013 - HitClips: The Comeback We Didn't Know We Needed?

HitClips (Tiger Electronics) revisited: the tiny Y2K music players that sold MILLIONS—do they still hold up or do they need an evil overhaul? 🎧📼

In this episode, we revisit HitClips, the early-2000s toy line that let you play 60ish-second snippets of the biggest pop songs—*Britney Spears, NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Destiny’s Child and more—on keychain-sized players and micro boomboxes. We break down how the format exploded on schoolyards, why it worked on kids (and parents), and whether any of it still plays in 2025. ⚡

What we cover:

• The origin story and launch during the Y2K pop wave 👾

• How each “clip” was a one-minute, low-fi mono mix made to be collectible

• Marketing magic: fast-food tie-ins, TV promos, and various form-factors 🖋️

• Sales milestones: 20M+ units by 2002, ~30M by 2004 🧮

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