MUSIC lovers are returning to the 80s — by buying audio cassettes in record numbers.
Fans reeled in 195,000 last year, a 20-year high, as the move to own tunes physically gathered pace.
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Once near-defunct, tapes made up 5.2 per cent of all music sales.
The top 10 sellers, led by Arctic Monkeys, were all new artists, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) said.
Cassettes still only accounted for 5.2 per cent of music sales last year, but for the biggest selling artists they sold more than vinyl records, which have also enjoyed a retro revival.
Sales of Sony Walkmans — near-universal in the 80s — are also up – the WM-8 worn by Max in Netflix’s sci-fi series Stranger Things, makes £1,200 on eBay.
Industry experts say the cassette tape revival has been fuelled because of nostalgia and a craving to physically own music as a counter to constant online consumption.
Others say that young hipsters have turned back to tape because of a desire to be ironic while music insiders say that tapes are a cheap quick way for new artists to get their music straight into listeners’ ears.
Sophie Jones, of the BPI, said: “For many of us cassettes were a rite of passage so it’s heartening this once much-loved format is back in vogue.
“Like vinyl, a number of contemporary artists are warmly embracing the cassette as another way to reach audiences.
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“On occasions it has even helped them to achieve a No.1 album.
“It highlights the continuing importance of the physical market.”
