In an unprecedented twist of fate, or perhaps a cosmic joke on millennials, vinyl charts today look suspiciously similar to those from the ’60s. It seems humanity’s greatest leap forward was not, in fact, landing on the moon but inventing the smartphone – because everything else is on rewind. As the Beatles single “Now and Then” and The Rolling Stones album “Hackney Diamonds” are topping the charts, they’re once again battling for the top spot on music charts, prompting many to ask: did we ever leave the ’60s, or is this just a very elaborate themed party?
Astrophysicists at NASA’s lesser-known Department of Anachronistic Events are reportedly baffled, huddling over record players trying to determine if the needle drop creates a mini wormhole to the past. “It’s either that or fashion trends are really out of ideas,” stated one scientist who preferred to remain anonymous, lest they receive another tie-dye shirt for Christmas.
Meanwhile, digital natives are encountering vinyl for the first time and are marveling at the “vintage Spotify discs.” One bright-eyed Gen Zer, upon seeing a turntable, was overheard exclaiming, “Wow, so this is like, analog streaming?” Boomers, on the flip side, are smirking into their herbal tea, their “I told you so” barely audible over the scratchy sounds of ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.’
In a series of interviews with twenty-somethings at a local Brooklyn coffee shop that doubles as a record store/barber shop (because of course it does), many expressed their newfound love for vinyl. “There’s just something so real about it, you know?” said one patron, carefully adjusting his non-prescription glasses. “It’s like, the music is in HD or something.”
But it’s not just the young discovering the joys of the past; tech companies are now reportedly racing to develop the next big thing: the “iTurntable,” complete with Bluetooth and social media sharing capabilities. “Imagine being able to tweet your record flips,” said an excited tech blogger, already speculating about the inevitable ‘vintage filter’ to make new records sound old.
As the world turns, and turns back again, one can’t help but wonder if progress is a flat circle, much like the records themselves. And as vinyl continues its triumphant resurgence, one thing becomes abundantly clear: the more things change, the more The Beatles and The Rolling Stones stay on top. It seems some revolutions never go out of style.