columbia.8

Design: The lightweight cartoon depicts a figure who was to have an enormous impact on the pop music industry: the radio ‘disc jockey.’

In the 1950s, record companies soon became very aware that, unlike past generations, the teenager now had plenty of discretionary money to spend.

Many independent record companies came into being in the freewheeling early years of rock’n’roll, their sales success being largely dependent on radio station airplay time and the DJ’s patter.

At the same time, the 78 rpm record would soon be made obsolete by the lighter-weight vinyl 45 rpm single and the multi-track 33 1/3 LP.


	Columbia (U.S.A.) / c. 1958




	Corporate background: Columbia produced 78 rpm records until 1958 in the U.S. and to 1960 in Canada.				Design: The lightweight cartoon depicts a figure who was to have an enormous impact on the pop music industry: the radio ‘disc jockey.’ In the 1950s, record companies soon became very aware that, unlike past generations, the teenager now had plenty of discretionary money to spend. Many independent record companies came into being in the freewheeling early years of rock’n’roll, their sales success being largely dependent on radio station airplay time and the DJ’s patter. At the same time, the 78 rpm record would soon be made obsolete by the lighter-weight vinyl 45 rpm single and the multi-track 33 1/3 LP.





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