John Peel’s LP Collection Goes Online, Nerds Rejoice

Attention vinyl nerds: you have another reason to celebrate! The record collection of quintessential music geek, John Peel is now online.

If you don’t know who John Peel is, you should turn in your turntable or repent with a few “Hail Google’s” right about now. The legendary UK DJ who recorded everyone from Joy Division to Napalm Death as part of his “Peel Sessions,” had amassed a collection of some 25,000 LPs by the time he died in 1994. And now, as part of an effort by the BBC, these are available for public consumption. 

Even for the casual music fan, this is some serious shit. Peel may not be a household name, but his influence is vast as he was one of the first to play psychedelic rock in the 60s and punk in the 70s among other things during his almost 40 years a BBC radio 1 DJ.

Peel’s widow, Shiela Ravenscroft, who put the project together called her late husband’s collection “one of the most important in the world.” And who am I to argue?

The first 100 LPs were released on May 1 and 100 more will be released on a weekly basis in alphabetical order until October. So if you’re looking for some new musical inspiration, dig in at www.thespace.org