Between 2009 and 2013 the number of albums in the UK that were sold on CD near enough halved from 112 million to just over 60 million. In the same time frame digital sales, on iTunes and other online retailers more than doubled. For music retailers on the High Street it was a difficult time. HMV, the ninety year old company with outlets all over the UK faced disaster, and at the beginning of 2013 it was rescued from administration but still saw significant store closures and job losses.

Somewhat surprisingly only two years later HMV is once again making profits, and has just announced it is to to open new shops across the Middle East. It is also in talks to expand into Australia, China and India. They have seen year-on-year CD, DVD and Blu-Ray sales increase by small amounts, but the real star is vinyl albums where the number sold has increased by 170%.
Why is a technology that is more than a hundred years old and was thought to be completely obsolete seeing such a revival in fortune?
At the very least it seems to be tapping into a reich vein of nostalgia. 
We so often look back at the past and remember bigger baked bean tins, cheaper petrol, children who respected their elders, and all sorts of other things that were ‘better’ back then. 
For the church, there is also the temptation to see the past as a golden age of Christianity. A time when pews were full and there was a vicar riding his bike through every parish calling on all and sundry for a cup of tea and a natter. And maybe a time when God had more impact as well.
I’m fairly certain that’s not the case. People aren’t less interested in God or spiritual things now, probably the reverse. It’s just they have discovered how many different places there are that they can look. As Christians we need to be prepared to continue to make Christ known without dwelling on the past. That doesn’t mean we can’t look back and learn. It just like driving. It’s important to check in the rear view mirror to remind yourself what’s behind you. It’s absolutely vital that you look forward to see what might be coming up ahead.
(September 2015)