In a world with iPods and other mp3 players, there are very few consumers who do not have some form of portable music device.   It seems that it is nearly impossible to go anywhere without seeing someone wearing headphones, listening to their favorite songs.  Modern technology has made it possible to have thousands of songs available anytime and any place, which is a fact that many consumers now take for granted.  A mere 30 years ago, the idea of a portable music player was just emerging.

On this day, February 21st, in 1979, Sony introduces the Walkman, ushering in a new generation of music listening.  The Sony Walkman is a personal stereo cassette player, accompanied by lightweight headphones, which were both the first of their kind.  The personal stereo also offered an audio recording feature, doubling the products usefulness. Sony always used the name Walkman in Japan, but the product was originally marketed as the “Soundabout” in the United States.

The Walkman name would be adopted in U.S. markets and soon became iconic worldwide. Several competing personal stereo players emerged in the 1980s but the Walkman remained the standard.  The cassette would become obsolete for obvious reasons, but Sony would continue using the Walkman name on personal CD and mp3 players.