I'm sad. Forget about the highly publicized, widely heralded end of the world in 2012. A few days ago, news broke that record companies intend to stop making and marketing CDs by the end of next year, if not sooner. It's probably to be expected; CDs were bound to go the way of 8-track tapes, vinyl records, and cassette tapes. However, having grown up in an era where making a mix CD was an acceptable way to show your love to a boyfriend or girlfriend, your hatred to a nemesis, or your indifference and/or anarchist tendencies to society at large, this news makes me cry. This might just be a rumor, but considering the popularity and accessibility of streaming music and mp3s, it's probably not. So c'mon down Nostalgia Street with me.
I remember the first CD I ever got. It was a country album. That's all I'm sayin'. I still have tons of CDs, which I listen to constantly -- in the car. So although I can legitimately understand why CDs have kind of lost their relevance, I nevertheless find progress bittersweet. It leaves me wondering if this is how my parents felt when cassette tapes started taking the place of vinyl. I have to remember that now vinyl is the height of cool and highly sought after, so perhaps someday, I can lament to my children about how awesome compact discs were -- when they weren't scratched or skipping or somehow misplaced.
In a very real way, I think The Buggles should have prepared us for this:
For posterity's sake, I'd like to know a few things. What was your very first CD? What are your favorites, the one you listen to over and over, to the point that they're scratched and prone to skipping so you have to use the toothpaste trick? I've got a three way tie: Without You I'm Nothing and Meds from Placebo, and Misguided Roses by Edwin McCain.
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