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I got a record player and radio for my apartment a few months ago.
The radio is turned to 880 Mets Radio, but most of the time (the way they’re playing) I wish it wasn’t.
Looking back, there wasn’t a specific “moment in time” where I came to the conclusion that putting a circular disk on a turning table was a better experience than clicking the Spotify App and streaming whatever music I wanted in seconds.
But there’s something borderline magical to me about setting the pick on a physical, rotating disc, and hearing the record I hand selected from my new collection play.
In the car as a kid, I used to listen to channel 660 AM radio with my dad. Where I’m from, that meant I was listening to some form of New York Sports radio.
He’d let me twist the dial to set the radio to 660 which was always fun. The excitement was in the buildup. Turning the dial and not exactly knowing what topic would be discussed or what game would be playing was a part of the experience. It’s what made it exciting.
But that feeling of uncertainty has been lost today in a world of infinite optionality.
Not in the mood for Drake? Tap your AirPod and Spotify will give you Shakira.
Want Indian for dinner? You know where to go (and it’s delivered, score)!
Need a ride? A stranger in a Camry is four minutes away. Actually you wanted a Tesla. Easy, face ID and three thumb taps just enabled the switch.
I’m not complaining. Quality of life is higher than its ever been.
But I'll always miss twisting that dial to 660.
And it’s not just me that’s feeling this way.
What I’m about to show you might blow your mind. I only checked this data because I was curious if other people are feeling the same way as me. It turns out they are.
Google search interest in “Analog Radio” is hitting new multi-decade highs.
Search interest in “Boombox” hitting new multi-decade highs:
Search interest in “In-Person Work” is hitting new multi-decade highs:
Search interest in “Disposable Camera” is hitting new multi-decade highs:
Search interest in “1990s” is hitting new multi-decade highs:
Search interest in “Vinyl” is hitting new multi-decade highs:
Search interest in “Live Events” is hitting new multi-decade highs:
All of these searches have one thing in common: the internal desire for nostalgia.
Watch this video of a packed VHS and CD store in Brooklyn and you’ll see what I mean. It’s not from October, 1997. It’s from June, 2026.
There is an internal desire for people to go back and feel they way they felt 20 years ago. The feeling is percolating throughout the general population and the stock market is reflecting it too. Go check the stocks of IMAX and Live Nation and then report back. You’ll see what I mean.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently and here’s my takeaway:
For as amazing as the technologies of 2026 are, and as much as optionality grows, our inner desire as human beings to feel like kids again will persist for decades to come.
Jeff Bezos said to build a business around the things that won’t change. This craving for nostalgia isn’t going away. If anything, automation is going to make its importance even more pronounced.
That’s all for today. Thank you, as always, for reading. I’ll be back charting for you next week!