Biffy Clyro sold out their limited edition cassettes within minutes of the going on sale - proving that the retro format is making its strongest comeback yet.
The Ayrshire lads wanted to celebrate the ninth anniversary of Opposites and manufactured 500 of the cassettes for fans.
They wrote on their website: "To celebrate 9 years since the release of Opposites, we are releasing a limited edition cassette of the double album.
"Only 500 copies available, each one will be individually numbered and housed in recycled yellow casing. Get yours now at http://store.biffyclyro.com."
The cassettes were priced at £6 but within minutes they were gone leaving some fans frustrated.
One fan said: "Tweet went up 32 mins ago and sold out. Pah!"
Another added: "Damn. Sold out already! Please release another 500."
And someone else complained: "Think it would’ve been nice for some kind of a warning so maybe grabbing one could be somewhat fair, just a bit salty I only saw it after it sold out because I was busy."
The demand for limited or special edition cassettes is an interesting trend that looks like it might continue.
Cassette sales almost doubled in 2020 to their highest level in 17 years and lots of artists have begun to release their latest albums on the retro format.
According to the end-of-year report by music industry body the BPI, sales also reached 185,000 in 2021 –the highest total since 2003 in the UK.
Although tiny within the overall music market, the sales increase shows the cassette revival is far from over yet.
The biggest-selling cassette of 2021 was Olivia Rodrigo with her unstoppable debut Sour, which shifted 14,000 copies on the format, strides ahead of Number 2, Dave ’s second album We’re All Alone In This Together which sold 8,500. Lana Del Rey ’s Chemtrails At The Country Club rounds off the Top 3 with 8,200.
The rise in cassette sales also demonstrates the fan appeal of music in tangible formats as a complement to streaming
Drew Hill, MD Proper Music Distribution, said: "As we celebrate this streaming boom, it’s important we also remember the ongoing fan demand for something tangible, and recognise that streaming and physical music coexist quite happily."
