A Brief History: Definition of an Album
With advancing technology, the definition of an album has changed over the years. Prior to the invention of the LP (Long-Play) phonograph format in 1948. Releases were limited to around 3 minutes and would be considered "singles" today, with an A-Side and sometimes a B-Side of recorded music.
Occasionally, these records would be collected into books, resembling photo albums, and released as a means of offering a larger selection of an artist's repertoire to the public. These releases became the origin of the term "album".
The time length of the LP format set the standard length of an album's release even into the digital age, with some exceptions.
In 1949, the new technology brought about the 45, or 7-Inch, and would set the standard for releases of "singles".
How this affects these pages:
The albums listed on this site reflect the technology of the times. Therefore, albums listed prior to 1949 will include releases on the old phonograph format (78s) with shorter play times. However, there may be some overlap in formats after this time as LPs and 45s supercede the 78s.
Singles released on 45s or later formats will not be included on these pages unless it might also be considered an EP (Extended Play). For information on artist' singles, please visit the individual artist pages.
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