There are a few albums vying for the title of “first CD ever released,” and how you phrase the question makes a difference.
When did CDs come out? October 1st, 2022 marks the 40th anniversary of the release of the first albums on compact disc (CD). So… which was the first? Let’s dive deeper as the vinyl and CD revival continues to grow in music sales.
Billy Joel’s 52nd Street, featuring classics like “Big Shot” and “My Life,” tends to get listed as the first CD to be released commercially, but that’s not entirely accurate, as it was one of 50 albums released in Japan on October 1, 1982. 52nd Street just happened to be the first listed in the catalog, so it gets the tag as “first CD ever released.” Discogs published the list of the 50 albums included in the 10/1/82 release date, which are featured here, and they all should share in the glory.
Who pressed the first CD?
But… before these 50 CDs were pressed, ABBA’s The Visitors is credited as being the first album to be manufactured on CD for sale. It also boasts being one of the first records recorded and mixed digitally. The official release date for the album was November 30, 1981, but it wasn’t released on CD until March of 1983.
And even that pressing was preceded by the first-ever test pressing of an album, Eine Alpensinfonie, a tone poem for large orchestra written by German composer Richard Strauss. According to Famous Daily, that pressing took place on August 17, 1982, making it the first CD album ever made.
What was the first CD released in the US?
And I’m sure many of you are reading this thinking, wasn’t Born in the U.S.A. the first CD released commercially? Well, yes, if you’re looking for the first CD album released in the US, as Born In The U.S.A. became the first compact disc manufactured in the US for commercial release on September 21, 1984.
While we’re at it, we should note that the first CD to sell a million copies was Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms, released in 1985.
Are CDs making a comeback?
Taylor Swift is currently leading the U.S. CD sales chart with 19 physical variations of her latest release, The Tortured Poets Department. Music fans are still in debate if this is a legitimate strategy since each “new CD” doesn’t bring a lot of value in the form of new songs or features. Nonetheless, dedicated fans are still interested in tangible physical products like vinyl albums, CDs, and cassette tapes to expand their collection.
The first 50 CDs released for commercial sale
Here are the first 50 CDs ever released — in Japan in 1982. We’ve included the original vinyl record/cassette tape release date of the album and a quick note. Do you own any of these? It’s time to pull them out and crank up the hi-fi system and enjoy some quality audio!
Al DiMeola
Electric Rendezvous (1981)
#3 on Billboard Top Jazz Albums in 1982
Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, Paco de Lucía
Friday Night In San Francisco (1981)
Recorded December 5, 1980 at the Warfield Theater in San Francisco, CA
Al DiMeola
Tour de Force Live (1982)
Recorded February 4, 1982 at the Tower Theatre, Philadelphia, PA
Andy Williams
Love Standard (1982)
Not released in the US, only in Japan
Annie
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1982)
Features Albert Finney, Ann Reinking, Martin Charnin, Aileen Quinn, Carol Burnett, Charles Strouse, Bernadette Peters, and more
Art Garfunkel
Scissors Cut (August 1981)
Includes the UK #1, “Bright Eyes,” the theme from the movie Watership Down
Asia
Asia (1982)
The supergroup’s debut, featuring “Heat Of The Moment,” “Only Time Will Tell,” and “Wildest Dreams”
Barbra Streisand
Guilty (1980)
Written and produced by Barry Gibb, this is Barbra Streisand’s biggest selling album
Bertie Higgins
Just Another Day In Paradise (1982)
Features the Top 10 single “Key Largo”
Billy Joel
52nd Street (October 1978)
Billy Joel’s sixth studio album, features “Big Shot” and “My Life”
Billy Joel
Glass Houses (March 1980)
Billy Joel’s seventh studio album, features “You May Be Right,” “Don’t Ask Me Why,” and “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me”
Billy Joel
Songs In The Attic (September 1981)
Billy Joel’s first live album, recorded on the Glass Houses tour
Billy Joel
The Nylon Curtain (September 1982)
Billy Joel’s eighth studio album, features “Allentown” and “Pressure”
Billy Joel
The Stranger (September 1977)
Billy Joel’s fifth studio album, features “Movin’ Out (Anthony’s Song),” “Just the Way You Are,” “Scenes From an Italian Restaurant,” and “Only the Good Die Young”
Bob James
Hands Down (August 1982)
Tenth album from one of the fathers of smooth and contemporary jazz
Bob James & Earl Klugh
One On One (1979)
Smooth jazz master Bob James teams up with Earl Klugh (acoustic guitar) on the first of two duet albums
Boz Scaggs
Hits (November 1980)
Features 10 hits from the former Steve Miller guitarist/vocalist
