Maybe we just remember the good parts and forget the hassle. It was a pain trying to record from the radio without the DJ talking over the start. My tapes always had bits of other songs or static. Getting a whole album on one tape took forever. Having every song ever made in my pocket now feels way more special to me.
What specific part of the process made it feel more important? Like, was it the time spent recording from the radio, or the way you planned the song order by hand?
Reading @spencer707's question reminded me of my friend who used to make mixtapes back in the day. He'd camp out by the radio for hours (just waiting for that one song to play, you know) and then carefully write each track title in a little notebook. He always said the handwritten list made it feel like his own art project, not just copying songs. All that time and effort turned a simple tape into something he was really proud of. It's like the manual work added a layer of meaning that just clicking a button never could.