Even though younger generations might not know much about 8-track tapes, these interesting ways of listening to music were extremely popular from the mid-1960s through the 1980s. These tapes would eventually be replaced by compact cassette tapes—a technology that was created before 8-track tapes but whose ease of use led to their increased popularity.

Still, 8-track tapes are symbolic of a historical era, and as a result, many people have decided to show them the appreciation they always deserved. One way to do that is by observing National Eight Track Tape Day—a holiday that is observed annually on April 11th.

Fun Facts About 8-Track Tapes

We understand that not everyone is an expert on 8-track tapes, so we’ve decided to do some quick research and find out everything we could about these tapes. We then gathered together the most interesting facts about these tapes and listed them below.

• The founder of the Lear Jet Corporation, William P. Lear, developed the 8-track tape system as the Lear Jet Stereo 8.
• 1965 Lincoln, Mustang, and Thunderbird models featured the first commercial 8-track players.
• The last album to be commercially released on 8-track was Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits in 1988.

Observing National Eight Track Tape Day

We realize that it might be difficult for some people to celebrate Eight Track Tape Day by listening to 8-track tapes. After all, how many people have functioning 8-track tapes and a player? Probably not many.

However, if a person does have those things, then they can easily celebrate this day by listening to their 8-tracks. If a person doesn’t have those things, they can still celebrate this holiday by reminiscing about their favorite 8-track tapes or by using the hashtag #NationalEightTrackTapeDay on their social media accounts.