4 Music recordings of twentieth-century America

In this third and final case study you will look at recordings produced in America during the mid-twentieth century to see how their format and content were influenced by their intended audience. You will focus here on the years surrounding America’s involvement in the Second World War. By that time, 78 rpm records were widely available to consumers in the USA, allowing them to enjoy a variety of music in the home. This case study will however look beyond the commercial recordings purchased by civilians to focus on the records produced as part of the ‘V-Disc’ programme for American troops serving abroad (the ‘V’ stood for ‘Victory’).