As a child, my father kicked off every Sunday morning by flipping open the heavy wooden top of our Family’s 1970s Zenith Stereo System, pulling his favorite long play album from the stack, slipping it onto the turntable and carefully placing the needle onto the record.

Groggy from staying up too late the night before, I would roll out of bed and head to the living room when I heard brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb of the Bee Gees singing “I’ve Gotta Get a Message to You,” “Come on Over,” and “Lonely Days.”

Among many long play vinyl records, aka LPs, my parents’ collection included Madonna’s “Like a Virgin,” the Doobie Brothers’ “Stampede” and Michael Jackson’s iconic “Thriller.”

Now more than a decade later, the old Zenith sits in the hallway of my home with a different stack of vinyl on it including new releases such as “Port Saint Joe” by Brothers Osbourne, Paramore’s “After Laughter” and a remastered edition of Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours.”

The popularity of LPs peaked in the 1970s at the height of the disco era. However, as time marched on and new technology such as cassettes and compact discs were developed, LPs quickly became a thing of the past. In the 21st century, music listeners saw the rise of digital streaming services such as Spotify and Pandora, but those sales have since plateaued, according to a report compiled by Forbes.

Now, with 260 percent growth since 2009, LP sales are on the rise, according to Forbes. Contemporary recording artists produce limited batches of LPs so today’s music listeners can enjoy their albums on the turntable.

Whether young or old, the music fan on your Christmas shopping list this year would enjoy receiving a LP to add to or begin their own collection.

The resurgence

First Sergeant Troy Hascall, 101st Airborne Division Band, who has studied audio production at the collegiate level, attributed the revival of LPs to the unique quality of sound they provide. Each LP is like a fingerprint, he said.

“When they record the vinyl, they are actually grooving out the vinyl with the actual soundwave,” Hascall said. “So the needle is getting the entire soundwave. The limitations with that is if the bass is too loud, the needle will literally jump out of the groove, so that limited the sound. There are limitations, but those limitations are some of what makes analog sound so good. It’s an oxymoron in some ways.”

Avid LP collectors insist vinyl records produce a warmer, more inviting sound, than digitalized audio, Hascall said. Digital recordings are a snapshot taken sporadically. While digital recording are not a true one-for-one representation, they are very close, but not the same as an analog recording, he said.

“The other thing that came out with digital recording is that it sounded cold – sterile even – and people couldn’t put their finger on why they didn’t like it, but it’s because the audio sounded too clean,” Hascall said. “What people like about the analog process is all of the distortion that it adds to the sound. Analog is more natural sounding.”

Hascall grew up in a home filled with musicians and music directors, so he often listened to LPs in his Family’s music room. He listened to the same three albums repeatedly, “Thriller,” by Michael Jackson, “Asia” by Asia, and the original soundtrack to the first “Star Wars” movie, “A New Hope,” by John Williams.

The resurgence of vinyl records also is closely tied to nostalgia, Hascall said.

“People my age grew up listening to LPs and there is something about opening up the package and there’s a smell to it. If you’ve never had a LP … there’s just a smell and the lyrics were there and you could follow along,” he said.

LPs provide a different listening experience than newer forms of musical media, Hascall said.

“Albums are a complete musical journey and they are intended to be listened to that way. You are supposed to listen to them from beginning to end and they tell a story,” he said.

CDs and streaming have nearly eliminated that experience, reducing many of today’s popular artists to “one hit wonders,” he said.

“Culturally, it’s all about the instant gratification that we are used to now. Listeners can choose to only listen to one or two songs from an album … it’s just a different time. On an LP you can’t skip songs like that without damaging the record,” he said.

Hascall considers any form of music a wonderful gift because it can be listened to countless times.

“Music is something people can continue to enjoy well after the holidays have passed. If somebody is gifted music, it affects them on an emotional level. Lyrics and music can express things that sometimes people can’t,” he said.

Cultivating a personal LP collection can become a hobby, Hascall said, which is fun year round.

