This is the Message Centre for paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

First few steps in building a POP music CD collection

Post 1

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

Before I begin, I want to say that I used to have a lot of 33 1/3 longplaying phonograph records, many of which were in popular genres of the time:

Folk music: The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem [2 CDs], Peter Paul and Mary [5 or 6]; Chad Mitchell Trio [4 or 5]

Pop music from the 1940s through 1960s: Kate Smith [3]; Peggy Lee [1]; B J Thomas [1]; plus more that I can't remember at the moment.

Humorous Songs: Allan Sherman [4]; Flanders and Swann [3]; Tom Lehrer [4].

Standup comedy: Woody Allen [2]; Rodney Dangerfield [1]; Joan Rivers [1]

The remainder of my LP collection consisted of numerous Original Broadway cast albums and Movie Soundtracks.

----------------------------------------------------

Pretty much *all* of the above is available on CD. In the last year, I've bought about 180 CDS in the Broadway Cast/Movie Soundtrack genres. This was really easy to do, as I already had heard about 80 of them on LP or on tape when I taped movies from the TV broadcasts.

What remains now is to reconnect, on CD, with the best of what I used to have, and aim for more balance among the genres. What I'm *not* buying now is show tunes and movie soundtracks, because that collection is largely completed -- until more great shows come along, which they are sure to do. smiley - smiley

Today I ordered 8 CDs [mostly used] from Amazon. I had earlier bought 3 CDs. So, with what I have, and what is on order, I have these 11:

[ROCK] Beach Boys "290 Good Vibrations, The Greatest Hits, vol. 1
[FOLK] Harry Belafonte "The Very best of..."
[JAZZ] Nat King Cole"The Very best of..."
[COUNTRY/FOLK] John Denver "John Denver - definitive Greatest Alltime Hits"
[JAZZ] Duke Elllington "Greatest Hits]
[COMEDY] Monty Python Sings
[FOLK] Tom Paxton "Very best of..."
[FOLK] Peter Paul and Mary, 1st album
[COMEDY] Allan Sherman "My Son the Greatest"
[POP] Frank Sinatra "Classic Sinatra"
[DISCO] The Village People "Best of The Village People"

This is just a small first step. There are lots of artists such a Barbra Streisand, Marvin Gaye, Reba MacIntyre, Willy Nelson, Perry Como, etc., that will be joining the above within the next six months or so.

My sense of what's important in the Rock Music universe is not strong, so I've had to seek help. I found a website
http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_albumsddd.html
that lists the 200 greatest rock albums of all time [updated to 2007]. Their methodology was as follows: "Criteria: - These Albums were chosen for their Popularity, Influence, and Musical Impact. This list includes 'Studio', 'Live', and 'Soundtrack' albums."

The three "best" Rock CDs were:
1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) - The Beatles
2. Pet Sounds (1966) - The Beach Boys
3. What's Going On (1971) - Marvin Gaye

I already have "Yellow Submarine." The Beach Boys' greatest hits are on order, as mentioned above. Marvin Gaye's greatest hits will be coming before too long. You might have noticed that I'm going with greatest hits collections rather than albums. This is because I want to include as many different artists and groups as possible. However, I plan to respect the integrity of "Pink Floyd The Wall," as it tells a story.

Also, there are some entries on the great rock CD list that I already own, but in a different part of my collection. "Saturday Night Fever" Soundtrack [1977] is in my movie Soundtrack collection. Also, for what it's worth, this "Rock" site lists artists that I wiould never in a million years would have associated with rock music. Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, James Brown, and Marvin Gaye are usually associated in the public mind with Rhythm and Blues. Three of the four are represented on the soundtrack of "The Blues Brothers," which is also in my soundtrack collection.

So now, I've probably either bored you or convinced you that I'm bananas for not going with all one genre: Rock and Roll. Okay, Rock has ruled the roost for almost 60 years. It's what I listened to on TV [i.e. American bandstand] in the 1960s and again in the 1980s [I loved Sha Na Na's syndicated TV show.] Musical Theater has been dominated by rock music for the last 5 to 10 years.

However, historically there is no basis for thinking that the trees will ever gow to the sky. Baroque style lasted for up to 150 years, but eventually yielded to the Classical style, which ran for 80 years and then yielded to Romanticism. Ragtime and Jazz picked up where Romanticism left off as a *popular* style. In the late 1950s, Rock took over. I respect that. I have at least 100 slots to fill in that area. However, Country and Rhythm and Blues and Gospel and Jazz are still viable choices. I can't not have the leading artists in those genres.

Looking ahead beyond that, there are genres like Reggae and national musical styles. I remember a very pleasant evening boat ride through Prague, in which some local singers sang Czech songs. Brazil has some wonderful rhythms which inform their annual Carnaval festivals. In India, there are Ragas, as well as plenty of music in the thriving Bollywood movie productions. Christmas is fertile ground for music. I have a Christmas CD collection that includes music from many different lands. In the choral concerts I've been part of, we've sung Christmas carols in Welsh, Spanish, Ukranian, German, Russian, Italian, etc.

This is a beginning, just a beginning. There will need to be more current names as well. Obviously, some new rock stars must have came along after 2007......



