# Remember 12 albums for a penny? What were your first 12 albums? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [May 17, 2021, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296 "2021-05-17T15:58:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/21 "2021-05-19T01:12:06Z")
in the first video i posted it shows how to tell the difference between a ch version and a store-bought version ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/22 "2021-05-19T01:36:26Z")
While in college, I heard a story of a group of guys who had a competition going about who could come up with the most outrageous fake names and still get the CD’s delivered to the house. Hundreds were dropped off, and not a single one was ever paid for. Funny thing was it was started as a ‘protest’ over the thousands of the stupid little cards that you would send in. There were 2-3 in every book, notebook and you name it in the bookstore. They were stuck in the mirrors of the bathrooms, window frames of every building on campus. Hundreds laying around on sidewalks. Piles of them where you would pick up the daily newspaper. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/23 "2021-05-19T11:57:02Z")
> [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > Columbia House was the one with ads on the back of Parade magazine. 15 year-old me was very disappointed there were no offering of the holy trinity (Beatles, Who, Stones) …I remember how hard it was to even find artists you liked. I was 13 and I wouldn’t get into the Who and the Stones for a couple more years, but as I mentioned upthread, I thought some of my first 12 from Columbia House were the Beatles’ “Red” and “Blue” compilation albums. Maybe Columbia carried just those and none of the regular Beatles albums. Or maybe my memory’s faulty, that’s just as likely. I do remember as I got a bit older the Columbia House selection did get very limiting, so I canceled it after buying the minimum to fill the contract. Then I moved onto hanging out at Harmony House at the mall, flipping through the albums, checking out the new releases, buying the Who, Stones, Zep, etc. But getting that first 12 album bonanza in the mail at age 13 was freakin’ sweet. > [@Gatopescado](#): > > While in college, I heard a story of a group of guys who had a competition going about who could come up with the most outrageous fake names and still get the CD’s delivered to the house. I lived in a rented house with several other rotating roommates for awhile in college, and I never personally participated in the mail fraud, but I saw mail drops with fake names-- Harry Peters, Phil McCracken, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/24 "2021-05-19T14:19:36Z")
> [@solost](#): > > as I got a bit older the Columbia House selection did get very limiting, so I canceled it after buying the minimum to fill the contract. This, the one adulting lesson I learned from Columbia House was to fulfill you contractual obligation as soon as possible or you would end up getting screwed. Or at least then you could sign up again. Wash rinse repeat. I also remember in college someone stealing my Beatles Red and Blue albums and thought WTF, you can get them for a penny. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/25 "2021-05-19T14:47:01Z")
> [@nightshadea](#): > > in the first video i posted it shows how to tell the difference between a ch version and a store-bought version It’s funny, I don’t remember belonging to _both_ CH and BMG, but it appears I have CDs from both. The “Joshua Tree” CD I mentioned above says “Manufactured by Columbia House under license” and the Wilburys CD says “Mfg for BMG Direct Marketing under license”. So now I need to examine my entire CD collection and see if I can figure out what I bought from where. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/26 "2021-05-19T14:49:35Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > I also remember in college someone stealing my Beatles Red and Blue albums and thought WTF, you can get them for a penny. So Columbia House did have the Red and Blue Beatles albums? I wasn’t sure if that was where I got mine from or if I was remembering it wrong. I had a similar experience in college when I lived in a big rented house with many rotating roommates. Several of my albums disappeared one day. A couple weeks later I was going through the album collection of one of my roommates (I don’t remember if I had a suspicion or if I was just hanging out, checking out his collection) when I noticed, man he has a lot of the albums that got stolen from me. So I remembered that I had scotch-taped a rip on one of the inner sleeves, and sure enough, there it was. Busted. When I confronted him at first he looked sheepish, then he burst into anger and started yelling WHY ARE YOU SNOOPING THROUGH MY RECORDS. I took back what was mine. Even though he was 6’ 7" and towered over me, he wasn’t violent, just a thief who was embarrassed to get caught. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/27 "2021-05-19T15:03:00Z")
I did both Columbia House and BMG. My memory is hazy, but I do remember getting a Chicago album (Chicago VIII, that would have been 1975). I also recall getting stuck with Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” because I did not return the card in time. CDs, too. First ones were Talking Heads “Naked”, Elton John’s “Too Low For Zero”, and Fine Young Cannibals “The Raw and the Cooked”. mmm ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/28 "2021-05-19T17:30:41Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I also recall getting stuck with Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” because I did not return the card in time. I’m trying to remember the unwanted albums that were shipped to me. I want to say Chicago, Boston, or Kansas - but now I’m just naming places (weird how the brain works…) ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/29 "2021-05-19T17:47:41Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > I also recall getting stuck with Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” because I did not return the card in time. Well, gotta have a couple makeout albums in the mix. My go-to was Roxy Music’s Avalon. Despite the claims of the kid in “Fast Times at Ridgement High” side one of Led Zeppelin IV didn’t really work in that capacity, as good as it was. > [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](#): > > I want to say Chicago, Boston, or Kansas - but now I’m just naming places Alabama? America? Asia? Berlin? Nazareth? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/30 "2021-05-19T18:37:47Z")
