Robot Rock Hall of Fame: The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer

Before we get into tonight's cyber-jam, let's honor one more key figure in the robot rock canon. Without it, electronic music as we know it would not exist.

When the Roland TR-808 emerged in 1980 as an affordable entry into synth drum programming, it was panned as sounding thin and unrealistic. But it became legendary precisely because it didn't sound like real drums. From 1980 to current pop hits, the 808 continues to be iconic because of its unique sounds, even if they exist primarily in software today.

This groundbreaking musical device could be lauded and examined indefinitely, it's just that historic. But in three minutes, you can get a solid grasp of its importance via this documentary from Nelson George and Waajeed.