{"id":138,"date":"2019-10-15T19:01:22","date_gmt":"2019-10-15T19:01:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/historyoftech.mcclurken.org\/jukebox\/?page_id=138"},"modified":"2019-10-30T19:33:29","modified_gmt":"2019-10-30T19:33:29","slug":"nostalgia-the-jukebox-today","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/historyoftech.mcclurken.org\/jukebox\/nostalgia-the-jukebox-today\/","title":{"rendered":"The Contemporary Jukebox: 1980s-Today"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The Contemporary Jukebox: Decline, Nostalgia, and Modern Versions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Decline of the Jukebox<\/strong>: Beginning in the 1970s<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

While on shaky ground in the 1960s, the main decline of the jukebox can be traced to the 1970s. This is due to the production of other music-playing technologies, including the portable radio, cassette tape deck, and later, the CD and MP3. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To learn more about these competing technologies, please click here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because these inventions were portable and could travel anywhere, Americans had the ability to take popular music with them at all times. Instead of going to a restaurant or diner to listen to popular music, people could simply listen to their favorite bands and songs on a specific cassette tape. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to purchasing their favorite music, cassette tapes also allowed for individuals to buy empty tapes and load their own favorite music or recordings – a function that jukeboxes did not have. As portable cassette tape decks and portable radios became more popular, jukeboxes became more scarce. [1]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Decline In Jukebox Production: Why did Companies Leave the Market?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many factors that contributed to the decline of jukebox production. One key factor is simply due to manufacturers leaving the business in pursuit of modern alternatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pursuit of Alternatives<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1974, Wurlitzer stopped producing jukeboxes after they released the 1050 model. Even so, this model was not lucrative enough to revitalize their role in the market, so the company left the market entirely – after decades of involvement with “automatic entertainers” and the jukebox.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wurlitzer’s exit from the market caused the number of jukeboxes made to decline to only 25,000 a year globally. This is a significant decline compared the the almost 700,000 jukeboxes produced in the United States in the 1950s. [2]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Jukebox: No Longer Economically Viable<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As companies left the jukebox market in pursuit of modern alternatives, the existing jukeboxes themselves saw a steep decline in profit. By 1980, jukeboxes only made a profit of $49.95. This was due to an increase in the price of vinyl records coupled with peoples unwillingness to pay a quarter to listen to one song on the jukebox. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, royalty fees themselves had increased by $17 in the span of one year – adding the the overall increasing cost of the jukebox. [3] <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Overall, the decline of the jukebox occurred because better, modern music-playing alternatives made the industry not profitable enough to be sustainable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The “Modern” Jukebox<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The “Return” of the Jukebox: Using New Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the decline of the jukebox by the 1970s, it is still possible to see “modern” versions of the jukebox today. This is due to modern technologies being used to create “new” jukeboxes that lack visual similarities to their mid-century antecedents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n