Have you ever worked at a job that had the best background music imaginable? So much you would want to listen to it even when you’re not on the job? No? Didn’t think so.
This wasn’t the case for Chicago native Mark Davis. In the late 1980s, Davis worked at his local Kmart. It was the first job he had. Like most first jobs you are young, you make friends, and you might have some fun every once in a while.
During one of his shifts all of those years ago, he took it upon himself to figure out how the background music was filtered all over the building.
He found a tape cassette (remember those…?!) that was labeled “October.” He played it, and the rest was history. He started taking them home for himself to keep. He worked there for roughly five years and throughout that whole time he was taking cassette tapes for himself.
However, Davis didn’t want to keep this gold mine all to himself. He decided to share the magic that is Kmart music to the rest of the world by converting it to digital files and uploading them to YouTube.
The files aren’t strictly music. It is briefly interrupted by the voice of the announcer talking about all of the great deals Kmart had that month.
He is quoted saying that these cassette tapes bring a lot of sentimental value to him. He said to Esquire magazine, “We had a lot of good times, and I loved the job.”
So while the rest of you obsess over your “Blank Space” or “Hotline Bling,” I’ll be over here enjoying the sweet sounds of 1980’s American consumerism. Long live Kmart.
Don’t worry friends, I have the YouTube link right here for you:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw0GP1xjAi4
For more information on this story, here’s a YouTube clip of the man himself explaining his collection!
