The compact disc is 30 years old today. If that doesn’t make you feel old, then youhere is something more relevant to your age: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Justin_Bieber
The year was 1982 when the first compact disc revolutionized the music industry and industry profits for ever. While Billy Joel’s 52nd Street was the first compact disc to be officially released in Japan, technically the first actual compact disc that was created and tested was a pressing of Richard Strauss’s ‘Eine Alpensinfonie’. The honor of the first batch of compact discs manufactured goes to ABBA’s ‘the Visitors’.
Although they seem antiquated now and are regarded as throwbacks to prehistory by the younger generation, at the time CDs were a galactic leap forward in technology. Audiophiles from around the world rejoiced and marveled at the clarity the compact discs offered.
No longer were listeners affronted with hiss, cracks and pops associated with vinyl records. Initially the astronomical price tag kept compact discs and compact disc players were too prohibitive and resulted in a slow adoption rate by consumers. There is still an ongoing argument amongst the vinyl-generation that compact discs don’t have the same "warmth" as an analog record offered.
With all technologies, the CD was come and gone to be replaced by newer digital technologies. Those growing up today regard CDs with the same nostalgia as the previous generation regards vinyl records; with a quaint sense of nostalgia. In much the same way, digital music has also revolutionized the music industry.
Much to the chagrin of major record labels, the barrage of pirating and licensing issues has redefined the role of big record companies and given rise to a huge influx of indie (independent) recording artists that owe their fame to the like of YouTube and peer-to-peer file sharing networks and self promotion that seeks to redesign the whole industry.
For the first time in the history of the music industry, we have hit a technological plateau. The battle being waged over piracy, royalties and industry profits is creating a fundamental paradigm shift that will resonate for decades to come and will set the stage for all future generations of music lovers.
The Top 10 Albums of 1982:
- JUDAS PRIEST – "Screaming for Vengence"
- BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – "Nebraska"
- JOHN COUGAR – "American Fool"
- LED ZEPPELING – "CODA"
- RUSH – "Signals"
- VAN HALEN – "Diver Down"
- IRON MAIDEN – "The Number of the Beast"
- TOM PETTY & the HEATBREAKERS – "Long After Dark"
- ROBERT PLANT – "Pictures at Eleven"
- KISS – "Creatures of the Night"
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