Long before the iPod and later, the iPhone became the be-all, end-all of listening to music on the go, the Walkman's portability, sound quality, and cool factor came to define a generation of portable tech.
From the device's operatic origins to its lasting legacy, even in a world full of smartphones, here are 10 photos that tell a very portable story of the Sony Walkman.
1
The Walkman
Though cassettes and 8-tracks may have ruled the ‘70s, an invention during the decade’s last year would come to define music for an entire generation: The Walkman.
2
Reporter Origins
In 1979, a group of Sony workers were tasked with transforming the "Pressman,” a recorder that was a staple for journalists of that era into a smaller, more portable device.
3
An Operatic Start
This decision to retool the recorder, per The Verge, allegedly stemmed from Sony’s co-founder Masaru Ibuka wanting a more convenient way to listen to opera music on the go.
4
On The Market
On July 1, 1979, Sony officially released the walkman, selling each device for $150 a pop — which would be roughly $647 in Today’s money.
5
A New Kind of Marketing
“Sony implemented a marketing strategy for their Walkman by hiring young adults to walk around in public wearing a Walkman, offering intrigued passers-by the opportunity to test out the product.”
6
It’s A Hit
Though sales were less-than-stellar during the Walkman’s first month on the market, the device quickly took off to become one of the brand’s most popular items.
7
An Instant Impact
“[The gadget’s] unprecedented combination of portability (it ran on two AA batteries) and privacy (it featured a headphone jack but no external speaker) made it the ideal product for thousands of consumers looking for a compact portable stereo that they could take with them anywhere,” Time wrote of its release.
8
A Walkman in Every Pocket
“Over the next 30 years, they sold over 385 million Walkmans in cassette, CD, mini-disc, and digital file versions.”
9
Beyond the Cassette
By 1984, Sony offered a much-needed update to their beloved product, releasing the Discman, which played CD discs instead of just tapes.
10
A Lasting Legacy
Though Sony pulled their original walkman back in 2010, per The Verge, a decision that stemmed from competitors like Apple taking the market by storm, the company still pays homage to their iconic product by giving the moniker to several of their MP3 players and even their app.
