3Įlvis’s first long-player was RCA Victor LPM-1254, ELVIS PRESLEY, and it was almost as big a splash as his 45s: RCA reported immediate sales in excess of 360,000 copies, making it their fastest-selling pop LP up until that time. But a few attempts were made to broaden the possibilities of the medium, especially the single. While this format only allowed two-and-a-half minutes per side, its compact form and affordable price (one dollar versus four for an LP) made it the ideal medium for pop music.įrom 1949 through the demise of vinyl in the ’80s, the two speeds were usually synonymous with the two formats: singles played at 45 and albums at 33⅓ rpm. Rather than fight Columbia in its own element, RCA Victor countered with a completely new creation: in 1949, they introduced the 7-inch, 45 rpm single. As the little-record-with-the-big-hole, the 45 was easy to handle: grab a stack with your hand and your thumb fit right into the holes, making them easy to transport from home to party. The LP was successful, although mostly with adult record buyers who listened to classical music, jazz, and the kind of (mostly white) pop music that we refer to today as ‘easy-listening.’ The long-playing album was also popular with fans of both Broadway-based musicals and movie soundtracks.Įlvis’s first hit on the pop charts was Heartbreak Hotel, certainly, one of the least “pop” records ever to reach #1. As an LP could hold upwards of twenty minutes per side, just one trip to the turntable was required per symphony or quartet. With a 78 rpm multi-record album, listening to a 40-minute symphony could require as many as fifteen such walks. The primary value of the new medium was allowing listeners to hear extended pieces of music with fewer interruptions walking back and forth from the chair to the turntable to flip the record over. Initially, the LP had no impact on the type of music that teenagers were calling their own: black rhythm & blues-based sounds that would become known as rock & roll. And in 1949, all records were in monophonic sound. These records were pressed on vinyl-far more durable than the fragile shellac of the 78 records-and featured ‘microgrooves’ that allowed more music to be squeezed onto the disc. And as we all love a good abbreviation, it was immediately dubbed the LP by Columbia. In 1948, Columbia Records altered the home listening experience and the record industry with the introduction of the 12-inch, 33⅓ rpm long-playing record. The name stuck to the format when it was made into a two-sided medium with one song per side. The original format featured only one song on one side, hence it was known as a single. THE FIRST RECORDS to reach a large audience and keep that audience for several generations were 10-inch records that played at approximately 78 revolutions per minute. 2 The little record with the little hole.
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