“People like going to stores and looking for records and then owning them and having them on the shelf at home. You can’t display a playlist on your iPhone to your friends, that’s just no fun,” he said.

Where to buy

Mainstream albums can be found on vinyl at many big box retail stores across town. If you want to get deep into stacks of vinyl – vintage and contemporary – there is only one locally-owned store to visit, Odd Ball Media and Music, 3863 Trenton Road, Clarksville.

Inside the store, dozens of wooden boxes stacked on top of tables are dedicated to housing hundreds of LPs from every genre imaginable. Below the tables sit rows of plastic milk crates also filled with vinyl records. Shelf displays scattered throughout the store also are filled with vinyl – new and used. In the back, sits a locked cabinet filled with valuable records – some worth $50-$60.

Store owner Chris Burch said he offers LPs at his store because they are in high demand.

“[LPs] have become popular again because they have a fuller, nicer sound than MP3 files or digital files,” Burch said. “People also like to have something they can hold and look at – it’s the possession of something and the physicality of it.”

Although Burch does not collect records, his sons do. He said LPs make great gifts because they are a new experience and can become a new hobby.

“LPs are a way to reintroduce people to music,” Burch said. “They might need to buy a turntable, but you can buy one of those for less than $100. People can grow their collection – you can add vinyl all of the time … you can change it up. LPs are not just something from the 1970s anymore … you can buy the brand new 21 Pilots or Kendrick Lamar albums on vinyl now.”

The staff at Oddball Media and Music see a wide variety of customers come through the door to browse the vinyl, CDs and DVDs. Burch said LPs are most popular with teenagers and young adults. Despite all of the new music the store offers, most customers come in seeking the classics, he said.

“People come in and they all want Pink Floyd’s ‘Dark Side of the Moon’ or ‘Led Zeppelin IV.’ People want The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. Stuff like that is what everyone wants even if they are only 15 or 16 years old,” he said.

MUSIC TIPS

•For the country music lover – “Desperate Man” by Eric Church

“Desperate Man” is the sixth album by American country music singer Eric Church. It consists of 11 songs including the album’s namesake, “Desperate Man.” Church’s newest album draws listeners in with riffs of an acoustic guitar layered with biting lyrics on track one “The Snake.” As the album progresses, Church’s more playful side appears in tracks two and six “Hangin’ Around” and “Hippie Radio” respectively. With brutally honest lyrics and poignant themes present throughout the whole album, listeners are in for an emotional rollercoaster no one will want to get off.

•For the alternative/pop music lover – “Pray for the Wicked” by Panic! At the Disco

Any Panic! fan can tell you the band produces a style so uniquely strange it can only be categorized as “alternative.” The American Rock band’s sixth studio album “Pray for the Wicked” mixes Frank Sinatra inspiration with techno-style beats – truly a sound all its own. The album weaves a personal narrative of forgiveness, hope, joy and contemplation concluding in the final track “Dying in LA.”

•For the rhythm and blues lover – “Aretha Franklin … The Atlantic Singles Collection 1967-1970.”

To honor the late Aretha Franklin, the reigning and undisputed “Queen of Soul” who died Aug. 16, Atlantic released a LP featuring 34 standout singles recorded by Franklin within the first three years of her career with the label. Iconic classics such as “A Natural Woman,” “Respect, “I Say a Little Prayer” and “Think” are showcased on the album, making it the perfect gift for someone just getting acquainted with Franklin’s work or someone who wants a little taste of all her albums on one LP.

•For the rap fan – “Invasion of Privacy” by Cardi B

Cardi B’s spring debut studio album “Invasion of Privacy” features trap, rhythm and blues, and Latin influences which set the stage for five singles – “Bodak Yellow,” “Bartier Cardi,” “Be Careful,” “I Like It” and “Ring.” The album debuted atop the U.S. Billboard, earning 250,000 album-equivalent units in its first week. Cardi B’s album touches on New York City culture, but also fires lyrics about dysfunctional relationships with lovers and reckoning with infidelity.