Happy 'Belated' 40th to the Walkman

While the majority of us spent last week entertaining our inner firebugs, be it cooking food over an open flame or setting off sparklers and other flammables in celebration of the nation’s birthday, many of us missed another significant birthday.

Forty years ago, the Walkman was born, forever changing the way we would listen to music and paving the way for future technology to come. The Sony Walkman TPS-L2, a 14-ounce, blue-and-silver portable cassette player, made its debut on July 1, 1979. The battery operated device made it possible for the first time for consumers to carry along a selection of music, either in the form of the beloved mix tape or in a bulky carrying case housing other favorite cassettes, just about anywhere. In this way, people could create the soundtrack of their lives to accompany them as they walked, ran, glided, shuffled or strut to work, school and everywhere else in between.

Sure, compared to modern-day technology where devices are significantly less bulky and capable of holding thousands upon thousands of songs in one convenient place, the Walkman seems, well primitive and by no means convenient. Still, despite its now perceived bulkiness and inconvenience when measured against today’s devices, there is much to be said for the technology. Arguably, the Walkman made it possible for consumers to carry around their music for the very first time, potentially giving them ownership over it — good and bad — and subsequently strengthening the bond people have with music.

Long since replaced by a Discman, an MP3 player and eventually the iPod, my first Walkman went everywhere with me, including to bed at night where as soon as the end of side A would sound with the distinctive “pop” of a button, I’d immediately wake up and manually flip the tape over.

Perhaps the Walkman is not only responsible for my lifetime love affair with music, but also for a lifetime of poor sleeping habits.

Did the Walkman change music for you?