Is the Record Album Dead? Not by a Long Shot

In 1982, Sony and Philips introduced the compact disc, a digital music playback format that used a laser to read the disc. The compact disc was expected to quickly replace the long play record album (LP) that Columbia had introduced in 1949. The product took off quickly, even at a retail price that was nearly double that of a record album, and sales of record albums plummeted. The CD, as compact discs quickly became known, offered what audio magazines called "perfect sound forever" while offering immunity to the effects of the wear and tear that often left records noisy. The record companies reduced the price of manufacture through improved production methods, and the cost of manufacturing a CD soon fell below that of manufacturing a record. Even so, compact discs continued to sell well at the higher price, making the CD quite a profitable product, indeed.

In order to maximize their profits, the record companies decided to phase out the phonograph record. They told their retailers that they would no longer accept returns on defective albums. This caused many retailers to stop stocking records altogether, and the record album had more or less disappeared from the market by 1990. And then something strange happened. The record began to make a comeback. Sparked by a few artists that demanded that their record companies issue their product in record form, the LP never quite went away. New albums by bands such as Pink Floyd and Metallica were issued in the mid-1990's in LP form, and those releases not only sold out, but now command a hefty premium on the collector's market. A number of independent bands that were signed by small record companies began to issue records in addition to CDs, partly just to be "different" and partly because the band members just liked listening to records. In some cases, in order to spur sales of the record, artists would include an extra song or two on the record that was not included on the compact disc of the same album. Throughout the 1990's and to the present day, several million record albums have been sold every year.

Granted, records are harder to find in stores than they were fifteen years ago, and an interested buyer might have to seek out a collector's shop or buy them online. But new albums by major and minor artists, along with older, "classic" albums, continue to be released in the LP format. Last year, in Japan, EMI Records issued every album by the Beatles in LP form as limited edition items. They sold out quickly, even at nearly $500 for the set. The market for records is smaller than it used to be, but the record album still thrives.

©Copyright 2005 by Retro Marketing.

Charles Essmeier is the owner of Retro Marketing, a firm that operates several retail Websites, including AluminumChristmasTrees.net, a site devoted to vintage aluminum Christmas trees and accessories, and RarePinkFloyd.com, a site devoted to rare records, compact discs and memorabilia by the band Pink Floyd.

---

CD Review: Amber - My Kind of World

Pop/Rock Recording Artist Amber, who has scored seven #1 Billboard... Read More

A Guitar Lesson To Help You Test Your Note Knowledge

In this guitar lesson we look at a great way... Read More

You Cant Force Play

A student once asked me; "How come sometimes the music... Read More

Can You Really Learn To Play a Musical Instrument From an Online Course?

Out of the 250 million people in the United States,... Read More

So You Wanna Learn How To Start a Record Label?

Well, you love music so much that you have decided... Read More

College Radio: The Most Important Radio Level for Musicians

For the self-promoting independent artist, the idea of taking on... Read More

New M3 with Competition Package

The new competition package available for the BMW M3 is... Read More

Warner Music Executive Payments

"In human life, art may arise from almost any activity,... Read More

What is Guitar Tablature and Can I Find It Online?

The guitar is one of the most popular musical instruments... Read More

Downloading MP3s Made Easy

The MP3 movement started out with a huge audience of... Read More

Form - Giving Shape to Your Music

Do you ramble on endlessly with your improvisations? If so,... Read More

How To Make Money On A Music Website Through Pay-Per-Click?

Interested in making money while you're asleep, or making money... Read More

Is Your Child Capable of Composing Music? Maybe the Next Mozart?

We've all heard of them. Child prodigies who begin composing... Read More

Facts about MC Big Proof

Facts about MC Big Proof"If I was you, suicide would... Read More

Music and Healing: The Power of Meaningful Words and Music

We All Have a Favorite Piece of Music that Moves... Read More

Repetition is the Key to Learning Something Deeply

Repetition is the key to learning something deeply. It works... Read More

They Laughed When I Sat Down at the Piano... but When I Started to Play...

Remember the old ad that used to run endlessly in... Read More

How I Learned How To Play The Guitar After Giving Up In Disgust

I was 17 at the time (the Beatles era), and... Read More

Memorizing Music - How Is It Best Achieved?

When memorizing music there are several things you can do... Read More

Piano Music, Perfectionism, and Self-Expression

Is your heart in the music? If so, it won't... Read More

Facts about Betty Kresin, Eminems grandmother

Betty Kresin, Eminem's grandmother from the maternal side... Read More

Born to sing, Britney Spears is as big as ever today

Britney Spears was born December 2 1981 as Britney Jean... Read More

A Brief History of Gongs

The gong is one of the oldest musical instruments in... Read More

Is the Mainstream Ready Once Again for Dance Music?

Not since the heyday of Dance/Pop Artists like Taylor Dayne... Read More

MP3 Music Subscription Services. A Good Deal?

There's a reason Apple Computer dominates the legal 99-cents-a-download digital... Read More

Modal Theory for Guitar Players - Part 2

Playing the ModesWhen I used to use this pack with... Read More

Music Business Contacts: Music Business Registry connects artists, managers, publishers, producers &

"The difference between success and failure is information," notes Ritch... Read More

The Art of Music

Music is the art of arranging sounds in periodic time... Read More

Taking iPod Culture into Clubs as Well as Cyberspace: Jonny Rocket Interviewed by The G-Man

Already making plenty of noise in the marketplace is a... Read More

Getting Rhythm - Three Tips for Guitar Beginners

If you are just starting out learning guitar one of... Read More

Karaoke Singing

This article is designed to help anyone to enjoy karaoke... Read More

What Works Best in New Age Piano Improvisation

Many students want to know how to improvise. What they... Read More

Getting the Best Performance From Your Artist

So now you've decided to record your songs. Good for... Read More