What favorite records have you overplayed?

[baksheesh]

Originally Posted by Pete C

I have plenty I'll never hear again. At least 1,000 CDs I've never ripped and 32,000 mp3 songs from various sources (I got the count when I did my LaLa upload).

Don't you think that that's a shocking waste Mr. C? It seems as though the only way an album gets on to one's regular playlist in those circs is if one 'gets' it immediately, and how many of us have albums that are now favourites which took a few listens to fully get into?

A system is required sir, I would humbly submit. One to be adhered to conscientiously and with a potentially large pay off. One cannot hear every album in existence, and therefore far better I would argue, to focus on what one has in hand, and winnow through carefully for the 'keepers'.

[Squaredancecalling Steve]

I listen at least twice to any album before shelving it alphabetically. Until then, they stay on my "to listen to" shelves. Currently, I have five three-foot shelves of CDs to listen to.

[Robert de St. Loup]

Originally Posted by Squaredancecalling Steve

I listen at least twice to any album before shelving it alphabetically. Until then, they stay on my "to listen to" shelves. Currently, I have five three-foot shelves of CDs to listen to.

My rule is three times, and I only have about four of those "to listen to" shelves. If we do the math, the conclusion is clear: I'm not buying enough new CDs.

[John L]

So much music and so little time!

There are tradeoffs in deciding how many times to listen to an album before putting it on a back shelf or selling it as something that doesn't really move you.

If I am not initially intrigued by a record, I usually won't play it again unless some event leads me back to it (I hear a strong recommendation, something else of the same artist has surprised me). As Sheesh points out, this means that I end up putting aside a good amount of music that I would probably eventually come to like very much if I gave it more of a chance. However, the alternative would be more "type two errors," i.e. spending more time listening to music that I don't like and never will like. I don't want to spend a good part of my music listening time that way.

Yes, I have thousands of records that I have only listened to once. But what the hell...