The Influence of Vinyl Records on Music Listening and Society
Vinyl records had a profound impact on the music industry and society’s listening habits in the past. They revolutionized music creation, distribution, and consumption, reshaping the entire industry. Vinyl’s durability and improved sound quality enabled artists to explore new musical possibilities. The introduction of the long-playing (LP) format allowed artists to showcase their vision through extended track lengths. Vinyl made music more accessible, creating personalized listening experiences and emotional connections for the masses.
While working on my paper on the vinyl records, I had the opportunity to delve into various user concepts, ranging from configured to innovative approaches. This exploration encompassed the rich history of the record industry, tracing the evolution of these diverse user perspectives over time. Additionally, the paper illuminates how vinyl records transcended their role as mere musical carriers and evolved into powerful artistic expressions. They offer a tangible and visually captivating representation of the music, fostering a profound connection between the artist and the listener. The concept of technological determinism is aptly demonstrated throughout the paper, drawing upon pertinent examples from the past that highlight the pivotal role of vinyl record development.
Vinyl records encouraged a more intentional and focused engagement with the music. This heightened level of involvement fostered a deeper appreciation for the music and contributed to the overall experience. Record stores became hubs for music enthusiasts, fostering discovery and cultural exchange. Vinyl’s physicality, larger artwork, and liner notes deepened the aesthetic experience, while crackles and pops added nostalgic elements. The legacy of vinyl continues to influence music appreciation in the digital age.
History and development of vinyl records
Sound is a longitudinal wave that travels through air and converts ear vibrations into electrical signals interpreted by the brain. Sound recording captures these vibrations mechanically using devices like conical horns and diaphragms. The ‘second wave’ of sound recording introduced an integrated system of electrical microphones and amplifiers, making recording a hybrid process. The signal was inscribed into a wax ‘master’ disc and mass-produced mechanically as consumer discs made of polyvinyl plastic (vinyl). Vinyl, a synthetic plastic called polyvinyl chloride, outperformed other materials in the early 1900s.
Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877, introducing the first vinyl record made of a rotating tinfoil-covered cylinder. To improve durability, Edison experimented with wax, leading to the introduction of the reusable wax cylinder in 1887. Meanwhile, the American Graphophone Company, founded by Alexander Graham Bell, developed a cheaper wax-coated cardboard cylinder with better sound quality. The competition between the two companies resulted in advancements in recording technology. Ultimately, the Graphophone became more successful and merged with Columbia Phonograph to form Columbia Graphophone. Edison’s wax cylinder phonograph set the foundation for the recording industry and transformed audio technology.
Wax cylinders had limitations, prompting the search for a more durable format. Emile Berliner introduced the flat disc record in 1890, and in 1895, he successfully recorded sound onto a shellac-coated disc, which was more durable than tinfoil cylinders. Although shellac records had limitations, Berliner’s contributions laid the foundation for vinyl records. In 1912, Thomas Edison and Jonas Aylsworth introduced Condensite, a superior material, but its high cost hindered its popularity. As a result, shellac records remained the dominant format for the next forty years.
In 1948, Columbia Records introduced the world’s first LP (Long Play) vinyl record, revolutionizing the music industry. It had a capacity of around 21 minutes per side, 12 inches in diameter, and played at a speed of 33 1/3 RPM. This format shifted the industry towards album-centric listening, which still prevails today. Soon after, Radio Corporation of America Records introduced their own LP, playing at 45 RPM and measuring 7 inches in size. These vinyl record formats remain in use and are experiencing a resurgence in popularity.
Columbia Records also discovered that using a new material called polyvinyl chloride (PVC) made records significantly less fragile than shellac discs while delivering clearer and more dynamic sound. Advancements in cutting and pressing machines allowed for faster and more efficient production. Initially targeted at classical music enthusiasts, vinyl records quickly gained popularity across various genres. By the 1950s, vinyl had become the dominant format for recorded music. The golden age of vinyl records, spanning from the 1950s to the 1980s, was a transformative period in the history of recorded music. Vinyl records were not only a popular medium for listening to music but also had a profound impact on popular culture, fashion, art, and societal values.
