What?! My Music ==> *VINTAGE*?!

Now, there's a smack in the face!  Since when have things in my lifetime reached the ultimately mature classification of "vintage"?!

Here's a simple test to see whether you qualify for the UMVC (Ultimately Mature Vintage Club).  If you can correctly identify the picture below you may proudly join our club of elite few.  If not,  it's truly your loss.  You are not only unqualified, but you missed out on one -- two! -- of the BEST music eras of all time!

For all you losers, here's a clue as to what the above (pictured) are:

And, yes -- I've included one of my most favorite singles (Shaun Cassidy was HOT, btw) from one of the greatest eras.  That would be the 70s, in the event you didn't know.  And, that yellow thing is a 45 record adapter.  Records were once played on turntables, or record players.  I got my first record player in the early 70s, and it looked like this:

The records were made of thick plastic, and only had one song on them.  This was the starter version -- comparable to a 'baby's first' product.  Over the years I graduated to a 'real' record player that played full size records as well as 45s with adapters (like the one pictured above).

In the early 80s Michael Jackson emerged as a music great.  The Jackson 5 were good, but Michael stole the show with his Thriller album.  Technology also improved.  Record players were still used, but cassette players came into the picture as well.  With cassette players you could both listen to and record music.  The best of both worlds was the rise of the BOOMBOX -- a DOUBLE cassette player and radio combined.

                                                                

Don't look too closely at the picture -- my boombox had a double cassette -- that one doesn't.  And, just for history's sake, the 8-track tape players came in there somewhere before cassette tapes (kind of like vcr tapes prior to mini tapes).  I never had an 8-track player -- I'm not *that* old.   The convenient and compact (for it's day) Walkman was also the rage.  I had this exact same one!  Even had a carrying case. :)

The late 80s ushered in Madonna, and her Material Girl album.  The rage in technology was a full stereo system that included: a turntable, double cassette, base and treble controls, amplifier, radio, and speakers.  I saved my summer job money and bought a Pioneer system very similar to the one below.  My college roommate was thrilled!

I've surpassed the record and cassette tape generation, and have moved into the generation of compact disc and MP3 players.  Past the MP3 players would be digital music -- available through many devices.  I'm not sure how much more technology can or will be modernized.  We've made great advancements in the 40-some years I've lived.  My first sources of music have already earned vintage status.  Thankfully, I don't believe I'm vintage yet!