The rise and fall of music formats through the decades
The first format to store audio was Thomas Edison’s cylinder-based talking machine, first unveiled in 1877. Then came Emile Berliner’s flat rotating disc, the forerunner of the 10-inch 78 RPM record. That format ruled until 1948 when Columbia Records introduced the 33 1/3 RPM 12-inch long-playing vinyl album, followed by RCA’s 7-inch single less than a year later. Then came reel-to-reel tape, the 8-track, the cassette, and the compact disc (with a ton of failed formats in between).
This video takes a look at the rise and fall of some of these formats over the last 50 years. Progress. There’s no stopping it. (Via Hypebot)
Alan, I’m sorry to bother you. I’m hoping to incorporate your descriptions of the different 5-year-long eras of music in a syllabus on Rock & Roll History. It’s genius! But I can’t find it. Can you please reply with a URL? Many, many thanks!
Go right ahead!