Radio has been around for almost 100 years. Just like the tunes that people listen to are constantly changing, just like the means to listen to them. The music, podcasts and radio shows you listen to have become an integral part of your daily trip. You probably cannot imagine a time when there were no options for listening to music in your car. But not so long ago in cars there were not even Bluetooth head units.
You won’t believe how the car audio and stereo industry has changed over the decades, and at the same time, the ever-evolving music industry.
EARLY STAGES OF THE 1930S: THE BIRTH OF CAR RADIO
Radio technology was developed by the Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi in 1895. However, this technology was not applied in cars until the 1930s with Motorola, it became the first car radio in the world.
Early car radios used the AM frequency, allowing drivers to listen to classics such as Louis Armstrong’s jazz or the popular Kruners wherever they are. The effervescent AM radio remained the standard place for access to all stations until the 1950s.
Listening to music while driving was a very new thing at the time, many people were worried that it was distracting, just like we currently do text messaging while driving.
The German company in 1952 created the technology of car radio FM, adjusting the amplitude of the air waves. However, it was Becker Mexico in 1953 that included FM and AM radio in one car device. This greatly increased the versatility and choice of stations.
Even though there were attempts in the 1950s to revolutionize the way people listened to music, the music and sound shows you could listen to, still depended on what was being played at that station. Chrysler tried to solve this problem and let the driver choose their own music by introducing Highway Hi-Fi. It was the first and last phonograph in a car. This new system failed due to the fact that recordings will be skipped when hit with a small hit.
AM / FM radio remained the primary choice for car manufacturers to incorporate into their cars so that drivers could listen to music while driving.
ERA TAPE.
Finally, people were able to choose their own music, and unlike Chrysler’s Hi-Fi, they could listen to the entire album while driving without missing it. This is all due to the invention of cartridge technology, invented by Earl Muntz, which will contain a 4-track tape that you will insert into the newly developed Autostereo car system. Bill Lear, a former Motorola employee, added to this new technology by introducing an 8-track cartridge system that has grown in popularity due to its availability.
At the same time, in 1964, Phillips released a compact cassette. Philips continued to improve the sound quality of the cassette and made it easy for customers to set the tape format. Now drivers do not need to rely on radio stations to receive sound. Mixtaping finally became something special, and people were able to truly customize and create their own personalized playlist for themselves or for a loved one. At that time, this mixtape probably included classics such as the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyed, The Beach Boys and others. This is what still remains part of the cliche of our society today.
ROTATE VOLUME OF THE 1980S-1990S: COMPACT DISC
Since they still used the cassette and the CD was still a very new technology, Pioneer developed the CDX-1 in 1984. The CDX-1 was the first car CD player ever made. It was an instant success thanks to its amazing and clear sound quality. It also had the ability to leak tracks unlike a cassette.
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The CD was a crazy technology when data was written to the CD itself (optical disc). Thin, durable and easily stored in a case, you can have hundreds of disks in your car; with many different albums, artists and genres such as pop, rock / alternative, punk and the increasingly popular hip hop and R & B.
This disc became more and more popular in the 90s, especially because the sound quality did not deteriorate over time, as with cassettes or cassettes. In the end, the CD has completely replaced the tapes, and it is still in use today, although less and less.