Personal stereo

In everyday language, walkman became a generic term, referring to any personal stereo, regardless of producer or brand.

[1] The spread of personal stereo devices contributed to tape cassettes outselling vinyl records for the first time in 1983.

The introduction of the personal stereo coincided with the 1980s aerobics vogue, making it very popular to listen to music during workouts.

Moreover, the prevalence of portable cassette players correlates with a 30-percent increase of people walking for exercise between 1987 and 1997.

During this period, cell phones and smartphones also became popular music listening devices.