Classic Vinyl Records to Get You Through a Family Gathering

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and for many of us that means getting together with our families. Family gatherings can be the best of times and the worst of times! Will there be drama about the mashed potatoes (Mary mashed them)? Will someone ask us when we’re getting a boyfriend/girlfriend/any friends at all? WILL WE SURVIVE?

Sometimes getting through time with the ones we love is easier with the right music. Fortunately, we’ve put together three records you can keep on tap to set the mood for your next family gathering. Of course, we love our families, and we’re grateful for them. We’re also grateful for these classic vinyl records, in case of emergency.

Record to put on before family arrives: Simon and Garfunkel – Bridge over Troubled Water

After over 50 years, Simon and Garfunkel’s last album together is a gift that keeps on giving. Few songs have the ability to chill us out and comfort us like the title track “Bridge Over Troubled Water”. The piano intro recalls an offertory in a church service, and Art Garfunkel’s smooth voice tells us immediately that when tears are in our eyes, he will dry them all. He’s on our side when times get rough!

As a best selling album that’s over half a century old, it’s sure to be one that older generations remember fondly, and they may feel compelled to burst into song before the casserole even comes out of the oven. By the time “Why Don’t You Write Me” comes on in the B-side, you’ll be in the clear. 

Get your own Bridge over Troubled Water vinyl at Magnolia Record Store

Record to put on while visiting before dinner: Beach Boys – Feel Flows

Listening to the Beach Boys always feels like stepping into a time machine and heading back to a beach party in 1962 – at least that’s what our dad always says. Before a family dinner, putting on a good record can do wonders for keeping the get-together on the rails. 

Feel Flows puts together two Beach Boys classic records that didn’t hit as big as Pet Sounds when they were released in the late 60’s, and features the Beach Boys’ evolving sound as rock and roll changed the musical landscape. Use this record to talk about all the indie bands that the Beach Boys influenced over the following decades (“All I Wanna Do” is often cited as early chillwave), or just let these smooth songs set the tone in the background. “Add Some Music To Your Day'' is the perfect song to put on while setting the table for a delicious dinner.

Get your own Feel Flows vinyl at Magnolia Record Store

Record to put on for dinner: The Highwomen – The Highwomen

We love country supergroup The Highwomen, and your family is bound to as well. Sure, this album isn’t old enough to technically count as a classic, but it's an instant classic to us. What’s not to love? Fantastic songs, tight harmonies, heartwarming lyrics – this album sounds like an instant classic the moment you put it on.

Got an aunt or uncle who keeps wondering aloud “Why can’t Country music sound like it used to?” Put on The Highwomen. Younger cousins who love Brandi Carlile and Maren Morris? Put on The Highwomen. Awkward conversations about family values? HIGHWOMEN.

We’d take The Highwomen intravenously if we could.

Besides, nothing reminds us of the reason we get together quite as perfectly as “Crowded Table”, when they all sing “I want a house with a table, and a place by the fire for everyone.” Amen to that, Highwomen.

Get your own The Highwomen vinyl at Magnolia Record Store

Whether your family get-togethers are smooth sailing or riding the rapids, these original vinyl records may help settle things down and keep the focus on what really matters – spending time with the ones we love while we have the chance.

Need a few more classic vinyl records to keep things together for your next family gathering? Come on over to Magnolia Record Store and have a look around. We’ve got you covered. You may just find the greatest album of all time!