In 1877 Thomas Alva Edison recovered the song “Mary Had a Little Lamb” from a piece of tinfoil that was placed around a cylinder and spun. From this, the phonograph was born. One year later music is put on a record for the first time. In 1888, Edison creates an electric motor to run a phonograph, creating the early “boom-box.” Marconi, in 1895 transmits music through radio waves across the Atlantic from Italy to America.
In 1927 the first commercial film, “The Jazz Singer,” with audio of character communication is premiered and CBS was formed. By the1950s, televisions and highly-developed phonographs were commonly found in American households. At this point, speakers with focuses on treble and bass frequencies could be attached to televisions and phonographs to increase volume and sound quality. In 1976, the first digital recording was developed, increasing the crispness and quality of sound recording. In 1982, Sony introduced the first CD player. By the late 1990s, the cassette player became obsolete and the CD completely replaced it. Sound Systems also became the name of a large block party in Jamaica as it centered around a conglomeration of tower speakers.
In 2001, Apple introduced the iPod, revolutionizing the music and sound industry by putting music on digital, MP3 files. By 2005, iPods, CDs and other MP3 players became the main methods of listening to music via portable devices. Bluetooth development created wireless surround systems, allowing speakers and sound systems to be portable. BlueRay discs, developed by 2008 created a clearer and crisper sound recording for sound systems for home movies.