There's something to be said for vinyl — its warm sound, its tactility, the awesome sleeve art. (Jack White would agree.)

The Long Play (LP) record, made of grooved polyvinyl plastic, became a household staple during the 1950s but faded away with the invention of the cassette tape and the portable Sony Walkman. Compact discs later rendered both mediums obsolete, only to be replaced by MP3s.

As one technology races to outdo another, some audiophiles have rebelled and returned to music's roots. Digital download sales continue to climb, reaching 1.3 billion in 2012, but consumers also bought more than 4.6 million records in the same year — that's a 17.7% increase from 2011.

The Music Bed has created a handy infographic charting the evolution of audio and the resurgence of vinyl nostalgia.

Would you consider buying vinyl instead of downloading an album on iTunes? Let us know in the comments.

Image: Flickr, Dennis Brekke