CDs are better than vinyl and most people listen to music on systems that sound dreadful
CDs are in every way better than vinyl records. They are smaller, much higher quality audio, lower noise floor and don't wear out by being played. The fact that CD sales are behind vinyl is a sign that the world has gone mad. The fact you can rip and stream your own CD media is fantastic because generally remasters are not good and streaming services typically only have remastered versions, not originals. You have no control on streaming services about what version of an album you're served or whether it'll still be there tomorrow. Not an issue with physical media.
The vast majority of people listen to music using equipment that produces audio of poor quality, especially those that stream using ear buds. It makes me very sad when people don't care that what they're listening to could sound so much better, especially if played through a hifi from a CD player, or using half decent (not beats) headphones.
There's plenty of good sounding and well produced music out there, but it's typically played back through the equivalent of two cans and some string. I'm not sure people remember how good good music can sound when played back through good kit.
I do agree with the sound quality of a CD vs vinyl. Any flaw in the vinyl (including just being a bit dusty) makes popping, hissing or other unwanted noise. CDs aren't as easily damaged and don't introduce unwanted noise unless you hella scratched that shit or had something go wrong with burning it so the data itself was fucked up.
But most musicians putting out vinyl these days are doing so without a middle-man, so you buy the vinyl to support the artist and not some mega corporate label or venue. I don't even have a turn table; I just display the records.
The sales thing tho... That's just because of paragraph 2 and the fact that CD players aren't the norm; digital media and streaming are. Compare vinyl sales to digital sales and not CD sales. Shit, man, I don't even know where you would find CDs for sale these days outside of a big music warehouse that sells used stuff. My local Target doesn't even carry those lame background flute CDs anymore.
CD’s are actually easier to damage than vinyl in that it’s easier to render them literally unplayable. 0% of the music will be played. Beaten as hell records will still play