Before 1880 or so, if you wanted to listen to music, you played an instrument yourself, went to a pre-arranged concert on their schedule, or were incredibly wea

Before 1880 or so, if you wanted to listen to music, you played an instrument yourself, went to a pre-arranged concert on their schedule, or were incredibly wealthy and paid musicians to give you concerts. In the 1920s you bought a radio or phonograph. In the 1980s you bought tapes and then CDs and could listen on the go. Now you can pay a subscription service and a bandwidth bill and get much of human music anytime, and nearly anywhere. Food was stuff you or your neighbors grew; then it was stuff from your area; after refrigeration it could come from anywhere. Books and television are cheaper than they've ever been before; movies are more available.