Museum of Science and Industry

When Thomas Alva Edison invented the world's first 'talking machine' in 1877, he had little idea of its future impact. His phonograph used cylinders covered with tinfoil or waxed paper to both record and play back sound. Edison saw it only as a dictating machine for the office, but other manufacturers soon recognised the potential for playing back pre-recorded music.

In 1888, Emil Berliner invented the gramophone, which played discs. By 1913, a third of British homes had a gramophone. By the 1920s, listeners could enjoy a wide range of popular recordings. There were also portable gramophones for outdoor use. However, it was only with the launch of the Sony Walkman cassette player in 1979 that people could enjoy their own choice of music on the move.

By 1970, Manchester had a thriving recording studio industry. When the legendary Strawberry Studios opened in 1967, it was the first fully professional recording studio outside London.