50s and 60s record players

Every teenager in the 50s and 60s wanted a radio and a record player. Pop music was sold via the singles chart and record players from that era were designed to play singles. Most were able to play stack of singles one after the other. Portable radios started out as bulky affairs with valves, but eventually the transistor took over the and shirt pocket radio became the 60s equivalent of the teenage mobile phone.

The popularity of music in the 50s and 60s ensured that the record player was just as popular as the radio. They were always referred to as "record players"; to use the old-fashioned term "gramophone" in the late 50s and early 60s marked you out as a member of the square, older generation. Record players had come a long way from the wind-up gramophones popular in the 20s. The most well-known make from the 50s was the Dansette. It was popular with the teenage market and was used to listen to the latest "rock'n'roll" hits.

This HMV, right, has the ubiquitous arm for playing several records one after the other. HMV was a pioneer from the horn gramophone days. Their symbol, featuring the famous dog Nipper, was a mark of quality. HMV players were considered some of the best available in the 60s.

Stereo record players

By the early sixties, stereo record players were available. This record player, left, by Champion, is from the early sixties. It is a portable set, but judging by the weight I wouldn't want to "port" it too far! The arm across the record allowed you to stack around five singles and play them one after the other.

This model has a BSR turntable. This was a common turntable used on record players at the cheap end of the market. More sophisticated stereo equipment was available, but aimed at a small, specialised market.

Can you buy a 60s style record player today?

The answer is yes. Unbelievably, Steepletone make a wonderful looking sixties record player in black or red leatherette. It looks the part and has the arm mechanism for playing several records. At last someone has made a product that really looks like it could have been made in the sixties.

Annie Nightingale played her first record, Elvis's 'Hounddog' on the One Show using one of these record players players.

The other player, far right, is an alternative, in a wood finish.

Can you still buy vinyl records?

Answer, yes, there is a good selection on Amazon. You can get both new and used records. There are some classics there, such as Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, Rumours, by Fleetwood Mac, the Beatles White Album and Led Zeppelin.

See Vinyl records on Amazon

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