Vinyl albums are hot sellers again, expected to outpace CDs this year

HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- What's old is new again.

After a needle hits the vinyl, analog sound fills the room.

For many there is nothing better.

Karl Cook was shopping for bin records at Amoeba Music in Hollywood.

"There's a certain tone that you get with vinyl that you don't get with a digital download," says Cook.

Vinyl records never went away and they are as popular as ever. The last week in December, 1.24 million albums sold in a week. The most since 1991.

"All my friends got vinyl for each other for Christmas," says Jeff Choleva.

CD sales are dropping and vinyl records are expected to outsell CDs for the first time since 1986.

Rick Sanchez is the manager at Amoeba records. He says "2013 was really the tipping point. Literally overnight the holiday season vinyl exploded and it's just been on a roller coaster ever since rolling, rolling and gaining speed."

Thomas Adelman says "The warmth and the purity of the sound that comes off that needle is a very different experience than digital music."

And it's not just older listeners who are buying older albums like King Crimson or The Rolling Stones. New artists such as Lizzo are also selling big on vinyl.

Sanchez says "The primary customer is probably a 15 to 25 (year-old) customer."

For some even the pops and slight imperfections on an album make it unique.

Rebecca Keim says "Especially the sizzling and cracking from an old record."

John 5 Lowery, the guitarist for Rob Zombie, was at Amoeba records on New Year's Day. He says vinyl also brings back wonderful memories.

"It's a wonderful thing, it's something you can hold, it's a physical thing you can hold and I think that is very important. I'm here with my son and he's buying some vinyl today so I'm very supportive of it," says Lowery.

As the digital revolution moves forward it appears analog albums are also spinning back into the hearts of listeners.