Least Collectable Records

[Spearmint Rhino]

My favourite bit so far in Simon Reynolds' (highly-recommended) Retromania is the sub-chapter on Least Collectable Albums. (Usually, flop follow-ups to massive-selling albums, where the label wrongly anticipated massive demand and printed up millions of unsellable copies). Great topic of discussion.

I keep thinking Frankie Goes To Hollywood's Liverpool OUGHT to be one of these, but from my own anecdotal point of view (i.e. what I see in second hand shops, charity shops and car booters), weirdly it isn't.

The other route to being Least Collectable is being a genuinely popular record against which the tide of fashion or public affection has turned drastically, but I reckon that's a slightly different phenomenon.

[Alderman Barnes]

Least Collectable Records

[The Exploding Vole]

Least Collectable Records

"If any album was in dire need of an exclamation mark ..."

[ad hoc]

Least Collectable Records

In the old days (ie when I was young), second hand record shops were always full of Ted Nugent albums.

[Jah Womble]

Least Collectable Records

The second Toploader album. Assuming that they made one.

Actually, the first as well.

[Sits]

Least Collectable Records

Alternatively the celebrity album which sells like hot cakes for about a month and is stocked up accordingly:

[Spearmint Rhino]

Least Collectable Records

Peter Frampton's a dead ringer for Justin Hawkins in that photo, isn't he?

[Bored Of Education]

Least Collectable Records

Man, I didn't realise that Bruce Willis' grin could get any more shit-eating

[Fussbudget]

Least Collectable Records

Spearmint Rhino wrote:

The other route to being Least Collectable is being a genuinely popular record against which the tide of fashion or public affection has turned drastically, but I reckon that's a slightly different phenomenon.

The winner in this category :

[Stumpy Pepys]

Least Collectable Records

No Parlez is the obvious one, but Silk & Steel by Five Star is hot on its heels.

And I've come across an awful lot of copies of To Whom it May Concern by The Pasadenas.

[The Exploding Vole]

Least Collectable Records

Right on, right on.

[Etienne]

Least Collectable Records

In my (considerable!) experience, Blue's All Rise is the most common album in charity shops. Maroon 5's Songs About Jane seems to be the most popular non-teeny act album.

For DVD's the answer is unquestionably Love and Sex, starring Famke Jansen, which is ubiquitous in charity shops, and seems never to sell.

[steveeeeeeeee]

Least Collectable Records

Whenever I look at second-hand record collections that are available to buy, you're pretty much guaranteed to find something from the "Festival of International Hits":



I've actually got number 4 "Great Italian Hits", I really like "Il Mondo" by Jimmy Fontana.

Also, any of the Top of the Pops albums:



I love the ones which aren't actually sung by the real singers. My partner's mother has got loads of those albums.

[Crusoe]

Least Collectable Records

How about albums that people only bought because one song was used in a film, or was a sudden hit?

I'm thinking of here of Pocket Full of Kryptonite (Spin Doctors) or America's Least Wanted (Ugly Kid Joe).

[Stumpy Pepys]

Least Collectable Records

There's also the preponderance of LPs owned by people who have recently died. Which would explain all the James Last, Mantiovani, Bert Kaempfert, Klaus Wunderlich et al.

(Although the easy listening and lounge revival may have nudged up their value in the last few years.)

[historyman]

Least Collectable Records

Crusoe wrote:

How about albums that people only bought because one song was used in a film, or was a sudden hit?

I'm thinking of here of Pocket Full of Kryptonite (Spin Doctors)

Beat me to it. Due to a temporary bout of insanity I bought that CD when it came out and instantly regretted it.

Could I flog it at any second hand shop? No. Anytime I tried to offload it in a pile of CDs the assistant behind the counter would snigger and hand it straight back.

So even a year or two after it came out it must have been viewed as a complete turkey.

[alyxandr]

Least Collectable Records

How about albums that people only bought because one song was used in a film, or was a sudden hit?

[George]

Least Collectable Records



You couldn't give it away.

What about in North America? Endless Herb Alpert and Streisand, and then of course there is the Kiss solo albums.

[willie1foot]

Least Collectable Records

Over in these parts, I'd suggest the 'Comeback King'*



*in the 'was very popular, now you couldn't give it away' category

[moolag]

Least Collectable Records

Surely the Tijuana Brass band?

[George]

Least Collectable Records

Those Top Of The Pops albums are not as common a sight as they once were by all accounts - due to people actually collecting (yes, collecting) them. The same thing as happened to the K-Tel compilations.

[Sam]

Least Collectable Records

stonelephant wrote:

Alternatively the celebrity album which sells like hot cakes for about a month and is stocked up accordingly:

Haha, I've got a 7" single from that Bruce Willis one. I was completely unaware he'd ever done a pop record until a couple of mates and I found it in Plastic Wax in Bristol about three years ago, and pissed ourselves so hard laughing at it that I thought I may as well get it, since it was only a couple of quid.

It's shockingly bad, but you all already knew that.

[WOM]

Least Collectable Records

Crusoe wrote:

How about albums that people only bought because one song was used in a film, or was a sudden hit?

Oh, God. I think I may have won this category hands-down.

You ready?

I bought this:



...because it had the theme song from Friends on it.

[Stumpy Pepys]

Least Collectable Records

I didn't buy this.

[Crusoe]

Least Collectable Records

Worn Old Motorbike wrote:

Crusoe wrote:

How about albums that people only bought because one song was used in a film, or was a sudden hit?

Oh, God. I think I may have won this category hands-down.

You ready?

I bought this:

...because it had the theme song from Friends on it.

I bought the Guru Josh album (the 1990 one).