Another One Bites the Dust

It wasn't that long ago that the changes in music listening formats began to change faster than the sobering effect of being pulled over by a policeman at 2 a.m. Of course, the reel-to-reel couldn't fit in a car, so when the 8-track tape came along, Nirvana seemed ever so close. In short order, that incredible discovery was followed by the cassette, then the CD, then the MP3. It's all been so sudden that "new" technology stays around as "new" about as long as the bare-midriff look or paisley bell bottoms. And now, even having something solid that contains music seems to be on the way out.
My daughter gave me an iTunes gift card today for Father's Day: a thoughtful gift...something she knows I will use. However, I may be the last of a breed: one of those people who like to carry a format that I can stick into the dash of my car to play music. Streaming services are pushing buy-it-as-an-MP3-online into the Smithsonian. Seriously...when I can pull up virtually ANY song I want on Spotify and can get other streaming services like Pandora and 8Tracks for free, why would I bother buying music? This might well be the harbinger of the end of recorded music as we know it. Remember those irritating skips on the early portable CD players? Streamed music has none of that. Of course, there ARE the commercial messages if one chooses not to buy the pay service, but if there is an aux input in the car, all one needs to do is hook up the iPhone or other such device, and sing along. There are still cars out there without the capability of attaching such a device, but you can be sure there's an adapter out there that will solve the problem.
At least it's something to stick into the dash.