[TenthAmendmentChampion]

Music releases started out as singles: 78 rpm records had one song on each side. You could buy a bundle of 78s (they weighed about 20 lbs.) for an opera or other long work, but until the 50s and 33 rpm vinyl, the album did not exist. I love music but I have no respect or regard for the RIAA and I hope they get what they so richly reserve.

[dfwgator]

You want to be a musician and earn money, you're going to have to earn it the old-fashioned way, touring your a$$ off.

[Squawk 8888]

Topic drift alert!

The term "album" comes from the days of 78rpm. You could buy records as one-disc "singles", or as a set bound in an album.

[weegee]

Music releases started out as singles: You could buy a bundle of 78s (they weighed about 20 lbs.) for an opera or other long work, but until the 50s and 33 rpm vinyl, the album did not exist.

Actually that book of 78s WAS an "album" of records.

When single disc platters came along they were LPs (Long Playing Record). Don't know when they got the name "album". In the 1950s, there were parallel releases of some titles on LP, 10" EP, and boxed sets of 45s (Capitol Records did this). They also dual released some 45 EP versions of albums in cardboard sleeves.

Now CDs are called albums and people still "dial" pushbutton phones.

P.S.: Not to quibble with your lineage (singles were still the original format) but even cylindars had 3 formats (which were not compatible) and the original flat platters had different designed grooves (Brunswick did make a combination tonearm that could be adjusted to play all 3 types of groove, a friend of mine has one). Even "78RPM" was a relative speed as some players are faster than others; my own turntable plays 33, 45, and 6 speeds of 78 (adjust it until it suits the ear).