Please don't jump on me...

[VertigoAbyss]

So, I am very new to soundtrack collecting, and I was wondering what albums on CD you guys would recommend. I currently own all the Halo soundtracks, Deus Ex, Myst, Riven, and Echoes of the First Dreamer. I also do not have a ton of money, and so I cannot spend a lot of money on each individual album. I got on here to see what albums you guys were really into, and quickly realized I was in way over my head. Please help me out.

[LuxKiller65]

Buy albums which contain music you like of games you like? What else?

[VertigoAbyss]

I absolutely agree, there are a bunch I am keeping my eye on, I was just wondering what you guys suggest.

[Jedi QuestMaster]

What are your favorite games?

[Ramza]

Based on what you said, so far your interests lie in the Western (US/Europe) market.

Do you have any interest in Japanese soundtracks? Also, are you only interested in collecting CDs, or are you at all interested in the resurgence of vinyl?

[VertigoAbyss]

I do have some interest in Japanese soundtracks, but I just don't really have any clue what is good and what is not super expensive. As cool as vinyl is, I have no way to play vinyl, so vinyl will probably not work for me, just CDs.

[Jazz Paladin]

I mostly have older album's, not a whole lot of newer ones. So bear that in mind, as it does affect my preferences.

Love the original Wild Arms OST
Final Fantasy IV : Celtic Moon
Metal Gear Solid OST
Hard Corps : Uprising
Final Fantasy XV
Guacamelee

[dancey]

Good is entirely subjective. You have to determine that for yourself. Find your favorite games, game companies, composers, genres, or series and figure out what you like, then whether you like it enough to buy a soundtrack to it. A site like this probably isn't the best thing for someone just starting out since it leans heavily towards detail-oriented people and archivist/collector personalities. The rating system is not very good because it's underused and when it's used it tends to just be 4.5/5 stars and very popular albums/series. You are better off perusing YouTube, a streaming service, or finding music through the games you actually play than trying to wade through the data in a database.

This hobby is expensive. If you don't have money to import new soundtracks from Japan or to buy the expensive secondhand out of print CDs, you should stick to Western releases and possibly even consider digital (bandcamp stuff).

Also, if you don't have a lot of money to buy soundtracks you should avoid the "collector" mentality. Buy things you like and value what you have instead of trying to curate a collection and worrying about what you don't have. It will be healthier for you in the long run.

[Aifread]

It doesn't have to be that expensive unless you're insisting on buying new for some reason(?). You can find plenty of good deals on used stuff if you're patient and know where to look.

I never came at this with a collector mentality and just bought what I liked. I have a lot now just by nature of being into it for a long time.

[Jodo Kast]

Originally Posted by VertigoAbyss

So, I am very new to soundtrack collecting, and I was wondering what albums on CD you guys would recommend.

Having been in this hobby since the summer of 1999, I'd recommend the following as starting points. These are not recommendations based on nostalgia or experience with the games, but solely with respect to how good (I think) the music is. These should be easy to sample digitally, though acquiring the actual discs may present difficulties.

Symphony Ys
Symphony Sorcerian
Dracula Battle
Dracula Battle II
Zuntata Live 1997
Street Fighter II Image Album

Those were some of my starting points and everything kind of exploded from those.

[Goldlink]

I think the few best albums to begin with would be the big classic symphonic albums, if you don't want to go into chiptune or pop music (it depends on the kind of music you like) :

Medal of Honor (1999) by Michael Giacchino
The Legend of Zelda 25th Anniversary CD by Koji Kondo (mostly)
Final Fantasy I & II Symphonic Suite by Nobuo Uematsu
Dragon Quest I & II Symphonic Suite by Koichi Sugiyama