# Still buying CD s after turning 40 **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 21, 1999, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293 "1999-09-21T11:19:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Poto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Poto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poto)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 11:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/1 "1999-09-21T11:19:00Z")
(and these are not bank CDs) I buy Cds in spurts. This month I have bought maybe 4, and on trips I do pick up unusual items that I run across. But how many of you turned 40 still buy CDs ? I don’t mean that you’d buy Marilyn mansen, but do you buy anything. For the younger group: Do your parents still buy CD’s ? Sunbear bought: Spargue brothers (rockabilly), 2 Jethro Tull (not the new one), Loudon Wainwright III’s 20 song collection. ---
**Author:** ![Persephone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@Persephone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Persephone)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/2 "1999-09-21T13:12:00Z")
My husband isn’t 40 yet, but he’s close (38). Buys CD’s whenever he gets a little pocket change. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/3 "1999-09-21T13:16:00Z")
Heck! I couldn’t _afford_ to buy CDs before I turned 40. I don’t buy any new pop, but I don’t listen to new pop. I buy CDs of the Celtic music that I can’t find on the radio. I buy CDs of different symponic composers by orchestras/conductors that I like. Once in a very great while I’ll buy some Rock and Roll from the 50’s/60’s/70’s just to have a selection I like, instead of relying on the oldies stations that only play the center-line of the road old stuff. Am I missing something in the question? Unless you have large amounts of money to invest in a turntable of Garard quality or above, CDs or cassettes are the only game in town if you want to listen to music the music you want at the time you want–and CDs are rather more durable than cassettes. * * * Tom~ ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/4 "1999-09-21T15:00:00Z")
Sure, a couple every week or so - and I am 59. The only problem is finding something that came out before about 1960 - when the music died. Good thing I like classical as well as other stuff. I have been surprised at some of albums that have been re-issued though. I recently found the Modern Jazz Quartet’s Fontessa album and the Dave Brubek album with Blue Rondo ala Turk and Take Five on it. I also bought a CD Writer and am transferring a lot of my old vinyl albums to CD. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/5 "1999-09-21T15:37:00Z")
I’m 38, and I probably buy 10-20 cds a month. I realized recently that ever since Jerry Garcia died in 1995, I was no longer purchasing music by any living performer. (Okay, Sonny Rollins.) I buy primarily jazz, classical (I use these terms because everyone’s familiar with them, not because I think they’re the best…see an earlier thread on whether we should call it “classical music” at all), and oddball stuff in the folk, bluegrass, blues and pre-rap pop music categories. * * * Uke ---
**Author:** ![OldBroad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ed655f/32.png) [@OldBroad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldBroad)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/6 "1999-09-21T15:47:00Z")
I’m confused by your question, sunbear. Do you imagine that people over 40 are no longer interested in listening to music? All - if you’re looking for specific music, try [www.ubl.com](http://www.ubl.com) I found this while looking for a source for George Freeman’s CD “George Burns” UBL stands for Ultimate Band List and it can lead you to just about any music you can imagine. * * * | | | | | | | | | | Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/7 "1999-09-21T15:57:00Z")
I had to chuckle. Like **tom** , I only recently _started_ buying CDs (I’m 40). Because of my “colorful” past, I’ve always had a hard time building and keeping a musical collection. I’d bought and lost so many LPs and cassettes, I was hesitant to even get into the CD thing. Finally this summer, my 40th birthday present to myself was a CD player. Still on a tight budget, so the discography is growing slowly. ---
**Author:** ![neuro-trash\_grrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3ab097/32.png) [@neuro-trash\_grrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neuro-trash_grrrl)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/8 "1999-09-21T16:21:00Z")
My 52-year-old father buys CDs left and right, mostly jazz and country. He only switched to CDs about three years ago, and his collection has become larger than mine during that time. My mom also switched to CDs recently, but she doesn’t buy nearly as many. ---
**Author:** ![Donj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85f322/32.png) [@Donj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donj)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/9 "1999-09-21T16:29:00Z")
Diver…Music Died in 1960?..in the last 39 years you think there hasnt been any good music/artists/songwriters? I am only 25 and realize that we all have different taste in music but to limit ‘good’ music to pre-1960 is somewhat narrow minded. –Donj ---
