What was the Very First Album to be Released Not on CD?
The journey toward the modern CD format has been a long and diverse one, with various formats and sizes evolving over the years. However, in the quest to explore the first album to be released without using Compact Discs (CD), it's important to delve into the evolution of record formats.
A Historical Overview of Record Formats
From a technological standpoint, the late 1800s marked a significant era for sound recording, introducing lateral-cut disc records as an alternative to earlier cylindrical formats. These records came in several sizes and speeds, with 78 rpm being the most predominant format.
The 78 rpm format, with a 10-inch record holding two to three minutes of audio and a 12-inch record holding up to five minutes, revolutionized how music was released and consumed. Initially, these records were sold individually in brown paper or cardboard sleeves, making them sometimes difficult to organize and store.
The Emergence of Record Albums
The concept of a record album began in 1908 when the German record company Deutsche Grammophon produced the opera Carmen as a collection on a single album. Similarly, in 1909, Odeon released the Nutcracker Suite on a set of four double-sided discs. This marked the first known instance of a curated set of records under a single title, setting a precedent for what would become standard practice in the music industry.
The Advent of Bound Record Collections
As early as 1910, consumers could purchase bound collections of empty sleeves, similar to a photo album, in which they could store their records. These albums came in both 10-inch and 12-inch formats, catering to different preferences and the varying sizes of records.
The 12-inch Vinyl LP
The 1930s saw the introduction of vinyl record collections, but it was the 12-inch vinyl 33 1/3 rpm LP record that truly marked a revolution in music formats. Introduced in 1948 by Columbia Records, this format significantly increased the capacity of a single record, allowing it to hold at least 20 minutes of music. This innovation led to the continued use of the term "album" for a collection of music on a single disc.
Columbia Records released 133 recordings in their first 1949 catalog of 12-inch LP records, with the first release being Mendelssohn's Concerto in E Minor (catalog number ML 4001). This release marked a significant milestone, as it was one of the very first instances where an entire album was released on a single disk, rather than multiple 78 rpm records.
The Demise of 78s
As technology advanced, the 78 rpm format began to decline. Major labels in the United States ceased manufacturing 78s for popular and classical releases by 1956, marking the end of an era.
However, the journey to CD-less albums did not truly end there. Even as early as the 1940s, the concept of a single album being released without relying on multiple 78 rpm records had been realized. This laid the groundwork for future generations of musicians and record labels to continue this practice in subsequent formats and media types.
In conclusion, while the CD format became the standard in the latter half of the 20th century, the very first album not on CD can be traced back to the 1940s, specifically with the 12-inch vinyl LP. This format revolutionized the music industry by providing a more convenient and efficient way to store and distribute music, setting the stage for the digital age of music.