I recently added a new “Now Playing” stand to my vinyl collection setup—a sleek, stylish display that perfectly showcases whichever record happens to be spinning at the moment. The idea behind it was simple: to celebrate my love for vinyl by giving the album of the hour a special place of honor. With hundreds of records stacked neatly on my shelves, I imagined the stand would constantly feature something new—classic rock one day, jazz or soul the next.
But as it turns out, no matter how many albums I own, one band keeps finding its way back onto that stand: Electric Light Orchestra. There’s something magnetic about ELO’s blend of orchestral rock, layered harmonies, and futuristic sound that I just can’t seem to resist. Whether it’s Out of the Blue, A New World Record, or Time, their albums never fail to pull me in. The stand has unintentionally become a shrine to Jeff Lynne’s genius.
While I promise myself to mix things up and give other artists their turn, I always end up reaching for another ELO record. Maybe it’s nostalgia, maybe it’s habit—but either way, the “Now Playing” stand seems to have found its permanent resident.