# Black spinning music thing:what do you call it? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 20, 2014, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529 "2014-04-20T05:20:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/1 "2014-04-20T05:20:47Z")
With Record Store Day coming to a close, I though it fair to start a thread about what you call those spinning black discs that produce music. I’ve never heard anyone call it vinyl in everyday life, and album could cover tapes or CDs as well. I mostly use the term ‘record’, although I’ll throw in ‘LP’ once in a while. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/2 "2014-04-20T05:58:22Z")
45s for single songs, 78s for albums. ---
**Author:** ![AppallingGael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9bd4f/32.png) [@AppallingGael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AppallingGael)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/3 "2014-04-20T06:47:29Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > 45s for single songs, 78s for albums. Aren’t 78’s some sort of prehistoric thing? Albums were always 33.3’s in my lifetime. For albums, LP, yeah. And singles, 45, probably. I might say I had something “on vinyl” but I’ve never said I was listening to “a vinyl”. On preview, btw, “vinyl” seems to be one of those words that start to look weird if you stare at them for a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/4 "2014-04-20T07:00:18Z")
To me, “record” is the generic term that covers everything: LPs, 45s, 78s, EPs. The term “album” was originally used for a collection of 78s in a book-like thing with sleeves for individual records. It was extended to LPs because an LP can contain a bunch of songs, similar to an album full of 78s. It’s interesting that people don’t use the word “record” to refer to a CD. An LP and a CD serve the same function, and they’re both round and flat. When LPs and 45s came along, people used the word “record” to refer to these as well as to 78s. I guess CDs are different enough from the flat grooved things that people don’t want to use the same word for them. It grates on me a bit to hear people refer to 78s as “vinyl.” Most of them were made of shellac. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 7:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/5 "2014-04-20T07:25:21Z")
> [@AppallingGael](#): > > Aren’t 78’s some sort of prehistoric thing? Albums were always 33.3’s in my lifetime. I think you’re right. ---
**Author:** ![furryman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/furryman/32/99_2.png) [@furryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furryman)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/6 "2014-04-20T07:34:52Z")
General: Record Specific: 45, 78 or LP I’ve never heard anybody outside a story call a record a “vinyl”. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/7 "2014-04-20T07:47:24Z")
Back in prehistoric times, when calling a record store to check availability on a specific format, I would sometimes ask if a single or album was availably on vinyl, because I didn’t want to waste a trip, and find out my item could only be purchased on cassette or eight-track. ETA: Of course, my personal preference has always been to call them “musical black spinny things.” ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 9:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/8 "2014-04-20T09:04:01Z")
> [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > It’s interesting that people don’t use the word “record” to refer to a CD. . In several Euorpean languages, a record was called a ‘disk’. Those people continued to call their disks disks: ‘compact’ disks. Dunno what they called their music sources now. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/9 "2014-04-20T09:08:47Z")
Yeah I remember that. Chubby Checker. It was called _[The Twist](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbK0C9AYMd8)_. ---
**Author:** ![chiroptera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/df705f/32.png) [@chiroptera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chiroptera)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/10 "2014-04-20T09:15:34Z")
LP, or 45. I can’t recall if back in the day I used the word “record” in reference to the black round spinny things but I don’t think I did. I’m 56 and grew up mostly in Europe - I regard “vinyl” as more a US term if anything. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 10:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/11 "2014-04-20T10:36:20Z")
I voted for “records,” “albums,” and “LPs.” The actual object is usually a “record,” but occasionally an “LP.” The creative event is an “album,” but extends to the object in some contexts. If you own two copies of “Revolver,” you have two records, but you would say “Oh, yeah, I have that album,” singular. I’ve only used “vinyl” a few times, either to feign hipness, or specifically when discussing different formats of the same product ("'Innervisions came out on vinyl in 1973, but they didn’t release the CD until 1990"). ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 12:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/12 "2014-04-20T12:19:43Z")
I was born in 1984. I call them records. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/13 "2014-04-20T12:45:41Z")
A buddy of mine had a store back in the 70s/80s/90s called _Graveyard Records_. He sold used vinyl. At one point he added _& Tapes_ to the name. So, I call them records. ---
**Author:** ![Bozuit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/edb3f5/32.png) [@Bozuit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bozuit)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/14 "2014-04-20T13:51:41Z")
“Records”, normally. Although I might use the word “vinyl” to clarify. The problem is that you can’t say “a vinyl”, “album” or “LP” both exclude other formats like EPs and singles while also _including_ other media such as CDs, and “record” can also include non-vinyl recordings. ---
**Author:** ![CrazyCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dfb087/32.png) [@CrazyCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrazyCatLady)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/15 "2014-04-20T14:08:59Z")
The actual physical disk is a record, regardless of the size/speed. If you can play it on a record player, it’s a record. The general format is vinyl. The musical collection contained therein is an album. > [@Jeff\_Lichtman](#): > > It’s interesting that people don’t use the word “record” to refer to a CD. An LP and a CD serve the same function, and they’re both round and flat. When LPs and 45s came along, people used the word “record” to refer to these as well as to 78s. I guess CDs are different enough from the flat grooved things that people don’t want to use the same word for them. It’s not that interesting, actually. You can’t play a CD on a record player. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/16 "2014-04-20T14:10:29Z")
Etymologically, the word “record” ought to be able to refer to a single instance of any form of media: They’re all records of information, after all. Practically, though, it wouldn’t work, because the word was already in use, and people were using it to refer to a particular thing. It’s like the distinction “Available on video or DVD” you used to see in movie ads: Of course a DVD is video, too, but people took the word “video” to mean VHS video cassette tape, because that’s what they had been using the word for all this time. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/17 "2014-04-20T14:19:57Z")
Officially, it’s an LP, a “long playing” vinyl recording. I use “album” for the collection of songs, CD or LP for the physical item, and “record” for the performance. The Grammies still issue an award for song of the year, record of the year, and album of the year, by the way. ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/18 "2014-04-20T15:54:16Z")
I don’t want to get you in trouble or anything, but they’re not all black. That’s a stereotype. I’ call 'em records. ---
**Author:** ![Sahirrnee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sahirrnee/32/13937_2.png) [@Sahirrnee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sahirrnee)\ **Post date:** [April 20, 2014, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/19 "2014-04-20T16:53:22Z")
_The Spinners_ of course [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKbADFJOCkU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKbADFJOCkU) ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [April 21, 2014, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529/20 "2014-04-21T05:15:35Z")
> [@CrazyCatLady](#): > > If you can play it on a record player, it’s a record. It’s called a turntable for Tardigrade’s sake. sheesh. Record players are those cheapo things that often come in a “changer” version to play your stacks of wax. OH, and while records players have a “needle” :smack:, a turntable has a stylus. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/black-spinning-music-thing-what-do-you-call-it/686529.md?page=2)