The jukebox is a piece of equipment that many people associate with a long bygone era, and most people would find it difficult to find one of them anywhere other than a collector’s basement. However, things began to change in 2007 with the vinyl revival. Vinyl sales began to surge as younger generations discovered the warm sound of music played on vinyl. And now they’re more popular in some areas than they ever were during the 1980s. We think that’s more than enough reason why people should take the time to appreciate the resurgence of vinyl and the jukebox by celebrating National Jukebox Day on the day before Thanksgiving. 

The History Of National Jukebox Day

National Jukebox Day was founded by TouchTunes—one of the largest interactive music and entertainment network that’s found in tens of thousands of restaurants and bars all over the U.S. This is a holiday that’s been celebrated since around 2009.

The History Of The Jukebox

For hundreds of years, people enjoyed player pianos and music boxes that automatically played musical instruments. Some of them were coin-operated musical devices that played a song, or metal cylinders that gave the consumer a larger musical selection to choose from. It wasn’t until 1890, however, that other musical devices were made that used actual recordings instead of just playing a musical instrument. 

Louis Glass and William S. Arnold created the first nickel-slot phonograph in San Francisco, California in 1890. It was fitted with an Edison Class M Electric Phonograph and a coin-actuated device. When the person placed a nickel into the machine, it would play music through one of its four listening tubes. 

Through the years, different manufactures made different types of jukeboxes, but it wouldn’t be until the 1940s that the word “jukebox” would actually be coined. During the 1940s and 1950s, the jukebox enjoyed the height of its popularity and approximately 75% of all records produced in the U.S during this time went directly into jukeboxes. By the end of the 1950s, however, the popularity of the jukebox began to fade and it continued to fade from the 1960s through the early 2000s as newer technologies allowed people to listen to music in other ways.

In 2007, something remarkable happened and that was the Vinyl Revival. People began to appreciate and buy vinyl records again and vinyl record sales began to shoot up quickly. Although vinyl records are still only a portion of the music industry’s overall sales, some people wonder if it will result in the increased popularity of jukeboxes once again. 

Observing National Jukebox Day

You can celebrate National Jukebox Day by taking the time to find a jukebox in your area and listening to the tunes on it. If there’s not a jukebox where you live, or more likely, you can’t find it, then you can download the TouchTunes app to play the jukebox directly from your phone. You can also use the hashtag #NationalJukeboxDay with a list of your favorite tunes on your social media accounts.