It's been a long time since I bought so few albums. Nothing to do with perceptions of quality of music and everything to do with straitened financial circumstances. I was first warned of impending redundancy in April and my habits changed drastically. I bought the new Aimee Mann at some point, but through finishing work in mid August and starting in a new job in November I didn't buy anything else. I got the new Ryan Adams on my way back from being interviewed after being offered work. I think in the 21 years since I met my wife this must be the first time she's bought more than me.

The second Fratelli's album ( which wasn't a patch on their debut ) and Dylan's 'The Times They Are A Changing' ( because I'd lost my other copy ). As soon as I get a Christmas HMV token I shall go out and buy the Fireman CD though.

I have bought 11 CDs this year. 6 of those were presents for others.

I have downloaded a further 7 albums from iTunes, and many many individual tracks; also 1 from the Word download store. There are 39 other albums that have come into my possession this year, through presents and CDs made for me by friends. Oh my God. I am killing music.

I know there are some stores left, but my figure would surely be higher if there were the same number as last year.

So, 2008 looks like this:
CDs bought - 19 (that's more than I thought, and I'm hoping to round it up to 20 by getting the Bon Iver album before Christmas)
Albums downloaded - 1 (the free Bloc Party one)

Add the two albums I was given to write articles on makes 22

I've bought the odd album from iTunes when they had bargains - the Blind Blake collection I was listening to at lunch time for example. Also the Complete Jack Johnson sessions. But I took a decision months ago not to buy anything else as I realised I wasn't listening to new stuff any more than old stuff, and there was loads of old stuff I hadn't fully explored. So I stopped buying. Also I get loads of new stuff from Word and the odd other mag I buy. I've, ahem, acquired the odd thing and have done a lot of vinyl to digital transfer too. So I've had a good year's listening but not much new. I think the last thing I bought was the Fleet Foxes mini album thing.... a totally unnecessary purchase if you have "Mykanos" free from Word. See what I mean?

I daren't even wonder. I "Amazon" like you but less often, getting between 6 and 10 at a time, perhaps 4x this year, I go to HMV, which is increasingly barren, walking out with between 2 and 10 cheapies from the specialist regions of the shop, maybe once every couple of months (I used to have an HMV credit card, but it got too silly) I visit Lichfields finest charity shops from time to time, I go to the record library, purely for research of course (you can get 10 at a time, £1 for 3 weeks each), e music grace me 40 tracks a month and I look at whats new on i-tunes weekly, downloading individual odds and sods, usually cover versions appearing on LPs I would not otherwise venture into. Apart from that, I only buy the odd disc on the spur of the moment, seeking out new arcades of temptation like "Henrys" in Burton on Trent. None of this is big or clever, it's a feckin' full-blown obsession. No wonder my grand daughter has no shoes........

OK, I'm a luddite. I know we've had this discussion before, but I like something physical in my hand for my hard earned.

Apart from charity shop buys, I'm at around 40 for this year. A lot of that was replacing vinyl(Dire Straits, Boston, Neil Young etc.)and others simply because Zavvi was almost giving the stuff away in their sale(Rory Gallagher, Lemonheads and lots of old blues players).

As for brand new stuff, this year I've bought the latest from Ray Lamontagne, Randy Newman, Ry Cooder, John Hiatt, Felice Brothers, Agnostic Gospel Mountain Choir and Loudon Wainwright III. The Felice Brothers and The Agnostic Mountain Choir I'd never heard of before, so kudos to Word magazine free cds!

Christmas wishlist(the family have been shown how)includes the new Lucinda Williams, the latest Neil Young and an old Randy Newman.

..I'm sad to say, though I have become strangely obsessed with downloading Pink Floyd ROIOs and not listening to them.

and 2 were gifts, the other 3 were from ebay. Also 2 music dvds which were also gifts. Lowest number of purchases for over 30 years.

I tend to go for new stuff mostly. I've bought 139 albums (usually downloads through emusic, 7digital or boomkat - itunes avoided at all cost). 15 of those were physical cds only because I couldn't find them as decent downloads (Woodpigeon, July Skies, James Yorkston, Avrocar etc.) and these were usually sourced direct from the artist or a Rough Trade shop where I feel complelled to buy something almost as an act of charity!

Could this possibly be something to do with why HMV and Zavvi are having such a hard time selling CDs...

mostly cds although i am on month 3 of e music sub as well and download the odd track from i tunes. quite a few that i would not have tried after being on the word cd, a good example being the Roots Manuva cd.

I now think I have bought too many - I wont voice it out loud though in case the wife gets to hear.
I console myself with the argument that considering I quit smoking over 4 years ago my increase in spending on cd's still doesn't reach what i was spending on fags.

..to make Steve feel better now! I've bought a good hundred albums this year, all actual physical CD releases, mostly from CD Wow and Amazon but some from shops such as HMV when feeling impatient.