Apple’s iPod Turns 25: The Song Catalog That Rode Wit You
In 2001, some of the top songs included Fallin’ by Alicia Keys, Ms. Jackson by Outkast and Nelly’s Ride Wit Me. When people wanted to listen to those songs and they weren’t near a car stereo or their audio equipment at home, most carried music with them on skip-prone portable CD players, boomboxes or maybe even a homemade mix cassette.
Sure, some early adopters were already carrying a small collection of songs on a portable MP3 player (MP3s: the new-new thing!) like the Diamond Rio or Creative’s Nomad Jukebox. But these weren’t common, and you didn’t see them that often; there was no ubiquitous sign yet that, musically, the times were changing.
Enter Apple with its original iPod, a small hard drive encased in smooth white plastic that could stash between 1,000 and 2,000 songs, a sum that seemed godly at the time. Who would ever need to listen to 1,000 songs (or have access to that many) at their fingertips? What mortal would dare?
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The device, which was released on Nov. 10, 2001 at a starting price of $400, heralded in the smartphone era before smartphones were a thing, making portable electronics more tactile, user-friendly and information-forward. The white earbuds that were bundled with the device were the beacon of that era: Before long, it seemed everyone had white cables coming out of their ears.
For the 25th anniversary of Apple’s game-changing music player, the device’s own creators are getting nostalgic about its silver anniversary. On Apple Music’s website, you can find at its 404 Not Found page a playful mockup of the OG iPod with its pleasing-to-use scroll wheel and a selection of songs you might have had in your iPod at some time or another.
Read more: iPhone Duo Review: Late to the Foldable Party, but It Steals the Show
As Tony Fadell looks back, collectors and new fans are still listening
If the iPod can be primarily credited to one person — leading a team of many — it’s widely acknowledged to be Tony Fadell, who came to Apple as a contractor and ended up heading one of its most successful product divisions. These days, Fadell is thinking a lot about the future of AI assistant devices, but he took time on his LinkedIn to acknowledge the iPod anniversary this week.
“We took it from approval to shipping in less than eight months,” he wrote. “There wasn’t time for endless refinements. We had to make decisions, trust our experience and stay focused on one clear promise: 1,000 songs in your pocket.”
While Fadell says that the iPod took a few generations to really take off and eventually come in iterations like the Nano and the Touch, some music fans who still love the original iPod design have been using the device for decades. If you have any hard drive-based gadget that lasts that long, count yourself lucky.
In addition to those old enough to remember what a Hoobastank is, iPods are also getting popular again with younger generations on a nostalgia kick, many of whom would rather carry around a separate physical device for their music than stream their Spotify accounts on their phone for the millionth time. Axios reports that iPods and MP3s are back in a big way in a trend called “friction-maxxing.” You don’t have to use that term to indulge, we promise.
Old iPods, new life
Getting into the hobby isn’t cheap: Working iPod models can cost several hundred dollars on Ebay. And one that’s never been opened? Try $25,000–$60,000.
A cheaper route may be to keep the familiar outside trappings but replacing the guts with a new motherboard. A group called Crowd Supply promises in a YouTube video a new way to bring nonworking iPods back to life. It hasn’t launched yet, but you can keep an eye on the project at Crowd Supply’s website. Other tinkerers have had years and years to work up hundreds of iPod hacks; you can find many of them on Hackaday.
Alternatively, it may be the function that a modern MP3 enthusiast seeks, not necessarily the Apple branding or hardware. Other companies, such as Fosi Audio, have their own takes on the modern music player, like the $80 DAP Neo. CNET has a list of the best MP3 players of 2026, with devices like the Shanling M0s and the Android-based HiBy R4 coming out on top.
Lastly, if you want to relive the iPod glory days, you don’t necessarily need new (or old) hardware at all; your phone can do it with iOS apps such as RetroPod, My Classic – Retro Console or, if you’re feeling saucy on Android, ClassiPod.
Omar Gallaga has covered technology, digital culture and other topics for outlets including CNET, NPR, Wired, Texas Monthly, MSNBC, Consumer Reports, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, The Atlantic and the Austin American-Statesman, where he was a longtime tech reporter, editor and podcaster. He lives in the Texas Hill Country. See full bio
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