UK vinyl sales reach 25-year high

London: Vinyl sales topped three million last year, the highest in the UK in 25 years, officials said.

According to the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) -- UK recorded music industry's trade association -- more than 3.2 million records were sold in 2016, a rise of 53 per cent on the previous year, the BBC reported on Tuesday.

David Bowie's "Blackstar" was the most popular album on vinyl, selling more than double the number of copies of 2015's biggest-seller, Adele's "25".

The last time vinyl fared so well in the UK was in 1991.

However, vinyl still only accounts for 2.6 per cent of the overall music market -- and while it continues to enjoy a resurgence, sales of CDs and downloads are falling rapidly, the BPI said.

A total of 47.3 million CDs were bought in 2016, a drop of 11.7 per cent, while downloads plummeted by 29.6 per cent, with just 18.1 million albums bought online.

Four years ago, when the download market was at its peak, that figure was 32.6 million. Now, consumers are increasingly turning to streaming services.

Overall, the music market grew by 1.5 per cent over the course of 2016, the BPI added.