For the first time since 1987, more vinyl records were sold in the US than CDs, which shows the popularity of this fashionable retro format, writes AFP.

Sales of vinyl records rose 4 percent from a year earlier to $1.7 billion, according to data released Thursday by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Vinyl revenue has already surpassed CD revenue in 2020.

But for the first time, sales of the traditional-sounding A and B black discs outnumbered those of the small plastic digitally played CDs invented and developed by Philips and Sony that revolutionized the 1980s.

In 2022, 41 million vinyl records were sold in the US, compared to 33 million CDs.

In recent years, vinyl has made a comeback, sparking a renaissance of analog turntables that can be of very good quality and at a great price thanks to a combination of fashion and nostalgia.

But streaming music dominates, with $13.3 billion in sales by 2022, or 84 percent of the $15.9 billion in total music sales.

And on the streaming side, music paid for by subscription to the platform is 77%, which is over ten billion dollars for the first time.

About 92 million people listen to and pay for music in the U.S., up from 84 million last year, according to the RIAA. This is also a record indicator.