Most Common Charity Shop CDs!

Added: 2026-05-24

[00:00:03][music] Hello, hello, and welcome. So, today's video is about the most common CDs that are seen in UK charity shops. Now, I've had some incredible luck with finding great albums on CD and charity shop over the years. I've largely documented it on this channel and uh many of my viewers, it's been the exact same. You know, people have commented about amazing things they found. But what about those sort of long dormant periods in between the the great finds? You know, what about when we just most of the time when we go into our local towns and go in the Oxfams and the cancer research, you know, this is the stuff which crops up, you know, day in day out, just constantly in there, just stays in there for months as well. No one ever buys it.

[00:00:45]So, I've compiled quite a long list. Uh I think I've been meaning to do this video for a while. So, every time I've been around the charity shops, I'm like, "Oh, yeah, I forgot that one. Yeah, put that write that one down." I haven't put a thing out on my YouTube um for people to comment on. I'm going to start out with three of the most popular ones ever. So, the first one is Robbie Williams esque apology. Um you know, this is not a bad album. It is the best Robbie Williams album, but this one is just seen in every charity shop ever. I think it's almost as if it's like the law for like every charity shop to stock this one. You do see other Robbie Williams albums as well. you basically see any of his late '9s, early 2000s albums, but this one the most. I do actually quite like it. I know all the songs on it um because my mom would play it in the car when I was growing up. Uh there's a good song on there called Me and Mr. Monkey or or Me and My Monkey, which is a really good like character song. The next one is David Gay White Ladder, which isn't a bad album either actually, but um yeah, extremely common.

[00:01:39]Um there's a nice song on there called Babylon. Uh the next one, Daido, No Angel. uh so common. I remember when I used to collect CDs way back when I was about 10 years old. This is going back like 15 years. Even then I would see D No Angel constantly. Um you know that and also her second album, Life for Rent. Those two um you just see all the time. Uh the next one I've chosen is the Lighthouse Family. Basically any of these two albums. Um see them all the time. Not an awful group, The Lighthouse Family. Um, I quite like High. High is a nice tune from them and also Ocean Drive, but don't know if [snorts] I'd really listen to much else. Certainly wouldn't buy them on physical media. Uh, next up, uh, Take That. Um, it's always the Evolution album by Take That. I don't know what it was called. Either that or the album that I think was called Circus where they're doing the Type Rope. Um, yeah, you see that one everywhere. Uh, next up, Permission to Land by the Darkness. Uh, this was a huge album in the UK when it came out.

[00:02:41]Must have sold about a million copies or so. it was everywhere, you know, big singles. Um, even though they were kind of a bit of a novelty throwback act, they were still absolutely massive. And also, Hopes and Fears by Keen. Um, when I first started collecting CDs back in 2023 when I first got back into it. Um, I would go from shop to shop in every town and every town would have at least three copies of this. Um, it's not a bad album. I've got it on vinyl. Um, next up I've got Norah Jones, specifically her first album, which I think was called Come Away With Me. I see it everywhere.

[00:03:14]Someone once recommended the album to me, saying it had great production, and I listened to it and I wasn't really sure what they were on about. [snorts] Uh, next up we have Play by Moby.

[00:03:22]Another enormous album, so no surprises there. Um, I have more of an appreciation for this album than a lot of people do, I think, because it's one of the first albums I ever heard. You know, I just grew up listening to it over and over again. And also you see um his other album 18 quite a bit as well.

[00:03:38]Must have sold a fair few million as well. Um next up I've got Enya, but not any specific album. It's always uh just any Enya album between sort of um Watermark and whatever you know 2000's album she did. Also um uh Shepherd Moon you see a lot the Kelts and uh yeah just all of the 2000's albums. Uh next I've got Blue All Rise. always. It's always All Rise by Blue, who were a a boy band, I guess, from the ' 90s. And you used to always see Five as well, although I haven't seen Five for a while, but yeah, always remember seeing Five. Um, so next up, I've got Madonna with Ray of Light.