First few steps in building a POP music CD collection

Post 2

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

A different approach has suggested itself: look at the various pop artists in terms of how many recordings they've sold. I've compiled a list of those who have sold more than 50 million recordings. Here is a partial list, with only the ones who have solds more than 200 million:

Artists by reputed sales

The Beatles United Kingdom 1 billion

Elvus Presley 1 billion

Michael Jackson 750 million

Madonna
300 million

Elton John
300 million

Led Zeppelin
300 million

Queen
300 million

ABBA
300 million

Mariah Carey
200 million

Celine Dion
200 million

AC/DC
200 million

The Rolling Stones
200 million

Bee Gees
200 million



[It will take a week or two to cover this part of the list. Then I'll gradually work my way down the list. I have greatest-hits CDs of some of them already, or have ordered them. Today I ordered Michael Jackson and Elvis.


First few steps in building a POP music CD collection

Post 3

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

My playlist for today is:

Mozart: 2 violin sonatas [Classical period instrumental]
Bach: Cantatas for alto soloist [Song/aria collection]
Brahms: piano concertos [Romantic period instrumental]
"The Wiz" [Broadway original cast album, 1975]
Schubert: Flute sonatas [miscellaneous instrumental collec.]
"The Band Wagon" [Motion picture sounbdtrack starring Fred Astaire, 1953]
Danzi: Bassoon concerti [Misc. instr. collec.]
Schubert: Sacred choral music [miscellaneous vocal collec.]
Chopin piano music: 4 ballades, 4 scherzi [Misc. instrumental collec.]
Lully: Excerpts from 3 operas [Opera collection]


First few steps in building a POP music CD collection

Post 4

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

Addition to playlist just before the Brahms piano concerti:

Sarah Vaughan: Greatest hits


First few steps in building a POP music CD collection

Post 5

Pink Paisley

Hi paulh,

I was led here following your 'extension'(?) 'building a pop CD collection' from another thread.

After divorce 5 years ago, I was separeated from my collection of classical music, but set about re-building that and extending my (it has to be said, ridiculously huge) collection of CDs. I'll never listen to most of what I buy or have bought, more that one or two times before I die, and I'm not THAT old!

I was struck by three main things.

1. I have a short attention span and rocketed through your posts in this thread. I will go back and re-read. By the way, do excuse me for butting in!

2. You have to be 'over the water' (although, you probably think I am. But I'm not.) I base this assumption on your folk selection. Belafonte, Guthrie, Denver, Peter, Paul and Mary and so on, whereas I would have gone for a much more celtic and European selection. Stivell, Fairport Convention and McColl for instance.

3. I was smug that the top sellers list seem to be dominated by Liverpool, London and Manchester.

You may well lay claim to Elvus (that world famous greek rock and roller smiley - laugh), Jacko and Madonna of course, but we had Cliff Richard, Elton John and Bananarama. Hmmmm.

When I started to write this there was something I wanted to say. But I have rambled and forgotten.

Right now I am listening to a couple of CDs bought on ebay. Ebay is my friend. I give it money and it gives me music. I go to bed often listening to a radio station, JAZZ FM, which is no longer available on FM. But is available on my DAB radio and on the interwebs. I am often drawn into an ebay purchase when I hear something new and interesting. The current offering is a German born Turkish-English singer, Tanita Tikaram. Next Smoke Fairies, a Scottish folkie sort of duo.

I'll get back to you when I remember what my point was!

Take care.

Robin.


First few steps in building a POP music CD collection

Post 6

Pink Paisley

I remembered.

I started buying CDs from one of those 100 greatst albums of all time lists.

I got to about number 4 before asking myself, 'who says these are the 'greatest of all time'? I didn't.

Long live the CD by the way. I've never downloaded music and won't until I am forced to by the disappearance of them.

I noticed the other day that one of the first CDs that I bought was a Tanita Tikaram album in 1991 and it cost me £12.25 Sticker still on the case). That was what they cost then. Her newest album, to be released next Monday is a double and will cost £9.00. 21 years and I am going to pay £3.25 less. Great. Ebay, as I said, is my friend....

Robin.


First few steps in building a POP music CD collection

Post 7

paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

"I remembered. I started buying CDs from one of those 100 greatst albums of all time lists. I got to about number 4 before asking myself, 'who says these are the 'greatest of all time'? I didn't." [Pink Paisley]

Thanks for dropping in! I have about 1,200 CDs from the 17th through 19th centuries. That's an average of about 400 CDs per century. The 20th century, however, had very little, and I was hoping that it, too, could have 400 CDs, too. A year ago I began accumulating movie soundtracks and Broadway original cast albums. Now I have almost 200 of them, and am enjoying them a lot.

I was still short about 200 cds when I finished that collection. The 200 CDs I'm aiming for now are supposed to cover ragtime, jazz, rock music, pop music, folk music, country music, blues, and some smaller genres like comic songs [Tom Lehrer, Alan Sherman, Doctor Demento].
I deliberately scramble every collection so that every CD is quite different from the ones before and after.

Then there's the 21st century. I can't get "greatest hits" albums for young artists who have only recorded a few albums so far [that means you, Taylor Swift and Adele]. I have to try to find the individual CD that I like best.

I try to borrow CDs from my local library so I can hear them and decide whether I want to own copies of them.


Key: Complain about this post

More Conversations for paulh, vaccinated against the Omigod Variant

Write an Entry

"The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a wholly remarkable book. It has been compiled and recompiled many times and under many different editorships. It contains contributions from countless numbers of travellers and researchers."

Write an entry
Read more