A Short History of the EP

Extended Play or EP can be a Vinyl Record, CD or even downloaded music. The definition of an EP is anything which is “more than one single but too short to be an LP”.

The earliest form of an EP can be traced back to as far as 1920 to the 78-rpm discs released by Grey Gull Records. A notable feature was the very fine grooves on the record. The format gained recognition only in 1952, when RCA victor released 45rpms in order to combat Columbia Records’ LP format. Although the EPs held only could play 7.5 minutes on each side, they still played on 45 rpm equipment which was the chief cause of their success. RCA’s biggest artist EP-wise was Elvis Presley who had 28 EP’s released between ’56 and ’67.

In the ’50s and ’60s, EPs predominantly contained either compilations of singles or samplers from albums. They were not popular in the U.S., but in the U.K. they found a willing market. Therefore it is not surprising that The Beatles were the first artists to have an EP in the UK Singles chart. This honor went to The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour, which was a double-sided EP.

The first EP album to hit number one in the Billboard charts was “Jar of Flies” by Alice in Chains. “Collision Course” by Linkin Park and Jay-Z are the only other band to emulate this feat. A notable recent release/revival in 2010 of the format is the “Six-Pak”, a collection of six songs offered by Warner Bros. Records and which comes on a CD.