The history and road to getting to the type of records we have today is a long road. the invention of records starts back in 1887 with Thomas Edison, he invented a device called a phonautograph. The phonautograph was the first of the modern style turntable. This device made it to people were able to see the characteristics of music as this device graphically represented the sound being produced. Back in the day the only reason people were able to hear music was if they went to attend the live performance. They had no way to preserve the sound. So the invention of the record was thought as an idea to be able to safe the sound being played. It took many steps and people to get to where it is today.
It wasn't just Thomas Edison that contributed to the creation of the record. About a decade after Edison released the phonautograph, Emile Berliner patented the gramophone and this was the first type of record player machine. While the gramophone made its debut to consumers it was a big hit. Back with the creation the records were made by shellac.
These were being played at 78 revolutions per minute. The down side was that the 78's could really only hold a few minutes of recorded music. A lot of people enjoyed this type of record but due to the low capacity on those records they later became extinct in a way when the 12 inch 33RPM record came to the scene when postwar entertainment was on the rise.
These records were way better then the past type as they were able to hold a whole album of music on each side of the record. These new type of records that were the next hot topic also were made out of a different material.
Instead of being made out of shellac like the 78RPM records were these 12inch records were made out of polyvinyl carbonate, which is where the name of vinyl records that we know today comes from.
The creation of vinyl records has done more than you may think for many cultures and music lovers. Back in the day listeners had no way to be able to listen to their favorite types of music or artists. Vinyl records made it possible for people to be able to fill their homes with their favorite sounds. This helped spread the love and contribute to the rise of artist like The Beatles and Elvis Presley. This not only helped the listener, but it also helped the artists as they were able to make money off of their vinyl records being sold. This is still the case today as we have big name music apps like Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, and others. As we all know musicians write their songs to convey a message or tell a story. The creation of records made it possible to get the messages that are portrayed within the music of rock and roll, blues, and jazz to many people all over.
Records then went on a decline as the rise of CD's came alone and made it even easier for people to listen and play music. Then it was cassettes being able to be listened to in the car that also hurt records sales. Then in today's society we all have digital versions of whatever song we want with a couple taps of our finger on our phone or computer. Then like anything from the pass, vinyl records made a resurgence due to it giving a sense of nostalgia to people, collectors wanting to find and buy old and limited edition records, and the want from people for a more tangible music experience like back in the day.
I will say personally I have vinyl records and a set up in my basement, at first I thought my mom was crazy for setting it up. But now we go down sometimes and listen to the different types of music we have, things from Elton John, John Denver to Jelly Roll, Noah Kahn, and Morgan Wallen. I enjoy it as I am able to listen to music like my mom did when she was little and also still be able to listen to today's top artists. Who knew that Thomas Edison's creation of the phonautograph in 1887 would still have impact in today's society in 2024.
These were being played at 78 revolutions per minute. The down side was that the 78's could really only hold a few minutes of recorded music. A lot of people enjoyed this type of record but due to the low capacity on those records they later became extinct in a way when the 12 inch 33RPM record came to the scene when postwar entertainment was on the rise.
Instead of being made out of shellac like the 78RPM records were these 12inch records were made out of polyvinyl carbonate, which is where the name of vinyl records that we know today comes from.
The creation of vinyl records has done more than you may think for many cultures and music lovers. Back in the day listeners had no way to be able to listen to their favorite types of music or artists. Vinyl records made it possible for people to be able to fill their homes with their favorite sounds. This helped spread the love and contribute to the rise of artist like The Beatles and Elvis Presley. This not only helped the listener, but it also helped the artists as they were able to make money off of their vinyl records being sold. This is still the case today as we have big name music apps like Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, and others. As we all know musicians write their songs to convey a message or tell a story. The creation of records made it possible to get the messages that are portrayed within the music of rock and roll, blues, and jazz to many people all over.
I will say personally I have vinyl records and a set up in my basement, at first I thought my mom was crazy for setting it up. But now we go down sometimes and listen to the different types of music we have, things from Elton John, John Denver to Jelly Roll, Noah Kahn, and Morgan Wallen. I enjoy it as I am able to listen to music like my mom did when she was little and also still be able to listen to today's top artists. Who knew that Thomas Edison's creation of the phonautograph in 1887 would still have impact in today's society in 2024.
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