% Vinyl vs. % CD

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   I know this is an impossible question to answer. But I'll ask for opinions anyway. As I was listening to a '70s song today (only available on vinyl, and will probably always be the case), I wondered what % of 1970s songs (all singles & album cuts released in the '70s in the US) have been made available on CD/digital (including import CDs). Let's limit this to major labels, and labels with major label distribution, so as not to include every obscurity in the world: )

I'd guess 10%. Maybe 20%. (But I kind of  hope I'm way off.)

For those who buy lots of '70s music on CD, and are quite aware of what they could get and what wasn't released on CD, what would you guess?

I guess I'll also ask the same question for the '80s - although by 1987-ish (or even 1986), almost every album was released on CD, so obviously the figure for this decade is substantially higher.

Edited by EdisonLite

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EdisonLite Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MusicFan Joined: 18 October 2004 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote EdisonLite Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: % Vinyl vs. % CD Posted: 09 September 2018 at 1:05pm
	I know this is an impossible question to answer. But I'll ask for opinions anyway. As I was listening to a '70s song today (only available on vinyl, and will probably always be the case), I wondered what % of 1970s songs (all singles & album cuts released in the '70s in the US) have been made available on CD/digital (including import CDs). Let's limit this to major labels, and labels with major label distribution, so as not to include every obscurity in the world: ) I'd guess 10%. Maybe 20%. (But I kind of hope I'm way off.) For those who buy lots of '70s music on CD, and are quite aware of what they could get and what wasn't released on CD, what would you guess? I guess I'll also ask the same question for the '80s - although by 1987-ish (or even 1986), almost every album was released on CD, so obviously the figure for this decade is substantially higher. Edited by EdisonLite

aaronk Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Admin Group Joined: 16 January 2005 Location: United States Status: Online Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote aaronk Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 09 September 2018 at 1:24pm
	Yeah, I'd say that's impossible to answer. For starters, do you even have a list of ALL major label releases from the 1970s? I'm sure there are loads of 45s and LPs that, even on major labels, were complete stiffs and didn't chart anywhere. About a month ago, I sold a huge box of promo 45s from the '80s that were all pretty much chart flops on major labels. Most of the songs I had never heard of. None were rare. I looked a bunch of them up, and multiple copies were available for sale for only a buck or two.
	Aaron Kannowski Uptown Sound 91.9 The Peak - Classic Hip Hop

PopArchivist Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List MusicFan Joined: 30 June 2018 Location: United States Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote PopArchivist Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 10 September 2018 at 10:17am
	When I was growing up my dad was very into vinyl and 45's. When I was reading your post, i was reminded that he often played many albums and artists that today many would not even hunt down on CD. Some of those included popular Dixie Land artists and New Orleans Jazz, Sha Na Na type albums with the hits of the 60's and early 70's on them and too many to mention specialty albums, comps and covers. Your question is just too broad to really answer in any context as like Aaron said there are just a lot of stuff that never even got a chart look but are on CD somewhere and stuff that charted or got airplay that is nowhere on CD at all. Up until 2009 even the Beatles in mono were not on CD. As much as we want to think the CD is going to keep chugging along the digital age is upon us. Artists don't even release their singles as CD's anymore and some of the albums of the last few years I have downloaded in lossless digitally because that is the only way some artists choose to put their releases out. Eminem came out with Kamikazee and I downloaded it ASAP in lossless. Same with Drake's Scorpion. Long live Adele, at least she can still sell CD'S!! Edited by PopArchivist