telephones, vintage cartoon books, random collectors’ items and old-school cameras, guests can peel through the collection of over 15,000 new and used records packed in the building.

Jim and Melissa Kumpe, founders and owners of Sweet Melissa Records, are seasoned vinyl aficionados. Jim said Sweet Melissa began as an offshoot of Antiques on the Square which opened in 1986. But when the antique joint started selling vinyl in the early 2000s, Sweet Melissa Records was born.

Melissa and Jim have witnessed the unique trend of record sales throughout the years and say there are numerous reasons for the resurgence of vinyl.

“We’re very fortunate that we have a lot of people who are interested in getting a little deeper into music,” Jim said.

Quality vs. quantity

Jim and Melissa along with Alexa, Tyler and other vinyl enthusiasts say the renaissance of records stems from the discovery or rediscovery of its unique sound quality.

“You lose so much using CDs and streaming devices,” Melissa exclaimed. “There’s so much more instrumentation that occurs in a record.”

“There’s just so much detail and warmth,” Jim added.

The sound of music on a turntable is difficult to describe to those who have never experienced it first-hand.

“The special sound is all of the pops and crackles and I think that’s a big part of what develops the warmness that so many people talk about,” Tyler said.

Many Cobb natives think Sweet Melissa Records is named after The Allman Brothers Band single “Melissa,” but that’s a common misconception. However, the owner and namesake of the record store Melissa Kumpe says, “Well if you like the Allman Brothers, I’ll support that theory.”

Those who find themselves at Sweet Melissa Records will hear a broad mix of music — all that come from Jim and Melissa’s sound system, turntable and personal vinyl collection. The owners also invite all their guests to sit back, relax and enjoy the music by lounging in one of the cozy couches in the back of the store.

Jim said they play records all day and people can instantly hear a difference in the quality of sound on vinyl versus CDs and streaming. He laughed and said, “The easiest way for us [to prove vinyl’s merit] is we just put a record on, let ‘em listen and make up their own decision… most of the time, they can hear a difference.”

Something to hold onto

Vinyl enthusiasts also believe the resurgence of records comes from people’s appreciation of owning a tangible creation — something they can hold onto.

“I think that the reason vinyl started to come back was a backlash on the iPod,” Jim said. “We were putting all this money into this little thing and weren’t getting anything that we could touch or hold.”

And while the MP3 player, IPod and now the IPhone allows for convenience, buying a record appeals to the senses. Rather than simply pushing a button to play a song, vinyl users get an up close look at the intricacy of the cover art, feel the grooves of the record and appreciate the creation along with its complexity.

“And then when the record started coming back, you got something that was big, it takes two hands to hold and you can see where your money’s going,” Jim said.

While millions of people use streaming services to discover music, others turn to vinyl to broaden their music taste.

“I think the biggest reason for the resurgence of vinyl is the tangibility because we don’t feel like we own stuff these days,” Book Nook’s Tyler said. “Whether it’s movies, television shows or any sort of media, it’s all through a streaming platform. There’s nothing really there to represent something you own.”

Jim said those who prefer vinyl over streaming are “a more serious listener. It’s what somebody finds important in their life.”

Brooke Thomason, 22, a senior at Kennesaw State University studying music entertainment, is a seasoned vinyl collector. Thomason along with other vinyl buffs find they share a universal experience when playing a record.

“In today’s age, choosing to listen to vinyl is a very intentional choice,” Brooke said. “I can play ‘Houses of the Holy’ in the snap of a finger on my Bluetooth speaker as loud as I want. But sitting down, placing the vinyl on my record player and positioning the needle is an event, an experience if you will.”

Generation-to-generation love for records

It seems vinyl is no longer stereotyped as a dusty collection of crates in the attic. Instead, the revival of records allows for all generations to share their music taste and bond with others.

Brooke says her fondness for vinyl stems from childhood where she remembers playing records with her father.

“My dad was born in 1959 during the era of rock 'n' roll, and because of this I've always considered myself to be a bit of an old soul,” she said. “Some of my favorite musicians of all time include Led Zeppelin, The Doors and Fleetwood Mac.”

Brooke finds that listening to her favorite artists on vinyl brings her closer to her father while also seeing glimpses of him during his adolescence.

“Listening to these artists on vinyl gives me a new sense of appreciation for the music,” she said. “This was how my dad heard these songs for the first time as a teenager and was what brought all of these legendary artists to the peak of their stardom.”

Similarly, Tyler said his passion for vinyl came from his mother.

“I went digging through her closet one day and found her records. I was like, ‘what is this stuff?’ and she said, ‘well, let me show you.’ I was hooked ever since,” he noted.

Tyler said Prince’s “Purple Rain” and Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” are the two LPs that inspired him to dive into vinyl. After inheriting his mother’s collection, Tyler now owns over 400 records, give or take.

“For a lot of people, sitting down, sharing a record with a friend or family member is a very personal experience,” he said.

A holiday for vinyl lovers

And it seems the cultural phenomenon surrounding the resurgence of vinyl is reaching every corner of the globe.

“One of the events that definitely was most important to the resurgence of vinyl is Record Store Day which has been going on for 15 years now,” Jim said.

Record Store Day is an international vinyl event that takes place annually on one Saturday in April and every Black Friday in November. The event celebrates the unique culture surrounding vinyl and offers limited, exclusive records to independent record stores globally. The Kumpes and Sweet Melissa staff started preparing for this year’s Record Store Day on April 22 last November.

“People get here sometimes at midnight and stay in line to get certain records because there’ll only be like 500 to 20,000 pressed,” Melissa said.

Record Store day is like Christmas for vinyl lovers — except it comes twice a year. The biannual event serves as an opportunity for record owners to add special pieces, both old and new, to their collection.

For this year’s Record Store Day, officials pressed only 9,000 records of the Allman Brothers Band’s Live Album recorded at the Syria Mosque in January 1971 and 1,000 copies of “The Amazing World of Doctor Who.”

Artist influence

Despite common misconceptions, the record market doesn’t just cater to a specific generation. Now, modern day musicians are hopping on the vinyl bandwagon. Taylor Swift, Harry Styles and Olivia Rodrigo, who have incredible influence in popular culture, are releasing vinyl and they’re making tremendous impact.

Taylor Swift’s vinyl edition of album “Evermore” broke the U.S. record for largest vinyl sales in a single week in May 2021, selling 40,000 copies in just two days, according to Billboard. And her recent album “Midnights” seems to be all the rage after selling 500,000 copies in one day last October. While consumers are raving over the music itself, they’re also fascinated by the album’s intricate design — the artwork on four editions of the vinyl album comes together to create a wall clock.

“I keep hearing people say, ‘whether you like Ms. Swift or not, you have got to give her credit for the team she has behind her.’ She is a very talented songwriter and can get the best players in the business to play with her. The pressings are stunning, the artwork is stunning, she really is the total package,” Jim said.

But modern day pop artists aren’t the only musicians triggering big vinyl sales. Jim and Melissa said vinyl demand is booming in every