Records your parents had

We had this stereo

I distinctly remember my mom (born early 1950s) had America's first album, Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Water, and Gordon Lightfoot's Sundown.

My dad had a lot of Boz Scaggs, Cream, David Bromberg, Canned Heat, Peter Green's Fleetwood Mac - mostly blues-rock. My mom didn't really collect albums, but she had a few like Rod McKuen and Peter, Paul, & Mary.

It's very true about that Herb Alpert LP - I used to go thrifting all the time and there was at least one copy in every store.

These posts make me feel ancient. The records I remember my parents had were: Moonglow--Artie Shaw and his Orchestra, Yes, Indeed!--Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra, Dream Along with Me--Perry Como, Mario Lanza Sings Caruso Favorites, Fancy Meeting You Here--Bing Crosby and Rosemary Clooney, My Fair Lady--Broadway cast, in mono, Oklahoma--Broadway cast, This is Nat "King" Cole, Pat Suzuki (self-titled), S'Wonderful--Ray Coniff Singers...and more, but those are the ones I just looked up, trying to remember the album covers. I played those records to death.

This is another one that is in EVERY record store (that has lots of old used records) or in EVERY antique mall/thrift shop.

I assume everyone bought this in the months after JFK's assassination, listened to it a few times and then put it in the attic.....now they're all at those various shops.

My parents had a similar stereo, R1, we called it a hi-fi player. They also had similar taste to R4's parents

They had jazz (Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Count Basie, Thelonious Monk), folk (Peter, Paul, & Mary, Peet Seeger, Bob Dylan, Woodie Guthrie) country, (Marty Robbins, Johnny Cash), comedy (Red Foxx, Lenny Bruce), pop (Perry Como, Henry Mancini, Nat King Cole, Barbra Streisand) and Broadway musicals (South Pacific, Flower Drum Song, Oklahoma, Cabaret etc.), classics (my favorites: Nutcracker and Peter and the Wolf). They were born in the late 1920s, I'm 75.

My older sister sang with the high school jazz band, my dad was a jazz afficionado. My younger sister wrote and sang folk music, her husband still does. You could say we were a musical family but our tastes were all over the place. I love folk and classical and sang classics in a chorus for a while. I also love singing hymns, but I'm not religious. Singing hymns stirs my better nature, as does listening to classical music. I took an American Jazz history in college and love early jazz. My own collection includes the Smithsonian Collection of Classic Jazz. Still use an old school vinyl player.

R4, omg. So similar. Albums I remember:

- 50 Great Moments in Music (a double album classical “greatest hits” roundup that has proved surprisingly educational over time)

- Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Never on Sunday

- Soundtracks: Brigadoon, Camelot, West Side Story, lots more

- surprisingly good Christmas albums by the Boston Pops (Arthur Fiedler conducting) and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir

- Burl Ives. Mitch Miller. Kate Smith. Numerous others that declare “we’re white and we’re square!”

Alan Sherman's "My Son the Folk Singer"; Vaughn Meader's "The First Family" and Tom Lehrer's "That Was the Year That Was".

Our stereo was in the downstairs spare bedroom (where almost no one ever slept, my father used it as an office/den to pay bills, etc.) which I referred to as our Music Room.

We had R7's Herb Alpert, Burl Ives, and Brigadoon as well.

R5 Reminds me of the other Kennedy album people of the era had in their collection ....

Comedian Vaughn Meader's comedy, parody album called "The First Family." - produced the year before the assassination. Per wiki:

[quote] The First Family is a 1962 comedy album featuring comedian and impressionist Vaughn Meader. The album, written and produced by Bob Booker and Earle Doud, was recorded on October 22, 1962, is a good-natured parody of then-President John F. Kennedy, both as Commander-in-Chief and as a member of the prominent Kennedy family. Issued by Cadence Records

[quote] The First Family became the largest and fastest selling record in the history of the record industry, selling at more than one million copies per week for the first six and one-half weeks in distribution and remained at #1 on the Billboard 200 for 12 weeks. By January 1963, sales reached more than seven million copies. Cadence president Archie Bleyer credited the album's success to heavy radio airplay. The album was first played by Stan Z. Burns on WINS radio, a friend of Booker, and it instantly became a hit all over New York City. By the time the sequel album, The First Family Volume Two, was released, The First Family had sold 71⁄2 million copies – unprecedented for any album at the time, especially a comedy album.

