Happy 25th Birthday to you, Compact Disc!

It seems like only yesterday that the shiny circle of plastic known as the Compact Disc first started showing up in stores, but as of today it’s been 25 years now

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands-(Business Wire)-August 16, 2007 – Exactly 25 years ago tomorrow, on August 17, 1982, Royal Philips Electronics manufactured the world’s first compact disc at a Philips factory in Langenhagen, just outside of Hanover, Germany. The invention of the CD ushered in a technological revolution in the music industry as CDs — with their superior sound quality and scratch free durability — marked the beginning of the shift from analog to digital music technology. The CD became a catalyst for further innovation in digital entertainment, helping pave the way for the launch of DVD and the current introduction of Blu-ray optical media.

The Philips factory in Germany, where the world’s first CD was pressed, belonged to Polygram — the recording company owned by Philips at the time. The first CD to be manufactured at the plant was “The Visitors” by ABBA. By the time CDs were introduced on the market in November 1982, a catalog of around 150 titles — mainly classical music — had been produced. The first CDs and CD players — including Philips’ CD100 — were introduced in Japan in November, followed by a US and European market introduction in March of 1983.

Yep, it’s enough to make you feel old. Just like every time my daughter asks me a question like “what’s a record” and I’m reminded she’s never known a time when there wasn’t CDs. So happy b’day Compact Disc. Try not to get too drunk at the party.