First recorded song you ever remember hearing…

[maxschrek]

 

[tr4252]

According to my mother, it was The Star-Spangled Banner that they used to play at signoff on the 2 or 3 TV stations we had at the time (early 50's). She used to say I hummed (some of) the melody before I could talk. I'm not so sure, myself, but she did tell me Santa was dead, so she had a lot of credibility. I also wonder what I would have been doing up at 11:00 or 12:00 at night at that age.

Tom

 

[JW56789]

I'd heard songs, but never listened to the radio till I was 7 or 8 years old. There was a plastic Zenith radio on my dresser in my room I never turned on.

One day I did.

I heard Spencer Davis' 'Gimme Some Lovin' with Winwood wailing on Hammond, and then I heard Bob Seger's first hit, 'Ramblin' Gamblin' Man', another song with a great groove and another Hammond wailing like a steam calliope, and . . . I . . . was . . . gone. Somebody spoke and I went into a dream . . . . .

That's where it all started. I'm now 66 and remember it like as if it happened this morning.

 

[Dluxe]

 

[jefff100]

from my earliest memories of any recorded music, a 45 record player that I had when I was perhaps 4 or 5 years old...I had no concept of radio at the time...and of the collection of 45's that I had from ... where I dont know, this is the one that stands out in my memory more than any other.

 

[packhowitzer]

My mom had a Chevy Caprice Classic with an 8-track. The only tape that was in the car was a collection of surf songs. The one that really always stood out in my mind:

 

[Bruiser Stone]

Didn't that record come out around 1982?

They were still releasing 8-tracks in the 80's?

I thought by the 80's, anybody who still had an 8-track was an original 60's hippie hanger-on, and defacto 70's technology refusnik.

I'm astounded if they were still manufacturing 8-tracks by the mid-70's, let alone releasing records in that format in the 80's.

Per wikipedia, retailers phased them out in late 82/early 83. She must have snagged one of the last few.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/8-track_tape

 

[Wood and Wire]

Per wikipedia, retailers phased them out in late 82/early 83. She must have snagged one of the last few.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/8-track_tape

Wow!

I'm astonished that 1978 was 8-tracks peak U.S. sales year (after which, sales rapidly dropped off a cliff).

Not only did it come to market a couple of years later than I imagined, but I had no idea Radio Shack was still selling blank cartridges into the early 90's (presumably to hippy hanger-ons, and local / hospital radio stations).

It's no wonder nobody I've ever met in the U.K. has ever had any first hand experience with them, let alone owned one : according to that article they were only fitted in Rolls-Royce, and Bentley cars, and the attempt at getting them into peoples homes failed, and died by 1974 - which is why they were always viewed as a mysterious, and archaic piece of Americana.

 

[Tom Bomb]

This ring any bells?

​

 

[edencab]

This ring any bells?

​

we had this album as a kid

 

[Bruiser Stone]

Wow!

I'm astonished that 1978 was 8-tracks peak U.S. sales year (after which, sales rapidly dropped off a cliff).

Not only did it come to market a couple of years later than I imagined, but I had no idea Radio Shack was still selling blank cartridges into the early 90's (presumably to hippy hanger-ons, and local / hospital radio stations).

It's no wonder nobody I've ever met in the U.K. has ever had any first hand experience with them, let alone owned one : according to that article they were only fitted in Rolls-Royce, and Bentley cars, and the attempt at getting them into peoples homes failed, and died by 1974 - which is why they were always viewed as a mysterious, and archaic piece of Americana.

Her '77 Buick Regal was the only car I personally encountered that had a factory-installed 8 track player. She has always been a huge Cocker fan, and I believe I recall also seeing a Mad Dogs & Englishmen in her stack. There were several others but everything beyond Cocker is too fuzzy a recollection.

 

[pbassjbass]

Pretty sure it was "how much is that doggie in the window". On the radio the first I really remember was "The Marvelous Toy".

 

[ac100X]

This is the first 45 record I ever bought -

 

[ElectroVibe]

Even though my memory starts in the early 70s, Hello Dolly was still very popular and is a profound musical memory as well.

 

[ElectroVibe]

No idea what the 1st song I remember hearing on the radio was, but the first record I ever owned was given to me by my cousin, when my parent's gave ma a Kenner Close 'n Play for Christmas. I had no records to play on it, so she gave me, "Why Because I Love You," by Frankie Avalon. Played it 1000 times. Then she gave me, I Want To Hold Your Hand, B Side, Saw Her Standing There. Played that 2000 times.

The Kenner Close and Play. I remember the commercials.

 

[ElectroVibe]

Proud Mary by CCR and the theme song from the courtship of Eddie's Father.

Proud Mary. Another song that was still very popular in the early 70s.

 

[ElectroVibe]

Sixteen Tons. Include me in the people who remember this one also.

 

[ElectroVibe]

I gotta say Starbuck's "Moonlight Feels Right." I still feel like a little kid when I hear it.

View attachment 4557862

I can definitely relate. I was pretty young when it came out and I loved it. Along with Fleetwood Mac and Paul McCartney.

 

[edencab]

Any song from the Herb Alpert Whipped Cream album...my parents...I'd link a few songs but the album cover on the youtube videos is a bit cheeky

and they had a Black Watch bagpipers album

 

[leegreenman]

Great thread idea!
Not sure, but I think it was a 45 of Tutti Frutti by Little Richard at my grandparents' house. Not sure how young I was, but I'm guessing about 4.
I also had the Grease soundtrack around this time.