[quote] The First Family won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1963, becoming the second and most recent comedy or spoken word album to win the award.

[quote]Ray Coniff Singers

You just triggered a whole bunch of memories. My parents had a whole bunch of Ray Conniff Singers LPs. And they almost always had close-up shots of nondescript pretty ladies on the covers.

My parents were pretty square, so their record collection consisted of Sinatra, Dean Martin, Patti Page, Connie Francis, Perry Como, Engelbert Humperdinck, etc. The only "Beatles" album they had was "101 Strings Play Hits Written by The Beatles."

Lots of 101 Strings albums. I remember this one in particular.

My mom started buying me comedy albums for Christmas (or my birthday, I forget)--one I remember was I Started Out as a Child (Bill Cosby). Another one was Pat Paulsen, and there was an album of funny scenes from All in the Family.

Later on she had a car with an 8-track player and she listened to Billy Joel, Elton John, Anne Murray, Helen Reddy and some other stuff like that.

The records my dad played regularly were The Eagles ("Greatest Hits" and "Hotel California"), Bread ("The Best of Bread"), Elton John ("Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" and "Greatest Hits"), Jim Croce ("Life and Times," "You Don't Mess Around With Jim"), Harry Chapin ("Greatest Stories"), the Beatles Red ("1962-1966") and Blue ("1967-1970") greatest hits albums, classic Dad-Rock.

In fact, I remember placing the Beatles Red and Blue albums next to each other and wondering what the hell had happened to the band members over that time interval.

My dad's 8-track tapes, which he kept in a briefcase in his bedroom closet, were more rock-oriented, reflecting his tastes in college. The 8-tracks were Black Sabbath, Grand Funk, Led Zeppelin, and Alice Cooper, that kind of stuff.

Sinatra, classical, and show tunes

I'm the OP but my parents didn't have many records! We had an old console stereo that us kids used more for the radio. By the time we were 10 years old or so all of us had those little record players in our rooms, on our dressers.

But I remember my parents having a few records. My dad remains the only utterly heterosexual man I know who loved both Streisand and Judy Garland. He had a few Streisand albums, including Butterfly, Lazy Afternoon and Superman (I was a kid in the late 70s). They also had a Dinah Washington album, and a few sort of compilations, including one from the Longines company.

My mom used to buy those "Columbia Special Products" Christmas albums with the various stars on them. Julie Andrews, Johnny Mathis, Maurice Chevalier, Doris Day, Andre Kostelanetz, etc.

My father never bought records. When he listened to music it was the oldies station on the radio, which in those days -- late '60s, early '70s--was mostly music of the '40s. My mom bought all the records.

My dad's father (not Italian) was a big fan of the Italian-American singers--Al Martino, Tony Bennett, Dean Martin, Sinatra. He had all those records.

My granny was 64 when I was born..she died at 93. She had Blondie records, Abba and Bony M...no wonder im gay lol. We had a record player that looked like a suitcase, that opened up. I'd sit on the floor of her bedroom; she'd sit on the bed, and we played those records for years. She was so cool. Unfortunately my mom (her daughter in law) resented our relationship and she was quite nasty to both of us. Years later, when in my 20s, my mom wud give out to me for taking my granny out in my car and basicly caring for her. I see a pattern of gay boys who were particularly close to their grandmother's. She was fabulous.

Although I had a record player, my parents didn't. They had an 8-track tape player!

In addition to [italic]Whipped Cream and Other Delights[/italic], they also had Herb Alpert's [italic]Going Places[/italic], [italic]What Now My Love[/italic], and [italic]S.R.O.[/italic]. (I remember these because of their covers.) They also had a couple albums by Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, because one of the band was a friend of the family.

Other titles I recall are: [italic]Barbra Streisand's Greatest Hits[/italic] (my mom loved Barbra), B.J. Thomas' [italic]Greatest Hits Volume 2[/italic] (I lusted after his chest hair on the cover), [italic]Dionne Warwick's Greatest Motion Picture Hits[/italic], [italic]Blood, Sweat & Tears[/italic], and [italic]Reach Out[/italic] by Burt Bacharach.

I was occasionally allowed to buy an 8-track for myself. The only ones I can remember are Simon & Garfunkel's [italic]Bridge over Troubled Water[/italic], Neil Diamond's [italic]Moods[/italic], and the original concept album of [italic]Jesus Christ Superstar[/italic].

