Streaming continues to rise, but purchased downloaded albums are declining. According to findings by the RIAA, vinyl sales bring in more money than ad-supported streaming.
Legends who left us in 2016 drove the public to purchase their music as a tangible product, that is on vinyl, as mementos of their idols. David Bowie is there in the lead, with five of his albums being amongst the top 30 most sold in the country. His latest album, Blackstar, which came out two days before he passed away, was the most sold vinyl of 2016.
It's not just older generations reverting back to the physical format, but younger generations are discovering the charm of having to flip and swap the records as a part of the listening experience.
Even though the vinyls represent a small amount of albums in circulations, the margins are so high that they generate a significant stream of revenue back into the music industry, back to the labels, and to the artists.