LOS ANGELES, JULY 29, 1976  •  VOL. 104  •  PRICE 15 CENTS

Walkman & Portable Music Era

My Life on Tape: The Freedom of the Rewind Button

I’ll never forget the feeling of clipping a Walkman to my belt and feeling like I finally owned the world. To me, the portable music revolution of the 80s was the ultimate act of independence. I still have a soft spot for the hiss of a cassette tape and the art of making the perfect mixtape for someone special. This archive is dedicated to the devices that let us take our soundtracks everywhere. Ready to put on your foam headphones and travel back to the era of the "A-side" and "B-side"?

Two teenagers sharing music through a twin headphone jack on a vintage portable cassette player

The Twin Headphone Jack That Started It All

That first personal audio player had a twin headphone jack, a forgotten feature that let two people share the intimate soundscape of a, read the real story.

By Retro Editor Jasmine //