
When was the first jukebox made?
The first jukebox as we know it-a visible record-changing mechanism with a selection of 10-inch discs instead of wax-and-cardboard cylinders-was the Gabel Automatic Entertainer of 1906.
When was the first juke box invented?
The jukebox was first invented in 1889 by Louis Glass and William S. Arnold. The two decided to create coin-operated players. Microsoft and partners may be compensated if you purchase something ...
What year did the jukebox come out?
What year did the jukebox come out? 1889. Why do they call it a jukebox? The word "jukebox" came into use in the United States beginning in 1940, apparently derived from the familiar usage "juke joint", derived from the Gullah word "juke" or "joog", meaning disorderly, rowdy, or wicked. What is most played jukebox song? 1.
What year did the jukebox be invented?
T he Jukebox was invented long ago in the 1890s but was most popular in the 50s era. The majority of jukeboxes weren't made until after WWII in the year 1946 and after. Allowing people all over the country to listen to the same music, jukeboxes were most famous for presenting audio of swing music along with rock and roll.

When was the first jukebox invented?
The first jukebox in history looked nothing like the jukeboxes we're familiar with today. On November 23, 1889, inventor Louis Glass installed a music machine in a corner of the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco. The machine was an Edison phonograph modified with a coin slot and installed inside an oak cabinet.
What was the best jukebox in the 1940s?
In the 1940s, three manufacturers competed to build the best jukebox in the world: Wurlitzer, Seeburg, and Rock-ola. After RCA Victor introduced the smaller 45-RPM record in 1949, jukeboxes could soon offer more selections than ever. For example, Seeburg's "Select-O-Matic" jukebox offered 100 selections.
How many jukeboxes were there in the 1950s?
The jukebox arguably reached the height of its popularity in the 1950s. Experts estimate there were as many as 750,000 jukeboxes across the U.S. at that time.
Where is the nearest jukebox?
Where's the nearest jukebox to you? Find out when you and an adult friend or family member go in search of jukeboxes nearby. Where should you look? Try restaurants to start. Old diners and even some chains, such as Waffle House, often have jukeboxes. You might also have some luck at dance halls or meeting spaces. Any place that serves food or encourages dancing is a potential spot for a jukebox. Good luck with your search!
What is the name of the phonograph that was used to make jukeboxes?
It cost a nickel for each tube per song. Glass referred to his machine as a "nickel-in-the- slot " phonograph. This name eventually evolved into nickelodeon , which was a popular nickname for early jukeboxes.
What was the name of the machine that played wax?
The machine was an Edison phonograph modified with a coin slot and installed inside an oak cabinet. A 25-pound sulfuric acid battery provided electricity to run the phonograph. It could only play one wax cylinder at a time, which had to be changed by hand.
When was the jukebox invented?
In 1918, Hobart C. Niblack patented an apparatus that automatically changed records, leading to one of the first selective jukeboxes being introduced in 1927 by the 'Automated Musical Instrument' Company, later known as AMI Entertainment Network .
When did the word "jukebox" come into use?
The word "jukebox" came into use in the United States beginning in 1940 , apparently derived from the familiar usage " juke joint ", derived from the Gullah word "juke" or "joog", meaning disorderly, rowdy, or wicked. As it applies to the 'use of a jukebox', the terms juking ( verb) and juker ( noun) are the correct expressions.
What is a wallbox?
Wallboxes were an important, and profitable, part of any jukebox installation. Serving as a remote control, they enabled patrons to select tunes from their table or booth. One example is the Seeburg 3W1, introduced in 1949 as companion to the 100-selection Model M100A jukebox. Stereo sound became popular in the early 1960s, and wallboxes of the era were designed with built-in speakers to provide patrons a sample of this latest technology.
How many turntables does a Seeburg jukebox have?
Later versions of the jukebox included Seeburg's Selectophone with 10 turntables mounted vertically on a spindle. By maneuvering the tone arm up and down, the customer could select from 10 different records.
What was the purpose of the 1942 Wurlitzer 950?
The 1942 Wurlitzer 950 featured wooden coin chutes to save on metal. At the end of the war, in 1946, jukebox production resumed and several "new" companies joined the fray. Jukeboxes started to offer visual attractions: bubbles, waves, and circles of changing color which came on when a sound was played.
What jukebox was used in Happy Days?
1967 Rock-Ola 434 Concerto – This was the jukebox interior used in the credit sequence for the 11th and final season of Happy Days. Like the Seeburg M100C, it played up to fifty 45 rpm records, but featured a horizontal playback mechanism unlike the M100C.
What is a digital jukebox?
Most of the digital jukebox services provide apps to request songs and use further features.
Who invented the jukebox?
While Edison’s invention paved the path for records, CDs, and other music recordings that were to come, it was a person by the name of Louis Glass that put a spin on the machinery and created the first type of jukebox. Pictures of Glass’ original design, which he patented in 1889, is nothing like what you imagine today’s jukebox to look like. It was clunky both in weight and appearance. Jukebox production included a large sulfuric battery encased in a heavy oak cabinet with electric wires connected to the motor.
When was the jukebox invented?
The way we primarily listen to music now can be traced all the way back to the late 1800s and the early iterations of the jukebox. Music technology has come a long way since then, but the nostalgia of its roots lives on. So what is a jukebox and what is the history of the machine?
What Makes a Good Jukebox Song?
