A trip to the local record store (landspeed records) to look for a Christmas present.

The place is pumping. Jostling with young people riffing through records and inspecting the vintage seconds clothing at the back of the shop.

I’m checking out the Jazz section, and this dude in his late teens stands next to me, intently reading the album notes on a John Coltrane disc. Incredulously, I cannot help but remark: Are you into jazz?

Absolutely… and I don’t have this one.

Could it be that there is a growing backlash against the streaming services and a desire to own an actual physical manifestation of the music?

These records are not cheap….$60 to $100 AUD for a mint disc. There was a queue to the cash register.

Some think this so-called vinyl resurgence is a rebellion against the soulless, empty convenience of digital streaming….

To young people in 2025, there is nothing in particular that stands out about listening to music via a subscription. For many, that is a soulless endeavour. There are no buttons to press, mechanics to feel or actions to take.

The aesthetic of a vinyl record is welcoming. […] a much more tactile and tangible movement than hitting a ‘play’ icon on your smartphone. […] Vinyl records offer an intentional listening experience that is undeniably deeply personal. While streaming services provide convenience, they can’t quite replicate the flow that comes with putting the needle down on your favourite record.

Why Vinyl Records Will Become Popular Again Among the Younger Generation in 2025

Others think it is more of superficial response…a way to physically signal your love of a particular group or artist, in addition to grabbing their stream.

Fifty-six percent of Gen Z fans like vinyl for its aesthetic, while 37% use it as home decor, according to a Vinyl Alliance survey. It’s part of what Jared Watson, an assistant professor of marketing at New York University, calls “symbolic consumption.”

“It could show that you’re a bigger fan or that you appreciate the artist more,” he noted, adding that albums are “affordable art.”

Gen Z’s search for decorative collectibles is fueling vinyl sales

Jostling with the crowd in that record shop, and watching the young adults vinyl-hunting I had a definite feeling there was some sort of rebellion going on here.

Being way out of touch with the gen-whatever cultures, I have no idea how this is all playing out. Yet,hearing the jazz dude tell me he was into Coltrane gave me great hope that the all powerful social media algorithm and the corporate enclosure of art can be subverted.