First there were records, with their plastic and grooves.

Then came the cassettes, with the reels that moved.

Next came CDs, with their lasers and disc.

But the MP3 is the greatest risk.

-Richard Oliver

As music progressed through time, the format in which we listened to music changed as well. Music started with vinyl records, which were discs of plastic with small grooves that when put under a needle, would play music. Then came the cassette tape, which used a reel of tape to produce music. CDs were the next big thing, which used lasers on a disc to read a digital file of music. People then learned that they can just use the digital file itself and created the MP3 which revolutionized the sharing of music forever.

In my opinion, the MP3 ruined the music industry. I am a stern believer in buying music, and I am proud to say that I have paid for all of my music. Because of the MP3, piracy in music has been on the rise exponentially. Before MP3 formats, in order to get a song for free, you had to sync up your radio with your tape recorder.

But there has been a comeback. Vinyl records have become the new, yet recycled trend in music. I have actually started my own record collection with old records like the Grateful Dead’s “American Beauty,” and new records like Lana Del Rey’s “Ultraviolence.” This trend has taken over the hipster neighborhoods of New York and California, and have allowed new and coming artists the chance to release their music on a different platform.

I for one, am very happy that vinyl is making a comeback. Vinyl records were the pinnacle of music and they lasted all the way from the 1940s to the 1980s and beyond. The fact that this format of music beat out cassettes is astonishing. It still marvels me how grooves in a piece of plastic can produce beautiful music. The record produces such a raw, uncut sound, that it feels as if you are in the studio with the artist as they record the album.

Now, I am a part of a group of people known as “musical elitists,” which means that the music I like is far superior to other types of music. I personally hate most modern country and hip-hop. The reason I am bringing this up is because I desperately want people to start getting on board with this new trend. Most trends die out, like the Tamagotchi and the Heely, but this trend needs to stay relevant for one important reason:

Musicians need to be paid.

For every illegal song download, an artist loses money that should rightfully be theirs. For every album torrent, that’s one meal gone. You pay for food at a grocery store; why not pay for music?

Please, jump on this bandwagon. You won’t regret it.