Boz Scaggs
Middleman (April 1980)
Boz Scaggs’ ninth solo album features “Jojo” and “Breakdown Dead Ahead”
Boz Scaggs
Silk Degrees (February 1976)
Boz Scaggs’ seventh solo album features “Lowdown” and “Lido Shuffle”
Bruce Springsteen
Born To Run (August 1975)
Bruce Springsteen’s third studio album features “Thunder Road,” “Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out,” “Born to Run,” and “Jungleland”
Earth, Wind & Fire
Powerlight (October 1982 — in Japan)
Earth, Wind & Fire’s twelfth studio album features “Fall in Love with Me,” “Spread Your Love,” and “Side by Side”
Earth, Wind & Fire
Gratitude (November 1975)
Earth, Wind & Fire’s first live album went Triple Platinum
ELO
Discovery June (1979)
Electric Light Orchestra’s eighth studio album features “Shine a Little Love,” “Last Train to London,” and “Don’t Bring Me Down”
Herbie Hancock
Directstep (October 1982)
Recorded and released in Japan to be part of this first wave of CD releases
Herbie Hancock
Lite Me Up (1982)
Features “Lite Me Up,” “The Bomb,” and “Getting’ to the Good Part”
Herbie Hancock
The Piano (1980)
Features a suite combining “My Funny Valentine,” “Green Dolphin Street,” and “Someday My Prince Will Come”
Journey
Escape (August 1981)
Journey’s seventh studio album features “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Stone in Love,” “Who’s Crying Now,” and “Open Arms”
Journey
Frontiers (October 1982 — in Japan)
Journey’s eighth studio album features “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart),” “Send Her My Love,” and “Faithfully”
Karla Bonoff
Wild Heart of The Young (March 1982)
Karla Bonoff’s third studio album features a cover of Paul Kelly’s “Personally”
Kenny Loggins
High Adventure (September 1982)
Kenny Loggins’ fourth studio album features “Don’t Fight It,” “Heartlight,” and “Heart to Heart”
Miles Davis
The Man With The Horn (July 1981)
This was Miles Davis’ first album after a six-year retirement
Percy Faith
Latin Hit Sounds (October 1982)
Not released in the US, only in Japan
Percy Faith
Screen Music Special (October 1982)
Not released in the US, only in Japan
Pink Floyd
Wish You Were Here (CD released September 1985, originally released 1975)
Pink Floyd’s ninth studio album features “Shine On You Crazy Diamond,” “Welcome to the Machine,” and “Wish You Were Here”
Quarterflash
Quarterflash (1981)
Quarterflash’s debut album features “Harden My Heart” and “Find Another Fool”
Santana
Shangó (August 1982)
Santana’s thirteenth album features “Hold On” and “Nowhere to Run”
Simon & Garfunkel
Bridge Over Troubled Water (January 1970)
Simon & Garfunkel’s fifth (and final) studio album features “Bridge over Troubled Water,” “Cecilia,” and “The Boxer”
Simon & Garfunkel
Collection (1981)
Features 17 of the duo’s best songs
The Brothers Four
Greenfields (October 1982)
Not released in the US, only in Japan
The Herbie Hancock Trio
The Herbie Hancock Trio (1977)
Not released in the US, only in Japan, features Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams
The VSOP Quintet
Five Stars (December 1979)
Recorded in Tokyo, Japan in 1979
Third World
You’ve Got The Power (1982)
World Party’s ninth album features two tracks written by Stevie Wonder, “Try Jah Love” and “You’re Playing Us Too Close”
Toto
Hydra (October 1979)
Toto’s second studio album features “99”
Toto
IV (April 1982)
Toto’s fourth studio album features “Rosanna” and “Africa”
Toto
Turn Back (January 1981)
Toto’s third studio album features “Gift With a Golden Gun” and “Live For Today”
Weather Report
Night Passage (1980)
Weather Report’s ninth studio album features “Port of Entry” and “Rockin’ in Rhythm”
Weather Report
Procession (October 1982 — Japan)
The group’s 13th studio album features a revised lineup of Victor Bailey, Omar Hakim, Jose Rossy, and Joe Zawinul
Weather Report
Weather Report (May 1971)
Weather Report’s debut features Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Miroslav Vitous, Airto Moreira, and Alphonse Mouzon
Willie Nelson
Always On My Mind (1982)
Willie Nelsons’ 27th studio album features “Always on My Mind,” “Let It Be Me,” and “Last Thing I Needed First Thing This Morning”
Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Marsalis (August 1981)
Wynton Marsalis’ debut (at the age of 19) features “Father Time,” “I’ll Be There When the Time Comes,” and “Sister Cheryl”
Andre Calilhanna is a decent writer, drummer, and vocalist, as well as a terrible pianist and guitarist. He’s also a book editor and blog manager of the Disc Makers and BookBaby blog. Contact him at andre@discmakers.com.
Andre Calilhanna
Andre Calilhanna is a drummer, vocalist, writer, editor, and all around music fan. He's also a golf "enthusiast," pianist-in-progress, and a below-average guitarist (thanks for asking). Contact him at vitamindre@gmail.com.
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