1985 Deutsche Grammophon “Walkman Classics” Chromuim Dioxide Cassette

In the previous post I cited portable players as instrumental in the increasing dominance of the audio cassette format during the early to mid 1980s. And here’s an exhibit to demonstrate just that. So great was the link between the sale of analogue cassettes and the Sony Walkman personal stereo system, that record company Polydor / Deutsche Grammophon went to the trouble and expense of licencing the Walkman brand from Sony for a series of classical tapes.

Early 1980s Sony Audio Cassettes

An evocative lineup indeed, featuring six as-new blank audio cassettes of the early 1980s. The group includes five different Sony variants, and gives a great insight into the colour mixes that buyers would be seeing on the shelves of the audio stores between 1981 and 1983.

Why Use Audio Cassettes in the Digital Age?

The answer was once obvious. Decades ago, people used compact cassettes because there was no other media upon which they could conveniently preserve sound at home, and because cassettes allowed pre-recorded matter to be played in places where the delicacy and static requirements of vinyl disc turntables were impractical.