Documentary record connected to the editorial archive.
Documentary record of the Sony Walkman portable player, connected to the archive’s verified stories, dates and resources.
The available evidence places the presentation of Sony’s Walkman in July 1979 and describes it as a portable stereo player associated with lightweight headphones. This analysis considers what that documentation supports, why the object matters to the cultural history of listening, and which questions require further sources.
Open storyA cautious reading of two documented moments in the history of recorded music: the Museu de la Música de Barcelona’s acquisition of phonographs and gramophones in 1970, and the Walkman’s introduction as a portable stereo player in 1979. The comparison highlights changes in scale and use without mistaking the available evidence for a complete history of the format.
Open storyThe Walkman is remembered as a turning point in portable listening, but the available sources place that change within a broader history of sound recording, personal devices and digital distribution. They also show why documented dates should be distinguished from retrospective accounts.
Open story