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Any youngster born in the late '70s or early '80s could tell you what the first audio cassette he ever bought was. Children born more recently could tell similar stories, but they would be about CDs, MP3s, or other technology. Those of us who remember music before the invention of the CD are a dying breed.

Audio cassettes were a door to a new world of music. These allowed us to take our music from our homes, to our cars and even on walks. This was the beginning of a music revolution. We were able to listen to music and not risk the same damages we had discovered with vinyl.

But cassette tapes were not above their own flaws. Their delicate ribbon could get twisted and tangled. This could lead to the end of a favorite tape if not handled delicately. Although audio cassettes stood up to a lot more abuse than your favorite old vinyl, they were about to be overrun by the CD.

In talking to some of my peers, we have all shared stories of our favorite TDK audio cassette memory. One friend spoke of a home made tape her mother made of lullabies she would listen to when her mother was away. Another friend had an older brother who would send him mix tapes when he was at college. We all have memories attached to the audio cassettes we had when we were younger.

The era of coexistence between audio cassettes and CDs was a fascinating time. CDs were more expensive, but they offered a significantly superior functionality over cassettes. The days of rewinding and fast-forwarding were gone; one could simply select their desired songs, or even loop a single track. Given the relative convenience of CDs, it's no wonder that they completely displaced the cassette tape.

But no matter where technology leads us, we will always fondly remember the audio cassette. It had an important role in the evolution of music technology. It lasted a good long time and still exists today. Although the audio cassette will never again live up to its' former glory. But we will always remain held close in the hearts of those who love it.

With the rise of the CD and MP3, very few young people today remember the heyday of audio cassettes. But cassette tapes introduced music in a portable form for the first time ever: now you could take music with you to your car, work, and even while walking. The easy damage to vinyl records was not a concern with cassettes, however the ribbon in the cassette can become twisted and tangled. Although the once-popular Maxell and TDK audio cassette was eventually replaced by the CD, the cassette played an important part in the way music technology developed and will always be remembered fondly.