How, in 2014, does a vinyl record sell 60,000 copies to become the best-selling vinyl LP since 1994,[1] and top first-week vinyl sales (since Soundscan began tracking data in 1991) with 40,000 copies?[2] This is exactly what’s happened with Jack White’s Lazaretto, which he released in June. Furthermore, the Lazaretto “Ultra” LP with secret tracks, a locked outer groove, an etched hologram, and several other party tricks, accounts for over a quarter of the album’s total sales. Lazaretto marks the resurgence of vinyl over the past several years, a phenomenon that is perhaps more head-scratching than impressive.
