Lisa O
Time moves fast, and so does technology. Some everyday sounds have disappeared from our world—sounds that once filled our homes, streets, and workplaces. If you grew up before the 2000s, you’ll probably recognize many of these noises. If not, well… welcome to a world where things clicked, whirred, and buzzed in ways they don’t anymore.
The Dial-Up Internet Connection
If you ever used the internet in the old days of the 90s, you know the sound—a mix of beeps, screeches, and static. This was just your computer “handshaking” with the internet via a phone line. If someone picked up the phone when you were online, the whole thing crashed, and you had to start over. It was slow, unreliable, and absolutely unforgettable.
The Floppy Disk Drive Clicking
Before cloud storage and USB drives came into existence, you saved all your school assignments or office work files on a 3.5-inch floppy disk. Inserting the disk triggered a series of soft mechanical clicks as the drive read the data. Sometimes, the disk would fail, and you’d hear an ominous “click-click-click.”
A CRT TV Warming Up
These days, you turn on the TV, and you’ll see the screen instantly. But older cathode-ray tube (CRT) televisions had a dramatic way of waking up. Press the power button, and the screen glows dimly, flickers, and gradually brightens. All of it was followed by a low electric hum. Sometimes, when you turn it off, the screen shrinks into a tiny glowing dot before fading into darkness.
Rotary Phones Dialing
Rotary phones that were used in the past were so much more than making calls—they were a whole experience for the older generation. You had to stick your finger into the correct number hole, rotate the dial, and then wait as it slowly spun back to its starting position. You were in for a long time if the number had too many nines or zeros.
The Cash Register Bell
People in the old days used cash registers as there were no digital payment terminals in existence back then. The cashier would punch in the amount, pull the lever, and the drawer would fly open with a loud “cha-ching” sound. It was the sound of payday joy, a full wallet, and maybe even a little impulse shopping (all of us are guilty of it).
VHS Tapes Rewinding
Movie nights were incomplete back then without rewinding the tape when you were done. People used to pop the VHS into the VCR, hit rewind, and listen as the tape whirred backward at high speed. If you were the impatient listener, you had the option to fast-rewind, which made the tape whine like a jet engine.
The Snap of a Cassette Tape Closing
Before apps like Spotify and YouTube Music existed, people used cassette tapes to listen to their favorite songs. You had to insert the tape into a cassette player, press it down until it clicked, and then hit the play button to listen to one song (not anyone but the one that was on the tape). And sometimes, the tape inside would get stuck or tangled, and then you have to carefully wind it back into place using a pencil or something similar.
The Static of a Blank TV Channel
If you ever flipped to a TV channel that wasn’t working, you’d see a screen full of fuzzy white and black dots with a loud shhhhhhh sound. People called it “TV snow.” Some folks even thought they could hear strange voices in the static. Horror movies made it even creepier as they turned that eerie noise into something you never wanted to hear alone at night.
The Thud of a Newspaper on Your Doorstep
Mornings in the past used to start with the heavy thud of a rolled-up newspaper hitting the doorstep. It was a small but familiar sound (some of you might still get the paper in the same way). You’d pick it up, flip through the pages, and look at all the headlines. Now, the news is available on your phone.
The Sound of a Modem Handshake
Before Wi-Fi and broadband, connecting to the internet wasn’t as easy as clicking a button. Your modem had to “talk” to your internet provider with a bunch of beeps, screeches, and weird static noises (just like R2-D2 having a meltdown). And once you finally connected, you just hoped no one picked up the phone and ruined it all.
The Clatter of a Payphone Coin Drop
Back then, payphones had a sound you couldn’t miss. Dropping a coin in made a clink-clank as it rolled down inside. If your call ended and you had change left, the little metal slot would spit it back out with a jingle. Now, with smartphones everywhere, payphones and their familiar sounds have almost disappeared.
Film Cameras Advancing
Digital cameras and phone photography have made snapping pictures effortless, but old-school film cameras had a whole process behind them. You had to manually crank the film forward with a ratcheting click-click-click after taking a picture. If you forgot and tried to take another photo, you’d get a double exposure (that’s one picture awkwardly layered over another).
Car Window Cranks
Rolling down a car window in the past used to mean actually rolling it. You had to grab the little handle on the door and crank it in circles, making a whirr-whirr-whirr sound as the glass moved. There was no button for quick adjustments. If you wanted just a little fresh air, you had to stop cranking at just the right moment.
The Pop of a Pringles Can Seal
The snack packaging we use today is mostly plastic and resealable, but there was something special about opening a fresh can of Pringles in the past. Peeling back the foil seal released a sharp, satisfying pop, followed by the unmistakable scent of perfectly stacked chips. A small sound, but one that every snack lover from the past would recognize instantly.
The Sound of a Pencil Sharpener
Before mechanical pencils and pre-sharpened ones came into existence, there was the classic manual pencil sharpener. You had to stick your pencil in, turn the handle, and hear the blade grind against the wood to sharpen it. A curly shaving would fall to the floor, and just like that, your pencil was ready.
A TV Sign-Off
TV never sleeps now, but there was a time when channels actually shut down for the night. Late-night viewers would see a final message from the station, often followed by the national anthem. Then, the screen would switch to a color test pattern or cut to static with a loud shhhhhhhh—a clear sign that it was time to go to bed.
The Squeal of a Chalkboard
Whiteboards and digital screens have mostly replaced chalkboards, but if you ever sat in a classroom with one, you know the sound. Chalk made a soft scraping noise, but the real nightmare was when it hit the board at just the wrong angle—producing a high-pitched screeeeech that sent shivers down your spine. Bonus horror: when someone ran their nails down the board.
The Click of a Camera Flash Cube
Even clicking pictures was a difficult task in the past as photographers had to use flashcubes—small, disposable bulbs that rotated after every single shot. You’d hear a sharp click, followed by a tiny burst of heat every time you took a photo. After about four flashes, the cube was done, and you had to replace it. Now, you can imagine how hard it was to take pictures in the old days.
The Whir of a CD-ROM Drive
Installing software, playing games, or listening to music on a computer used to start with the loud whirr of a CD-ROM drive in the old days. You had to pop in a disc, and the drive would spin up, sometimes making a few chugs and grinds if it had trouble reading. After a short wait—if you were lucky—your program would load. Now, most laptops don’t even have CD drives.
Typewriters Clacking
In the past, people typed with a typewriter that made a loud “clack” sound with every key you pressed. There was no silent typing back then. Every letter made some kind of similar sound. When you reached the end of a line, a little ding told you it was time to move to the next one. You had to push a lever to slide the carriage back with a quick zip to do that.