With the dominance of playlists, what are albums, and why do we still care about them?

[Entre_Perpetuo]

I've been thinking about this for a while. Most people I know generally listen to playlists on Spotify or Apple Music when they want to listen to a series of related songs. They don't usually play albums. But of course when albums look almost identical to playlists on Spotify, what distinction can be made between the two?

 

When Drake released a collection of new songs a couple years and called it a playlist, he sparked a lot of confusion over why his new "album" or "mixtape" was being marketed as a playlist, despite eventually seeing limited physical CD release (I believe). On the other hand, when Kanye West released a new album in 2016, he refused to make a physical release available or even put the mp3 tracks up for sale on iTunes, at first claiming it could only be streamed on Tidal, but eventually uploading it to all the major streaming services. Interestingly, this allowed him to go back and make changes to the album after it was released, updating it with new mixes and new ideas, similar to how one might update songs on a playlist and swamp out worse tracks for better ones. Throughout all of this, and despite never seeing a purchase-able release, that group of songs has still been referred to as an "album" by both artist and consumer.

 

Why did listeners and critics roll their eyes or scratch their heads when Drake attempted to release his new album under the guise of a "playlist," but it was widely accepted when Kanye made what was in many ways a playlist and called it an "album?" If an album demands no physical release, and can even exist without being able to be sold, and can even be edited after its initial release, what then differentiates an album from a playlist? Is it up to the label on Spotify, and if so why does Spotify list Drake's self-proclaimed "playlist" as one of his albums? And maybe most curiously, why does a world of listeners that mostly listens to playlists or single songs rather than albums (and perhaps always has preferred singles and Spotify playlists' distant ancestor, the radio, to albums) still care about the release of new albums or the concept of albums in general? If playlists and Spotify are supposedly rendering the album obsolete, why do even major, boundary pushing artists still choose to release albums? And why would a modern megastar like Drake be unable to sway people away from the idea that new music being released doesn't necessarily come in album form? Why still do other artists trying to break out of the defunct album format decide to release new music in a series of EPs which will constitute the album when put together (and why do we keep the term EP around when only people who know about records even know what EP means)?

 

tl;dr see the title

 

Apologies for those who couldn't care less what Drake or Kanye West do with new music releases, or who they even are. They happen to be the most interesting examples to use here, despite TRF not having much of an audience for either one.

[edhunter]

What's a playlist? What is Spotify? What is Tidal?

[J2112YYZ]

I didn't know that playlists were starting to dominate. Must be a young person thing that I am not hip to.

 

Years ago when I first got an ipod I used to have fun making playlists. Mainly they were fantasy setlists for a lot of bands I liked. I don't listen on my ipod as much now (yes, I still have the same one I got 14 years ago) so my playlist listening has gone down in recent years.

[Nova Carmina]

Rock music is what, 70 years old? Yet even on that timescale we can see things run in cycles -- brief bursts of terror/innovation and long stretches of boredom/stasis. In rock music "albums" weren't really a thing, either, early on -- it took bands like the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, probably The Who's Tommy, to make an "album" an artistic statement as a whole thing. Now it's back to singles or whatever Drake wants to call his assemblies of songs.

 

In some studio right now, there's somebody putting together 12-14 songs the listeners "have to" hear as a whole, then it'll swing back to albums -- or maybe this artist will make a single piece of music 50 minutes long, so it can't be broken up by Spotify, and we'll go back to classical models! (Or Tull's Thick as a Brick . . . )

[RushFanForever]

When listeners cherry-pick their favorite individual songs to a playlist, in a way it's like combining 45 RPM vinyl singles together digitally to hear.

 

The jukebox is the first analog playlist machine.

 

Then there was the Victrola 45 turntable.

 

Then listeners made mix playlist cassettes of songs from the radio, vinyl records, and from other cassettes.

 

On a side note, here's an interesting article to read in relation.

 

Don’t Stream It’s Over: Let’s make physical reissues special again

Edited April 16, 2020 by RushFanForever

[bluefox4000]

We are kinda going backto the age of the single. cause it started that way. full circle almost. I like albums cause they're a nice escape.

 

but cause people's attention span is shrinking. BECAUSE of social media and technology. i think it's only logical the album take a back seat for a while........i do NOT think it's dying. Just not really prominent right now. Cycles remember?

 

Thant's my take.

 

Mick

Edited April 16, 2020 by bluefox4000

[RushFanForever]

We are kinda going backto the age of the single. cause it started that way. full circle almost. I like albums cause they're a nice escape.

 

but cause people's attention span is shrinking. BECAUSE of social media and technology. i think it's only logical the album take a back seat for a while........i do NOT think it's dying. Just not really prominent right now. Cycles remember?

 

Thant's my take.

 

Mick

 

Mick (bluefox4000) speaking of your comments on this thread and your profile photo of Tom Waits, have you seen this below?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeTja7JXK9A

[bluefox4000]

We are kinda going backto the age of the single. cause it started that way. full circle almost. I like albums cause they're a nice escape.

 

but cause people's attention span is shrinking. BECAUSE of social media and technology. i think it's only logical the album take a back seat for a while........i do NOT think it's dying. Just not really prominent right now. Cycles remember?

 

Thant's my take.

 

Mick

 

Mick (bluefox4000) speaking of your comments on this thread and your profile photo of Tom Waits, have you seen this below?

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeTja7JXK9A

 

no but that was awesome!!!!!! i love this man.

