{"id":2444961,"date":"2019-06-04T12:23:52","date_gmt":"2019-06-04T18:23:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rollingstone.com\/?p=844112"},"modified":"2019-06-04T12:23:52","modified_gmt":"2019-06-04T18:23:52","slug":"r-i-p-apples-itunes-remembering-the-best-worst-and-wackiest-moments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/music-news\/r-i-p-apples-itunes-remembering-the-best-worst-and-wackiest-moments\/","title":{"rendered":"R.I.P. Apple\u2019s iTunes: Remembering the Best, Worst and Wackiest Moments"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The iTunes<\/a> brand is no more. Nearly two decades after introducing the world to the digital store-library hybrid, Apple<\/a> announced at its annual global developers conference on Monday that it will shutter the iTunes software this fall<\/a>, replacing it with three standalone programs for music, television and podcasts. While core features will largely remain intact \u2014 the ability to buy songs, for example, remains and is merely moving to the new \u201cMusic\u201d app \u2014 the death of the iTunes brand marks the closing of a particular epoch in industry history. Below are some of the most iconic moments of the digital-download era that iTunes ushered in.<\/p>\n

2003: A revolution begins with giddy, colorful fanfare<\/h3>\n

Steve Jobs didn\u2019t just bring the world an online music store in the early 2000s \u2014 he gave fans a sustainable and user-friendly way to pay for albums rather than pirating them off the internet. To promote the store, he roped in big names like Bob Dylan to help make the project a success. The iTunes Music Store served as a jukebox, discovery center and record shop (one free of judging clerks side-eyeing you from behind the counter) all in one. Time <\/em>praised iTunes in 2003 as the \u201ccoolest invention\u201d of the year, and the software \u2014 alongside its cheerful hardware counterpart, the iPod \u2014 would go on to reinvigorate the slipping music industry<\/a> in the lawless internet age, even though profits could never compare to the gold mine of the record-store era.<\/p>\n

In its first week alone, iTunes sold 1 million downloads and displaced Walmart and Best Buy as the top music retailer. Apple\u2019s pretty and ubiquitous \u201csilhouette\u201d advertisements helped solidify the new line of products in fans\u2019 minds.<\/p>\n