Spin Revival

March 20, 2026

NPL’s vinyl collection — and listening clubs — turn up the volume on music appreciation

Phil at Madison branch — Phil at The Mad Platters

It’s 3 o’clock on a Saturday, and the conference room at Madison Branch Library is vibrating with music.

The turntable spins as music fans trickle in and gather around a table, each with a stack of vinyl records to play, stories to tell, and sweet treats to share. Each has their own musical preferences (from metal to Americana to funk) but have one thing in common: a passion for listening to music in all its forms — especially on vinyl.

Welcome to The Mad Platters Vinyl Spinners Club at Nashville Public Library, where the simple act of listening to music is elevated to a communal, interactive — and unapologetically analog — experience.

Phil, a retired NPL librarian and lifelong music fan, has led listening clubs at two branches over the past several years. While each group is organized differently, at The Mad Platters, music fans bring in the albums of their choice and play them for the group round-robin style.

“Vinyl just sounds better,” Phil explains, as the self-titled Bob Dylan record plays in the background. “It has more openness, layers of sound, like you are hearing it on a soundstage, unlike CDs, which tend to sound more compressed.”

NPL is right on trend with the recent resurgence in popularity of the analog medium in a music landscape long dominated by digital and cloud-based platforms. Vinyl sales surpassed $1 billion in U.S. sales in 2025, according to RIAA’s Year-End Recorded Music Revenue Report, and vinyl listening experiences are increasingly de rigueur in high-end hotels, restaurants, and clubs in Nashville and beyond.

Analog Roots

Growing up in Buffalo, New York, Phil remembers his older brothers letting him listen to their Led Zeppelin and Allman Brothers records when he was 8 or 9 years old. “I couldn’t really appreciate the music at that time, but whatever they were listening to, I was absorbing it,” he said.

As a teen and college student he was deeply influenced by his hometown’s underground music scene, which famously produced such bands as Goo Goo Dolls, Electroman, 10,000 Maniacs, Ani DiFranco, and Mercury Rev.

“The ’80s — that was my era,” he said. “I was really into going to live music shows and discovering bands that didn't have records out yet. I remember seeing the Goo Goo Dolls at a small club. The local music scene was so cool.”

Come As You Are

Mike and George at The Mad Platters — Mike (left) and George

The Mad Platters group welcomes people from all musical backgrounds, including those who are discovering vinyl for the first time. At Madison, music fans can peruse and check out selections from NPL’s curated vinyl collection, which offers nearly 650 albums at the Madison and Edgehill branches.

“You can check out an album, or even bring in something random from a thrift store and we’ll give it a spin,” Phil said. “We’re not snobs. We are music lovers, first and foremost, so it’s always a good time.”

George a longtime vinyl fan, holds two autographed Robert Plant LPs, along with a haul of obscure funk 45 singles given to him by a co-worker. He says coming to The Mad Platters group has opened his eyes (and ears) to musical genres he might have otherwise never experienced.

“This is a place where you can literally show up with anything, and people are going to be excited to hear it,” he said. “You’ll hear stuff you probably wouldn’t have put on your own turntable.”

Joe is a musician/songwriter/actor from Pennsylvania. A self-proclaimed “metal head,” he’s been coming off and on since the group started, frequently rotating his visits around his schedule as a background actor for local productions like “9-1-1: Nashville.”

“I love Poison and Warrant, but also edgier bands like Heaven’s Edge and Cats in Boots,” he said. Today, he’s brought in a stack of LPs that includes classic Tori Amos and the new Hillary Duff LP. His fellow audiophiles are not surprised by his varied selections.

“We all have such a wide range of musical influences — that’s what makes this fun,” George said.

A Second Look

All Ears Listening Club at Edgehill branch.

On another Saturday, across town at Edgehill branch, the 1-year-old All Ears Listening Club is underway. Like Madison, Edgehill has LPs to peruse and check out in-person.

A small but animated group discusses Kate Bush’s magnum opus “Hounds of Love” led by Matt, a library associate, music lover, and poet. The dreamy, experimental recording ignites all the senses and provokes dialogue on love, relationships, and human connection.

