(click on image to ENLARGE)
"Ka-CHUNK!!"
It was William Lear (founder of the Lear Jet Corporation) who designed the 8-track tape cartridge in 1964, improving upon the 4-track cartridge introduced in '62.
Initially its use was intended to be for inflight music on his business jets.
Within the next year or so the 8-track was being marketed for consumer use. By 1966 RCA Records was releasing albums on 8-track, and an 8-track player was a common option in new Ford cars.
Likely you know the rest of the story, as the 8-track skyrocketed in popularity and then went the way of all new formats in roughly ten or fifteen years time...
But you can get some more 8-track history and overview info at the Wikipedia entry, then go bask in the glow of 8-track Heaven, a site securing a place for the overly maligned 8-track in the digital age.
(click on links)
Then, by all means go ahead and track down that 1995 documentary film 'So Wrong They're Right' if you've not already seen it, or be sure to add the DVD to your queue!
