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.

---

Music for Corporate Entertainment

For many years I have supplied music for and played in bands that provide music for corporate entertainment. Clients have included Audi, The Evening Standard, Sainsburys, P.C. World, Safeways, Large corporate clients at... Read More

The Music Industry and Its Lack of Talent

So it has come to this... what we see overrides what we hear. What we see now influences HOW we hear. And what we see drowns out all that is heard to the... Read More

The Dos and Donts of Getting Your Child to Love Learning an Instrument

We all know that music can be inspiring, entertaining, and exhilarating. There are few things more enjoyable than listening to good music. If you're lucky enough to be able to play a musical... Read More

How I Compose a Piece of Music

A number of people have asked about my own methodology for creating a complete piece of music at the piano. At the risk of oversimplification, the steps are as follows:1. I sit down... Read More

Music to Echo Your Mood

In what way do the kinds of music (rock, rap, classical, instrumental, etc.) change or alter our mood and in what way do our moods effect what music we listen to?Music has been... Read More

Open Position Piano Chords - Perfect for the New Age Style

The Open Position Chord (OPC) allows you to create a vented sound. A sound that is open, literally, as opposed to the closed triads taught in most course books.The OPC covers more than... Read More

Facts about MC Big Proof

Facts about MC Big Proof"If I was you, suicide would be a way of life. If you was me , you'd kill you." (Proof)Before I start talking about D12's gifted Mc Proof, I... Read More

Art of the Recording Engineer: From Michael Jackson to Mutant Radio, Matt Forger Speaks Out

Interviewed by Scott G (The G-Man)G-Man: When people think of Matt Forger, they usually think of your work with Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Glen Ballard, and Bruce Swedien, yet... Read More

Is it Possible to Download Music Legally Anymore?

Throughout the past few years downloading music on the internet has increased in popularity. At the same time though, it has become illegal through many companies to download music as musicians and artists... Read More

Jazz Yatra

Jazz is arguably the most argumentative form of music (even has diminished and argumented chords). So at the outset let me present my side of the argument. Jazz is musical improvisation, right? Indian... Read More

The Didjeridu

In Northern Australia the Didjeridu is seen as a phallic symbol and therefore a male instrument. Women are prohibited from playing.Stories of the Didjeridu vary from place to place among the different language-speaking... Read More

Top Rap Song

After months of email and posts, we've finally compiled and rated what you submitted as the top rap songs of all time. At first we tried to rank these, but we realized that... Read More

How to Stop Thinking and Start Playing

Learning how to improvise is confusing for most. The sheer number of choices becomes a burden. Should I play this note? What chord next? Where do I go from here? All valid questions... Read More

Learning the Piano and Playing the Piano

Many piano students spend much time learning how to play the piano. Years upon years of study time devoted to perfecting technique, tone, dynamics, etc. All the while, many of these same students... Read More

Why Play Guitar?

As a full-time guitar instructor, I am constantly faced with people in all walks of life who, for all different kinds of reasons, believe that playing the guitar will add something to their... Read More

Born into musical family, Michael Jackson is as big as ever today

Michael Jackson was born Michael Joseph Jackson on August 29, 1958 (making him 47 as of year 2005) to Joseph and Katherine Jackson in Gary, Indiana. He was the seventh of nine siblings.... Read More

How To Overcome The Lyric Writing Hurdles That Are Keeping You Behind

The lyric writing side of songwriting is known to create an enormous number of problems for some folks. No matter how hard they try, they are unable to write a single line that... Read More

How to Improvise Using a Few Chords

When a painter is getting ready to paint, a color palette is usually chosen first. For example, if a forest is to be painted, the artist may choose browns, greens, and blues for... Read More

Does Your Band Need a Manager?

New bands looking to book gigs and establish contacts often start looking for a manager to handle the business aspects of their music. This is especially the case in cities with big music... Read More

How To Change Your Guitar Strings

Changing your guitar strings might make you feel a litte uncomfortable if you have never done it before, but it's really quite simple and should become a regular part of your guitar care... Read More

How to Create Hip, Mature, and Lush Harmonies [correction]

Rarely is a chord played with its tones contained in a single octave, the root on the bottom, the third in the middle, and the fifth on the top.Usually chords are "voiced!"This basically... Read More

The Gong - An Instrument Everyone Can Play

What exactly is a Gong?The gong is a musical instrument in the percussion family. A gong can have either a definite or an indefinite musical pitch. Usually gongs that produce a definite, specific... Read More

JOHN LENNON - The Man and His Times

John Lennon wasn't always my favorite Beatle; at first it was Paul. But gradually, over a period of time, it was John Lennon who won my heart. I think the transition began sometime... Read More

Legend Vega Releasing New Pop CD

Legend Vega is scheduled to release her newest CD this summer, Personal Space. Fans characterize Legend's style as a cross between Mariah Carey and a female version of Ricky Martin. She was born... Read More

New Age Music - How Its Made

Different styles of music have different "sounds." We can all pretty much agree on that point. For example, Jazz uses seventh chords almost exclusively. This, and the kind of chord progressions used in... Read More

Review: Coheed and Cambria - Second Stage Turbine Blade

Ever wonder what would happen if you mixed the progressive showmanship of Rush with Dashboard Confessional's emotional escapism? Me neither, but Coheed and Cambria has been described as that exact mix-up more times... Read More

Writing Hit Songs

There are a lot of factors to writing a hit song. First, you should focus on writing a good song. Once you've done that, you are not far away from writing a hit.... Read More

Improvisation and Musical Form

Do you ramble on endlessly with your improvisations? If so, good. This has its place in music making and in new age piano playing in particularly. Just listen to New Age pianist Michael... Read More

How to Download Music From The Internet

Most of you have probably heard of the RIAA's quest to crush online music piracy. The illegal sharing of copyrighted songs via the MP3 format over the Internet costs the music industry billions... Read More