Breaking Into Records

Vinyl is Back. Here’s What To Do.

By Scout O’Donnell

Let’s set the record straight—listening to vinyl has never gone completely out of style, but it is making a major comeback. In only one year, vinyl sales doubled, with twice as many units sold in 2021 compared to 2020, and for the first time since 1991, vinyl records are outselling CDs.

Now more than ever, our world needs to take a step back in our music consumption and remember what it’s like to truly listen to an album. Here’s everything you need to know if you’re interested in going analog: a compilation of the best record players for easy listening in spaces big or small and a specially-curated starter pack for vinyl listeners.

Find the right Turntable for You

For the beginners:

Crosley Cruiser Deluxe with Bluetooth

$75

This turntable is perfect for easy listening in small spaces. A favorite pick for beginners looking to dip their toe in vinyl, the Cruiser Deluxe is a bestseller and one of the easiest record players to find. With three speeds, built-in Bluetooth receiver, and full range built-in speakers, this turntable gives you everything you need to branch into vinyl without breaking the bank. Bonus: it is designed to look like a suitcase and comes in a variety of colors and materials, such as mustard-colored velvet, white-washed wood, or even blue denim!

For the aesthetes:

Victrola Cambridge 4-in-1 Farmhouse Turntable

$120 (often on sale for ~$75)

If you want a record player that will give excellent sound while adding character to any room, this one’s for you. As an elevated version of the Crosley Cruiser, this 4-in1 turntable from Victrola is a step up for a beginners’ turntable and designed to look vintage. It includes Bluetooth and a radio controlled by a vintage-style knob. Got your own sound system? This machine comes with an RCA line out for connecting to external speakers.

For the expert listeners:

Audio-Technica AT-LP60X-BT Fully Automatic Belt Drive Stereo Turntable

$199

This option from Audio-Technica is an elevated—but still affordable—option for more experienced listeners. While this turntable is for people who already have a speaker system, you can also listen with headphones or any device that has Bluetooth connectivity. But don’t be afraid of losing sound quality by using the Bluetooth feature; this turntable works with devices that support aptX codec, which offers superior sound quality using a wireless connection. Important note: the other turntables mentioned can play records at three speeds, 33 ⅓, 45, and 78 RPM, but this player is only compatible with 33 ⅓ or 45 RPM discs. RPM stands for rotations per minute, and most standard 12-inch vinyl records spin at 33 ⅓ RPM.

The Starter Pack for Vinyl Listeners

If you’ve ever heard a vinyl record, you know listening to an album the good ol’ fashioned way is very different from simply downloading an album on Spotify. All in all, a vinyl record feels like you’re hearing a story come to life with each rotation, and the build-up of this story lies in the dramatic pauses in between—particularly in the interlude between side 1 and side 2. In order to immerse yourself in a vinyl record, you have to be fully present, listening and ready to flip the disc whenever you hear a pause. In today’s world, where most skip through 20+ songs to find the one they want to listen to, vinyl gently reminds us that albums were meant to be listened to as an experience from beginning to end. Truly excellent records take advantage of this magic. With this in mind, I pooled together my top 10 vinyl records that everybody needs to have in their collection, each one sharing a story completely different from the next.

Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city

Label: TDE/Aftermath/Interscope Genre: Hip-Hop � Year: 2012 The album is visceral and proceeds with the intensity of a novel; it also features some of the best rapping we’ve heard this century. Or ever.

Nick Drake - Pink Moon?

Label: Island Genre: Folk � Year: 1972 Drake’s authentic, gentle voice mixed with the hues of a warm evening envelop you in a sense of serenity.

ODESZA - In Return

Label: Counter/Ninja Tune Genre: Electronic/Synth-Pop � Year: 2014 This is an excellent album to put on while doing everything from deep cleaning the house to getting “in the zone” before a night out.

Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon

Label: Harvest/Capitol Genre: Progressive Rock/Psychedelia � Year: 1973 For an album that touches on myriad subjects like good vs. evil, war, mental health, and corporate greed, the whole listening experience is surprisingly easy.

Miles Davis - Kind of Blue

Label: Columbia Records Genre: Jazz � Year: 1959 Miles’s modal jazz masterpiece might be the most important buy on this list. His genius resounds 63 years later.

Billie Eilish - When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go?

Label: Darkroom/Interscope Genre: Pop � Year: 2019 With a perfect mix of upbeat energy and slower cry-in-your-car songs, you can put this record on no matter how you’re feeling.

Bob Marley - Legend

Label: Island/Tuff Gong Genre: Reggae � Year: 1984 (recorded 1972-1983) Bob Marley can make you feel good, but he also has an unparalleled ability to share deep messages about politics and sociocultural issues in a tone that is approachable but impactful.

The Smiths - The Queen is Dead

Label: Rough Trade Genre: Post-Punk/Alternative Rock � Year: 1984 I still can’t help myself from singing every word whenever I put it on my turntable.

Chance the Rapper - Coloring Book

Label: Self-Released Mixtape Genre: Hip-Hop � Year: 2016 As the ultimate feel-good record, it is filled with anthems for a top-down summer.

The War on Drugs - A Deeper Understanding

Label: Atlantic Genre: Rock � Year: 2017 Each song tells a story of its own, with songs like “Pain,” whose catchy chorus was influenced by the Buddhist principle relating to suffering and desire.

Where to Start Building Your Collection

Your Local Record Store

In the age of Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube, brickand-mortar record stores need our business more than ever, and shopping local makes a difference. Record Store Day is one of the many reasons people love to shop independent music stores—twice a year, record stores across the nation put out exclusive, limited edition vinyl records that you can’t get anywhere else. This day attracts music fanatics of all kinds, and many of the die-hard fans wait outside their record store hours before opening. Even if the next record store day is far away, you can visit recordstoreday.com/stores to locate your closest independent record store.

Newbury Comics

If you’ve lived in New England before or have walked Newbury Street in Boston, you’ve probably passed by a Newbury Comics once or twice. While this was originally an independent record store, since their founding in 1978, Newbury Comics has expanded across the New England area and now holds 28 stores in five different states. For a top-notch selection, shop Newbury Comics in-person or online to find all your favorite records in one place.

Rough Trade

Rough Trade NYC is a record store owned by the well-known London-based record label Rough Trade, known for signing some of rock’s best artists like The Smiths and The Strokes. Rough Trade only has one store outside of England, its new location in Rockefeller Center. As both a record label and a store, you are guaranteed to find an album or new artist you can’t believe you didn’t discover earlier. For a perfect Sunday in the city, make the trip to midtown and grab a coffee next door at Café Grumpy before spending the afternoon sifting through Rough Trade’s collection of over 10,000 records.