The Role of Chemistry in History

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Downfall of Vinyl Records

April 20th, 2008 · 1 Comment ·

Pet Sounds: What is an Album? / History of Recorded Sound / History of Polyvinyl Chloride / Vinyl Records: LPs and 45s / Album Conventions / Health and Environmental Issues / Downfall of Vinyl Records

In the 1980s the CD was introduced to consumers and it quickly over took vinyl records as the most popular form of recorded music.

The CD maintains all of the Album’s defining characteristics.  Albums today are sometimes produced on both vinyl and Compact Disc, however many albums will never be on the classic format. Every modern album produced on CD could never have existed if it were not for Polyvinyl Chloride.

MP3s unlike CDs are fundamentally different from records. With the nearly unlimited space of digital recordings coupled with the vast connectivity of the internet the future of the album is questionable. Just as a great deal of Audiophiles and Record collectors cling to vinyl and claim its superiority over tapes and CDs, so too do even more people cling to physical albums over electronic files. However, the popularity of itunes cannot be over looked. The Album may, some day soon, be forgotten.

 

Tags: Polyvinylchloride/Vinyl