The Top Produced Jukeboxes Life and popular culture is full of lists, and those who collect jukeboxes are no different. Folks want to know what is the best, worst, largest, smallest etc. If original popularity in the Jukebox field is measured by production, then this is the definative list. It covers the top jukeboxes based on their production with the arbitrary cut-off of 20,000 units ... TWELVE Jukebox models are covered here.
This listing is culled from production estimates made by analyzing 16,000 serial numbers submitted by jukebox owners. Although it is not definative (jukebox producers kept production figurers closely held), the overall estimates are probably very close (within a few percent) and are unlikely to change enough to change the outcome
To make the list of the "Most Produced List" and hence most popular (at the time) arbitrary rules have to apply. In this case, the "Rule" is that the jukebox must be a unique model, which may cover several years production, but cannot be changed in dimensions or specifications.
This "tight ruling" keeps the Seeburg "Trashcan" (Models 146, 147, 148) from taking the top spot ... although almost identical to each other, they are made of different materials (metal and wood) and have visible changes (tops and grilles) ... but from 1946 to 1948 Seeburg made 64,000 Trashcans ... beating out Wurlitzer's 60,400 production for the Model 1015 Bubbler- And HOW ABOUT the M100 Series of Seeburg!!!! The M100 A, B, and C (1949-52) all are individually in the top 12 and have a combined production of 94,100 ... but although based on the same technology, they are different in stlye ... but the combined production is a testament to the technology.
If there was a competition for popular jukeboxes ... Seeburg won! Of the Top 12 Most Produced Jukeboxs (Greater than 20,000 Units), Seeburg has 7 Models and Wurlitzer 5 ... Rock-Ola and AMI didn't place but were close!
This of course does not tell the whole story, as Wurlitzer dominated the 30's and 40's and Seeburg the late 40's and 50's and Rock-Ola and AMI/Rowe dogged both of their heels throughout 40+ years ... each of the "also rans" approached 20,000 units but neve quite made it.
If the Competion was TOTAL production then Wurliter Wins ... followed by Seeburg, Rock-Ola and AMI/Rowe In looking at the actual jukebox models, you may wonder why these? A tough question. The Wurlitzer 1015 "won" due to its unique style AND the postwar properity, the M100 series of Seeburg dominated due to its unique engineering (100 selections) and postwar prosperity. Analyzing the why in each case usually comes down to "inovation" and "style". In the pictures and narrative to follow you may have a different opinion, but the hierarchy will remain as a fact.
The following is a summary of the listing ... details follow
Top Produced Jukebox Models (>20,000) Rank Manufacturer Model Production Year(s) #1 Wurlitzer 1015-Bubbler 60,400 1946-47 #2 Wurlitzer 616/A 39,100 1937 #3 Seeburg M100C 38,200 1952 #4 Wurlitzer 412 31,500 1936 #5 Seeburg M100A 28,800 1949 #6 Seeburg M100B 27,100 1950-51 #7 Seeburg HF100R 26,850 1954 #8 Seeburg 146 25,400 1946 #9 Wurlitzer 1100 25,200 1948 #10 Seeburg V/VL100 24,550 1955-57 #11 Wurlitzer 600/600K 22,100 1938-39 #12 Seeburg LPC-1 21,350 1963-64
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