Just as the movie industry had reacted against television with the development and release of talking pictures, the record industry reacted against radio with the development of the long-playing disk (LP), which was introduced by CBS Records (now owned by Columbia Records) in 1948. The LP was the first stereo-capable long-player and marked the beginning of the high-fidelity (hi-fi) recording era.

Sound quality was greatly improved by the use of vinyl, allowing the size of the grooves to be smaller for a longer playing time, with a reduction in surface noise, an improved signal-to-noise ratio and a generally enhanced recorded signal. Technological advances such as these allowed more music than was previously possible to be stored on a disk the same size, but producing a better sound quality despite its slower rotational speed of 33 1/3 rpm.

Still available today, though not as common as in previous decades, sales of record albums peaked in 1978, before a gradual decline greatly accelerated by the introduction of the Compact Disc in the early 1980s.

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