For the first time since compact discs arrived in the music industry, the Grammy‘s in 2018 have included Album of the Year nominees that completely skipped the format. This includes Cardi B‘s Invasion of Privacy and H.E.R.‘s self-titled debut album, released on Atlantic and RCA respectively.
Both artists decided to snub CD releases in favor of streaming and downloads instead. Interestingly enough, both Cardi B and H.E.R. made their albums available on vinyl, as well.
CDs were first introduced in 1982 and popped into the Grammy’s Album of the Year category in 1984.
According to Nielsen Music, CDs made for 90 percent of album sales in the U.S. in 2007. Compare that to last year, as that number has dropped to just 18 percent.
CDs aren’t completely dying, but it’s fully possible the technology could become a novelty similar to vinyl releases; though, even vinyl is experiencing a resurgence in popularity, so who’s to say.
View the full list of Grammy nominees here.
Source: Billboard | Photo credit: Maro Hagopian