In 2002, Anakin Skywalker complained about sand in the cinema. Britney and Justin were still around, and a song identification service was set up: Shazam.
How to Identify a Song Without a Name and Lyrics | Shazam – Identify Songs
Wait, Shazam is 20 years old? How is this even possible? Apple has officially confirmed the anniversary and is celebrating the milestone with a curated playlist of the most Shazamed songs in the service's history.
If you’re still stuck on the idea of Shazam turning 20 while the iPhone and its ilk are only 15, read on to find out how it all ended. Shazam began as a text-messaging service in the UK, though its functionality has remained largely unchanged. “Shazamming” in 2002 involved sending a text message and holding up your phone until you got a reply with the artist and song name.
The service remained relevant until the advent of modern smartphones, and Shazam was one of the first notable apps in Apple's newly launched App Store in 2008. Apple eventually swallowed the service and merged it with Siri, where it is now most widely used.
