Apple just hosted their twice-yearly event that stops the entire tech industry in their tracks. And at the event, Apple announced their iPhone 7. The rumors were true – Apple eliminated the headphone jack and introduced AirPods, their new wireless earbuds.

Over the past couple of decades, Apple has made leaps and bounds in advancing audio technology. From the revolutionary iPod, digital libraries and iTunes, to their signature white earbuds, this newest announcement is another step forward in advancing the Apple brand as a pioneer in technology.

I don’t know about you, but this leap forward made me feel just a little nostalgic for the days when we made mix tapes and walked down the street holding up our boom boxes and grooving along to our Walkman. Sure, we had to worry about not catching the headphone cord on branches and carrying around plenty of extra batteries, but who cared? It was portable! It was the future and we were the future.

So, for just a few moments, let’s just forget about the iPhone and its silly futuristic AirPods and recall the most important portable audio inventions of our past.

Back in the late 1970s, Sony introduced their Walkman. The portable audio cassette player was revolutionary – the key was in the personalization. For the first time, consumers could listen to the cassette tapes they chose, wherever and whenever they wanted (sound familiar?). You could even listen to your music privately while dancing! What a novel concept.

In 1986, Sony released this gem – small portable products made for kids. Radios, cassette recorders, walkie talkies, walkman stereos – everything your kid could dream of. Try not to get the jingle stuck in your head.