The rise in the popularity of the jukebox

Many people that love a good jukebox do not realise that the history of the jukebox is much longer than they would originally think. Although the jukebox became immensely popular in the 1940s, the invention of the earliest form of jukebox actually happened many years before that, in the 1890s although you probably wouldn’t recognise it if you saw it. Instead of being made of plastic and being brightly coloured, they were instead made of metal. Instead of records playing within them, they would have either paper or metal rolls inside them. The one similarity that we would see is that both the original and the more popular jukeboxes were coin operated.

One of the very first machines created was made by two men called Louis Glass and William S. Arnold, and for one song it cost a nickel. It was called the Coin Actuated Attachment for Phonograph. Jukebox is certainly a lot easier to say! The specific term ‘juke box’ wasn’t used until 1940, and was invented in the United States of America. The word came from slang: juke means rowdy or wicked. The jukebox got this reputation because they were often fitted in areas where much drinking ñ and sometimes fighting ñ occurred!

Throughout the years, the love that people have for the humble jukebox has only increased. Having a jukebox in your home or in your local bar is getting more and more popular, and music technology companies are seeing a massive rise in the popularity of their jukebox models. We hope that the enduring charm that is present within the Jukebox will mean that people will love it for generations to come we certainly will!

For more information on our full range of Steepletone Jukeboxes please e-mail [email protected] or call 0843 523 5453 and ask for Customer Services.