In fact, several newer artists, including the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Lana Del Rey, have made LPs that have, incidentally, sold over 25,000 copies.
Published: Fri 7 Aug 2015, 11:12 AM
Last updated: Sun 9 Aug 2015, 2:03 PM
It is sad that music has been reduced to digitally produced one-track-minded (pun intended) works of commercialism, but that doesn't mean that good old vinyl records are not in vogue. In fact, several newer artists, including the likes of Arctic Monkeys and Lana Del Rey, have made LPs that have, incidentally, sold over 25,000 copies. There's just something inherently romantic about listening to classic tunes on vinyl, especially with the warm, rich sound that the format encapsulates. So, whether you're a golden oldie, or a newbie to vinyl, here are seven interesting facts about some of the best records ever made.
The Beatles
Arguably the greatest Beatles album ever, despite how much you may love Abbey Road or The White Album, Revolver was way ahead of its time. With memorable tracks like Eleanor Rigby and Tomorrow Never Knows, which used some cutting edge techniques like looped effects and reverse guitar to achieve its complex sounds, this album is the fruit of more than 300 hours in the studio.
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan's voice rendered beautifully on vinyl, which is probably why he made several records in the 60s. Blonde on Blonde was his seventh studio album. The 11-minute song Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands was recorded in one continuous take at 4am, capping off an 8-hour recording session!
Daft Punk
No vinyl collection is complete without one from the quintessential masters of digital vs analogue - Daft Punk. Random Access Memories may be their latest work, and compared to albums like Discovery (fun fact: the track Veridis Quo, pronounced 'very disco', is an anagram of 'discovery'), not as brilliant. Nonetheless, musicians like Nile Rodgers, Giorgio Moroder, Panda Bear, Julian Casablancas, Todd Edwards & Pharell flew in from around the world to record their parts live for the album.
Dire Straits
If you still haven't heard Sultans of Swing you need to crawl out from under that rock you've been living under, pronto! Arguably one of the best records on vinyl, this self-titled debut album started as a bit of a fluke. Turns out, Dire Straits just wanted some advice on recording an album, but the BBC Radio DJ liked Sultans of Swing so much, that he put it on his rotation. The rest is history.
John ?Coltrane
Recorded in a single sitting, A Love Supreme is quintessential Coltrane, wrapped in layers of incredibly sonorous free jazz. Coltrane only ever performed the entire set live once. So the record is as close as you're going to get to listening to Coltrane's genius in its entirety.
Pink Floyd
Where do we even start with this one? Everything that is epic about rock is in this album. It defines the term 'tuning out'. The album is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for being on the charts longer than any other album in history - 591 consecutive weeks. That's 11.4 years! In total, Dark Side of the Moon has spent approximately 14 whole years (741 weeks) on the Top 200 and a staggering 26 years in some Billboard chart or the other!
Michael Jackson
While Pink Floyd has the aforementioned record, Thriller holds the distinction for being the greatest selling album of all time. With classics like Billie Jean and Beat It, this album had seven singles at a time when LPs only had three or four. And that guitar solo in Beat It, that was none other than Eddie Van Halen!
iPhone | iPad
Android
Huawei
