T3 casts an eye on the last half-century of gadgetry wonders from the world of music
10 key musical innovations of the last 50 years
9.) Sonos Multi-Room Music System1 of 11
6.) Dolby2 of 11
4.) CD3 of 11
10.) Panasonic Technics DJ deck4 of 11
7.) DAB radio5 of 11
5.) Napster6 of 11
The Sony Walkman turns 307 of 11
8.) Boombox8 of 11
1.) Sony Walkman9 of 11
2.) MP3 format10 of 11
3.) Apple iPod 1st Generation11 of 11
Last week a true musical legend died. This week a true musical tech legend turned 30. The Sony Walkman (or Stowaway, as it was originally known within these shores) will be celebrating its anniversary in a world that it has not only dramatically helped shape, but one in which its name still lives on strong as a bastion of the digital music revolution.
Without a shadow of a doubt, Sony’s portable music box altered the way we think about and enjoy music forever, and such an achievement has got us thinking about all the other innovations in music that should be celebrated and revered with just as much gusto.
Thus, we’ve compiled a list of the top ten innovations in music tech over the last 50 years. As Friedrich Nietzsche once said: “Life without music would be a mistake.”
Click to launch the gallery of our honoured musical heroes
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