Top Ten Gift Ideas for Music Lovers

Shopping for those special die-hard music fans in your life might sound like one of the easiest things in the world. A lot of times, however, it is far more complicated than just going out and buying them a new CD from an artist they really like. Aside from being almost completely unoriginal, you would have to know what albums they don't have - where's the fun in asking them first? If you're finding yourself more than stumped, here are ten alternative ideas, from the most common to the wonderfully unique.

10. Band Posters

Got a specific band or musician in mind? All Posters is almost sure to have what you're looking for. With over 5,000 items in the music category alone, this site is chock-full of posters and prints of all the most popular musicians (both classic and modern), for a pretty cheap price.

9. Rock Music T-Shirts

Something that a music lover could never get tired of is getting a new t-shirt of their favorite artist. T-Shirt Monkey has one of the widest selections of band shirts, sweaters and hoodies available. If you're looking for something for a baby (one of the best gifts for a parent just might be putting their musical tastes on their child), Tuttibella also has quite the eclectic selection.

8. Rock Band Accessories

Items like patches, jewelry, stickers, etc. are more often welcome than not amongst rock music fans. Hot Topic is well known to be one of the best places around for this kind of thing, but it definitely isn't the only place out there. If you're willing to take your shopping online, Mystic Rock Boutique has an even bigger variety of rock band accessories to choose from.

7. Sheet Music

If the one you're shopping for is also a musician, tracking down some sheet music by his or her favorite artists is a sure shot in giving them an original gift they will be very thankful for. Music stores such as FYE or Sam Goody generally have a small selection of sheet music, but your best bet in finding exactly what you want is on the internet - Sheet Music Plus has a larger selection than anywhere else, for all kinds of different instruments.

6. Encore - The Board Game

This is a unique party game in which you have to know your song lyrics in order to get anywhere. Not for the super shy, as you're expected to sing the lyrics, but a fun family game nonetheless.

5. An Apple iPod

Assuming they don't have one already, this is probably one of the most-wanted (and most-relished) music gifts around. With a few different models available and a plethora of accessories to choose from, you can pick what best suits your price limit.

4. Bose Quiet Comfort 3 Acoustic Noise Cancelling Headphones

Something just about every lover of music needs to have is a good pair of headphones. These ones in particular are about as high-quality as you can get - the main feature is a superior noise-reduction enhancement that one can experience without having to risk going deaf by turning up the volume so loud. Its lightweight build accompanied with its wireless capability also provides enough comfort to use for hours on end.

3. Black Light CD Holder

Light up someone's room with this small CD storage unit that lights up in three different blacklight colors (blue, pinkish-purple, and green). It's small enough to go right on top of their desk, but has enough storage space for their favorite albums!

2. Recycled LP Coasters

Even the most modern and high-tech of music lovers would really enjoy these coasters. Recycled from actual vintage record albums with labels still intact, each set comes with six coasters, mixed at random.

1. iKaraoke

For those that just can't get enough karaoke, this little device uses a line-in cable to hook an iPod up to a stereo and transfers songs without the lead vocals. One also has the option to add reverb effects to enhance performance, or hear the vocals temporarily if a step is missed.

So there you have it, a top-ten list of what I (and many others) consider some of the best gift ideas for music fans of all ages.