Both Fame and The Fame Monster top the most requested CDs at the Seattle Public Library. This won’t come as news to most people, but it’s possibly to check out CDs from the Seattle Public Library system. The whole process is a crapshoot: pretty much everything good at SPL–including books and DVDs–is hard to acquire. You can request whatever you want, but you’ll likely end up on a “hold list,” which is pretty much the same as a waiting list. You’ve got to wait for someone to return the CD before it’s handed out again to the people on the list in front of you. (For example, it took about six months for me to get the original Grey Gardens documentary on DVD.)The SPL keeps a regularly updated list on its website of the 100 most popular books, DVDs, and CDs requested by library members. Right now, the most popular album is Lady Gaga’s Fame Monster, which was released in December 2009. (2008’s The Fame is number four on the list. Seattlites really love Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta). But if you wanted to check out this CD, you’d be No. 524 on the hold list. So, hypothetically speaking, if 523 other people all check out the CD and keep it for 21 days (the maximum amount the library allows), that’s 10,983 days or 30 years until it’s your turn. (I am admittedly bad at math, so tell me I’m wrong here.) Of course, people drop off the list or return things early, so maybe it’s sooner than that. But still, even a year–that’s just 17 people head of you–feels like too long to wait to borrow a CD. Apparently Lady Gaga is just that popular. After the jump, the rest of top ten most requested CDs in SPL, plus their hold times.2. Vampire Weekend, Contra436 holds, or 25 years3. Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D. 413 holds, or 23 years4. Lady Gaga, The Fame373 holds, or 21 years 5. xx, The xx353 holds, or 40 years6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs, It’s Blitz306 holds, or 17 years7. Jones, Norah, The Fall 290 holds, or 16 years8. Jackson, Michael, Thriller289 holds, or 16 years9. (500) days of summer soundtrack272 holds, or 15 years10. Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix265 holds, or 15 years