Enjoying Recorded Music

What songs were running through your head earlier today? Are they the same tunes you sang as a young child? Do you think they are similar to the songs your parents enjoy? Your favorite music is probably very different from the music your parents listened to at your age, and your musical tastes have probably changed quite a bit since you were very young. Popular music is always changing as new artists and sounds appear on the scene.

The way we listen to music is also changing. It wasn't so long ago that CDs (compact disks) were the newest and best way to enjoy recorded music. Many people carried CD players with them when they walked or jogged, so they could always hear their favorite artists. Before CD players, joggers might have listened to music on a personal cassette player or small radio.

There were limitations to cassette players and CD players, though. If you were going for a walk, you would place one CD in your CD player. During a long walk, you might listen to the same disk two or three times. To be able to enjoy a variety of music, you would have to carry additional CDs. If you decided to jog for a little while, you'd want to be careful. A sudden jolt might cause your song to skip.

The MP3 player, introduced in the late 1990s, changed all that. Now, you can listen to any one of thousands of your favorite songs on a small portable MP3 player. No matter where you are—at home, in the car, or flying cross-country on an airplane—your collection of songs can go with you.