The Sony Walkman precipitated the rise of MP3 and audio players that allow us to revel in our own private auditory worlds.
Forty-three years ago, on July 1, 1979, the Sony Walkman went on sale for the very first time. The personal cassette player was greeted as a revolution—now people could listen to the music of their choice, privately and on-the-go.
While the Walkman still has its fans among analog aficionados, it’s far less popular among music-lovers than other older technologies like record players—largely because the audio quality of cassette tapes was never that good. But the Walkman had a lasting impact, precipitating the rise of MP3 players, and accompanying headphones that allow us to revel in our own auditory worlds anytime, anywhere—for better and for worse.
Why the Sony Walkman was so controversial
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