Vinyl Record

Early sound recording devices date all the way back to 1857, and shellac records that played at 78 RPM were introduced in 1901, but the modern vinyl record format we know today was introduced in 1948 by Columbia Records. These vinyl records were called LPs (short for Long Play), measured 12 inches in diameter, recorded about 22 minutes of music per side, and played at a speed of 33 1/3 RPM. A year later, RCA introduced the 7” vinyl record format that played at 45 RPM. These smaller discs typically include one song on each side and are commonly called 45s or singles. The compact cassette format was released in 1963, and 1985 was the first year that tapes sales surpassed vinyl record sales.

• Year: 1949
• Dimensions: most records are 12” in diameter, singles are 7” in diameter, and some records are 10” in diameter
• Capacity: 22 mins per side on 12”, 15 mins per side on 10”, and 5 mins per side on 7” singles
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