Best Ever Albums

Re: Listening habits

Anonymous — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 20:04:31 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 01/18/2017 01:04

My habits change overtime but for the last few years have remained like this:

I listen usually 2 albums at night after my kids are gone to bed. Sometimes one or sometimes 3 but 2 is a fair average. Usually start with the deepest one/more musically dense genre and then the second often a lighter one.

And then I have my pendrive on the car with 5 or 6 albums from my digitalized collection. On a weekly basis each one of those have 2 or 3 runs through the week. Then at weekend I change them for another 5 or 6 albums for the upcoming week.

Re: Listening habits

Tap — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 15:59:44 GMT

Author: Tap

Posted: 01/17/2017 20:59

measurement of days between listens, higher the line = more frequent listens

Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.

I posted this on RYM but didnt get much response, maybe you all have some thoughts:

I started keeping a spreadsheet in the beginning of 2016 for every time I listen to a full release. I made this chart based on the days between listens for everything I listened to more than 3 times over the course of that year. So like if I listened to something on Monday and then on Wednesday, that second listen got a 2 value.

https://gfycat.com/PitifulUnfortunateCirriped

A dot appears on the date of the 2nd listen, at the very top if I listened to it more than once in a day, and lower if it was longer. And also the dots are smaller if the album listening is more frequent, and they grow as they move further down. And then as the animation progresses, the dots move up and down depending on whether the next listen was sooner or later, and the dots disappear when they weren't listened to again in the year. So what I think of this as showing is a sort of listening experience density, showing when albums get into that period of dense listening (the 0-10 range, imo), how long they stay there, and what happens to them after that. And I know it doesn't seem like anything actually stays in that range long. It is hard to follow with all the dots. But keep in mind that this is compressing a year into 14 seconds. Some of these albums do stay in that dense listening period for around a whole month.

But maybe that's not really that long? Like if someone was more into songs than albums, it doesn't seem unreasonable for dense listening periods for something to span many months, even the majority of the year.

So, do you also have these sorts of dense listening experiences, how long are they? Do you continue to hold on to and maintain relationships with your favorites, like do you keep the dots you truly value from falling below a certain level? How frequently? There's probably other questions, I don't know, I think there's something interesting here but I don't think I see all of it, and maybe I'm wrong entirely about it being interesting at all.

Re: Listening habits

Fischman — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 15:39:01 GMT

Author: Fischman

Posted: 01/17/2017 20:39

I go in phases. Sometimes I listen to nothing but new-to-me music for weeks at a time. Others I settle into old standards, but usually only for days at a time rather than weeks.

Re: Listening habits

CharlieBarley — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 22:03:31 GMT

Author: CharlieBarley

Posted: 10/18/2016 02:03

Since joining this website a few months ago I would say a 1/3 of my album listens are now new ones. I'm expanding my musical horizons man.

Re: Listening habits

EarthBoundRules — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 14:31:03 GMT

Author: EarthBoundRules

Posted: 10/17/2016 18:31

I used to listen to the same music over and over again obsessively, but I've tried to combat this by rating an album and then moving on, unless it's a favourite. So far I've had great success by limiting myself this way. I get to hear more music that I like this way too.

Re: Listening habits

forkboy84 — Wed, 7 Sep 2016 05:54:06 GMT

Author: forkboy84

Posted: 09/07/2016 09:54

I definitely lean heavily towards the familiar. We're talking 80/20 in favour of stuff I already know, even if it's an album I haven't heard in years so it's almost like a new experience to me. Though when I do get in the mood for new music I definitely binge on it & listen to almost nothing but.

Re: Listening habits

RoundTheBend — Tue, 6 Sep 2016 20:41:24 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 09/07/2016 00:41

Tap wrote:

it's google sheets actually https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yMu2WrU_2AGHJk4Pl03OG-eiIUhqgf-ojyz4Hata_H0/edit?u sp=sharing

there's a lot of junk tho, all that really matters is sheet1 and albumlist

I tried to do some stuff with durations but I'm too lazy to jot down all those, but I got em for most of my most listened things. I was also lazy with year of release, I only did decade of release. but I've been playing around with how to look at the data, like here's my first listens by release decade, with a more specific view on this decade:

1950: 0
1960: 9
1970: 35
1980: 16
1990: 11
2000: 37
2010: 219

2010-2015: 47
2016: 172

so I've mostly been focused on exploring albums from this year, but also the 1970s, 2000s, and 2010s in general. but yeah I think it'll be fun to look at this when the year is up

That's rad mate. Thanks!!!

I love me some data.

