Grooves Through Time: The Changing Format of the Record
For the average music enthusiast, the format of the contemporary long-playing record (LP) isn’t likely to be a subject given much thought once the needle touches down on a spinning record. Yet, there’s rich historical context to be found here that has ultimately shaped how we hear, experience, and remember music.
Welcome to Part 2 of our series exploring the history, the evolution, and the cultural significance of vinyl records. In part 1, we explored the history of the record, offering a glimpse into the groundbreaking patents and the early mechanical pioneers that gave rise to the record as we know it today.
In this next chapter, we turn our gaze to the evolution of format and form, a story of craftsmanship and culture shaped over two centuries, and defined by scarcity of materials, scientific achievement, and ambition.
The Shellac Era and 78rpm Records
Before the emergence of vinyl as we know it today, if you bought a record it was probably made of shellac. It’s a resinous substance secreted by the lac bug, and often mixed with fillers such as wax, slate, and cotton fibres. The material was harvested mainly in Southeast Asia, where it was processed and shipped worldwide for manufacturing.
As a material for records, Shellac had its flaws. It was brittle and prone to shattering,while its more rigid structure made it susceptible to wear and tear, creating surface noise. Due to a lack of superior alternatives, however, shellac remained the industry standard throughout the early 20th century, dominating commercial releases.
Typically spun at 78rpm, these records held what we now consider to be a modicum of just three to five minutes of audio per side. The impact of this limitation affected the very structure of music itself, shaping how it was marketed to audiences. Songs had to make their point quickly. Verses were therefore shortened, and instrumentals were more compact. Music needed to be concise in its expression.
The War That Broke the Format
In the 1940s, one of the many global complexities incurred as a result of World War II was the disruption of supply chains. Shellac was no exception. Access to South East Asia was cut off, and this created a problem for the record industry. In the United States, 30% of the nation's supply of shellac was consumed as a result of record production. But with the nation’s growing involvement in the war, it was the availability of the material in the production of explosives and artillery shells that was considered more pertient.
The War Production Board, a Governmental Agency responsible for supervising war production under President Roosevelt, ordered a 70% cut in the production of new records. By 1942, the material was rationed and prioritised for military use. “A call to arms” then followed. Records that were damaged, broken, or simply out of style were encouraged to be donated for recycling. Public shellac drives and social events were held, all in the name of patriotism and supporting the war effort.
While it was a crisis for the industry, it presented an opportunity. The scarcity of shellac encouraged record manufacturers to identify alternatives. One particular
material, used in the production of wire insulation and coated cloth, stood out among the rest: plasticised PVC. Shellac was soon phased out, and Vinyl took the spotlight.
Early Experiments
Experimentations in the LP and vinyl as a material weren’t completely new to the record industry. There were early breakthroughs by Marathon Records and World Record Co. in the early 1900s in Britain, with the latter producing some long-playing records that lasted more than 20 minutes.
In late 1925, Brunswick Records successfully introduced an electronically-recorded 12-inch disc that could play for 20 minutes on each side, marking an important shift from the older acoustic recording method. While these early efforts demonstrated a growing demand for longer playing durations in records, they were largely considered ahead of their time and not yet commercially viable.
This was particularly evident in the 1930s when RCA Victor released a series of vinyl 33⅓ rpm records that were mostly intended for radio use. While these were
considered pioneering and technically advanced, they were marred by the economic conditions brought on by the Great Depression era. Moreover, the average record player of the time simply wasn’t built for the lighter format of the record, with the heavy tone arms often damaging the delicate grooves.
Columbia, too, dabbled in LP formats as early as 1932. While their centre-start, 33⅓ rpm discs were used primarily in cinemas at the time, they offered early proof of the concept’s potential.
The Rise of Vinyl and the LP
It was in the post-war era that vinyl truly came into its own. Where shellac was brittle, vinyl was a flexible and forgiving material that could withstanding handling, resist breakage and, perhaps most crucially, it offered a cleaner surface for smoother playback, enhancing the musical nuance.
This quality allowed engineers to press finer microgrooves, allowing for a broader capacity of music, longer playtimes, and better sound fidelity. It what these technical capacities that made the LP a viable format, and vinyl its material of choice. Then, on June 21 1948, Columbia Records introduced the world to the 33⅓ rpm LP vinyl record, an invention of Hungarian-born engineer Péter Károly Goldmark. With microgrooves that enabled each side of the record to hold up to 22 minutes of continuous sound, the 12-inch LP was the antithesis of the shellac 78, an uninterrupted and elegant format, designed to carry full-length works of music.
Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto, conducted by Bruno Walter, was the LP’s first release; an intentional choice by the record label, demonstrating to the public that this new format wan’t solely concerned with duration, but with depth of music. The unveiling of the LP at a press event at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria was as much a product launch as it was a cultural shift.
The LP reshaped what an album could achieve. Artists and producers were now blessed with narrative structure, not confined to a collection of singles. The LP offered space for longer compositions, concept albums, and, ultiamtely, a more immersive listening experience.
The Golden Age & Format Competition
While the introduction of the 33⅓ rpm LP vinyl record paved the way for a new industry standard format, Columbia’s competitors weren’t about to simply let the
record label claim the future of vinyl for themselves. Just a year later, RCA responded with the introduction of the 45 rpm single, aimed directly at the pop music market.
As the compatibility of turtnables evolved into multi-speed machines, the two formats vied for dominance in their chosen niche over the next few years: LPs for long-form albums, and 45s for hit singles. For the first time, listeners had choices and the flexibility to switch between formats.
What followed was a boom in the physical media, and the ushering in of a golden of vinyl through the 1950s and 60s.
Legacy & Looking Ahead
From the dusty grooves of shellac to the glossy sheen of vinyl, the shift in materials and format gave recorded music a lasting form. With the introduction of the LP, vinyl became more than just a medium; it became a canvas for the exploration of design, culture, and identity. It gave rise to the album era and the curated listening experience, giving rise to cover art and sleeve design (an invention credited to Alex Steinweiss, Columbia’s art director), as well as liner notes, expanding the potential for storytelling beyond the sound itself.
In Part 3, we’ll explore further how this format shaped the way we listen to music, from the living room to public spaces, and across generations. Ultimately, vinyl didn’t just adapt to culture; it shaped listening habits, lifestyles, and sparked a cultural movement.
Sources
Long-playing records
June 21, 1948: Columbia's Microgroove LP Makes Albums Sound Good
Auction Insights & Market Trends – The Gray’s Blog
History of Vinyl Records: From Shellac to Vinyl
The history of 78 RPM recordings
Story of Sound Part 3: Shellac to vinyl, how World War Two changed the record
The History of Vinyl: From Shellac to Today’s Limited Pressings
The Vinyl Revolution: Columbia Records Introduces the First Long-Playing (LP) Record in History
