Digital music has really opened me up to artists I may have never heard before. I love streaming. But I also buy & download whole albums. I listen to the songs in order.
Vinyl was still fairly commonplace when I was a kid. Cassette tapes dominated. Sony Walkman was king. Convenience and portability, after all. Keep a pencil handy, though. Eventually the compact disc came along. Wow, you could listen to a whole album straight though without turning anything over. Shuffle was born!
The iPod changed everything again. I dove right in and had forsaken physical media.
Even CDs have a little something over music files (mp3, AAC, whatever) when it comes to holding it in your hand, opening the case, and popping the disc out. It's an experience. Your fingers lightly grip the edges; the delicate balance to not get fingerprints on the bottom. It's even trickier pulling a vinyl LP from its sleeve. Dust is the enemy. Be careful with the needle. Don't scratch the record!
I'm not totally sure if vinyl really sounds better. It sure feels better sometimes, though. Put your record on, lower the needle. Get lost in the music.
Reading liner notes from a PDF just ain't the same.
