What was the first ever album released on CD?
 

Try and guess this first without using Google.
What was the first album released on Compact Disc?
I don't mean JUST on CD, it was more than likely on vinyl and CD. I have no idea but I will probably try and look it up later.

I cheated

The compact disc was launched in 1982. The first recording released on CD was Billy Joel's 52nd Street.

It was a piece of Classical music.

I'm expecting that it would be a 1980's band/artist, but thinking about it this might make sense.

This needs to be pure guesses to start with - NO CHEATING!:D

Pure Guess...Elvis, golden hits.

The length of the CD was made to accommodate a particular recording, I think it was Beethovens 9th.

I think Ry Cooder was one of the first to experiment with them, but I'm not sure he would have been the first to release on one.

The first I heard was a Phillips produced classical music CD. In the "High-End" room in the local hi-fi store.

Sgt. Pepper's?

I remember people waiting in line to pay exorbitant sums of money for the first CD players. The mo-mo's who now wait in line to buy X-box & I-Phones must be their offspring.

I'm going to guess Billy Joel's 52nd Street. Thanks Dave! :D

We could open this up too.
Not only try to guess the first CD album released, but what was the first CD you bought? I'm desperately trying to remember what mine would have been...

Hotel California - First album purchased

Foreigner - Agent Provocateur ~'84 or 85, I was 14 and just bought a new Sansui separate component stereo system with CD player and Kenwood speakers with money that I made mowing lawns. The CD Player component cost $210.

Wiki knows all:

"The first CD that was pressed in Hanover was a recording of Herbert von Karajan conducting the Alpine Symphony by Richard Strauss"

see Wiki

The 1st good one is a whole 'nother story.

Ian

WHAT!

Herbert Von Karajan is one of the best conductors there is!
I have the complete Deutsche Grammophon collection of Beethoven's symphonies conducted by HVK on vinyl. There's nothing wrong with Richard Strauss either. I bet everyone has heard "Also sprach Zarathustra" whether they know it or not.

You said it. On vinyl

The 'art' of recording digitally was a learning experience. Many/most early digital recordings helped us sell a lot of turntables back in the day. And of course, the argument still rages . . .

Ian

I had always heard in was Dire Straits' Brothers in arms

The first CD I bought was "the Planets"- Gustov Holst.

i bought it before I even had a player back in the late '80's.

I still have it and listen to it today.


KT

The 1st CDs I remember buying for demo use were Level 42 & Ry's Bob til You Drop. Dire Strait's Money was in use everywhere in 1985.

Ian

For a long time, and possibly still, this was the best selling CD ever made but not the first.

I've been looking through my collection and I think my first CD album may have been Ultravox - 'Vienna'. I certainly don't seem to be able to find or recall anything older in my collection at the moment but we are talking over 20 years ago (wow!). I know my first vinyl album was also Ultravox's 'Rage in Eden' and I don't think I had many LP's before I got my CD player. I also don't have Vienna on vinyl so it might make sense.

Thinking about the first CD released I too had read that it was the Alpine Symphony by Richard Strauss. This suprised me until you think about the first CD players and the ridiculous prices they were sold for. It would make sense that the target audience was the audiophile and NOT your average pop music buyer. In which case the classical music does make sense.

Exactly. The lack of clicks & pops was a key selling feature. "Perfect Sound Forever" was Sony's catch phrase at the time. The 1st player I sold was the Meridian MCD. It was a reworked Phillips. It blew up in Winnipeg. This would have been 1984 or so . . .

Ian

I believe the first CD recorded in all digital "DDD" was "Tricycle" by "Flim and the BB's"...

I think you are right (from memory ...and) I bought that CD just for that reason. (back in the day)

1990. the notting hillbillies .
bought it at colony records in nyc.
didn't yet even have a cd player.