I wrote up a vinyl collection over two years ago, when I had only owned my record player for a few months, but today I think we are long overdue an update. My collection has more than doubled in the time since my last post – which sounds like I’ve added quite a lot!
You will see a theme of mostly similar artists because generally because while I love a huge variety of music, usually it’s just the odd track of an artist that I can find on Spotify – these are all full albums that I truly love. You’ll also notice that I love vinyls that are a little bit different – translucent, coloured, picture discs – so will be sharing with you the best ways to get a hold of these! This is definitely going to be a bumper post, so get comfortable!
Let’s start with my first ever vinyl, The Script’s Freedom Child. We ordered this from their official store, so I love that it is signed. Their latest album, Sunsets & Full Moons (I really recommend a listen, every track on this is incredible) is a picture disc and I love how unique it is. I also ordered their #3 album pretty cheap on Amazon and it sounds so good on vinyl.
I mentioned in my last collection that I really wanted Harry Styles‘ album on vinyl and now I have just that – twice! While I play the normal black vinyl a ton, I also have a pink version of the vinyl that my parents got me after A Level results, which was released to celebrate 2 years of his debut. It’s so pretty! Speaking of funky vinyls, possibly the coolest design of my collection has to go to Fine Line, his most recent album. The black and white splatter print certainly isn’t something you see everyday and I think it’s amazing.
Speaking of One Direction members, I also have both albums by Niall Horan on vinyl. His Flicker vinyl was one of the first to enter my collection so when he recently released his new album, it only felt right to order it. The Heartbreak Weather vinyl is a limited edition green which is super cool and I have loved getting to know the album recently – his single Nice To Meet Ya is a firm favourite but I also love the title track Heartbreak Weather.
An artist I absolutely love is Taylor Swift and I have been slowly adding her albums to my collection. I finally got 1989 not so long ago, which I was really excited about because it is one of my favourite albums. I also love the translucent pink and blue of the Lover vinyl. One of my most played vinyls has to be George Ezra’s Staying At Tamara’s. It is still one of my favourite albums two years on; every single track on it is incredible.
Unsurprisingly my Coldplay collection has grown a fair bit – last time I only owned A Rush Of Blood To The Head, their second album and one of my favourites. I have now added A Head Full Of Dreams which might actually be my favourite album ever? The Butterfly Package is a live vinyl from their Head Full of Dreams tour – this was a pricey one, being three gorgeous gold discs, and two dvds (concert and documentary), but I was very happy to get this at Christmas and believe it is totally worth it. While that one is gold, their latest album Everyday Life is a lovely silver which perfectly matches their black and white cover. This album feels more like a masterpiece, with my favourite tracks being Orphans, Champion of the World and Everyday Life.
I’m very proud of the fact I own all four of The 1975‘s albums on vinyl, it feels like a proper collection. I still remember how excited I was the day HMV had their first two vinyls on offer for £19.75! Their most recent album, Notes on a Conditional Form is the latest addition to my vinyl collection and I love how its sleeve is made with recycled materials.
On the subject of The 1975, I also have to mention the 7 inch vinyls that have recently been added to my collection. Instead of the usual 12 inch vinyl, these tend to only have a couple of songs on which makes them a cute collectible. By The 1975 I own Medicine and Loving Someone; I picked both of these up at the independent record label day at Coal Drops Yard, just behind Kings Cross, for £5 each. This event happens twice a year and you can get some amazing vinyl – just be aware that for The 1975 stuff, you will have to queue!
T H E F U L L C O L L E C T I O N
12 INCH
The Script – Freedom Child
The Script – #3
The Script – Sunsets & Full Moons
Niall Horan – Flicker
Niall Horan – Heartbreak Weather
Ed Sheeran – +
Ed Sheeran – X
The Killers – Hot Fuss
Coldplay – A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Coldplay – A Head Full Of Dreams
Coldplay – The Butterfly Package
Coldplay – Everyday Life
Taylor Swift – Reputation
Taylor Swift – 1989
Taylor Swift – Lover
5 Seconds Of Summer – Youngblood
The 1975 – The 1975
The 1975 – I Like It When You Sleep For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It
The 1975 – A Brief Enquiry Into Online Relationships
The 1975 – Notes On A Conditional Form
George Ezra – Wanted On Voyage
George Ezra – Staying At Tamara’s
Harry Styles – Harry Styles (x2)
Harry Styles – Fine Line
Sam Fender – Hypersonic Missiles
7 INCH
The 1975 – Medicine
The 1975 – Loving Someone
Coldplay – Orphans / Arabesque
W H E R E T O B U Y T H E M
Back in the day, certainly when I wrote my last vinyl collection post, I used to buy the majority of my vinyls from HMV. This was because of their loyalty card scheme which meant I could eventually earn enough points to get one for free. However, since they went into administration, ending the scheme and closing a lot of stores, they no longer became my point of call.
I am a huge fan of collecting vinyl records in fun colours and prints and the easiest way to find these is usually the artist’s official store. This is where you’ll find the exclusives, usually at the same price as a standard black vinyl from other retailers. Often, exclusives are saved for independent record stores too, which are worth a look in if you’re in a big city. If you’re more accustomed to shopping online, The Sound of Vinyl‘s website has a lot of deals and exclusives of a huge range of music.
H O W I S T O R E T H E M
I think vinyls are too pretty to just be kept away all the time, so I love displaying them on shelves on my wall. I only had room for six vinyls up there so I change them around regularly. The rest of my vinyls are kept in a super handy rose gold storage box. They are so easy to sort through in there, and the handle means you can transport them anywhere – although because the box is nearly full, it is pretty heavy!!
W H A T N E X T ?
As you can see my record collection has grown quite a lot now so there aren’t too many gaps that need filling. George Ezra’s first album Wanted On Voyage was at the top of my list for quite a while, but I picked that one up last week! One of the next vinyls to come into my collection will be Taylor Swift’s Folklore that I have pre-ordered. It’s a long wait, from July until late November, but the limited edition style (I got the Into The Weeds edition with dark green vinyl) will be worth it. There’s still plenty of Coldplay albums I want to add, but they can be quite expensive, so that will take some time!
I’d love to hear what is in your vinyl collection!
EG x
Read my original vinyl collection here.
