The first vinyl record was not actually made of vinyl. It was made of a plastic called Condensite, which was similar to Bakelite. Condensite records were introduced in 1912 by Thomas A. Edison and Thomas Aylsworth. They were more durable than the shellac records that were popular at the time, and they had a better sound quality.
However, Condensite records were also more expensive than shellac records, and they were not as widely available. As a result, they did not become very popular.
The first true vinyl record was not made until 1930. It was a 12-inch disc that played at 33 1/3 RPM. The record was made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is the same material that most vinyl records are made of today.
The first vinyl record was not a commercial success. It was expensive, and people were not yet ready to switch from shellac records. However, the vinyl record format continued to be developed, and in 1948, Columbia Records introduced the long-playing (LP) vinyl record.
The LP vinyl record was a major breakthrough. It could hold up to 21 minutes of music per side, which was much more than the 5 minutes per side that shellac records could hold. This allowed albums to be released, which were collections of songs that were meant to be listened to together.
The LP vinyl record quickly became popular, and it remained the dominant format for music listening for decades. In the 1980s, CDs began to replace vinyl records, but vinyl records have made a comeback in recent years.
There are a few reasons why vinyl records are still popular today. One reason is that the sound quality of vinyl records is often considered to be superior to that of CDs. Vinyl records also have a tactile quality that CDs lack. And for some people, there is simply something about the ritual of putting on a vinyl record and listening to it from start to finish that is appealing.
So, what was the first vinyl record? It was a Condensite record that was introduced in 1912. However, the first true vinyl record was not made until 1930. And it was the LP vinyl record that really made vinyl records popular.
I hope you enjoyed this article about the first vinyl record. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask.
