Race records were
78 rpm phonograph records marketed to
African Americans during the 1920s through the early 1940s. They primarily contained
race music, comprising a variety of African American musical genres including
blues,
jazz, and
gospel music, though
comedy recordings were also produced. These records were, at the time, the majority of commercial recordings of African American artists in the US (very few African American artists were marketed to the "general audience"). Race records were marketed by
Okeh Records,
Emerson Records,
Vocalion Records,
Victor Talking Machine Company,
Paramount Records, and several other companies.