1980

Suggested by Pete in Ottawa. The Dutch electronics company Philips began working on the compact disc technology in the mid-1960s, but it wasn't on the market until 1980. Philips joined forces with Sony Corporation to launch the first compact disc players in Japan, with the slightly exaggerated claim "Perfect sound, forever." By 1983 they were catching on in Europe and North America, and by the end of the decade they were outselling vinyl recordings. As the cost of CD technology has dropped, it's become possible for independent musicians all around the world to record and sell their music. Will they put the big record companies out of business? Probably not, but there are some interesting possibilities...