The Rapid Renaissance Of Vinyl - All Thanks To Dance
by Isaac Marshall
Read Time: 4 mins
As with any trend, vinyl has always ebbed and flowed in popularity. In 1978, Vinyl sales were at their peak at 107.3 million units sold that year, doubling since 1970. As CDs came in vinyl started to dwindle, with the previous peak in the UK at 24.7 million in 1990. That's all changed this year, with the UK experiencing their 18th consecutive year of growth. And we think a lot of that can be attributed to our beloved dance music scene.
In 2024, the vinyl market grew by 10.5% to 6.7 million units sold at £196 million pounds, truly mind-blowing figures. That's then grown further in 2025 to 7.6 million units sold, and a 13.3% year-on-year increase, a truly staggering amount. Many older folk have been asking: why? Didn't Spotify change the game? But those involved in dance music know the truth.
I first noticed people getting into vinyl with Indie Rock - when Fontaines DC dropped Skinty Fia and The 1975 were re-emerging into the spotlight, it felt like every other person I knew was getting a vinyl player. They all cited a higher sound quality and the experience as to why they got involved, but as someone who was listening to garage and bassline, I didn't see the appeal.
When I got to university, that all changed. In Nottingham, friends of mine are frequenting FAC, browsing the £1 bin and spinning it at SwingDash, and I was astounded. The technical prowess was incredible – while I don't believe in the argument that "you're not a real DJ if you don't play vinyl" – and I couldn't help but catch the bug.
This revival in dance music has been truly pioneered by the garage scene, with artists such as Dr Banana, The Ghost and Interplanetary Criminal championing the trend of "crate-digging", which is what helped the average raver get involved in vinyl, accounting for 41.2% of all over-the-counter sales in the UK. And they were all right in what they've said: the joy and satisfaction from spending some time in a record shop and flicking through until you find a few tracks that get you grooving is truly infectious.
N4tee, a friend of Transistor and a star fast on the rise in garage, has an incredible crate-digging series on his socials where he goes through his own collection, which is great for exposing people who are just getting into garage or dance music as a whole. Certainly on my TikTok feed, there's a plethora of examples of crate-digging content from deep house to techno being put out there, so there's undoubtedly something for everyone to further your knowledge and expose you to music you may have otherwise never found – which is the true beauty behind vinyl and crate digging.
I also view it as a sign of recognition for the roots. Vinyl is where the music we love all started, and it's quite a respectful homage for the modern raver to acknowledge that and appreciate what these records from the 90s have given us which we enjoy so greatly today.
This new wave of vinyl is being championed by labels such as EC2A, Hardline and Dr Banana just to name a few, who carry on the tradition of printing records to keep that media fresh and relevant, ensuring vinyl will be here for many years to come. In another thirty years, my kids may turn round to me and pull out Drum Workouts-06 from Hardline, the TENTEN01 from EC2A, or DRB24, transporting me back to 2026 the way older ravers now may be taken back to the 90s. A truly magic phenomenon, and long may it continue.
Sources: Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, DJ Mag, Music Week