Trust John Lewis to catch the national mood. In this year’s tear-jerking Christmas ad, a father unwraps a vinyl record from his son and places it on a gleaming £799 Technics turntable. As the needle drops, the room fills with a song from the father’s youth and so begins a wave of nostalgia prompting shoppers everywhere to reach for real, tangible music again.



This trend for retro music players isn’t just about sound quality, though vinyl is undeniably hard to beat. It’s about slowing down, physically choosing music with intention and listening to it without scrolling. In a quiet backlash against screens, streaming apps like Spotify and endless notifications, these vinyl turntables, cassette decks and retro-inspired audio systems are back on the wish list. Many of us now crave the physical ritual of listening to music that involves sliding a record from its sleeve or the satisfying clunk of a play button.

We want to go back in time and listen to offline music in an environment free from the distraction of your phone, social media and streaming notifications. We want to curate our own music collection according to our own taste by using our own brain (yes, really) rather algorithms feeding us the next song. As per the John Lewis ad, the joy of building a music collection that holds memories is unparalleled.

Equally, some of us fancy the nostalgic look and feel of an old music player but are less willing to forgo digital music functionality. Many retro-inspired designs now hide Bluetooth connectivity and high-definition audio beneath their vintage facades. Think cassette-tape-shaped MP3 players and Apple Music friendly suitcase-style record players.

Inspired by John Lewis’ Christmas ad? Here are 16 ways to listen to tunes the old-fashioned way.