How Long Will CDs Last ??

[Big Ears]

Vinyl was first introduced in 1930, became popular in the late 40's (LPs) and stereo was introduced in the late 50's (remember those Enoch Light "ping-pong" records?). There are are high-end, lossless recording techniques but the great mass of folk have been so acclimated to crap sound, they remain a niche. Interestingly, vinyl has made a strong comeback--180-gram vinyl especially (to be played on systems costing $10,000 or more just for the turntable--snob sh!t for real but eventually affordable on the 2nd/3rd hand market).
My usual plan--listen to a good artist on the crap sound of YT through my computer--if it grabs me sufficiently (and that's often but not always true), get the CD. If it's offered through CDBaby or the artist's own site, I go there--O/W 2nd hand from the Usual Suspect.

My understanding is that the material was invented in the 1920s, but was not developed commercially until after the war. Vinyl LPs, as we know them, were not available until the sixties. I am old enough to remember 78s and although you could play them, they required the higher rpm, were heavier, more rigid and gave poorer quality sound. My friend's mum had a 78 of Heartbreak Hotel!