My Mom had two that I remember. Tea For The Tillerman by Cat Stevens.

Hot August Night, Neil Diamond's Live double album recorded at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.

My father had all those Italian-American singers that R18 listed, plus Harry Belafonte. My mother was all about Broadway musical cast albums. I grew up with Mary Martin as Maria von Trapp.

Oh, the memories! My parents had Whipped Cream and Other Delights, too. It's actually a great album! Dad had Canned Heat, 1910 Fruitgum Co., and tons of hillbilly stuff like Hank Snow, Hank Williams (Sr.), and the Carter Family. Mom didn't really have any albums. But when they got their first stereo with an 8-track tape player the only tape they could get was a cover of Jesus Christ Superstar. Dad dismissed it completely, and Mom didn't like it -at first. It grew on her until it became a favorite. It was quickly joined by The Carpenters and Melanie. For some reason they had the Broadway cast album of Oh, Captain! starring Tony Randall. It must have been a gift -I don't think they ever once listened to it. I did (I was a budding Cast Album Queen at a young age).

My mom and dad were two extreme variations of late stage hippies in the early 70’s. My dad loved Marvin Gaye, Santana, everything Motown, and Jimi Hendrix.

My mom on the other hand was the typical flower child of that time and had records of every single folk singer you could imagine- Baez, Peter Paul and Mary, Dillon, some guys called the “Kingston Trio”, etc. I literally thought Joni Mitchell must have been some kind of family on my mom’s side.

Oh- forgot my dad had a total soft spot for Donna Summers. (The guy is from Latin America and likes to shake a tail feather).

They had a lot but I only remember the “let’s get physical”single by Olivia Newton John. I use to play that on a stereo we had in the living room. It had a record player and dual tape players. My sister had a Shirt Tails record player. It was super cute but she rarely let me use it. I think she had a lot of kid records and books on records.

My older sisters had various records by the Stones, Steely Dan and Styx.

My first 45 was Donna Summer, "On The Radio."

Judy at Carnegie Hall, the original South Pacific cast album and many others. But you know which ones I sang along with.

We had two big ones.

Sousa marches covered up the screaming and yelling as my parents beat us children. It always played while we hillbillies made half-assed gestures at cleaning the shit house because we were expecting company.

Herb Alpert played when company arrived. None of the adults believed me when I told them my parents were evil. Not one of them. Fuckheads.

We had a lot of 45s, too, now that I think about it. Bali H'ai/Happy Talk from South Pacific (not the original cast), Louis Armstrong singing Hello, Dolly, Herman's Hermits, I'm Henry the 8th I am, Winchester Cathedral (I forget who sang it), Nat King Cole, Ramblin' Rose. Judy Garland, Zing Went the Strings of My Heart (from the '60s).

My parents had old 78s from their youth.

My aunt had a lot of old 78s, including a lot of albums, and she ended up giving them to me.

“Delicious” by Jim Backus and “friends” from 1959.

I still play it occasionally for the absurdity of it.

All the Broadway shows like South Pacific, Cabaret, Camelot and Funny Girl. Stan Getz and the Bossa Nova records. Bing Crosby only at Christmas with the Andrews Sisters. Herb Alpert and early Streisand.

Original cast recordings!

Cabaret

Camelot

My Fair Lady

My mom also had a number of Christmas LPs. This is still my favorite Christmas album of all time.

We had lots of Broadway, opera. Also popular music. My mother loved Big Band and later Jazz. Loved Tony Bennett. Loved Harry Belafonte. Others.

My father went more for the women, like Piaf, Peggy Lee. He loved Mahalia Jackson. Later Leontyne Price. Others.

Also lots of Coniff, Anita Kerr, Vicky Carr. Holiday albums like Mitch Miller - my grandfather complained "He's a Jew singing Xmas songs!" PhIl Specter Xmas with the Ronettes FWOSTY DA SNOWMAN.

I remember The Three Little Pigs with cues to follow pictures that came with the album and lots of Disney. Hated Alvin & the Chipmunks.

My elder siblinga were born in the late 1940s and early 1950s. Lots of Beach Boys, Beatles, Stones, Motown especially The Supremes. Hendrix, The Doors, The Byrds, CCR, The Kinks, lots of "British Invasion". One of my older sisters played Iron Butterfly every day for months. Then she moved on to "Tubular Bells" too much LSD. Go ask Alice.

