An illustrated listing of thousands of records in several categories released between 1900 and 1965 in alphabetical order with pricing.

" ... The only source dedicated to music from 1900 to 1965. Plus its extensive coverage of 78s puts you in line for vintage-vinyl collecting success. Inside you'll find: 30,000 individual recordings; 9,000 price changes; 7,500 recording artists with 900 first-time listings!; 1,600 label photos including 200 additions ... ; 78s, 45s, EPs and LPs; four major categories (jazz, big band; country Western; blues; R & B, rock 'n' roll); all-inclusive artist index ..."--Back cover.

Record expert Neely profiles nearly 175,000 45s, LPs, extended play singles, and 12-inch singles by artists whose first record was issued in 1975 or earlier. 200 photos. 8-page color section.

From tips for evaluating recordings, to lively discussions of bootlegs and piracy, to the history of recording formats, to collectible artists and more, The Music Lover's Guide to Record Collecting covers all the tracks. Designed for anyone who collects records for pleasure or profit, at garage sales or on eBay, this guide is both informative and entertaining. If offers a wealth of detail and informed opinion – unique in a field dominated by stodgy price guides. Engaging entries and essays explore the development of all recording mediums, from 78s to MP3; the distinctive character of imports; “most collected artists ” from The Beatles to Nirvana; collectible labels, such as Sun, Chess and Motown; original packaging that enhances collectability; and much more.

The term 'record collecting' is shorthand for a variety of related practices. Foremost is the collection of sound recordings in various formats - although often with a marked preference for vinyl - by individuals, and it is this dimension of record collecting that is the focus of this book. Record collecting, and the public stereotypes associated with it, is frequently linked primarily with rock and pop music. Roy Shuker focuses on these broad styles, but also includes other genres and their collectors, notably jazz, blues, exotica and 'ethnic' music. Accordingly, the study examines the history of record collecting; profiles collectors and the collecting process; considers categories - especially music genres - and types of record collecting and outlines and discusses the infrastructure within which collecting operates. Shuker situates this discussion within the broader literature on collecting, along with issues of cultural consumption, social identity and 'the construction of self' in contemporary society. Record collecting is both fascinating in its own right, and provides insights into broader issues of nostalgia, consumption and material culture.