- Cheap downloads and broadband connections KO format
- 7″ single sees revival of fortunes
Yesterday, ASDA announced its decision to drop CD singles from the store chain. This has been brought about increased popularity of downloads and 7″ vinyl. The American owned store chain has dropped the CD single format in the UK due to its falling popularity. This follows a similar move made by Tesco two months ago.
Though seen by some critics as the death knell of the single as we know it, the opposite is happening with the older 7″ format. This has seen a resurgence in popularity, with a Manchester store stating vinyl’s popularity with new bands as well as customers.
I always thought that CD singles never had the same effect as owning a single on 7″ vinyl. Compared with albums, CD singles are a dearer option per track. At £3.99 for four tracks, they are pricey, considering the fact some albums can be bought for a pound and a penny more! In some cases, EPs in CD format can be dearer than some albums (for instance, I have often seen EPs in CD format at £6.99 - the price of some albums and DVDs). When I first bought singles, anything with four tracks rather than two tracks would have been an EP.
Thankfully, it seems that the record buying public have gone against these excesses, supporting the download or 7″ options. Though I don’t feel a sense of ownership with the download, the sense of ownership with a 45 is greater, due to the cover art, and the throwaway approach of CD singles. Not only that, have you seen a CD single with a daft shape, or clear blue/green/white? With vinyl, manufacturers can be more creative.
Give me an A&M Records 7″ disc on coloured vinyl any day (except for ‘Message in a Bottle’ by The Police).
S.V, 25 May 2007
(A lover of old technology from Commodore 64s to compact cassette decks).