The darkness in the far reaches of my mind are recalling Grease, Saturday Night Fever and (god have mercy on my pitiful soul) the Bee Gees version of Sargent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. Played in my bedroom with my poster of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders on the wall and wearing my Farah Fawcett shirt. Having a memory can be a curse I tell you. I pray to God to have this blotted from my mind! ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/31 "2021-05-19T18:45:31Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > The darkness in the far reaches of my mind are recalling Grease, Saturday Night Fever and (god have mercy on my pitiful soul) the Bee Gees version of Sargent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band. As a [card-carrying member of D.R.E.A.D.](https://www.mcrfb.com/?p=74225) back in the day, those are indeed pretty shameful albums to have owned. Especially the last two. But I give you points for having the courage to own up to it now. > [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > Played in my bedroom with my poster of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders on the wall and wearing my Farah Fawcett shirt. There was a Farrah Fawcett _shirt_? Was it the same image as the famous poster, just on a t-shirt? ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/32 "2021-05-19T18:51:09Z")
> [@solost](#): > > There was a Farrah Fawcett _shirt_ ? Was it the same image as the famous poster, just on a t-shirt? Yes, and I had both. [https://www.ebay.com/itm/174623286383?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=174623286383&targetid=1266775567823&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9013165&poi=&campaignid=11612583591&mkgroupid=116154521227&rlsatarget=pla-1266775567823&abcId=9300457&merchantid=263812206&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7pKFBhDUARIsAFUoMDZlD1l9dIUM5X6sf7e2o4S8ryqNkr\_Tr3yzp0cbNkVMZ0RnPt3AsBwaAnxeEALw\_wcB](https://www.ebay.com/itm/174623286383?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-117182-37290-0&mkcid=2&itemid=174623286383&targetid=1266775567823&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9013165&poi=&campaignid=11612583591&mkgroupid=116154521227&rlsatarget=pla-1266775567823&abcId=9300457&merchantid=263812206&gclid=Cj0KCQjw7pKFBhDUARIsAFUoMDZlD1l9dIUM5X6sf7e2o4S8ryqNkr_Tr3yzp0cbNkVMZ0RnPt3AsBwaAnxeEALw_wcB) And a white belt, wore white gym socks and had a perm. I definitely need to go out tonight and target those memory cells with some Mezcal until I swallow the worm. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/33 "2021-05-19T19:03:22Z")
> [@Si\_Amigo](#): > > I definitely need to go out tonight and target those memory cells with some Mezcal until I swallow the worm. Hey, your clothing choices (if not your music choices) were much cooler than mine back in the day. I saw Star Wars at 13 or 14 and loved it, so I went to the mall and bought a T-shirt with a Star Wars poster decal (I still remember the exact chemical smell from them hot-pressing the decal on the shirt). The next day I proudly wore my new Star Wars shirt and walked by a couple cute girls, one of whom says “nice t-shirt”, voice dripping with venomous sarcasm. I suddenly realized I might as well have been wearing a shirt that said “I’M A NERD”. I never wore the shirt again. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/34 "2021-05-19T19:29:13Z")
Ahhh, the days of D.R.E.A.D. How I miss George Swell. And the Moron Fishing Tackle Choir. mmm ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/35 "2021-05-19T21:11:15Z")
wow did you see that:“hit list” from 88? I can remember almost everything on it ---
**Author:** ![Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/marvin_the_martian/32/2898_2.png) [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marvin_the_Martian)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/36 "2021-05-19T21:11:37Z")
I never did the Columbia House thing, but I remember my first album purchase was a K-Tel album (“Believe in Music”, 1972) that I bought at Woolworth’s. I could have done worse than start with that album, some truly great songs on it: Brandy (Looking Glass), Long Cool Woman (Hollies), Back Stabbers (O’Jays), Go All the Way (Raspberries), Maggie May (Rod Stewart), Sylvia’s Mother (Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show), Hold Your Head Up (Argent). Let it Rain (Clapton). Of course there were throwaways like the two Donny Osmond songs… ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/37 "2021-05-19T21:17:18Z")
here ya go … did you know k-tel even made atari 2600 games? neither did I until someone told me those weird double sided cartridges were made by a k-tel company [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/inELQz2pl60/maxresdefault.jpg "The rise and fall of K-Tel and the problem with their records") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inELQz2pl60) ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/38 "2021-05-19T21:44:51Z")
Probably a lot of early 90s grunge, alt-rock, and dance music. Back in college it was quite common to order the 12 Columbia House / BMG albums for a penny to the fraternity house under a made up name and then never bother ordering more albums. Someone would just be like “hey my friend Brad Fakely is having a package sent here so just leave it in my mailbox.” It’s not like the CD police would ever show up to investigate. I suppose it all became moot a few years later when Napster went live. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/39 "2021-05-19T22:50:47Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > I never did the Columbia House thing, but I remember my first album purchase was a K-Tel album (“Believe in Music”, 1972) … some truly great songs on it: Brandy (Looking Glass), Long Cool Woman (Hollies), I think I had that album too! I remember owning a compilation album at some point with Brandy and Long Cool Woman on it at least, not so sure of the other songs. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2021, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296/40 "2021-05-20T00:23:39Z")
Fun side effect of those infomercials: As soon as you could start downloading individual songs (iTunes, Napster, Limewire), I remember my friend-of-a-friend Anthony tracking down all the songs on the [“Monsters of Rock!” commercial](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRAdN71PvGw) and then burning a CD, in the order they were in the ad. If you were really somebody, he’d trade you his disk for your homemade [“SOUNDS of the 70s”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6daUbnmqFow) compilation… (that was re-created by my friend Chucko, and had his faves: Because the Night, My Sharona, a couple by Cheap Trick, Peg by Steely Dan…). I can’t imagine life being simple enough that those were our biggest concerns… this thread is some powerful nostalgia, maaaan… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/remember-12-albums-for-a-penny-what-were-your-first-12-albums/942296.md?page=3)