♫History & Highlights♫

Music is not just about the songs and recording artists. There are stories behind the music, instruments necessary to play the music, record companies that produce the music, gizmos and gear that determine the way we listen to the music. 

Today in Music History: July 1 or 2

1979 On July 1, 1979, Sony Corp. introduced the Sony Walkman TPS-L2, a 14 ounce, blue-and-silver, portable cassette player with chunky buttons, headphones and a leather case. It even had a second earphone jack so that two people could listen in at once. [Source: Time - A Brief History of the Walkman]

1979 On July 2, 1979, Sony introduced the Walkman, the first portable audio cassette player. Over the next 30 years they sold over 385 million Walkmans in cassette, CD, mini-disc and digital file versions, and were the market leaders until the arrival of Apple's iPod and other new digital devices. [Source: This Day in Music.com (July 2nd: On this Day)]

The original Sony Walkman,
the first personal stereo tape deck,
which made its debut in 1979.

Regardless of the date discrepancy, highlighted in today's music history is the Sony Walkman, the predecessor of the Apple iPod MP3 Player. That may be 'new' news to some of the 160 million owners of a MP3 Player since this event transpired in the year 1979. The portable cassette players sold a cumulative 200 million units rocking the recording industry and fundamentally changing how people experience music. The compact size of tapes had already made them more conducive to car stereos and mobility than vinyl or 8-tracks. Were it not for such humble beginnings, the MP3 would not be what it is today.

Today in Music History: Definitely July 2

2005 A day that rocked the world! An estimated 3 BILLION PEOPLE watched Live8 the greatest, greatest show on Earth.

On July 2, 2005, the world's biggest music stars united in concerts around the world to put pressure on political leaders ahead of the G8 summit to tackle poverty in Africa. Concerts in 10 cities, including London, Philadelphia, Paris, Berlin, Johannesburg, Rome and Moscow played to hundreds of thousands of people. A TV audience of several hundred million watched the gigs. In London, Pink Floyd, The Who, Madonna, U2, Coldplay, Sting, The Scissor Sisters, Keane, and Paul McCartney performed. Philadelphia saw Destiny's Child, Jay-Z and Bon Jovi; in Canada, Bryan Adams and Neil Young headlined; Bjork headlined in Tokyo and Green Day played in Berlin.

On to the Music Highlights of today...

1956 Elvis Presley recorded 'Hound Dog' at RCA Studios, New York. Take 31 being the version they released. This was the first time the legendary Jordanaires worked with Presley.

1966 Frank Sinatra went to No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Strangers In The Night'. The song was taken from the film 'A Man Could Get Killed'. Also a No.1 in the UK.

1969 Thunderclap Newman started a three week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with the Pete Townshend produced track 'Something In The Air'. Featured on the soundtrack for the movie, 'The Magic Christian'. The band featured guitarist Jimmy McCulloch who went on to work with Wings.

1983 Rod Stewart started a three week run at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Baby Jane', his sixth UK No.1.

1988 Michael Jackson became the first artist to have five number one singles from one album when ‘Dirty Diana’ went to the top of the US charts. The other four chart-toppers from the LP ‘Bad’ were the title track, ‘I Just Can't Stop Loving You’, ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ and ‘Man in the Mirror’.

 

 1988 Tracy Chapman started a three-week run at No.1 on the UK album chart with her self-titled debut LP. Helped by her performance at the 'Nelson Mandela's 70th Birthday Tribute Concert' at Wembley Stadium, also No.1 in the US.

 

And the music goes on beating to the rhythm of the changing times...