# RIP Time Life Music **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** music\ **Created:** [July 14, 2025, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847 "2025-07-14T11:18:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 11:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847/1 "2025-07-14T11:18:12Z")
I had assumed Time Life was streaming music instead of selling large box sets of CD’s. I avoided the trap of their subscription service. Remember the 99 cent cd’s that automatically enrolled buyers? I guess licensing restrictions prevented a streaming service. I was willing to pay a reasonable monthly amount to access their rock sets. [Time Life - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Life#:~:text=In%202023%20and%20without%20so,went%20dark%20in%20May%202024). > [@](#): > > Several of the series – especially the pop, rock, country and rhythm and blues series – had retail versions for sale, released after the entire series was issued. Typically, these were sold at discount stores, often grouped in three-CD sets of 12 tracks each and having the most popular of the series’ tracks, and cover artwork and naming loosely based on the subscription/catalog-exclusive titles. Additionally, the “Classic Country” series had special 15-track single-CD versions of several of its volumes issued for retail sale (in addition to budget 3-CD sets). > > As of March 2023, Time Life began shutting down its [DTC](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Direct-to-consumer) CD and DVD music service. Until May 2024, the company’s website only listed a toll-free number for assistance and the Time-Life infomercial channel has been pulled from all cable services, before it went permanently dark altogether. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847/2 "2025-07-14T14:42:54Z")
I had assumed they went belly up decades ago. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847/3 "2025-07-14T14:48:04Z")
I still remember the 60-minute infomercials for these compilations that I would see on TV sometimes. The one I remember most came out in the early '90s and was about rock & roll from the '50s through the present. I can’t remember what it was called, so I don’t know how to search for the ad on Youtube. ---
**Author:** ![Kropotkin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kropotkin/32/18045_2.png) [@Kropotkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kropotkin)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847/4 "2025-07-14T14:51:20Z")
Was the one with John Sebastian as the front man? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847/5 "2025-07-14T15:04:22Z")
I never really thought about Time Life Music as a business entity and wasn’t aware of their status as such. But I’ve always felt that their compilations were really good. They often feature bands and songs you don’t generally see in compilations. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847/6 "2025-07-14T15:06:59Z")
I can’t remember. I only saw the infomercial a couple times in 1993 or so. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847/7 "2025-07-14T15:10:14Z")
I had a set from them when I was a teen (back when they were still selling tapes) called “Classical Thunder”, heavy-hitting classical songs. It turned me on to a bunch of composers I wasn’t previously familiar with. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847/8 "2025-07-14T15:11:07Z")
Like others, I had assumed this entity was dead and/or no longer producing these compilations. But right before the pandemic, a friend of mine requested my help. He had just purchased a 5-CD set of R&B/soul music from Time/Life. Problem was, his new pickup didn’t have a CD player. I ripped the CDs onto my computer and copied the songs to a USB stick, which he was able to play in his new vehicle. He was extremely grateful. Unfortunately, less than a year later, he contracted Covid and didn’t recover. I was glad that I was able to do that for him so he could enjoy the music for a brief time before he passed. Sorry to bring down the conversation. Carry on. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847/9 "2025-07-14T15:14:09Z")
When you think about it, in this modern world of streaming services, everybody that’s signed up for one of the platforms now has **every** Time-Life compilation **ever** , minus maybe a track or two stuck in licensing limbo. I wouldn’t at all be surprised to find that someone has made public playlists replicating the sets. I’ll go look just for fun. Will report back assuming I don’t get distracted by, you know, _actual work_. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847/10 "2025-07-14T15:19:03Z")
I hope Debbie the operator lands on her feet. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847/11 "2025-07-14T15:34:03Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > But I’ve always felt that their compilations were really good. They often feature bands and songs you don’t generally see in compilations. Back in '92, my college roommate – with some chemically-assisted decision making – saw the infomercial at 2am and called to order. The next morning, he was very much “wtf did I do?” and was on the hook for the rather expensive compilation but the silver lining is that they really were some pretty great CDs. Especially in the era before Napster and music downloads and stuff. Like everyone else, I would have assumed that streaming and mp3 sales would have killed the business model a long while ago. ---
**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:** [July 14, 2025, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847/12 "2025-07-14T19:13:20Z")
Aw, man! Peter Noone is going to have to get a real job. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847/13 "2025-07-14T20:11:43Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > Will report back assuming I don’t get distracted by, you know, _actual work_. I guess you got distracted, so I went to Spotify and typed in Time Life: Time Life Classic Rock - 60s-70s-80s-90s Time Life Ultimate Love Songs Collection Time Life Body + Soul Collection Time Life Classic Soft Rock etc., etc. YouTube has similar collections available. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847/14 "2025-07-14T20:14:36Z")
I don’t know if I would say I was distracted, but certainly those pesky clients started asking stuff of me. Anyway, in terms of Apple Music, yeah, there are similar playlists in there. The only one that I knew by name to look up was _Freedom Rock_, which I can’t even remember if it was Time-Life, but it’s there. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847/15 "2025-07-14T20:15:19Z")
I thought Freedom Rock was part of the Time-Life collection of albums, so when I saw this thread I immediately had this going through my head: “Hey man, is that Freedom Rock?” “Yeah, man.” “Well turn it up, man!” I don’t think it was Time -Life though. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847/16 "2025-07-14T20:26:28Z")
As it turns out, Freedom Rock was put out by Sessions Records, out of Colorado Springs at the time. I watched the ad, god help me. > **[Sessions Album Discography](https://www.bsnpubs.com/tvoffers/sessions.html)** ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2025, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847/17 "2025-07-14T21:19:38Z")
Hehe, watched the ad? I had a roommate who bought Freedom Rock. It wasn’t a bad compilation, really. It wasn’t a really good one, either. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Girlfriend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.girlfriend/32/193_2.png) [@Dr.Girlfriend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Girlfriend)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2025, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rip-time-life-music/1020847/18 "2025-07-15T00:00:24Z")
I have that on CD. One of the few CDs I kept when I purged my collection when I moved. Pretty awesome collection.