Days in the Life of Mo

Ah, vinyl records and zip drives. Two children of technology, both alike in dignity, but only one got the glow-up.

Vinyl, once declared dead, now sells more than CDs. In 2022, the Recording Industry Association of America reported that vinyl sales outsold CDs for the first time since 1987 (RIAA). Think about that: we live in an age of Spotify algorithms and AI-generated playlists, yet people (myself, included) are still buying giant discs you have to flip halfway through. Meanwhile, the humble zip drive? Gone. Forgotten. The Myspace of storage.

Why? Is it nostalgia? Is it sound quality? Is it… vibes? (It’s vibes.) Vinyl carries romance. You hear the crackle, you feel the weight of the record, you see the cover art big enough to frame. It’s not just music, it’s ritual. Listening to vinyl says, I have time for this. Zip drives, on the other hand, whisper only of corrupted files and the eternal question: “Do I safely remove hardware or just yank it out?”

Many audiophiles argue analog recordings preserve sound better (BBC). It’s culturally validated; your cool friend with the tote bag probably has a vinyl collection.

And here’s the kicker: technology doesn’t survive on utility alone. It survives on storytelling. Vinyl tells a story of rebellion, romance, and artistry. Zip drives tell a story of “my PowerPoint is stuck on here and the presentation is in 5 minutes.” Which one are you taking home?

So, yes, vinyl records are back because they seduce. Zip drives aren’t, because they never did. That’s the love story.

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