Each month, Matt selects a different album from NPL’s vinyl collection to play for the group, like “Buena Vista Social Club” and “Love Deluxe” by Sade. He facilitates discussion, accompanied by a guest DJ from WXNA Radio, who brings a wealth of context, anecdotes, and experiences to share.

Matt says he didn’t fully connect with vinyl until he was in his 30s.

“I grew up when CDs were the major media,” he said. “I thought of albums as relics or some proto version of CDs — bigger, clunkier, unruly objects that my father and grandfather would listen to.”

Matt found his way to vinyl by returning to the soundtrack of his youth — albums his father and grandfather played, like Django Reinhardt, Miles Davis, The Beatles, and Nina Simone.

“I’m now experiencing what my elders experienced — not just what they listened to but also how they listened to it,” he said. “That makes it even more special.”

Sacred Rituals

Matt finds the tactile and immersive aspects of listening to vinyl are a major bonus for younger listeners who have only experienced music in non-tangible, digital formats.

“Listening to music on vinyl is an investment, both physically and psychologically, and there’s a ritualistic quality to it as well,” he said. “You have a record player that does only one thing — unlike phones or computers — and you have to care for the object because of its delicate quality. That is more meaningful and intentional than pulling up a Spotify list.”

Recently, Matt watched the 2009 documentary “Soundtrack for a Revolution,” which features classic music by Wyclef Jean, The Roots, The Blind Boys of Alabama, and Richie Havens. He says learning about the role of music in cultural movements has increased his interest in artists who released albums in the pre-digital age.

“These musicians are tied together across several decades,” he said. “They all use their music to explore larger social and political forces, and their music serves as the soundtrack for a particular moment in time.”

Connecting Across Moments

Corey, who oversees the monthly listening club Sounding Off at the Goodlettsville branch, agrees.

“Listening to an album allows you to connect with others in the room in the present, while listening to a medium that connects us with the past,” he said.

Sounding off, which takes place on the first Tuesday of each month, has been gathering for about two years. Upcoming sessions will highlight Aretha Franklin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Otis Redding, and Joni Mitchell.

Owning a record, Corey says, is like owning a piece of art.

“It’s art — the lyrics, tempo, tones, and instrumentation, plus the album covers and the accompanying packaging, each piece contributes to the overall vibe,” he said.

Rage Against the Machine

Eric Church's Evangeline LP — Eric Church's Evangeline: vs. the Machine: Comes Alive

Back at Madison, Mike, a storyboard artist from London, England, has brought in a copy of Eric Church’s 2025 dystopian rock opera, “Evangeline vs. The Machine: Comes Alive.” Mike illustrated the album cover, including the inside of the gatefold jacket, and is eager to show his friends.

“I was hired to do a rough sketch based on a concept, and I did that,” he recounts. “I couldn’t believe it when they came back and said they wanted to use it just as it was. They wanted the drawings to look rough and natural,” he said.

Mike’s organic illustrations reflect the album’s theme of conflict between humanity and modern technology in an increasingly digital world. “The music is the star, but the art helps tell the story,” he said.

Albums, Phil says, feed the increasing hunger for “analog moments,” the need for sensorial experiences that capture the beauty in perfectly imperfect moments — scratches, skips and all.

“Technology has changed the way we experience music, and that’s not all bad,” he said. “But listening to vinyl slows things down and engages all of the senses like no other medium can — and it’s even better when you are sharing that with friends.”

Search the vinyl collection at NPL now.
Search the NPL events calendar to find a vinyl listening club near you.

The Best of Nina Simone album cover

Analog Made Accessible

NPL launched its vinyl collection in December of 2024, acting on a librarian’s keen observation that Music City’s Library should include record albums in its collection of 2 million-plus materials. NPL curated 250 albums to launch the program at Green Hills and Madison branches.

Over the course of 2025, NPL increased the vinyl collection, now representing nearly 650 albums. Edgehill and Madison branches currently house the records for in-person perusal and checkout. Patrons can also reserve albums online and pick them up at their local branch.

Search the vinyl collection at NPL now.

Check out up to two vinyls at any branch or online.
Keep for 21 days with up to three renewals, as long as others aren’t waiting.
Listen at home, or at one of NPL’s listening clubs.
Return albums directly to library staff – do not return using outdoor or indoor book drops (handle with care!).