Created by Sony co-founder Masaru Ibuka, who wanted to listen to music on long flights. The first model of Sony Walkman, the TPS-L2, was released in 1979.
When the WalkMan was released, Sony sold over 50,000 units in the first two months.
Before the Walkman, headphones were very heavy and made for stationary use; but Sony managed to produce a lightweight set that weighed just 45 grams.
The Walkman was retired in 2010 and Sony had to pay a huge settlement to the orignal inventor of the portable cassette player.
The WalkMan was featured throughout the 80's and early 2000's in movies such as Back to the Future, Pretty Woman, and Guardians of the Galaxy.