When looking back at past decades, it is easy to associate a time period with a specific way of listening to music. The Fifties listened to records, the Eighties had cassette-tapes and the Nineties rocked out to their boom boxes. Now, as the decade of the 2000s draws to a close, a question remains: was this the decade of the CD or the MP3?
Who would have guessed that in 1998, when Eiger Labs revealed the first MP3 player, the MPMan, which only held ten to twelve mediocre quality songs, that MP3 players would be the preferred music device of the next decade. The new device was rejected by the masses, considered only useful for the “gadget crazy.” The majority of the public wanted to stick to their walkmans and library of compact discs.
The fact remained, however, that walkmans were clunky, and carrying around more than one CD was a pain. Company after company invented their own music device, but it was not until Apple unveiled the iPod in 2001 that the idea of a digital music player really took hold. The device held 1,000 songs that played with CD quality.
With the opening of the online iTunes Store in 2003, downloading music onto the player became easier than ever. The possibility of buying one or two songs is appealing and a definite plus over traditional CD buying. Another exciting option is that today, with combination MP3 player/phone/internet devices becoming mainstream, music lovers can purchase a song on the same gadget as they will listen to it.
While a CD purchase requires a drive to Target or Best Buy, downloading an MP3 album can be done in seconds. The internet does not run out of downloads, whereas Wal-Mart could sell out of discs.
Personally, I think CDs are great. Yes, I buy a CD and immediately put it in the computer to load onto my iPod. And yes, I do groan about paying a couple extra dollars for them, but when one of my favorite artists releases a new album, I want the tangible object, not an internet download.
Though it is easy to look back at CDs with nostalgia—most of us probably fondly remember our Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and Aaron Carter discs—the MP3 is here to stay. The digital music craze, with its flexible downloading and extreme portability, will define this decade’s musical enjoyment.
