Longbox

Most longboxes were full color, with details about the compact disc on the back, and artwork that was frequently taken from the original square album cover art, reworked for the new shape and size.

[4] In 1990, the Earth Communications Office, a coalition formed within the US entertainment industry focused on the environment, launched a movement called “Ban the Box” in an effort to eliminate longboxes.

[5][6] The satirical band Spinal Tap's 1992 studio album Break Like the Wind was sold in an "extra-long box" (an 18 inches (46 cm) longbox).

[citation needed] A common replacement consisted of locking plastic frames (security keepers) containing anti-theft detection strips, designed to roughly meet the same dimensions as the longbox to fit into the same racks in a record store, and removed by the cashier upon purchase.

At the same time, major retail stores were no longer selling vinyl records and had converted their displays to accommodate shrink-wrapped jewel cases, meeting the rising consumer demand for CDs while eliminating the need for longboxes.