[78-L] Questions: 78 RPM production in the 1950's

[David Lennick]

Well, for starters, the jukebox industry wasn't in a hurry to convert. And the 
45 was introduced less than a year after the Lp so consumers were now faced 
with THREE speeds, and an incompatible disc to boot..you had to buy a new 
machine with a gigantic spindle to play the little donut discs, before they 
began making adapters, spiders et al.

There were definite advantages to the 45 in terms of quality and durability, 
but 78s were what people had known for years. One funny thing..I don't think I 
have ever seen a Sparton-pressed Columbia 45, and they had the label till 1954. 
They also pressed Capitol, and got into Capitol 45s very early on..odd.

The 78 didn't die out in Canada till 1959 and 1960 for many labels. Country 
records appealed to a crowd that wasn't into high falutin' hi fi, and the 
French Canadian market was strong for 78s. Pop and rock would be more popular 
on 45s because you could bring a dozen to a party and have a good chance of 
their being intact a few hours later..Quality (and Columbia) pressed on a 
plastic compound, but Victor, Capitol and Decca and the other Compo labels 
broke before you got them out of the sleeve.

dl

On 4/5/2011 12:12 AM, Robert M. Bratcher Jr. wrote:
> I wonder why they still kept making 78's of popular, rock&  country music beyond
> the early 50's after the 45 came out around 1949 or so? 78 sales must have
> dropped to fairly low levels  after the 45 caught on with teenagers&  the folks
> in their 20's&  30's. Reason I'm asking these questions is most popular, rock&
> country 78's I find from the 50's are often in much better shape than their 45
> rpm counterparts. For example I've got 45's in fair to good condition where the
> same records on 78's are in very good to near mint condition. So with 78's not
> selling as well then why did they keep making them in the US until about 1957 or
> 1958 instead of stopping production of them in 1953 or perhaps 1954? Yes there
> was somewhat of a dwindling market for them over time but it seemed to take
> several years for that to happen. Or was it because the older folks took better
> care of the 78's they bough&  the teenagers played their 45's to death?
>
> I was born in 1959 so I really don't have any experience in this area beyond
> what I've picked up over the years as a used record collector.....
>
>