Stereo 8, commonly called the 8-track cartridge or 8-track tape, is a magnetic tape format developed for recorded audio. It became particularly popular in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s, before the compact cassette supplanted it. The format also circulated in several other countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and Japan.
The format was introduced in 1964 by a consortium led by Bill Lear of Lear Jet Corporation, with Ampex, Ford, General Motors, Motorola and RCA Victor Records. It developed from the four-track Stereo-Pak cartridge associated with Earl Muntz, itself adapted from George Eash’s Fidelipac design. RCA announced a four-channel variant in 1970, initially called Quad-8 and subsequently Q8.
Legend: Album title – Record Company – Catalogue number – Country (Year) ~ Notes
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