[00:04:15]Now, I'm really pleased about this one because this is one of my favorite albums ever made. I think the combination of Madonna and William Orbit coming together is uh just a legendary combination and it makes for one of my favorite albums ever recorded. You do also, of course, see things like the Immaculate Collection. I think that's the her highest selling CD. Uh, and you know, things like that, Bedtime Stories.

[00:04:36]But one that I've been seeing over and over again recently is bloody Something to Remember, which is a compilation she did in the '9s, um, to sort of regain her her mass um, appeal because she had kind of fallen off the radar a little bit with her provocative sexual um, erotica period. Um, I think she was just trying to get a lot of fans back with that really by doing some softer, more um, commercial material. So, um, the next few are all things that are related to Simon Cow. No surprises here. I think Simon Cow was responsible for like 20% of all, um, dormant leftover charity shop CDs. And I think Simon Cow pretty much is the enemy of all music, more or less. There's a a brilliant video that someone made which I'll link below which goes into the details about why Simon Cow is just so awful on so many levels.

[00:05:26]You know, not only completely talentless but also talentless at spotting talent and also completely narcissistic. But we've got um Will Young who was on Pop Idol in the early 2000s. You always see Will Young Friday's Child is an album that pops up a lot and also a couple of other albums that he's done. You always see Ollie Ms who I believe was an X Factor winner. You see Ill DVO all the time. Uh I don't know anybody that likes Il DVO, but they are in there constantly. They were like a boy a classical crossover boy group that Simon Cow put together in the early 2000s. The only time I've ever heard Ilvo referred to is is in that random episode of Doctor Who.

[00:06:03]>> Nice music.

[00:06:05]>> Illo.

[00:06:06]>> And of course the obligatory Susan Bole.

[00:06:09]Always got to have a bit of Susan Bole.

[00:06:11]whatever charity shop you're in, whether it's, you know, whether it's a small hospice charity or an Oxfam, she's always there. Next up, we've got um Waking Up the Neighbors by um Brian Adams. You would have thought that you would see his album Reckless in there because that's the album that really has all of the massive hits, you know, run to you and stuff like that, but uh Always Waking Up the Neighbors, it must have just been an absolutely enormous seller on CD. Came out in about 1992. Uh next up, we have Tracy Chapman, which is no bad thing, you know, fast car and all that. nice debut album. Uh, Fine Young Cannibals. I once bought this CD when I was uh, a lot younger and uh, it said Cannibals on the on the CD and I thought, "Oh, it must be some sort of death metal." And then I put it in my CD player and it's, you know, she drives me crazy and I was very disappointed. Next up, we have Natalie and Bruia. Um, I believe her debut album, the one that's got I'm all out of faith, this is how I feel on it. Um, I think, yeah, that that's the one that you just see all the time. Probably some of her other stuff as well. Now, the next two are quite interesting because uh they're ones that I've really observed uh recently, and these are both um popular artists, but I never see any of their other albums apart from these two. So, they must have been exceptional sellers. Um Peter Gabriel with us and Prince, Diamonds, and Pearls. Now, um yeah, with Peter Gabriel, you would have thought that you would see so a bit more often because that had like Sledgehammer on it and other big hits like that. Um but it's always us for some reason. and it must have just been his biggest selling on CD and certainly the case with Prince Diamonds and Pearls. That was the um bestselling Prince album in the UK. Came out in about 1991. So far more of a CD seller than a vinyl seller. So that makes sense. But yeah, I've just noticed that those two albums I've seen a lot lately. And I'm a big I'm a big collector of Peter Gabriel and Prince.

[00:07:56]Uh the next one, I don't even know what this is, but Aqualong. I see this in I see this every single time I go out to the charity shops and I always bloody trick myself thinking that I found a copy of Aqualong by Jeff Rot. That would be an absolute blast. But no, it's just this random album called Aqualong. I see it everywhere. Next up, we have James Blunt, Back to Bedum. Yeah, beautiful.

