TeachRock

In this lesson, students will analyze the environmental sustainability of vinyl records from the 1910s up to the 2020s. They will first investigate the creation and eventual failure of Thomas Edison’s Diamond Disc Players in the early 20th century, and then move closer to the present by researching the environmental sustainability of the vinyl record revival of the 2020s. Students will then role-play sales negotiations of vinyl records for multiple music artists. Finally, students will produce an oral presentation or a short piece of writing describing the negotiated deal terms with the class.

While Thomas Edison is perhaps most known for his inventions around light (e.g. the lightbulb), he also spent time in the world of sound, creating high-quality music discs and disc players. However, Edison’s drive to reproduce recorded sound impeccably anchored him to an expensive and environmentally unsustainable production process. Edison’s 1877 invention – the phonograph – initiated a series of attempts by Edison and his competitors to develop the best music recording device. Ultimately, the materials and complicated chemical processes used to create Edison’s disc and disc players made his products far too expensive, and inventions far less expensive with fewer technological limitations moved to the forefront and pushed Edison out of the disc production industry.

Despite the digital and streaming revolution that has occurred in music, the musical disks first conceived by Edison have in fact grown in popularity vis-a-vis a renewed interest in vinyl records in the 2020s. According to luminatedata.com, vinyl album volume increased by 50.4% by the end of 2021. Over 41.7 million vinyl records were sold in 2021 and Pop stars spearheaded the vinyl resurgence. In 2021, the top-selling vinyl records in the U.S. were: #1- 30 by Adele, #2- SOUR by Olivia Rodrigo, #3 – Red (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift, #4- Fine Line by Harry Styles, and #5 – Happier Than Ever by Billie Eilish.

Today’s consumers of vinyl records consist of a youthful demographic who purchase vinyl records primarily to add to their collection. The popularization of vinyl record variants has amplified the culture of ‘collectibles’ within sales for vinyl records. Major Pop artists often release their studio albums with alternate album covers and disc colors (i.e. variants). Some artists have up to 12 variations of the same album on their website. While fans love the range of choices, the same youthful demographic pushes back against overconsumption and wasteful practices. Due to the unexpected revival of vinyl records, eco-friendly vinyl pressing methods and materials were not immediately widespread. Thus, many vinyl pressing factories dusted off their environmentally unfriendly equipment and kicked production into high gear.

While many artists have leaned into the commercial benefits of releasing vinyl record variants, others have expressed concern about the environmental sustainability of the practice. Nine-time Grammy Award-winning Pop artist Billie Eilish shared her frustrations with the overproduction of vinyl records. In a conversation with Billboard magazine, Eilish criticized the current state of music, saying:

“It’s very important to some artists to make all sorts of different vinyl and packaging … which ups the sales and ups the numbers and gets them more money… I can’t even express to you how wasteful it is. It is right in front of our faces and people are just getting away with it left and right, and I find it really frustrating as somebody who really goes out of my way to be sustainable.”

Yet, despite her dedication to environmental sustainability, Eilish admitted that the need to meet audience demand for vinyl variants does not escape her. So, she found ways to implement environmental sustainability into her duties as a global superstar. Whether she’s partnering with Google Maps to route sustainable transportation options for her shows or urging arenas to go fully plant-based for her tours, Billie Eilish does not shy away from using her platform to find solutions to the music industry’s giant carbon footprint.

For her records, all of Eilish’s vinyl variants are Eco-Mix vinyl, which is a “100% recycled compound made of leftover vinyls of any color.” Her options are priced similarly to standard vinyl records on the market even though they are normally more expensive to make. 

One may look at Billie Eilish and think approaches focused on environmental sustainability aren’t that difficult. But the truth is, these environmentally responsible options are a financial sacrifice. They come with either an additional cost or a loss of revenue. Sometimes both. Yet, as environmental sustainability moves to the forefront of public consciousness, the very same audiences who desire vinyl record variants also demand environmental responsibility from their favorite artists.

There lies a unique crossroad between audience demand for physical music and audience expectation of environmental sustainability.

There lies another unique crossroad between artists’ desire to profit from album variants and artists’ fear of infuriating their audience by doing so.

Lastly, there lies an all-too-common crossroads between a company’s desire to sell as many vinyl pressing packages as possible and the federal regulations for environmental safety.

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