Jukeboxes may feel a little anachronistic these days, especially as portable MP3 players and satellite radio systems usurp their place in bars and eateries. But the charm of the squat, neon-lit boxes cannot be underestimated. Jukeboxes came of age during the jazz period and peaked in the 1940s and ’50s. Today they usually play digital files instead of 45 rpm singles, or even CDs. But notice how they’ve retained the same old-school, coin-operated exteriors of their forefathers (even if they do only accept dollar bills). -John Wenzel
What’s in a name? Originally called Automatic Phonographs, the machines were unofficially dubbed “jukeboxes” in the 1930s as African-American field workers in the South gathered at “jook joints” to dance, drink and listen to music.
A valuable venue Jukeboxes were the only medium for hearing new jazz and blues recordings until the early 1960s, when radio stations started to devote significant air time to black artists.
The price is right Antique jukeboxes sell for upward of $30,000, but nostalgic home entertainers can pick up a newer digital model for about $5,000.
The iconic look The Wurlitzer Model 1015, or the round-topped “bubbler,” often comes to mind when people think of jukeboxes. It was widely marketed in the late 1940s in advertisements in Life magazine and The Saturday Evening Post, and is still being produced in small quantities.
Location, location, location Any small to medium-sized music bar worth its salt has a righteous jukebox. Denver examples include the Hi-Dive (7 S. Broadway), Gabor’s (1223 E. 13th Ave.), Skylark Lounge (140 S. Broadway) and Lion’s Lair (2022 E. Colfax Ave.).
Back to the future MP3 software from iTunes to Musicmatch bills itself as a “digital jukebox,” proving the staying power of the jukebox concept, even if the medium has radically changed.
Sources: TomsZone.com, CitySearch.com, eBay.com
