Originally Posted by ADL Colin

As documented in ?The CDNow Story: Rags to Riches on the Internet,? CDNow?s affiliate program predates Amazon?s by more than a year.
In November 1994, almost a full year before Amazon.com even launched its web site, the venerable CDNow (www.cdnow.com) began its buyweb program. With its buyweb program, CDNow was the first to introduce the concept of an affiliate or associate program with its idea of click-through purchasing through independent, online storefronts.

And in a twist, "CDNow will open a new store through Amazon.com, joining a number of retailers that are turning to the online sales giant." - December 2002.