Episode 505
Millennials: hold onto your CDs, they’re vintage now
Sales of CDs are climbing — yep, compact discs are back and Gen Z is making it weirdly cool again. Rolling Stone even says kids are embracing CDs as physical media makes a comeback, and I gotta admit: watching them collect jewel cases like sports cards is peak nostalgia. We spent 15–20 years ripping these to iTunes, donating boxes, and then boom — now they're “retro decor” for kids who don't even own a CD player. I busted my thumb trying to open the plastic, the jewel case cracked, and I smiled anyway — that 12-second shuffle pause really makes you think about life, right? So millennials, hold onto your garage boxes — apparently our retirement plan is just waiting for Gen Z to rediscover the stuff under the car seat.
Takeaways:
- I laughed when I saw Gen Z collecting CDs even though they don't own players yet, classic.
- We joked about ripping, garage-selling, and leaving giant CD binders in cars until the sun welded them together.
- Rolling Stone says sales are climbing, and I get why — artwork, liner notes, and that physical vibe matters more.
- We poked fun at CD changers, anti-skip features, and the glorious 12-second pause between songs for deep reflection.
- Hang on to your old CDs, millennials — they're cheaper than vinyl and might actually be someone's future retirement plan.
Transcript
Haystack and Gen Z has discovered the compact disc.
Speaker A:Millennials everywhere have felt a pain behind their eyes because apparently CDs are cool again.
Speaker A:Sales of CDs are climbing.
Speaker A:Younger people are buying them.
Speaker A:And Rolling Stone says that Gen Z is embracing the compact disc as physical media makes a comeback.
Speaker A:The newest thing in digital music is the oldest thing.
Speaker A:Compact discs are back.
Speaker A:It's all the experience.
Speaker B:It took me forever to get the plastic wrap off, but once I finally did, the jewel case broke.
Speaker B:So cool.
Speaker A:The ultimate listening experience awaits when you load six discs into the CD changer and put it into shuffle mode.
Speaker B:The 12 second wait between songs really lets me reflect on what I just heard.
Speaker A:And if you're on the go, dust off your discman, but make sure you turn on the anti Skip feature.
Speaker A:Skip feature, skip feature, skip feature.
Speaker B:That sounds way cleaner than when a vinyl record skips.
Speaker A:Best of all, there's still a box of CDs in your parents basement that was never brought to goodwill.
Speaker B:That costs a lot less than Spotify.
Speaker A:Take a step back in time with Compaq.
Speaker A:Uh oh, apparently we had an issue with that one.
Speaker A:Uh, I think this is amazing because we spent 15, 20 years getting rid of these things.
Speaker A:Ripping them to itunes, selling them at garage sales, donating them.
Speaker A:Left giant binders of CDs underneath car seats until the sun welded them together.
Speaker A:And now Gen Z comes along and goes, have you seen these neat little silver albums?
Speaker A:Why yes, kiddos, we have, we have.
Speaker A:We've cut our fingers opening the plastic.
Speaker A:We've.
Speaker A:I just love a lot of younger people buying CDs that don't even own CD players.
Speaker A:They're, they're collecting them like dadgum sports cards or something.
Speaker A:So the CD has gone from music technology to wall decor in one generation.
Speaker A:But I do kind of get it.
Speaker A:There's something nice about owning the album, the artwork, the liner notes, the lyrics, the little booklet that you read while you're listening.
Speaker A:And CDs are cheaper than vinyl, so hang on to your old CDs, millennials.
Speaker A:Apparently retirement planning is now just waiting for Gen Z to rediscover the things in your garage.