One of the key contributions of the golden age of vinyl records was the democratization of music. Vinyl records allowed artists to reach wider audiences, breaking down barriers of class, race, and geography. This resulted in the emergence of new genres like rock and roll and rhythm & blues, which became the defining soundtracks of the Baby Boomer generation. The popularity of vinyl records elevated musicians from mere performers to artists and cultural icons, as their music became deeply ingrained in the fabric of society.
During this time, record stores became more than just retail establishments. They transformed into cultural hubs where young people gathered to discover new music, explore fashion trends, and engage in discussions about their favorite albums. Vinyl records played a vital role in creating a sense of community and identity among music fans. Whether in record stores, music venues, or at home, people shared a sense of cultural connection and collective experience through the act of listening to and discussing vinyl records. Vinyl records also became symbols of individuality and self-expression. Fans curated their collections, carefully selecting records that reflected their personal tastes and values. The act of owning and displaying vinyl records became a statement of identity and a way to showcase one’s musical preferences to others.
The relationship between vinyl records and its users
The phonograph, invented by Thomas Edison in 1877, was the earliest form of a record player. It utilized a rotating cylinder covered in tinfoil and employed a stylus to read the grooves and amplify the sound through an acoustic horn. Gramophones, which emerged in the early 1900s, shared some similarities with phonographs, including the use of the acoustic horn, sound box, and hand crank. Emile Berliner patented the gramophone in 1887, and it utilized shellac and later vinyl as the material for the flat discs. The invention of the gramophone marked a significant breakthrough in audio technology, as it allowed for the interpretation of grooves on flat discs, departing from Edison’s cylinder design.
The turntable, a more modern iteration of the record player, incorporates mechanization and improved design features. The turntable employs a direct drive system or belt to rotate the vinyl record. As the record spins, a cone-shaped needle, typically made of a hard material like diamond or sapphire, tracks the grooves and translates them into audible sound. The turntable is the name commonly associated with contemporary record-playing devices.
After the mass production of the first record player in 1895, it gained significant popularity until the emergence of radio, which temporarily shifted the spotlight away from turntables. However, in the 1930s and 1940s, turntables continued to sell well, though they didn’t reach mainstream popularity until about twenty years later. The 1960s and 1970s marked a resurgence for the turntable with the release of models that offered stereo playback and Hi-Fi sound. This development led to a surge in turntable sales as more people sought to enjoy high-quality music at home. Additionally, the automatic turntable became a big hit during the 1960s, providing convenience and ease of use.
In the 1940s and 1950s, experimental composers began using turntables as musical instruments, sampling and creating music solely with the device. This paved the way for a new genre of sound and artistic expression. However, it was in the 1970s that turntables truly made progress and gained prominence in a new music genre: hip hop. DJs, also known as disk jockeys or turntablists, became performers and musical artists who used turntables to manipulate sound, play multiple songs at parties and concerts, and create original compositions.
The term “turntablism” emerged to describe the techniques and practices of using turntables as musical instruments rather than just playback devices. In addition, turntablism marked the birth of innovative users at that period of time.
Turntablists manipulate one or more turntables and a DJ mixer to produce a wide range of sounds, either accompanying recorded music or creating entirely new compositions. Pioneering DJs such as Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash, and Afrika Bambaataa in the 1970s introduced innovative techniques like beat-matching, scratching, and beat juggling, laying the foundation for turntablism as an art form (Ferguson & Marclay, 2003).
During the 1980s and 1990s, hip hop DJs discovered a new way to utilize turntables by connecting audio mixers and employing scratching techniques. By scratching the vinyl against the stylus, DJs could produce innovative and distinctive sounds. This practice became a common feature in hip-hop and remains popular to this day. DJs often combine scratching with crossfading to mix different songs seamlessly.
Scratching originated with DJ Grand Wizzard Theodore in 1975 when he experimented with moving a vinyl record back and forth while listening through headphones. He developed this technique into what is now known as the “scratch.” The breakthrough moment for scratching came in 1981 when Grandmaster Flash released the first-ever DJ record, and it gained wider recognition. However, the scratch’s true impact was felt when Herbie Hancock collaborated with Grandmaster DST to perform the song “Rockit” at the 26th Grammys in 1984. This performance, often referred to as the “scratch heard around the world,” brought scratching into the mainstream and solidified its status as a mark of a skilled DJ.
