MUMBAI: The Official Charts Company (UK Chart) has confirmed that sales of vinyl records are the highest they have ever been in the last 18 years. The UK has witnessed over one million vinyl record sales in 2014, a milestone that was last achieved in 1996. Christmas sales are expected to take the number past 1.2 million.

Surprisingly vinyl records are trending once more, even in a music industry that is dominated with downloads and CDs. According to reports, a fivefold increase in sales has taken the worth of the vinyl industry up to $20 million in 2014 as compared to just three million in 2009.

Official Charts Company MD, Martin Talbot told BBC in an interview, “In an era when we're all talking about digital music, the fact that these beautiful physical artefacts are still as popular as they are is fantastic.” The company also stated that with the surge of vinyl sales, it would soon launch a weekly vinyl chart.

American band Pink Floyd, which released a vinyl edition of its latest album 'The Endless River' earlier this month, saw sales of up to 6000, making it the fastest selling vinyl release since 1997. Talbot estimates that a few rock bands like Arctic Monkeys and The Killers have made vinyl popular again.
However, vinyl records will most likely remain a niche interest, music industry officials have reportedly said.

Arctic Monkeys' 'AM' tops the list of best selling vinyl albums for 2014. It is followed by Jack White's 'Lazaretto', Pink Floyd's 'Endless River', Royal Blood's self titled 2014 release, Oasis' 'Definitely Maybe', 'The Stone Roses' self titled album, Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon' and three of Led Zeppelin's albums- Led Zeppelin, Led Zeppelin II and Led Zeppelin III.