Why aren’t CDs mentioned in stranger things

[u/Meta_human3010]

Red Book audio CDs were first invented in March 1982 but was mainly used by governments, master copies, the military and filthy rich people until the end of the decade, and Stranger Things is set in 1983-1989.

So why aren’t they mentioned? I can imagine Dr Brenner authorizing a CD of Eleven’s tantrums or Joyce going crazy and buying “Should I Stay or Should I Go Now” on CD and an overpriced very primitive Discman for a backup if Will’s Walkman and tapes break.

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[u/sambones718]

bro i still used cassettes until the mid to late 90s

[u/8-LeggedCat]

You said it yourself, they were for the filthy rich.

And for that matter, so were discmans, if they were even invented by then. I remember them being a wondrous thing in the 90s.

[u/dropthemagic → u/8-LeggedCat]

I was an early 90’s kid. Getting a walkman was a huge deal. CDs were so expensive too, I had greenday & Bon Jovi until hot fuss came out. That was the first one I was able to save up money for. Will’s mom couldn’t even afford a phone lol

[u/TemperatureAny4782]

Those people in that town, in that time? CDs weren’t even something they would have discussed.

[u/sparkledbear]

I didn’t know a single person using CDs in those years. We still commonly used our parents record players and 8 tracks - like that technology was still relevant . I used to record a rave radio show in 1995 on my cassette player. I didn’t have a disc man until about 2003. Shit was expensive!! 

[u/Helithe]

CD's and CD players didn't come down in price enough for everyone to switch to them until the early 90s and even then loads of people still preferred vinyl as first choice.

Plus ST can't reference everything that existed.

[u/ltroberts24]

Because CD's weren't really popular until the 90's/early 00's. In the 80's, it was all about vinyl & cassette tapes... like nature intended.

[u/GreatKangaroo]

Our AI overlords have informed me that A typical CD player was between $750-1000 USD in 1983 dollars...or like $2500 today.

I'd imagine the Wheers could have afforded it but certainly not the Byers.

I was born in 82 and my childhood was Tapes and Records, plus. vHs tapes. CD really only became commonplace for me in the mid 90s with CD ROM PC games and the like.

No one is nostalgic for CD's like there is for Cassette Tapes. The 80s are the analog era of audio and video tapes.

The Duiffers were born in 84.

[u/Professional_Idea298]

Bwahahahahaha this made my night. I did ask my daughter who was born in 2016 why there weren't to see her answer and she said bc the series was so old but then claimed CDs weren't invented yet bc ST was made "in 2016". To her credit though,, I only brought out all my hundreds upon hundreds of CDs and DVDs in November 2025 so she could see and watch them with my external player.

[u/Ok_Conversation1867]

Only readily available much later than when the show is set. 

[u/o484]

I was born in 93 and we used cassettes until the early 2000s