Juke Boxes Through the Ages

By Bruce Shawkey

I had a shirt-tail relative (Gerald Ewert) who owned one of these in working condition.  Sold it for $5,000 at auction. Also knew a lady (Jeri Pearson) who worked as a secretary to David Rockola (his actual name!) founder of the Rockola jukebox company, founded in 1927. Here are a couple of his machines:

Typically wall mounted in a diner
booth with a master unit located
elsewhere in the diner.

 

Unit from the 1930s

Also, there was the Seeburg Jukebox Company that launched their jukebox in 1927.

Here are some others:

Jukeboxes continue to be manufactured today, although they are very different from those of years past. They may contain compact discs (CDs) instead of records. Or they may be connected to the Internet with no physical recordings at all.

Today’s jukeboxes are basically:

touch-screen computers, connected to the internet, streaming music from huge digital libraries.

Modern systems such as TouchTunes can hold millions of songs updated instantly,  with playlists, artist stations, and remote management.

Major differences:

No records or CDs inside Songs stream digitally. Users can often control the jukebox from a smartphone app. Bar owners can filter songs or prioritize certain music. Some systems allow people to pay extra to skip ahead in line.

In some places, the “jukebox” is now just: a wall-mounted screen, or even an app connected to speakers.

So the modern jukebox is less about access to music and more about: controlling the vibe of a bar or restaurant, nostalgia, and social interaction.

One thing that hasn't changed: People still love the feeling of choosing a song that fits their mood.