The Rise and Fall of Columbia House Record and Tape Club

It's been called the "Spotify of the 80s," and if you grew up back then, you know The Columbia House Record and Tape Club was not only your access to a vast world of music, but it also seemed too good to be true... Twelve albums for a penny? Who could resist? It turns out, not a lot, but little did we know that by sending that penny in, we were committing to a years-long fulfillment obligation. Today we look back on the seven-decade history of Columbia House, a program that started as a simple record club in the 1950s, but grew into a massive powerhouse in the 1980s. Columbia House was a huge part of growing up in the 80s, and, amazingly, still existed right up to the time of this recording in 2026... Get early, ad-free access to new episodes: Patreon.com/80s