12 inch single records on vinyl were produced in the States in the 70's and were particularly produced in this format for Disco use by DJ's.  However, the roots of the 12 inch can be traced back to the 50's and 60's were they were produced for DJ's in Jamaica.  The larger groove format gave a better quality base sound dynamic which was ideal for reggae music.  The disco era led to extended play dance tunes by artists such as The Tramps and Frankie Valli.  However, the first major 12 inch vinyl released as a stand alone single was Donna Summer's 'Love To Love You Baby' on Atlantic Records.

 

The 12 inch has become popular in Discos because of the sound quality it offers and it has been developed by mixing engineers to develop extended dance tracks and to mix different songs together.  It has been used by dub artists and by drum 'n' base artists to create unique sounds.  Because the early 12 inch vinyl records were produced as demos for DJ's or in small quantities they are hard to find and highly collectable.  One of the largest selling 12 inch vinyl records was release by British band New Order entitled 'Blue Monday' on Factory Records which went on to sell over a million copies.  Planet Earth Records stock 12inch vinyl records by New Order, The Pet Shop Boys, The Jam and many other leading artists.