[00:08:17]That's what I tell myself in the mirror every morning. We've also got James Morrison with Undiscovered. Well, James, you definitely are discovered because you're in every charity shop ever. Um, next up we have Elephant by the White Stripes, which is no bad thing. One of my favorite albums. Uh, classic album from the early 2000s. Very, very common in charity shops. And also, um, other White Stripes albums sort of around that time period. So, Get Me Behind Me, Satan, um, Icky Thump, The White Blood Cells. These they do crop up, but mostly Elephant. Next up, we have Selene Dion.

[00:08:49]Never been a fan. I remember my nan liking her. Uh, next up we have The Feeling with their debut album. I think was called 12 Stops and Then Home. Um that actually did have some really nice hits on it that album. Um but yeah, very common. Uh What's the Story? Morning Glory by Oasis. No surprise there. One of the biggest selling albums of all time, probably particularly in the UK.

[00:09:11]Um I don't see it quite as much, but I used to see it one hell of a lot more over the, you know, over the last few years. Next up, Michael Boué. Yawn.

[00:09:20]Always the Christmas one. Always bloody Christmas with Michael Boué. who who who's listening to this? Uh, and also Rod Stewart, but always not that I really like any Rod Stewart, but it's always the newer Rod Stewart albums from like bloody 2008. You know, they're all the same, you know, tenner penny.

[00:09:37]There's someone pulling into their drive up there. Um, next up we have Robson and Jerome. I don't know about you, but I much prefer Jerome when he was in Black Mirror.

[00:09:46]>> Blurred fist dick burping [ __ ] spunk everywhere. The Bodyguard soundtrack, one of the biggest selling albums of all time, so no surprise there. Uh, Jenoquay, always the first free Jenoquay albums because they all kind of look the same with the silhouette of the person with the um the the Viking thing going on, but yeah, see those constantly.

[00:10:06]Jenquay, uh, Alfie Bo, don't even know who the Gizer is, but see him everywhere. Pavarotti, no thanks. And Andre Ryu, see him everywhere. Can't I can't shake him off. It's like he follows me around. Bloody Andrew Andre Ryu. Same as Andrew Lloyd Weber.

[00:10:25]Next up, actually quite a good one.

[00:10:27]Urban Hymns by The Verve. Classic album.

[00:10:29]Had like four really amazing singles on it. Um and also another Brit pop classic. Different class by I was going to say Different Class by Blur.

[00:10:38]Different class by Pulp. You do occasionally see a few other pulp albums. His and hers. Um this is hardcore, but mostly Different Class.

[00:10:46]Um, and then of course part life, but not as much as you used to. Um, you used to see Part Life all the time, but I think presumably now cuz Damon Allar and Blur is very, very trendy, bendy, and acclaimed and all that that pe the second one goes out in the charity shop, people buy it up. And yeah, other blur albums from the ' 90s used to appear all the time. And now they do, but not quite so much. Um, so now the next one's kind of interesting because I've got now that's what I call music, but specifically specifically now 32 through to now 70 cuz I think that was probably the most um dominant period for now albums being on CD and sales of now albums generally. Um, yeah, you rarely see any now albums before 32 because some of the really early nows like now, you know, now 20 or whatever when they first started coming out on CD came in those fat box editions. Um but yeah, 32 to 70. You rarely see them after 70. Maybe a couple, but yeah. Uh I think now 48 is a very popular one. Uh so the next few I've all um I've I've sort of bundled them in together. We have Queen's greatest hits, Legend by Bob Marley, One by The Beatles. That one in particular you see a lot. And Abba Gold. Um these are greatest hits of the most popular bands ever really, aren't they? Chadas and Pliers. I didn't even know these guys were uh a few years ago and uh I bought one of their albums naively thinking it was a hip-hop record from the early 90s. Uh I was very wrong.

[00:12:15]I was very disappointed and it ruined my day. Cliff Richard, just anything by Cliff Richard. Uh the Rat Pack. Yeah, I'll pass. KT Tontol. Uh she did now in like 2008. See it everywhere. Uh The Man Who by Travis.

