Hilltop Hoods boost Record Store Day as vinyl sales scale new peak
National vinyl sales last year cracked the one million mark for the first time in decades, up from a mere 65,000 sales in 2011, according to data supplied by ARIA.
As Record Store Day ambassadors, Adelaide hip-hop trio Hilltop Hoods are ideal candidates as, by his own admission, Matt Lambert has a longstanding vinyl addiction.
“The collection is still growing, which it wasn’t supposed to,” the rapper and producer said with a laugh. “It’s probably up to around 5000 or 6000.
“From 2010 onwards, when digital music started taking over, I started to feel like maybe it wouldn’t hold its value,” said Lambert, who records and performs as Suffa. “But now that’s come full circle, with the popularity of vinyl today, I can justify it.”
His hefty, hard-earned haul has in turn changed the course of Australian music. With six consecutive No.1 albums, 10 ARIA Awards and more than one million albums sold, Hilltop Hoods is one of the country’s most significant acts of the past two decades.
Lambert’s obsession began in his teens, visiting his local Big Star Records with ears wide open to the tips of its knowledgeable staff.
“Every person working in a record store recommending records shapes your taste,” he said.
“Without independent record stores to go into, it definitely would have stunted my growth as someone who listens to music, and who makes music, because those two inform each other.”
On Saturday, about 200 businesses across Australia will take part in Record Store Day, the annual global event which sees artists offering limited edition vinyl pressings, while owners host in-store gigs centred on celebrating the sound and feel of music on wax.
With Covid safety in mind, these gatherings will be a little more sedate than years past, with timed appointments to ensure stores don’t get too crowded, distanced queues and plenty of hand sanitiser for eager crate-diggers.
“If you’re a fan of a small local artist or group, I really encourage people to go out and buy their vinyl, buy their CD and support their music, because the industry has had a pretty tough 18 months,” Lambert said.
One positive side effect of the pandemic for the recording industry is that national vinyl record sales last year cracked the one million mark for the first time in decades, up from a mere 65,000 sales in 2011, according to data supplied by ARIA.
Australian acts Tame Impala and Powderfinger held the No.1 and No.2 spots on the end-of-year ARIA vinyl chart, ahead of Queen, AC/DC and Billie Eilish. Overall sales were about 1.1 million units, or about $28.2 million.
“The massive resurgence of vinyl proves music lovers will always value quality sound and fiercely support their favourite artists by choosing to own music in an era of streaming,” ARIA chief executive Annabelle Herd said.
“From artists rethinking how they engage with fans by selling vinyl direct, to record stores across the country playing crucial tastemaker roles, vinyl is playing an increasingly significant role in the booming Australian music landscape.”
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