Boxed Emotion

Some the size of a suitcase, before the iPod, the MP3, or even the Walkman, there was the BOOMBOX. The whole neighborhood wants to know your feelings! Let it out! The boombox of the 1970s was the first device to combine the big, full-volume sound of a home stereo with a portable battery-operated radio/cassette player. But the best, most popular feature of the boombox was that thunderous, bone-rattling bass. The desire for more leads to more.

In the 1980s, the boombox surged in popularity. The dual cassette feature of the box also allowed youth to create their own music “mixtapes” for parties, personal fun, or as sentimental gifts.

The rectangular, chrome aesthetic of the ‘80’s boombox shifted to smaller, curvier black plastic in the 1990s. Compact Disc players were added as technology changed, but eventually, the boombox gave way to the MP3 player and digital music.

The good old rectangular boombox is a potent symbol of the 1980s. It has a renewed adoration as a retro-cool status symbol for a new generation and fans of 80’s nostalgia and hip-hop.

You, too, can add our OHM boombox bead to your bracelet and feel the tingle of that famous bass rumble to your tapping toes. Whether you’re humming a Madonna tune, the Beastie Boys, LL Cool J, or Los Lobos, we’ve got a mixtape made just for you!