Scratching led to a division between East Coast and West Coast DJs in terms of their approach and ideology. East Coast DJs focused more on showmanship and incorporating flashy stunts into their scratching performances, while West Coast DJs regarded the turntable as a musical instrument to be mastered, comparable to a violin or trumpet. This divergence in ideologies culminated in the first annual finals of the International Turntablist Federation in July 1996, featuring a battle between the prominent DJ crews of the East and West Coasts: Invisibl Skratch Piklz (ISP) and X-Men. This battle not only represented a clash between the coasts but also symbolized the different philosophies surrounding turntablism.
The emergence of scratching and its subsequent evolution as a key technique in hip hop and DJ culture has revolutionized the use of turntables, transforming them into instruments that allow DJs to create unique and innovative sounds. The art of scratching has had a significant impact on the music industry and has elevated DJs to the status of artists in their own right.
Vinyl records shaped society’s music listening habits in the past
Technological determinism is a theory that suggests that technological advancements shape and drive social, cultural, and economic change. In the context of vinyl records in the past, technological determinism refers to the belief that the development and widespread adoption of vinyl records as a medium for audio recording and playback had significant effects on various aspects of society and culture.
Prior to the advent of the LP, the music industry operated on a much different landscape. Artists were limited in their ability to release more than a small handful of songs at once, primarily due to technological constraints. This meant that the concept of a modern album, with its carefully curated tracklist and thematic coherence, was virtually non-existent until the mid-20th century. It was during this time that the LP, short for “long-playing” record, emerged as a groundbreaking innovation that revolutionized the way music was recorded and released.
The LP format provided a significant breakthrough by enabling the storage of over 20 minutes of music on each of its two sides. This newfound capacity opened up a world of possibilities for artists and bands, allowing them to create and release full-length projects consisting of around a dozen songs. Gone were the limitations that constrained their artistic expression, replaced by a newfound freedom to explore various musical styles and ideas within the context of a single album.
With the LP’s expanded capacity, artists now had the opportunity to craft albums with a cohesive sound and narrative flow. They could experiment with different musical arrangements, blending together multiple separate audio recordings to create a harmonious whole. This intricate process involved the expertise of a mixing engineer who carefully balanced the various elements of each song to achieve the desired sonic result. Additionally, the final step of mastering ensured that the entire album sounded consistent and polished, enhancing the listening experience for the audience.
The introduction of the LP format not only transformed the way music was recorded and released, but it also had a profound impact on the way listeners consumed music. With the ability to enjoy a more extensive collection of songs in a single sitting, individuals could immerse themselves in an artist’s creative vision and delve deeper into the musical journey they had crafted. This shift in listening habits further solidified the album as a meaningful artistic medium, fostering a deeper connection between musicians and their audiences.
In the early 1950s, as the LP gained popularity, record companies and audio engineers began experimenting with stereo techniques to enhance the listening experience. Stereo recording aimed to recreate the illusion of sound coming from different directions, simulating a more immersive and realistic audio environment. One of the earliest stereo recording techniques employed a two-channel system, where two separate microphones captured the sound from different perspectives. These microphones were typically placed at various distances and angles from the musical instruments and performers, capturing the nuances of the performance with greater depth and spatial separation.
The LP format played a crucial role in realizing the potential of stereo recording. With its increased playing time and wider groove space, the LP allowed for the storage and playback of two separate audio channels. This meant that each side of the LP could carry a distinct audio track, allowing for the reproduction of stereo recordings. To fully leverage the stereo capabilities of the LP, record labels began releasing albums specifically recorded and mixed in stereo. These albums showcased a new dimension of musicality, where instruments and vocals could be heard from different positions within the stereo field, enhancing the listener’s sense of immersion and creating a more vibrant and engaging listening experience.
The introduction of stereo recording on LP vinyl not only transformed the way music was recorded and reproduced but also had a profound impact on the way listeners engaged with music. Stereo recordings allowed for a more nuanced and realistic representation of the original performance, bringing the listener closer to the artist’s intended vision. This innovation opened up new possibilities for artistic expression and greatly influenced the evolution of music production and consumption.
