The first album I ever bought with my own money (in cassette form) was Escape, by Journey. I still love that song, “Don’t Stop Believin’.”
The first CD I ever bought cost $18. It was Gossip, by Paul Kelly and the Messengers. Australians Rock!
Rock on, man! Same here, except I bought it when it first came out (1977?) when I was still in Jr High. All my friends were buying ‘Kiss’ albums. Still have all my vinyl from through the years. Even that ‘Star Wars’ soundtrack. Don’t play it anymore, though. Upgraded it to CD a couple of years ago.
You know what’s REALLY depressing? I’ve seen that band in concert two times.
The first album I ever bought? Actually, I bought two at the same time: ZZ Top’s “Eliminator” and “Spring Session M” by Missing Persons.
Of course I remember White Lion. When The Children Cry, despite its stilted lyrics, is still a great song. Brings back memories, let me tell ya.
As for me, it was The Grand Illusion by Styx. No regrets. When the vinyl wore out, I bought the CD. I still have it, too.
Despite all the derision they’ve received over the years, they were (and are) a kick-ass band.
singing “Long nights, impossible odds. Keepin’ my eye to the keyhole. Long nights, it’s just what I am. I’m gonna be a blue collar man…”
Well, My first album was Black Sabbath IV - bought it because I thought the name of the band sounded cool. This, of course, was before I knew anything about popular music. After I started getting interested in music, the first album I purchased because I liked the music was Deep Purple Live.
I guess my age is showing 
New York Dolls Too Much Too Soon
Loved it. I was about 14 and the singing wasn’t half bad.
I also liked the wildness of the band.
It was hard for me to relate to my friend who had a Dan Fogelberg album.
Jeez, get me my cane, Martha. This is gettin’ depressing.
First albums were “Gunfighter Ballads & Trail Songs” by **Marty Robbins ** and “1962’s Greatest Hits” by Billy Vaughn. The latter was a big band (heavy on the sax) that did pretty straightforward instrumental arrangements of current hits.Single 45s in those days were 89¢ and albums around 3 bucks so I thought I had a smokin’ deal to at least hear the melodies of a buncha favorites, ranging from “Stranger on the Shore” to “The Stripper” (got to be the weirdest Top 40 hit ever, if you think about it).
I had both albums up until 3 years ago when I held the Great Album Clean-Out.
While we’re on the subject, my first singles were Roy Orbison’s “Pretty Woman” and Bob Gibson’s “Super Skier”, a novelty song. Sample lyrics:
They called him Super Skier
As he sat around the sundeck
And swore that he’d never spill
But when they finally brought him down
They had to use 3 toboggans
To carry all the pieces down the hill.
Great stuff for 13-year-olds. Ah, the memories…
First album with my own money - A Day At The Races, Queen.
First CD - Brothers in Arms
Not a bad choice for either.
I was 12 years old in 1977 when I purchased my first album - A Farewell to Kings, by Rush. Still think it’s a pretty decent album (on CD; the vinyl album is long since history).
plnnr, you’re a great one.
First with my own dough…
Queen’s Greatest Hits, the one that came out in 1981. Not the 9 billion other versions that came out later.
With my parents cash? On 8-Track it would have been one of these:
Xanadu, OST
Beach Boys, Endless Summer
Grease, OST
Mr Jaws, a collection of those funky ‘break in’ songs.
My three first albums (well, cassettes), bought in 1988:
The Joshua Tree, U2
Kick, INXS
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Beatles
I still listen to all three.
Timchik,
Although a Rush album wasn’t my first buy, it was the first band I became an insane fan of. I collected all of their music up until Roll The Bones.
They are still one of my all time favorite bands. I love Caress of Steel more than any other album they ever recorded.
Rush!
First LP:
(glup)Hall and Oats - Private Eyes(shutter)
First Cassette:
Prince - Purple Rain
I stand behind this purchase. Listened to it soooo much (I think I was 13 at the time), I could even sing along to the backward singing durring ‘Darling Nicki’. Oooh boy, maybe that was too much listening!
First CD:
R.E.M. - Life’s Rich Pagent
Might just be the best CD I ever bought. R.E.M. at their best too.
~t
Oh oh oh me oh my, I was just 14 and it was 1982 and MTV was new and and my first-album-with-my-own-$$ was:
Men At Work.
I was redeemed with my second album, Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams Are Made of This…
I don’t remember my first cassette. My first CDs I bought through Columbia House, so there were about a dozen, a lot of them replacements for LPs.
Let’s see, the first album I ever bought with my own $$ was
Never Mind The Bollocks by The Sex Pistols.
I don’t remember my first cassette, but I do know that some of the first CDs I had were Duran Duran and Depeche Mode. It doesn’t get any better than that.
I’m with Spooje on this one Kiss Alive.
High five!!! Me too.
Meet the Beatles
Not their best, but a fun album. And at the time it was a big deal. I still think it’s a great pop-rock album.
First album I ever bought was Ten by Pearl Jam, I still think it’s there best album ever, by far. I’m pretty happy with it