 

his speaking voice definitely an inspiration for Heath Ledger's Joker if you ask me. .

 

Mick

[ST3V]

Such a shame.

The fact that one of my teachers even had to ask our class if we knew what an album was is sad, more so than the response one of them gave: "Albums are for old people"

[Entre_Perpetuo]

I didn't know that playlists were starting to dominate. Must be a young person thing that I am not hip to.

 

Years ago when I first got an ipod I used to have fun making playlists. Mainly they were fantasy setlists for a lot of bands I liked. I don't listen on my ipod as much now (yes, I still have the same one I got 14 years ago) so my playlist listening has gone down in recent years.

 

Lucky, my iPod died about a month ago. Had it since like sophomore year of high school.

[The Cat 3]

I think this topic is a good companion to the previous “Do you ever skip songs when listening to an album?” thread.

 

I’ve always been an album in its entirety kind of listener.

 

I seldom listen to the radio and never really have in the past.

 

I’ve likened playlists to the classic mixed tape.

 

In the past I’ve only made mixed tapes for girlfriends.

 

My wife just found all of the mixed tapes I made for her 30 years ago!

 

I made a killer four hour playlist in my iTunes/ iPod a couple of years ago for New Year’s Eve and still use for parties, etc.

 

The only other time I make playlists is when I cheat and look at set lists for concerts I’m going to.

 

As I’ve said, I’ve been a full album listener ever since “borrowing” mum’s “The Early Beatles” album 50 years ago!

 

I’ve been collecting records obsessively ever since.

[blueschica]

I'm just still wedded to the experience of listening to an album and holding the physical cover while you listen; reading the details and enjoying the art work at the same time. I don't mind playlists, especially in the car, but they always seem kind of a sterile experience compared to listening to a physical album. The sound quality of analog compared to mp3 and mp4 files also is a huge difference, analog coming out ahead.

 

I got a new turntable and speakers about a year ago and then had to get (except for a lucky few) the LPs again due to an apt. flood ruining our album collection years ago. It has been so much fun! I told my husband, "Finally, the music sounds like I remember it!" (and my ears aren't even that good!).

 

Don't try this at home with the music up to 10 . . . .

[The Cat 3]

I'm just still wedded to the experience of listening to an album and holding the physical cover while you listen; reading the details and enjoying the art work at the same time. I don't mind playlists, especially in the car, but they always seem kind of a sterile experience compared to listening to a physical album. The sound quality of analog compared to mp3 and mp4 files also is a huge difference, analog coming out ahead.

 

I got a new turntable and speakers about a year ago and then had to get (except for a lucky few) the LPs again due to an apt. flood ruining our album collection years ago. It has been so much fun! I told my husband, "Finally, the music sounds like I remember it!" (and my ears aren't even that good!).

 

Don't try this at home with the music up to 10 . . . .

beautifully said!

 

What kind of turntable did you get?

[tangy]

we care about them because historically that is how great songs were grouped.............

[blueschica]

I'm just still wedded to the experience of listening to an album and holding the physical cover while you listen; reading the details and enjoying the art work at the same time. I don't mind playlists, especially in the car, but they always seem kind of a sterile experience compared to listening to a physical album. The sound quality of analog compared to mp3 and mp4 files also is a huge difference, analog coming out ahead.

 

I got a new turntable and speakers about a year ago and then had to get (except for a lucky few) the LPs again due to an apt. flood ruining our album collection years ago. It has been so much fun! I told my husband, "Finally, the music sounds like I remember it!" (and my ears aren't even that good!).

 

Don't try this at home with the music up to 10 . . . .

beautifully said!

 

What kind of turntable did you get?

 

It is just a very basic Audio Technica AT LP 60, I think it is. I went pretty basic because we still have a really nice vintage Pioneer PL something? (560?) turntable in a box in the basement that I need to dig out and see how to hook up. It was a very good turntable at the time and I would like to see it again.

[custom55]

I have one playlist and it's listened to when I run.

 

Obviously it changes often but here's what the last month's playlist has been.

 

Phish / Big Cypress concert / Sand : 22 mins

 

Spirit / Two Sides of a Rainbow / Mr. Skin : 4 mins

 

Tool / 10,000 Days / The Pot : 6 mins

[treeduck]

I've never used a playlist in my life. It's albums or death! :madra:

[RushFanForever]

I've never used a playlist in my life. It's albums or death! :madra:

 

The polls you and other's post could almost be playlists that members explore via the albums, songs, or music acts listed.

[treeduck]

I've never used a playlist in my life. It's albums or death! :madra:

 

The polls you and other's post could almost be playlists that members explore via the albums, songs, or music acts listed.

Yeah?

[JohnnyBlaze]

I've never used a playlist in my life. It's albums or death! :madra:

 

Me neither.

[Segue Myles]

Who cares about playlists?

 

There will always be need for the album experience. So what if, as has always been the case, some people prefer playlists, or as they were once known, "mixtapes"?

[Entre_Perpetuo]

Who cares about playlists?

 

There will always be need for the album experience. So what if, as has always been the case, some people prefer playlists, or as they were once known, "mixtapes"?

 

Well a lot of people do. From what I can tell, most people my age listen to playlists and individual songs. I also think listening to playlists may be more akin to listening to the radio than mixtapes. But anyway my question isn't whether or not people still care about albums (obviously they do) but why do they?