Jack White's 'Blunderbuss' is the top-selling vinyl LP of 2012

By August Brown

Jan. 2, 2013 12 AM PT

Here’s an accolade that will warm Jack White’s analog-loving heart as much as a Grammy nomination. His 2012 debut solo album, “Blunderbuss,” was the year’s bestselling vinyl record.

The LP version of the album, released on Third Man/Columbia, sold just over 33,000 copies, according to Soundscan figures and an announcement from White’s camp Wednesday morning. It knocked off the perennial vinyl top-seller, The Beatles’ “Abbey Road,” which had claimed that spot for the last three years.

“Blunderbuss” is also the bestselling new vinyl album (excluding reissues and catalog titles such as “Abbey Road”) since 2008, when Soundscan began tracking charts for new vinyl album sales again. In October, Billboard noted that 2012 vinyl sales, while representing just 1.5% of the market for new albums, were up 16.3% compared to 2011 figures from the same point in the year.

“Blunderbuss” is also up for three Grammys, including album of the year. But who knew that balloon-dropping 7-inch singles was such a winning distribution tactic?

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