I don't remember much, but I remember......

My first record was a 45 of Patsy Cline - "I Fall to Pieces". It was 1977. I was 8 and played it on my first stereo, a Garrard suitcase type portable record player with two detachable swing-out speakers.

My first full LP was the soundtrack to "2001: A Space Odyssey" remastered into quadrophonic to replace the my father's two-channel version. It was 1979. My father's rig was a Fisher Quadrophonic system with four HUGE 4-ways and power-o-plenty. It boogied.

It was in Ottawa, Ontario and I bought Buffy Saint marie's first album...it awed me with the mouth-bow instrument that she played...along with her "In Piney Wood Hills" song!

Followed that by Donovan "Catch The Wind"...Eric Burden & The Animals"...and so many more...

At the risk of dating myself, and with the caveat that I came late to the game of purchasing music, I got started with tapes and the first two were Synchronicity by the Police and Van Halen's 1984. Nice. Didn't get a CD player until 1993. Even more vivid, however, were the early mornings driving out to the beach at sunup in the old blue jeep when the only two 8 tracks we had were Pachelbell's Cannon in D and Willie Nelson. Couldn't have been more than 8 or 10 or so, but, when I saw Willie a couple of years ago (having not heard a note from him since) I was shocked to realize that I knew the words to nearly all of the songs. Spooky.

.... and his friends in toytown (specifically Dennis the Dachshund). However since I was about 5 years old, and since this LP was purchased on my behalf perhaps it doesn't count. I've still got it. Not really audiophile stuff, but plenty of good memories. My first real LP was Queen "A Night at the Opera" ... an album I still love. My first CD was Dire Straits "Brothers in Arms" ... an album which I now really hate (sooooo bland).

I can't say I prefer CD or vinyl ... vinyl sounds better to me for some of the older rock recordings (Queen, Led Zep), but I definitely prefer the lower noise of CD for classical, especially choral or chamber music. However there's something about the sight of an LP spinning on a good looking turntable (in my case a Rega) which CD just can't capture. Perhaps I need to buy a top-loading CD player ?

BTW good thread ... life's too short to argue about subjective differences in equipment.

Yes, I remember both (actually three):
First record owned: "Song of the South" soundtrack. I got it from my parents when I was four. Played it at 1:00 am when I was supposed to be sleeping on a plastic protable record player (until I got caught).
First record purchased: Led Zeppelin II, still have it, still love it.
First CD purchased: John Coltrane, eponymous from 1957. Bought it on the way to college in 1987. Glad I don't have that CD player anymore.