Vinyl records were predominantly recorded in speeds of 33 or 45 rpm. They supplanted the 78 rpm record, which had been made of a rather brittle urea-formaldehyde resin. Sizes were 7 and 12 inches diameter. A 45 rpm 7 inch was called an "EP" or "single", because it held a single song on each side. A 33 rpm 12 inch was is an "LP" or long-playing? record, with 5 or 6 songs on each side.
Records were extremely popular in their heyday, despite their well-known weaknesses. The audio quality was low. The discs were fragile, "skipping" audio when scratched on their unprotected surface, or could warp or melt when subjected to high temperatures. On the upside however, they were easy and inexpensive to manufacture, so they could be mass-produced.
In the 1980s, vinyl records were gradually replaced in mainstream music consumer markets with the compact disc (CD). Vinyl records continue to be manufactured and sold today, although it is considered to be a [niche market]? comprised of audiophile?s, collector?s, and disc jockeys (DJs).
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