Everything old is new again. This is an era when most people get their favorite tunes through Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon, YouTube Music or another streaming service. Yet data shows that a rising number of music lovers are reverting back to what was, for years, the only way to listen to a certain artist: Vinyl records.
This Saturday is Record Store Day, honoring the establishments where people once bought (or still are buying) LPs, 45s and other records from the artists they enjoy the most. To commemorate the day and the continued rise in popularity of records, BetVirginia.com took a musical break from Virginia sports betting coverage to find out which artists were most frequently searched. We checked Google Trends to find the top vinyl record in each state over the past 12 months (April 2023 to April 2024).
Virginia search traffic leaned toward “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” by Taylor Swift, followed by “UTOPIA” by rapper Travis Scott and “Stick Season” by Noah Kahan.
Virginia is not alone in loving Swift. Olivia Rodrigo’s “GUTS” tops search lists in the most states, with 10, but Swift had four albums reach No. 1 in at least one state. Swift had the most searched record in 14 states. Her “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” was most popular in seven other states in addition to Virginia. But only in the commonwealth can you take advantage of the best Virginia sportsbook promos available, right here at BetVirginia.com.
Here is a breakdown of which albums came out on top in the most states.
As evident by her worldwide concert tour and her budding romance with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, pop icon Taylor Swift has a massive following. Not surprisingly, that extends to record sales, too. According to “Billboard”, Americans bought 49.6 million albums in 2023, up nearly 15% from the year before and the 18th consecutive year vinyl sales grew. The recording industry magazine noted that Swift’s records alone accounted for 7% of those sales.
The number of records sold, though, still pales to the heyday of vinyl back in the 1970s. In 1977 alone, 534 million LPs, EPs and singles were sold in the U.S., according to the Recording Industry Association of America database. Vinyl records eventually gave way to cassettes and compact discs. By 1989, the year Swift was born, only 71.2 million vinyl records were sold in the country. That’s the last time U.S. consumers bought more than 50 million albums in a year, per the RIAA.
Virginia audiophiles who want to celebrate National Record Day by visiting their local store can go to RecordStoreDay.com and search by city, state or ZIP code to find a shop near them. If you’ve happened to win a few wagers from Virginia sports betting apps, such as BetMGM or FanDuel, you might be able to buy a record or two.
BetVirginia.com is your source for the latest sports news from the commonwealth as well as up-to-date reviews of and promo codes for Virginia sports betting operators.
Photo credit: USA Today photo by Joe Camporeale
Author
Steve is an accomplished, award-winning reporter with more than 20 years of experience covering gaming, sports, politics and business. He has written for the Associated Press, Reuters, The Louisville Courier Journal, The Center Square and numerous other publications. Based in Louisville, Ky., Steve has covered the expansion of sports betting in the U.S. and other gaming matters.
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