Heartbreak on Vinyl (song)

"Heartbreak on Vinyl" is a song by American singer-songwriter Blake Lewis, taken from his second studio album of the same name (2009). The song was written by Lewis, Sam Hollander, Dave Katz and Ben Levels, and produced by S*A*M and Sluggo. It was released as the album's second single on January 19, 2010 by Tommy Boy Records. The track is to date Lewis's most successful single, as it has reached the number-one spots on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs and Hot Dance Airplay charts in 2010. The single pays homage to record stores that closed down or went out of business and its loyal fans of vinyl records.

Background

The song makes reference to Blake’s favorite Seattle record shop and was inspired by a fateful trip to New York’s Union Square Virgin Megastore — both no longer in business. As the song goes: “Heartbreak on vinyl, I’m missing you and how, Easy street is empty, The silence of the sound, I guess the turntables have turned one too many times.” Blake explains the inspiration for its lyrics: “When people would ask me what I’m addicted to, I always said ‘music.’ And while they’d laugh it off like it’s a cliché, I’m actually a complete shopaholic when it comes to records. I’d literally buy 10 albums a week for years, so when I went to that Virgin Records and it said ‘going out of business,’ my heart stopped.”

Reception

"Heartbreak on Vinyl" has received favorable review from pressplus1: "The album opens up with the title track “Heartbreak On Vinyl” and immediately this is unlike any other post-Idol release, it explodes with a strong techno beat as Lewis croons along with the beat at a perfect pace. It seems Lewis has been digging through crates of old 80's dark pop because that's where he's found himself on this album."

Music video

The song's accompanying video feature clips from films that were set in (or featured scenes from movies in which take place at) a record shop. The clips were from Empire Records, Pretty in Pink, This Is Spinal Tap, Airheads, Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Half Baked, and High Fidelity.

Track listing

Heartbreak on Vinyl [The Remixes]

Heartbreak on Vinyl [The Remixes - Part 2]

Heartbreak on Vinyl [The Robbie Rivera Remixes]

References