Earlier this year I thrifted a Sony 3-in-1 player (CD, radio and cassette). I wanted to introduce my toddler to music in a way that was screen free and didn’t cost $150 (like the Tonie and Yoto players for kids). I wasn’t expecting much other than being able to expose my kid to some classical music and I thought maybe we could have a good time with Christmas songs when that time of year came around.
What I actually discovered is there are many reasons to love a CD player in the year 2026 (and beyond)!
New way to discover new music
Something about a curated “for you” Spotify playlist has never appealed to me. Most of my favorited songs are decades old at this point – music I discovered in my adolescence. I have 400 songs in my “likes” and very few of them are new music. I think it’s because I don’t like the song based discovery approach Spotify and other music apps default to. Jumping from artist to artist, song to song is not my jam. I’ve realized I don’t need or want an algorithm to pick out music for me.
I remember going to FYE at the mall and browsing the aisles and flitting through CD after CD. It was much like being in a book store (which I love). They even had listening stations positioned throughout the store so you could sample any CD. Maybe I’ve been nostalgic for that experience without even realizing it.
These days there’s something about leafing through CDs at thrift stores, garage sales, music stores that is pleasantly tactile. And I love judging albums by their covers, sensing from the visuals what the music might be like.
These days most of the CDs I buy are $2 or less – so taking a risk feels pretty low stakes! And obviously there’s no worry that buying a wild card album is going to mess up my recommendations.
Here are some of my favorite CD’s I’ve picked up
- 1996 Grammy Nominations (a collection of songs that makes me wonder – was America okay in 1996!?)
- Mariah Carey’s Greatest Hits (her catalog is amazing. I now pick up any Mariah Carey CD I come across)
- License to Chill | Jimmy Buffet (my son claps at the end of each song)
- The Shawn Brown Show Musical CD (some of these kids songs like “In the Desert” are way better than they need to be)
Music that isn’t on streaming
I found Adele’s 25 at a local shop and picked it up immediately – it’s one of my favorite albums of all time. As I was listening to it and Sweetest Devotion ended, I prepared for the CD to end but it kept going! There were 3 bonus tracks on the CD that CANNOT BE FOUND ON SPOTIFY.
I’ve since gone through many of my CDs to see if they’re available on streaming and surprising amount aren’t! For some only the remastered version is available, such as Maxwell’s Now. Some are even missing completely, like Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington’s Making of the Great Summit (one of my son’s favorites).
New releases
I think we all know vinyl is having a moment. What I didn’t know is that new releases are also coming out on CDs these days. I just picked up the new Ms. Rachel album. The funny thing about new CDs are they’re cheaper than they were back in the day. When I walked out of FYE in 2002 with my first ever CD purchase (The Eminem Show), it cost $20. Adjusted for inflation that’s $40! Thankfully, most new CDs these days are $15 or less.
Visuals and storytelling
The little booklet that comes with every CD is one of my favorite parts. Sometimes it’s autobiographical of the artist, or gives insights into the making of the album, and provides visuals and aesthetics. It contextualizes the album in a way that you don’t get if you only stream it.
Compact
Obviously nothing is as small as digital music. But one thing CDs have over vinyl in my opinion is the small size of CDs and CD players. It’s in the name! I don’t have a huge house. I have to be judicious with the physical items I bring into our home. Especially now that we have a child! Same goes for CD storage. They stow away so easily.
Support local businesses
Many of our local record stores also sell used CDs for cheap! I traipsed out by the university to visit an indie music store for the first time ever. I almost didn’t go in because the parking lot was so rundown. But once I made it inside it was like walking into one of the vibey hyphened stores I’ve dreamed of opening one day myself. There was a music section with records, CDs and tapes, a bookstore (where I found Shel Silverstein’s first ever collection of poetry), comics and a cafe that whips up every drink you could think of including “Lotus” (a plant based energy drink).
Conclusion
I originally picked up a CD player because I wanted to introduce my son to music without screens. I didn’t want the expense (or musical limitations) of a kid’s music player. I feel like achieved what I set out to achieve. I’ve watched my toddler respond to his favorite albums by clapping for Jimmy Buffet, stomping his feet for Louis Armstrong and singing his heart out with Mariah Carey and Adele.
But more than that I feel like I’ve gotten so much out of our growing CD collection as well. I’ve discovered new music, new local places, and new joys.
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