Though jukeboxes can now contain music from any genre, there are a few qualities that should be included in order to be considered a good jukebox song. First, there has to be the right musical energy, whether it’s a rousing country song or a slow, romantic melody, the best songs to play on a jukebox should evoke a feeling as soon as the first notes play. Choosing a song or playlist that sets the mood makes a difference in how well you’re able to enjoy what’s being played.
What was the first jukebox made of?
Early iterations were made of wood and chrome and gradually changed to include colorful light displays and rounded tops. All jukeboxes had a glass screen that encased the individual song listings labeled by letter and number. By inserting change or a token in the machine and selecting the song you wanted, it either began to immediately play or entered the rotation for any that it came after, and the rest as they say, is jukebox history.
Why do people like jukeboxes?
Why do people enjoy jukeboxes so much? First, it’s a stroll down memory lane for those who grew up gathered around a traditional jukebox and waiting for their song to play . Searching the list for your favorite was a simple joy that made the listening experience all the more fun. Many social gatherings happened around the jukebox, from sock hops of the 1950s to the after-school meetups at video game arcades that and a jukebox in the corner, there’s a nostalgic element that preserves the feelings of listening to music in this way.
What were the innovations of the Wurlitzer family?
One of the key innovations was the introduction of an automatic cylinder with multiple song selections, which eliminated the need to manually change it after every song. Plus, there was no need to hand crank to turn the tunes, the sound was instantly manufactured by the machine.
Why was the music limited in the Jukebox?
Additionally, since a listener could only play one cylinder at a time, the music options were limited because each change was done manually. To get the traditional jukebox to work in public spaces, it required inserting a token or coin to activate its operation, much like a vending machine. Though the sound quality was poor and the workings of the machine itself cumbersome and inconvenient, the novelty was enough to inspire other inventors to improve upon this original contraption.
When was the first jukebox invented?
The roots of today’s jukeboxes can be traced to the first coin-operated cylinder phonographs, like the one above, introduced in the early 1890s. 24-disc Wurlitzer jukebox. Photo by Joe Mabel. When Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877 he thought one of its uses would be as a voice recorder for office dictation.
What was the heyday of the jukebox?
The 1940s and 1950s are considered the heyday of the jukebox, when listening was at an all-time high. The machines made in these years were elaborate and flashy—in fact the jukeboxes of the 1950s had chrome grills and tailfins like cars.
Why was the jukebox so controversial?
Parents, concerned by the popularity of swing and Jazz music, thought the machines were a bad influence on their children. The association of the jukebox with bars gave it a somewhat seedy reputation—the term juke joint used to refer to a dive or a low-class bar. The questionable reputation of the jukebox got even blacker when scandal erupted in the New York area after it was discovered that the Mafia controlled the operation of jukeboxes throughout the area. Nevertheless, jukebox listening continued to provide entertainment through the war years.
How long has a 45 rpm jukebox been around?
Today they are prized by collectors. As the life span of the 45-rpm record began to slow in the 1980s, it was the jukebox that kept the 45 alive for a few more years. But jukebox manufacturers began to switch to CDs in recent years, and the old machines are rarely seen outside private collections today.
When did the record industry disappear?
Coin-operated phonographs continued to be built in later years, but they did not gain much popularity. Then, with the coming of radio in the 1920s, the record industry nearly disappeared and it looked like the jukebox would go with it. The revival of the record industry took many years.
When did phonographs become coin operated?
In 1890 , one clever entrepreneur modified the phonograph to be coin-operated and provided multiple listening tubes (this was in the days before the phonograph featured a loudspeaking horn ). The use of these early coin-in-the-slot phonographs encouraged people to buy their own phonographs for home entertainment.
What is the history of the jukebox?
The history of the jukebox. The history of the jukebox -- The money-making music box and five singles with the most play. In our era, the Walkman has made music a private affair. But when recorded sound was young, the jukebox made one person’s taste a group experience.
Who modified the Edison recording machine?
Seeing a business opportunity in the new technology, Louis Glass modified an early Edison recording machine by adding a coin slot. On Nov. 23, 1889, he installed his money-munching music box in the Palais Royale Saloon in San Francisco, and soon people were lining up to pay a penny to listen to John Philip Sousa’s Marine Band or the ”artistic whistling” of John Y. AtLee.

Overview
History
Coin-operated music boxes and player pianos were the first forms of automated coin-operated musical devices. These devices used paper rolls, metal disks, or metal cylinders to play a musical selection on an actual instrument, or on several actual instruments, enclosed within the device.
In the 1890s, these devices were joined by machines which used recordings in…
Notable models
• 1927 LINK – valued at US$40,000 and extremely rare
• 1940 Gabel Kuro – 78 rpm, the last model of this manufacturer, four or five are known to exist and are valued at US$125,000
• 1942 Rock-Ola President – only one known to exist and valued at least US$150,000
Decline
Traditional jukeboxes once were an important source of income for record publishers. Jukeboxes received the newest recordings first. They became an important market-testing device for new music, since they tallied the number of plays for each title. They offered a means for the listener to control the music outside of their home, before audio technology became portable. They played music on demand without commercials. They also offered the opportunity for high fidelity listeni…
Modern derivatives
The term "jukebox" was used to describe high-capacity, hard disk based digital audio players due to their amount of digital space allowing a great number of music to be stored and played. The term was popularised following the introduction of the Creative NOMAD Jukebox in 2000, which could store as many as 150 CDs of music on its 6 gigabyte hard drive. In later years, the "classic" iPod would …
See also
• BAL-AMi Jukeboxes
• Music box
• Player piano
• Rock-Ola
• Seeburg 1000
External links
• Media related to Jukeboxes at Wikimedia Commons