We’re not the only ones who have noticed the trend in reissues lately…

In case you haven’t noticed, we report on reissues at least twice a week around here, and I’ve personally taken note of the fact that this year in particular seems to be heavy on the re-releases (particularly in the vinyl format). Funny enough, Rolling Stone just posted a somewhat interesting article on why so many labels are digging through their back catalogue and repackaging our favorite records. You can read the full article over here, but these are the highlights:

“Reissues sell well. Most music buyers prefer the physical CD or LP package to the digital option, and sales of Pearl Jam's Vs./Vitalogy anniversary box set prove as much. Of the 20,000 copies moved since March, just 12 percent were downloaded from sites like iTunes and Amazon.

“Perhaps history's most successful reissue campaign was for last year's Rolling Stones deluxe Exile on Main Street box set, says Michael Kurtz, co-founder and manager of Record Store Day.

"Convenience doesn't trump art," Kurtz argues. "When you are dealing with a piece of art and it's a tangible thing in your hand, you're pulled into that. You're moved by it, you interact with it. When it's on your screen of your computer, it's mixed with everything else, like your work."

Regarding the recent repackaging of Nine Inch Nails’ Pretty Hate Machine:

“NIN fans, don't waste your money on this version of PHM that was just released,” Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor tweeted about the recent rerelease of the band's 1989 debut Pretty Hate Machine, adding that it's, “a record label bullsh-t move repackaging the old version. Ignore please.”’

“As for Nine Inch Nails’ loyalists, they appear to be listening to their leader. Nielsen SoundScan reports that, while 68,000 copies of the Reznor-approved PHM package have sold, only 1,000 people have purchased the version he condemned. Seems they prefer a little necessary evil with their nostalgia -- 54 percent of them ponied up for the vinyl.”

Long live vinyl.