My parents like Herb Alpert and had every album by him and his band, The Tijuana Brass

Didja know that the Tijuana Brass was a fabrication? Alpert played all the trumpets. The “band” didn’t participate other than pose for photos, I wonder how (if) they ever played live. This info was shared by Herbie decades ago.

We did not have a phonograph in our home.

I grew up in the 50s and 60s.

The Gen X version: I doubt there's a thrift shop in the world without a copy of Jakob Dylan and the Wallflowers.

I remember 8 track tapes, Elvis, Sonny & Cher, Sinatra, Frankie Valli and The Carpenters. I’m sure there were others.

[Quote] Didja know that the Tijuana Brass was a fabrication? Alpert played all the trumpets. The “band” didn’t participate other than pose for photos, I wonder how (if) they ever played live. This info was shared by Herbie decades ago.

Wow! I had no idea! Similar to the band Boston, which was a fabrication too. One guy created their albums in a basement. He had to bring a band together to go on tour

We had an 8 track tape player in our 1980 Oldsmobile, the last year 8 track tape player were put into cars.

It played all the tapes too fast. Everything sounded like the Chipmunks

My parents had the same albums already mentioned here, plus my mom had some sort of Exotica album that had an erupting volcano on the cover. I remember my elder brother had a 45 of "Love Potion No. 9". My mom had an 8-track of Barbra Streisand's greatest hits which I listened to over and over. Should have been clue #1 for them.

My favorite...

Mother loved all the 1950s and 1960s Broadway musicals; some piano music (she played), including Beethoven and something called "Warsaw Concerto"; Mitch Miller (insert vomit emoji), which she watched every Friday night. Later on, she would listen mainly to the FM Muzak station in NYC.

My father liked Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra, though he didn't buy any records. Even as a teenager, I would buy some for him. He seemed to enjoy taking me record shopping, though. He's who told me about the Beatles, between Christmas and NYE 1963, and then he took me downtown to buy "I Want to Hold Your Hand."

This one.. hidden away behind the giant stereo system. 90% of the jokes went over our very juvenile heads, but the fact that it was forbidden and naughty, made it delicious

Sinatra, Dean Martin, Connie Francis, Nat King Cole.

Another 101 Strings albums my parents had: "101 Strings in a Hawaiian Paradise."

Freddy Fender

Perry Como

Johnny Mathis

Us too r43. The 8 tracks were for the car. A Chevy Impala hardtop. On road trips our mother insisted on playing an 8 track tape of awful novelty songs. THE NAME GAME, with our improvisations, caused so much mayhem that our father destroyed the tape.

My father loved Mitch Miller, and we all exited the living room when it was played. He was a member of the Columbia Record Club, so I don’t have to list the other records here.

My father listened to Enrico Caruso and my mother Johnny Cash. Talk about the odd couple.

My parents had hundreds of 78 rpm big band albums. Those 78 albums were like photo albums - with a dozen paper sleeves to put each record in. They were like books. I grew up listening to all this great Big Band music. My brother and I bought all the latest rock albums from the 60s - Beatles, etc. What an incredible, eclectic music collection we had.

I don't remember what Mom listened to when I was a younger kid but when I was a teenager, more than once I came home from school to her vacuuming or cleaning to Prince.

And one day, when a rock band was on MTV (I am forgetting which one) and my friends were over, she looked at the TV and said "he could park his shoes under MY bed!"

I died of embarrassment then......but yes, my mom was fabulous.

I can top that, R52: I actually toured as a singer with Mitch Miller,

Yep they had that exact album, a lot of Al Hirt too

Getz/Gilberto, Dave Brubeck's “Take Five,” Man of La Mancha, My Fair Lady

R47 I was trying to remember that singer's name. One time after a party my parents had, I saw a couple of her albums in the well of the stereo next to the turntable, where the records were stored. My mother just took them out of my hands and said a couple who came to the party brought them. I asked what they were about and she said something like, just for fun, adult comedy. I said, are they dirty? She shrugged and said, Not really, it's just blue humor. Never saw them again.

[quote] Records your parents had

Tax fraud, charity fraud, tax evasion, or did I not understand the question?