Thinking of starting a vinyl collection? Keep it personal and begin with the three albums that mean the most to you.

As streaming was becoming the most popular way to listen to music, vinyl collections were also on the rise.  They were once reserved for our parents, gathering dust in living rooms and attics, but are now getting common among us youths. The records we choose to own on vinyl often reflect the music we want to truly dedicate our time to, making listening to these albums a special event.

I’m not a huge junkie but I have a small but concise vinyl collection that serves me perfectly. Without a huge income to spend on vinyl I believe in buying the records that matter most to you. For anyone looking to start a vinyl collection of their own, these are the three albums I recommend you begin with.

An Album from Your Childhood

What better way to begin your record collection than with an album from your childhood? I’m talking about an album that sums up the formative years of your life and reverses time with every play. It could be the greatest hits of S Club 7 or it could be something more high brow, but an emotive record is always a good investment.

The Verve’s Urban Hymns holds a special place in my heart. As a true 90s child, the opening violins for Bittersweet Symphony always takes me back to being 5 years old. It’s an evocative album for me and there was a Verve shaped gap in my vinyl collection prior to its addition.

An All Time Favourite

Naturally, a favourite band, artist or album should be swiftly making its way into your top three. This might have been covered in an album from your childhood or you might have a favourite you’ve found since growing up. Whichever album it is that makes you tick, secure it a place in your record collection. Stat.

I’ve been a huge fan of the Black Keys since they released Brothers in 2010. Oddly enough, it isn’t this album of theirs that sits in my crate but their debut, The Big Come Up. It’s a lesser known record of theirs as it was released in 2002, but it’s a goody nonetheless. It provided me with a good bit of pride the last time I saw them live as I was near enough the only one singing along to the tracks from it. Always check the back catalogue of any ‘new’ band you discover!

A Current Love Affair

They might not be your favourite musician forever, but right now you love them and that deserves recognition. Throwing a current love into your initial collection marks the point in time you began hoarding vinyl.

A current love of mine is CHVRCHES. I think they’re fantastic, current and completely unique so are getting a great deal of love from me. I held off buying Every Open Eye but as a recent addition it triggered this very blog post. Who knows if I’ll like them in the future but, right now, they’re a historical document attesting to my tastes in my early twenties.

From these humble beginnings your vinyl collection can grow and grow and, when you have ‘collectors block’, these are great staples to return to. Make your collection something personal that you can be proud of!

Image: Edu Grande via Unsplash