U.S. vinyl sales have experienced a 19.2 percent growth in the first half of 2018, and Kendrick Lamar is one of the artists leading the spike. According to Nielsen Music, 7.6 million vinyl albums were sold between Dec. 29, 2017 and June 28, 2018, up from 6.4 million in a similar time frame from 2017. Kendrick Lamar's DAMN., released in 2017, is the second-highest-selling vinyl album of 2018 so far, with 30,000 copies sold. It is bested only by vinyl enthusiast Jack White, whose 2018 album Boarding House Reach currently clocks 37,000 copies.
Other big sellers include Michael Jackson's Thriller (28,000), Justin Timberlake's Man of the Woods (26,000), and Prince and the Revolution, Purple Rain soundtrack (25,000).
The 7.6 million records sold this year make up for 11.2 percent of all albums sold and 18.7 percent of physical albums sold. 2017 marked the 12th consecutive year for vinyl sales growth and it appears 2018 will be no different.
View the top ten for the first 6 months of 2018, via The Hollywood Reporter, below.
1. Jack White, Boarding House Reach (37,000)
2. Kendrick Lamar, DAMN. (30,000)
3. Soundtrack, Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix Vol. 1 (28,000)
4. Michael Jackson, Thriller (28,000)
5. Fleetwood Mac, Rumours (28,000)
6. Panic! at the Disco, Pray for the Wicked (26,000)
7. Justin Timberlake, Man of the Woods (26,000)
8. Prince and the Revolution, Purple Rain (Soundtrack) (25,000)
9. Amy Winehouse, Back to Black (25,000)
10. The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (23,000)