[00:12:32]Now, was this the album that had sing on it or was that the next album? Uh, I think this is the album that did have Why Does It Always Rain on Me? Probably cuz I lied when I was 17. Um, By the Way by the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Now, um, this is kind of interesting because you don't tend to see Californiaation or Blood Sugar Sex Magic quite as often, but it's always By the Way for some reason. Um, next up we have We Can't Dance by Genesis. Absolutely extortionate seller on CD in 1991. Might be their biggest selling album. Uh but yeah, surprisingly you don't tend to see um um Invisible Touch uh anywhere near as much. It's always We Can't Dance, the one with the Father and Son on the cover. And also that live album they did around the same time. Um The Way We Walk or whatever it was called. I don't really care to be honest. I think I'm far past Genesis by 1991. Uh Duffy, she made one album and then disappeared off the scene forever. Um, but you see her debut quite a lot and CD singles and stuff from her as well. Avaline, let's go is one that I see a lot and Alanis Moriceet, Jagged Little Pill. Um, yeah, always seen that one. Also similar to that, we have Garbage and Garbage 2.0.

[00:13:44]Um, yeah, never really been a fan, but they are very popular. Uh, Paulo Natini, probably his first two albums, I'd say.

[00:13:53]the beautiful south with blue is the color. You see that one bloody everywhere. Um and also carry on up the charts as well. Um those two as like a duo. Uh and also right basically anything uh next up basically anything by the black IPs between the early 2000s and the early 2010s and you know the albums that I'm on about. Uh Johnny Cash the American albums. Uh you see a lot. I have been collecting these. I've still got quite a few to I think they produced about six alto together, but yeah, though they turn up a lot. Uh, American Idiot by Green Day turns up quite a lot still. Not Dookie, surprisingly.

[00:14:30]Surprisingly, I don't even own Dookie.

[00:14:32]I've owned it in the past, but over the last three years I've been collecting CDs, I've never found it in good condition. [snorts] Uh, Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds, incredibly popular album.

[00:14:41]Uh, surprised they haven't yet mentioned Coldplay, but specifically the first three Coldplay albums turn up the most.

[00:14:47]Maybe the first two, even more than that even. Uh, and occasionally you see um, Viva Levida or Xylo Myato, whatever that album was called, Ghost Stories, maybe occasionally. Um, Black Grape, you I've always seen Black Grape a lot in charity shops, but never the Happy Mondays, funny enough. I'd really like to get the classic Happy Mondays album that's got the Sweetie Rappers on it. Um, Stereoponics. Uh, yeah, any of the first four Stereophonics albums turn up constantly. uh the Fuji's. Um the score by the Fuji's and also The Miseducation of Lauren Hill. Very, very popular. Uh next up, I'm going to go with the obligatory blank CDR that's always there. There's always I don't know if it's like the old ladies in the charity shop. They just don't know what they're doing and they just put up these used uh blank CDs.

[00:15:36]Uh next up, I've got Adele. any of the four Adele records specifically the first two the most I'd say 21 being one of the biggest selling albums of all time uh Elton John you see a lot all the time but specifically this compilation uh this one seems to turn up all the time and also another one called love songs uh you know 1988 to 2001 or whatever it was now um here's a couple that used to turn up constantly but I haven't seen for a while massive attack and more chamber um these two and Porter said as well actually used to turn up constantly, but I haven't seen them for a while. No surprises. Bloody Ed Sheeran, of course, he turns up all the time with his cringy white rapping. Um, then you've got the Scissor Sisters debut album. No surprise there. Probably sold about a million copies in the UK. Um, Grace by Jeff Buckley. Uh, Ndubs, basically anything by them. I've never even listened to a note of their music and I don't intend to. Uh you used to see Demon Days by the Gorillas a lot, but I've I've noticed a diminishing of that um quite a lot lately. Uh and also um Life in Cartoon Motion by Mika. So that's everything I've got on the list. So um I'm sure I missed out a few a few here. So uh definitely let me know. But I'm fairly confident that I have covered the bulk of the main stuff that everybody sees all the time. So uh yeah, thank you very much for watching and I shall catch you very very soon. Bye-bye.