Compact Discs (CDs) were introduced as a new medium for music distribution in 1982. The first commercial CD player was released by Sony on October 1, 1982, with the first commercial CD pressed being ABBA's album "Visitors." CDs quickly gained popularity due to their superior audio quality compared to vinyl records, and by the end of the 1980s, they became the primary medium for music distribution, replacing vinyl and cassettes.