The Gryphon has teamed up with hmv Leeds to give you the opportunity to win a Lenco L85 Record Player and an LP of your choice from the Top 10 Student Record Picks below. All you need to do is like The Gryphon page on Facebook and share this article in order to be in with a chance of winning!

While ten years ago vinyls might have been those dusty large pieces of plastic that your parents had stashed away in the loft, in recent years vinyl records have become the ultimate way to listen to your favourite tunes. Up there with fairy lights and tapestries in creating the ultimate uni room aesthetic, vinyls provide both a functional and aesthetic way to deck out your accommodation.

After years of decreasing sales with 540 record stores in the UK shutting down between 2004-2009, the rise of Record Store Day – in which bands release limited edition vinyls in independent record stores – has helped contribute to their rise in popularity. Vinyl buyers are enjoying the nostalgia and sense of community in the art of record shopping; there is no human interaction on the likes of the faceless of Spotify and iTunes.

hmv now predicts that a whopping 1.5 million LPs will be sold in hmv stores in 2016, the biggest sale of vinyl records since 1997. Vinyls are no longer just the things of hipster instagrams but are a legitimate way of listening to music. In 2015 the UK even saw the Official Chart Company introduce an official vinyl chart in response to the craze.

Vinyls offer a nostalgic throwback to the past in a world that is becoming increasingly digital. Offering that rustic and sentimental sound that screams of earlier times and a stunning physical presence that demands attention, vinyls are being used to shun our increasingly digital world.

Top 10 vinyl picks for students

Whether it’s spinning your favourite LP during Fresher’s Week or simply decorating the walls of your halls with beautiful record sleeves, vinyl is quickly becoming the must-have student accessory.

Check out hmv’s top vinyl picks, a selection that is sure to cater to every university occasion.

1.Wild World – Bastille (hmv exclusive lenticular slipcase with printed inner sleeves)

Wild World is the follow-up to Bastille’s double platinum album, Bad Blood. It retains the vivid and rich song-writing of its predecessor but pushes the band’s unique sound in exciting new directions. Lyrically, too, it’s a leap forward.

2. Chaleur Humaine – Christine and The Queens

If you’re looking for a healthy dose of French synthpop, you won’t go far wrong with Chaleur Humaine from Christine and The Queens AKA Héloïse Letissier. The US release of this album was reworked to include English lyrics, gracefully interweaved with Letissier’s stunning vocals.  

3. What Went Down – Foals

The award-winning Foals have released a string of successful albums since 2008 and What Went Down, their latest studio album, is no exception. It’s the band’s “heaviest” record to date according to frontman Yannis Philippakis and packs a noticeably harder punch that its predecessors. You’re going to want to turn this one up to 11. 

4. Nothing’s Real – Shura

Synthpop is clearly en vogue this year, with another contribution to the genre from Mancunian musician Shura. The ‘80s inspired Nothing’s Real is jam-packed with up-beat head boppers, laced with touching melancholic interludes, that are sure to tug on those heartstrings.

5. Every Eye Open – CHVRCHES

This second studio album from Scottish synthpop band CHVRCHES is widely regarded as one of the best LPs of 2015. Every Eye Open is the self-produced follow-up to the critically acclaimed The Bones of What You Believe, and features the same harmonious vocals from talented frontwoman Lauren Mayberry.

6. Blossoms – Blossoms

Blossoms is the number one album from the Stockport band of the same name. Back in the day, they supported such indie favourites as The Charlatans and The Courteeners, and more recently played a huge gig at the Etihad Stadium alongside The Stone Roses. 

7. The Ride – Catfish and The Bottlemen

The Ride is the number one album from Welsh indie troupe Catfish and the Bottlemen and follows their top-ten debut album The Balcony. With European, North American and Australian tours under their belt, the band has amassed an international following, and rightly so.

8. The Bride – Bat for Lashes

The atmospheric fourth album from Bat for Lashes AKA Natasha Khan is as beautiful as it is dark. It’s a concept album that follows the tragic story of a woman whose fiancé dies in a car crash but she decides to go on the honeymoon alone anyway. Expect emotionally charged tracks throughout.

9. 1989 – Taylor Swift

1989 is Taylor’s “most cohesive collection of confessionals yet”, and is said to signify the transition from the country music of her past albums, to her first “pop” album. The critically acclaimed fifth album from Taylor Swift achieved multi-platinum status in several countries, and what better way to experience this superstar’s move into the pop world than on vinyl. 

10. California – Blink 182

Why not enjoy the vinyl revival with the comeback of one of the favourite punk rock bands of the 90s? California, the seventh album from Blink 182, is the first to feature vocalist/guitarist Matt Skiba, and the band have managed to recapture that early energy that fans have sorely missed. 

For a selection of turntables to suit every budget and all of the latest vinyl releases, visit hmv Leeds or hmv.com.

Juliette Rowsell