OLDIES BUT GOLDIES

The Ways We Listen to Music

The way we listen to music has changed drastically throughout the past seventy years. For a very long time records and the radio were the predominant means of listening to your favorite songs. Despite numerous advances in technology, many artists today still release their albums on vinyl records as well as MP3s and CDs because many music fans still believe that vinyl records provide the best musical experience. The technology for records began in the 1800's with wax records and phonographs, and as technology advance the size, speed and material of the records changed. In the 1970's until the 1990's 8-tracks and then cassette tapes became another popular media with which to experience music due to their portability. Although they were developed in the 1980's, CDs (Compact Discs) and CD players did not become a popular way to listen to music until the middle of the 1990's when the technology became more affordable. CDs replaced tapes due to their greater storage capacities and better sound quality. CDs were the most popular way to listen to one's favorite songs until the middle of the 2000's when computer and internet technology advanced significantly to make MP3 format and MP3 players more viable means of entertainment. Apple's iPod was released in November of 2001 and changed the way we listen to music forever making it forever portable and allowing us to infinitely expand our music collections. With more and more advances in computer technology and increased internet capabilities, we have the ability to instantly listen to our favorite songs at a relatively low cost or for free with our computers, phones, MP3 players, and tablets thanks to instant streaming services like Pandora or Spotify and online shops like iTunes or Amazon. Television also influenced the way we listen to music with artists being able to reach national audiences through performances on talk shows, music showcases, and music videos on MTV. Now with popularity of video sharing websites like YouTube, many artists are being discovered through this medium and established artists can connect more quickly and deeply with their fans.