Independent record stores like In The Groove Records in Jefferson City were responsible for more than 45 percent of vinyl sales in 2015, according to Nielsen, with more than two-thirds - 68 percent to be exact - of sales going toward rock music.
Nielsen, the same company that rates television viewership, also tracks and reports music sales and recently reported vinyl continued growth for the 10th straight year, selling almost 12 million new units in 2015.
This year's Record Store Day celebration, which was April 16, was particularly joyful for vinyl enthusiasts, as national agencies reported record sales hitting their highest level in 20 years.
"Records have been making a comeback for awhile now," said Jamie Rector, who owns In The Groove. "It's been a slow thing, but the last two years have been the biggest."
Vinyl, made from polyvinyl chloride and lovingly referred to as "wax" by the hipper-than-most, is a go-to for musical purists and analog classicists. However, in 2015, Adele and Taylor Swift sold the most new vinyl records - almost 200,000 records combined between the two singers.
Adele and Swift dominated ad-supported and on-demand music services, such as YouTube, free Spotify and others, as well, but vinyl sales outpaced the free streaming services in 2015 for the second year in a row, bringing in more than $416 million in revenue - the same amount they brought in in 1988, according to Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
"Looking at the top-selling vinyl albums in 2015, it's clear that vinyl sales come in all flavors, from classic rock to the newest pop hits," said Josh Friedlander, RIAA senior vice president of strategic data analysis. "The best-sellers included pop sensations like Adele and Taylor Swift to classics like Pink Floyd, The Beatles and Miles Davis, and even alternative crooners like Sufjan Stevens and the group Arctic Monkeys. This wide variety of genres speaks to the diversity of vinyl buyers and helped fuel the strong sales numbers we see today."
While the moodiness of vinyl outpaced the market for free music streaming, it did not pass paid streaming, including Pandora and Spotify subscription services. Meanwhile, CD sales were down 17 percent.
Nielsen: Top Selling Records of 2015
10. Various Artists - "Guardians Of The Galaxy Soundtrack" (43,000)Records now hold 6 percent of the overall music market, but as far as physical revenue, vinyl claims 21 percent of the market.
RIAA admits vinyl remains a niche but not an insignificant one, as record executives and shop owners take notice.
Rector's shop has been open in the same area for 16 years now, starting out a block north, then crossing the street before landing in the upstairs portion of the building it occupies now, located just a block south of the first location. The building is now solely In the Groove, holding what Rector estimates to be upwards of 9,000 records for sale.
Not for sale, however, is a large part of what Rector thinks makes vinyl appealing: the novelty of collection.
"A lot of people are rediscovering vinyl, but many like the collecting part of it," Rector said. "You find a band you like, then you want to find all of their records. When I was younger, I loved The Who and thought, 'Man, I really want all of The Who's records.' I would go to a shop and realize I didn't have this one or that one and felt like I needed them all."
A portion of Rector's collection adorns the shop's walls, including an immaculate original Buddy Holly record and a few others, including one of The Beatles' green apple "Abbey Road" records, which Rector cites as a favorite.
Rector's enthusiasm was shared by visitors on this year's Record Store Day - between studious browsers of the dollar bin and cordial regulars commenting on other customers' picks. Visitors of the shop greet Rector similarly to how a cafe regular greets his favorite waiter. Customers received Record Store Day goodies like canvas totes, posters, free (and somewhat ironic) compilation CDs, snacks, and afternoon live entertainment from Austin Jones and the Bootheel Boys.
"There are people here today who have been customers for the entire 16 years," Rector said, waving more than one customer goodbye and questioning uncustomary shopping habits.
"That's all you're getting today?" Rector asked one man as he left the store with a full Record Store Day tote.
He laughed, "No, man, I have another pile inside. I'll be back for it!"
The shop's band choice was an easy segue from the constantly playing records in the store, with pounding baselines, sharp instrumental accompaniments, soulful melodies and an air of candidness, which record-enthusiasts believe can only be found on vinyl.
"Some audiophiles love the way vinyl sounds and prefer it over digital formats - where else can you hear the classic warmth of a record playing on a turntable? Sometimes it's just the best way, depending on your mood," said Cara Duckworth Weiblinger, RIAA vice president of communications.
The warmth of vinyl is part of what Rector cites as a figment of enthusiasm for collectors, some of which go to great lengths to get their own system just right.
"Some just want to buy the record and listen to it," Rector said. "Then there are those people who need just the right turntable, just the right speakers. They want to build this amazing system. Some people just enjoy it, but some people get really crazy for it."
Rector may be one of those people, as a quick observation of the shop will show. Records play, hooked up to an uncertain number of speakers, as the shop also sells record players and speakers. A customer or two can be spotted eyeing a speaker, only to realize it is in use and not for sale.
While funky furniture and home decor can be spotted for sale around the shop - including a lamp that closely resembles a stack of oranges - even more funky furniture and decor are permanent fixtures of the shop.
In the Groove Records seems to both be the realization of a dream and convenience for Rector, who said the beginnings of the establishment were planted almost 20 years ago.
"My friends and I used to collect records in the late '90s," he said. "We would just go around collecting records and visiting shops. I wanted to start my own place, mostly so I could collect records, basically, for me and have a place for me and my friends. My first shop was just a little shop, maybe 900 square feet. The next was about the same size, and this is the biggest so far."
RIAA executives' commentary on the resurgence of record sales indicates Rector's shop may continue to expand throughout the building.
"What's also interesting to us is that the resurgence of vinyl runs counter to general industry trends, which have been weighted more toward the growth in streaming and digital formats and away from ownership," Weiblinger said.
"The vinyl boom bucks that trend.