Driving Made Me Appreciate the Lost Art of Listening to CDs
Samantha Colleran, May 2020
My Nissan Sentra is one of my favorite things I’ve ever owned. It’s a slightly older used car my parents bought for my brother and I and there’s an actual key you have to use to bring the car to life. Driving is one of the most relaxing things to do, in my opinion, and listening to music makes the experience so much better. The world has shifted to streaming and digital downloads, but there’s something about popping in a CD and listening to an album from top to bottom that not many people realize is pretty amazing.
When I purchased tickets for Louis and Harry’s solo tours, Ticketmaster sent physical CD copies of their albums along with the tickets. I thought “Cool, a CD I’ll probably never have the chance to use!” and didn’t give it a second thought. And then I actually had the physical copies in my hand when I got home for winter break (Harry’s Fine Line) and spring break (Louis’ Walls). Holding the CDs in my hands gave me the same feeling holding a record does; having the physical product is so incomparable to clicking on a screen and having the music play in an instant, it’s sometimes hard to actually put into words what the feeling is.
One of my mom’s friends gave her a bunch of CDs a few years back, so I picked some of my favorites and put them in my car. Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, George Michael’s Faith, ABBA’s Gold, Billy Joel’s Storm Front, Green Day’s Dookie… there’s an album for any and all types of driving moods.
If you don’t have premium accounts on streaming services, chances are you’re listening to ads every few songs, when you aren’t connected to WiFi your playlists don’t work, and there’s random songs thrown into the mix of your playlist that you have to waste skips on. I’m fortunate enough to have a Spotify premium account and I love it so much, but more often than not I find myself reaching into the glove compartment to find a CD to pop into the CD player when I’m driving. There’s something about the loading up of a CD that leaves you waiting in anticipation as the little screen on your car flashes with “T1” while the first track starts.
I’ve always been a person who has to listen to an album top to bottom. Sure, there are the very rare occasions where I will shuffle an album or pick a few songs I’m in the mood for, but 98% of the time I listen to albums without skipping any songs or shuffling the order. Artists generally want to tell stories with their music that you have to listen for in the tracklist order, and I’m one to always value an artist’s message. I love listening to a musician’s work the way they intend for it to be heard; CDs give you the ability to do that. Listening from track one all the way through to the end of the album provides a feeling of familiarity and comfort, it gives you the ability to understand and relate to the artist and their message or story.
CDs are a lost form of musical consumption. Although vinyl has been making a serious comeback, (unfortunately) you can’t play a record in your car. Everything is so fast and readily available nowadays, people often forget to stop and slow down for a few moments. Listening to CDs gives you the ability to slow down and be patient. Waiting for music to load is something that people can find frustrating oftentimes, but for me personally, the anticipation of the loading of a CD makes it worth the wait the second the first note of the music fills my car.
If you have a favorite CD or memory attached to listening to CDs, feel free to comment below!
CDs are extremely underrated and don’t get the love they deserve anymore! Black Sabbath’s self titled album was my first and favorite CD!!!
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I love this so much because it literally made me remember what it felt like to get my hands on a new CD. I remember getting my first CD player, my very first CD – The Immaculate Collection, my first Discman and how I could never go anywhere without it and of course the many, many road trips with a portable CD player until we actually had a CD player in the car. Those were the days!!! I love your writing Sam, can’t wait to read your future pieces!! xoxoxo T
My girls had to get me another copy of U2’s Joshua Tree because I wore out the first one. HATE that my car has no CD player now. Agree…you need to get the story.
Hands down. The Specials. First album, self-titled. I saw them on Feb 4, 1981 at The Whiskey on Sunset Blvd. The Go-Gos opened for them. Joan Jett flirted with me. 🤣 Seriously. Later that year, I was doing my junior year abroad program at the University of Leeds. I stayed with a friend from Coventry and was able to tour The Specials’ hometown. ❤️ I also stayed with a friend from Manchester and went to the famed Hacienda—but that’s another story!
Keep up the fabulous work with your blog, Sam!! And if you decide not to go into the music business end of things, I’m sure you’ll have a career writing for Rolling Stone or NME! xoxo
Queen is the best to listen to in the car!!!!! So many different unique songs to jam out too!!
So many!!!!! Sleepless in Seattle soundtrack for sure. Sounds like an odd choice but when my best friend Ellen Mary and I shared an apartment we would place the cd player in the hallway right between our bedrooms and put it on before we went to sleep. To this day when I hear any of the tracks from it I instantly need a nap! Also I would say Alanis Morisette’s Jagged Little Pill for sure. Totally part of the soundtrack to my early 20’s. I couldn’t comment here without also including Disintegration by The Cure. I need to stop because I could go all day.Thanks for this post , it made me pause and think of positive memories and amazing times!