Vox Product shares their first CD purchases with the world

Here on the Vox Product team, we have an eclectic array of musical interests.

With that in mind, I sent out a Google form asking the team what their first CD purchase was, and if they had any interest in justifying their purchase in hindsight. I chose CD as the form of media because it would give us a wide variety of answers ranging from the late 80s to the 2000s, and buying your first CD was a watershed moment in a lot of people's lives.

Without further ado, here are 37 songs — one from each of the albums submitted via the form. Two albums (The Beatles' Rubber Soul and AC/DC's Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap) are not currently available on Spotify.

Other notes: Two people each selected Spice Girls' self-titled album and Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory.

We received some glorious justifications. Here are a few highlights.

A Nickelback record:

So I was transitioning from awkward, young, 4th grade [name redacted] to cool, hip 5th grade [name redacted]. I was experimenting with studded belts and untucking my polo from my navy blue slacks mandated by my Catholic school uniform. And I was listening to Nickleback. I hated it. But I thought it's what cool people did. I was wrong.

Backstreet Boys' Millennium:

Because I wanted it that way.

KISS' Alive II:

I was 6 or 7 years old. I remember my mother asking me, "Are you sure you want this?" I still have it.

Spice Girls self-titled:

My first grade class was basically a bunch of cliques where we assigned each other Spice Girl roles. I saved up my Christmas, birthday and Chinese New Year cash to buy the Spice CD which my friend's mom bought me since I was too young to listen to it. Well, I still did, at school and secretly at home when I asked my cousin to burn the CD and I wrote a different title on the CD. CD burners forever! :spice:

-Former Posh Spice in a first-grade Spice Girls clique

Weird Al Yankovic's Smells Like Nirvana:

Wanting to fit in with my grunge loving friends, I picked this up without realizing it was not a Nirvana album. The upside, this kicked off my love for the satirical-music-comedy genre!

Beastie Boys' Hello Nasty:

because I'm intercontinental and I eat french toast

Prince's Purple Rain:

Bought on cassette. I was in 5th grade and too young to really understand what "Darling Nikki" was talking about, but I knew it was something that I probably shouldn't be listening to. I thought Prince's motorcycle on the cover was boss.

Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory (two answers):

Youth and angst in the age of nu metal... I am so sorry.

Uhhh don't really need to explain that one. I guess I went through a "punk" phase in middle school.

Michael Jackson's Thriller:

We also had the Michael Jackon's Thriller View-Master reel which was like some super-duper in the future ish for me because I was like 4 years old. Side story, that same year my mom made me a sequined glove and bought me a MJ jacket. I totally took over my pre-K talent show with that outfit and danced with all the moves I learned from my older brothers. People still bring that day up at Thxgiving. Moms were standing up and clapping and cheering me on. It was like 80s DC so it was a pretty soulful crowd. Anyway...memories.

What was your first CD purchase? Let us know in the comments. And go ahead, make fun of us, it's fine.