I had a 8gb Space grey Apple iPod Shuffle. It lasted me many years till I lost it while traveling. It was working perfectly till the last moment, never a glitch or any problems at all. I still have its earphone which I now use with my iPad.
The sound reproduction is just amazing and controls were very easy to use. Its an Apple product so design and build quality was unquestionable. Price of-course like all Apple products was a bit more that its counterparts but its worth it.
Verdict: One should always have a portable music player, other than your phone. This fits the requirement perfectly.