**Author:** ![omniscientnot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a5b964/32.png) [@omniscientnot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/omniscientnot)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/10 "1999-09-21T16:31:00Z")
Don’t remember the last time I bought a cassette. I buy CDs on a more or less regular basis. As an aside, record clubs _can_ be a good deal even for those who don’t buy **that** many CDs and cassettes, once you factor in the discount (in the form of “free” music) they offer you to get you to become a member. Like tomndebb said, don’t think there’s much of an alternative, except for CDs and cassettes (and LPs, which, despite a certain renaissance among the supposed connoisseurs, still are somewhat of a rarity and quite expensive). And, as Oldbroad noted, I can’t figure out why you’d tune out 🙂 once you’ve passed the venerable age of forty. BTW, sun: I bought Yellow Submarine this week-end but so far have been too busy to have a listen. I’ll let you know what I think of the (absence of) improvement in quality as soon as I get a chance. ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/11 "1999-09-21T16:51:00Z")
**Donj** , _somewhere_ in the last 25 years you have to have heard Don McClean’s **American Pie** , right? Don’t take it personal, son. Life ain’t nohow permanent. * * * Tom~ ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 1999, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/12 "1999-09-22T05:01:00Z")
I’ve got another 10 years to go before I see 40, and I still buy vinyl. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![aseymayo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@aseymayo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aseymayo)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 1999, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/13 "1999-09-22T05:27:00Z")
I tried to resist CDs for some time - I was hoping they’d turn out to be the 8 track of the 80’s, but I finally gave in. Replacing one’s vinyl with CDs ain’t cheap and is sometimes disappointing. Beatles’ CDs are usually the British release instead of the US. I picked up “Rubber Soul” - the songs are in a different order than I knew them, there are different cuts (Nowhere Man, e.g.) and worst of all, the false start at the beginning of “I’m Looking Through You” is missing. How do they expect me to recapture my youth with things like this? Pfui. I’m 42 and plan to be a curmudgeon when I grow up. ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 1999, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/14 "1999-09-22T05:44:00Z")
but to limit ‘good’ music to pre-1960 is somewhat narrow minded * * * Probably is, but that’s the way it is from my perspective. I suspect that we may be a little like birds - if we aren’t imprinted with our songs (music)before a certain time in our development it never kicks in. How else could you explain someone with an IQ higher than room temp listening to rap? ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/15 "1999-09-21T18:09:00Z")
Diver: My IQ is sufficiently higher than the norm and I listen to some rap music. It’s one thing to not understand something. It’s quite another to suggest nobody else can. * * * Yer pal, Satan ---
**Author:** ![Diver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@Diver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diver)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/16 "1999-09-21T18:34:00Z")
My IQ is sufficiently higher than the norm and I listen to some rap music. * * * Then you must have been imprinted early enough. …Or my theory is wrong. In any case, I would rather have a fingernail torn out than listen to rap. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/17 "1999-09-21T20:16:00Z")
I buy some CDs, but not often, since their prices are way out of line. (Vinyl died, not because of any technical reason, but because record companies realized they could charge more for CDs – which cost considerably less to produce.) I’ve found a few interesting things in closeout bins, including some nice classical pieces (Rossini and Le Boeuf sur le Toit). My price purchase was Tadpoles by the Bonzo Dog Band. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/18 "1999-09-21T20:24:00Z")
Two years ago, hitting 30, I promised to cut back buying CD’s down to only one a month. Now I may buy one or two a year and they are Sesame Street and Language cassettes. I listen primarily to classical, folk, celtic and country and probably listen to the same 10-15 cd’s over and over again. I wish I could get my money back on the stacks and stacks of cd’s I bought during my DINK phase. (USED Cd stores ain’t worth it to turn them in, I made about $8 on 25 cd’s that were given to me by someone.) ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/19 "1999-09-21T20:33:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve got another 10 years to go before I see 40, and I still buy vinyl. And you look good in it, too, Phil. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 1999, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293/20 "1999-09-21T20:35:00Z")
RC, if you liked Le Boeuf sur la Toit, check out La Creation du Monde. Monsieur Milhaud, he da man. * * * Uke [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/still-buying-cd-s-after-turning-40/8293.md?page=2)