Death of the CD

The death of the CD reminds us of all the pesky scratches.

Erin Chesney

Silhouette Staff

Dearly Beloved. We are gathered here today to pay our respects to what used to have a huge impact on our lives. In the past, whether we needed comfort or cheering up, we always knew we could count on our small, yet durable friend. Loyal, enjoyable and oh so beautiful, we are here to say our goodbyes to our old companion, the compact disc.

Before there were MP3s, iTunes and torrents, there was a 120mm, circular piece of plastic that we all knew and loved. I can still remember the thrill of coming home on my birthday finding on my bed my first CD: S Club 7. From that point on, CDs became a huge part of my life. Whether in the car, on a Walkman or just blasting “Reach” in my bedroom, I was hooked on the sound of CDs.

As my love of CDs grew, so did my love of music. If you ever have time, it is incredible to see the progression of musical technology in the past century. We have gone from using Thomas Edison’s Gramophone to 32-bit MP3s. It has truly been a series of amazing inventions.

That said, the music that intrigued me was from years past. So one day, when I was raiding my parents’ CD collection, I was drawn towards a foreign piece of equipment I had never encountered. It was a record player. I began to immerse myself in a whole new type of music quality.

Today, my vinyl collection is one of my prize possessions and there is nothing I enjoy more than basking in the sound of the needle on Abbey Road, a quality that can be compared to no other.

Unfortunately, our generation might be the last to enjoy such luxuries. There have been rumours from major record labels that by the end of 2012, all CD production will end. First it was the dinosaurs, now it’s ye old compact discs.

To some this might make sense; clearly, with the recent phenomenon of easily accessible music on the internet, there seems to no longer be a need for such passé technology. However, I strongly disagree with this stance.

The elimination of hard copy music production, in my opinion, is detrimental to society. Although computers have become a necessity in our society, to me they still feel temporary. For example, a few months ago my computer crashed and all my music was lost along with it. If it were not for my backup hard drive, I would have had to buy all ten thousand of my iTunes songs all over again.

In addition to the insecurity of virtual music, there is also a matter of quality. Like the satisfaction I draw from the sound of a needle on vinyl, I find the music produced from a CD to be of a quality far superior to that of an MP3.

Another difference is that it is very common to download a single song by an artist you enjoy, which there is no shame in doing. However, with CDs and records you are required to buy an entire album. In theory, you sit down and enjoy all the songs the artists intended for you to hear. I believe it is unfair to the artist to exclude certain songs on their albums, as is commonly done when one strays from hard copy music.

But above all, CDs and vinyls represent more than just a medium for music; they represent freedom. There was a time when looking at someone’s music collection was a gateway into their soul. It defined them. We live in a day and age in which, when you go to a record store, there is no discrimination. All music is equally available and you have the freedom to choose whatever you desire. Although the same can be said about iTunes and other online music sources, it just isn’t the same.

I am not trying to say that computers do not have their place in enjoying modern music. I was Napster’s number one fan back in the day and today I seldom close my iTunes. However, I still find extreme value and enjoyment in CDs and vinyls, and will be hitting up HMV until the 2012 ‘end of music day’ arrives.