# What's the oldest recording on your iPod or MP3 player? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 3, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-recording-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/552499 "2010-09-03T15:38:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![lisacurl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/41988e/32.png) [@lisacurl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lisacurl)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-recording-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/552499/61 "2010-09-06T00:00:19Z")
Bessie Smith singing “Do Your Duty” from 1933. ---
**Author:** ![Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Harvey\_The\_Heavy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harvey_The_Heavy)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2010, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-recording-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/552499/62 "2010-09-06T09:45:27Z")
The soundtrack to my [Downfall parody](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkvRldrxdWA) is “Frances” by Jelly Roll Morton, which I believe was recorded in 1929. The oldest stand alone mp3 is “Old Dan Tucker” by the Cackle Sisters, probably from the 1930’s (I enjoy torturing people.) The oldest that I listen to seriously is probably some Hank Williams stuff from the late 1940’s. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-recording-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/552499/63 "2010-09-07T02:56:51Z")
Funny coincidence. Our dear Eve just e-mailed me. > [@](#): > > Old 78 RPM records up for grabs… As opposed to “brand-new 78rpm records . . .” I mean these date from ca. 1900-45. Maybe 200 of them, just about all pop and dance tunes, most in album jackets. Bought in the 1970s when I lived in Baltimore and junk shops were giving them away. > > I have taped a lot of them onto cassettes (yes, I still listen to cassettes!) and have many of them on CD collections–so even though I do have a 3-speed record player, there is no reason for them to be taking up so much shelf-room in my apartment. (OK, yes, I have been watching Hoarders on A&E). > > Problem is, 78s weigh a ton and are very breakable, so selling them on eBay or Craigslist is not really viable. And I don’t want money for them, I just want them to go to some collector who will appreciate them, rather than just gathering dust here. > > So if any of you know someone with a car who will be willing to drive out to Lyndhurst, NJ, these records are theirs for the taking, Now, you folk who happen to like old recordings… anyone out by Jersey? ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-recording-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/552499/64 "2010-09-07T03:15:08Z")
I wish I were closer. Giving a home to some of **Eve** ’s 78s would be an honor. However, New Jersey is the Holy Land of 78rpm record collecting, so I don’t doubt someone nearby will step up to the plate. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2010, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-recording-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/552499/65 "2010-09-07T03:22:21Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > Robert Johnson from 1936. > mmm Same here. My next oldest is Benny Goodman’s “Sing Sing Sing” from his 1938 concert at Carnagie Hall. ---
**Author:** ![straight\_man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straight_man/32/3027_2.png) [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-recording-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/552499/66 "2010-09-08T00:06:00Z")
Damn, I thought I had a chance of winning. I have a 1904 recording of Alessandro Moreschi, the last castrati, singing “Ave Maria”. It’s pretty terrible. …which I now see someone else has, too. And he agrees! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-oldest-recording-on-your-ipod-or-mp3-player/552499.md?page=3)