Re: Listening habits

Tap — Tue, 6 Sep 2016 02:14:12 GMT

Author: Tap

Posted: 09/06/2016 06:14

it's google sheets actually https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1yMu2WrU_2AGHJk4Pl03OG-eiIUhqgf-ojyz4Hata_H0/edit?u sp=sharing

there's a lot of junk tho, all that really matters is sheet1 and albumlist

I tried to do some stuff with durations but I'm too lazy to jot down all those, but I got em for most of my most listened things. I was also lazy with year of release, I only did decade of release. but I've been playing around with how to look at the data, like here's my first listens by release decade, with a more specific view on this decade:

1950: 0
1960: 9
1970: 35
1980: 16
1990: 11
2000: 37
2010: 219

2010-2015: 47
2016: 172

so I've mostly been focused on exploring albums from this year, but also the 1970s, 2000s, and 2010s in general. but yeah I think it'll be fun to look at this when the year is up

Re: Listening habits

RoundTheBend — Tue, 6 Sep 2016 01:45:04 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 09/06/2016 05:45

Tap wrote:

so far this year for me

Total Listens: 1541
Releases Listened This Year: 732
First Listens: 322
Releases Heard Previously: 410
2016 Releases Listened: 170
Pre-2016 First Listens: 152

Only Listened Once: 414
Only Listened Twice: 173
Listened Three Times: 61
Listened Four Times: 27
Listened Five Times: 11
Listened Six Times: 11
Listened Seven Times: 11
Listened Eight Or More Times: 24

This is impressive.

Do you have an excel sheet I can steel the template from? hahaha.

Re: Listening habits

RoundTheBend — Tue, 6 Sep 2016 01:44:15 GMT

Author: RoundTheBend

Posted: 09/06/2016 05:44

New music is like a binge for me. I'll go a year sometimes without honestly listening to a whole album by a new artist. I don't count the accidental Spotify/YouTube/Friend finds of a song or two that were discovered. Usually those haven't been interesting enough to make me want to listen to a whole album, but the songs are a fun new find.

So I guess another way to say that is I'm listening to new songs all the time, but albums... nah, bad albums are too painful to be listening to all the time (sorry, just how I feel). For me albums are for masters of their craft... there are few artists that can craft a masterpiece of an album worth my time. Out of the 8985198798416268498141989 albums out there, there's probably 1000 I'll listen to often enough to say I like it.

I'm not really a new music junkie in the sense that I need new music all the time and am bored with the classics. I'm more into music history/stuff I consider to be the stuff that probably people will care about 100 years from now.

Seems like about every 3 years I do a deep dig on new artists for about 6 months to a year to see if any new artists have created a masterpiece worth holding on to. Otherwise a fad song or two all the time. Then I go back for another year or 3 without doing a deep dig into new artists (outside of spotify/friends/youtube finds that occur naturally).

Re: Listening habits

Tap — Sun, 4 Sep 2016 15:47:58 GMT

Author: Tap

Posted: 09/04/2016 19:47

so far this year for me

Total Listens: 1541
Releases Listened This Year: 732
First Listens: 322
Releases Heard Previously: 410
2016 Releases Listened: 170
Pre-2016 First Listens: 152

Only Listened Once: 414
Only Listened Twice: 173
Listened Three Times: 61
Listened Four Times: 27
Listened Five Times: 11
Listened Six Times: 11
Listened Seven Times: 11
Listened Eight Or More Times: 24

Re: Listening habits

CA Dreamin — Sun, 4 Sep 2016 15:14:09 GMT

Author: CA Dreamin

Posted: 09/04/2016 19:14

souplipton wrote:

I'll have a couple days a month where I'll plow through 5 or 6 new ones, and mark the best for relistening over the next week to determine whether it enters my regular rotation.

That's pretty close to my listening routine. Though except for albums that truly suck, I give everything at least two listens before deciding whether to add it to my collection or not. Then if it keeps growing on me with each re-listen, I'll add it to my shopping list.

Re: Listening habits

souplipton — Sun, 4 Sep 2016 13:17:59 GMT

Author: souplipton

Posted: 09/04/2016 17:17

Most weeks I listen to 95%-98% relistens, but then I'll have a couple days a month where I'll plow through 5 or 6 new ones, and mark the best for relistening over the next week to determine whether it enters my regular rotation.

Re: Listening habits

CA Dreamin — Sun, 4 Sep 2016 04:43:31 GMT

Author: CA Dreamin

Posted: 09/04/2016 08:43

I'd say 95% of my album listens are re-listens. Living in LA means spending a lot of time in traffic, and my CDs get me through it. Work and social life take a toll on my leisure time for hobbies so I don't get as much time as I'd like for first time listens, only about 2 albums per week. One listen is never enough anyway.

Re: Listening habits

AfterHours — Sun, 4 Sep 2016 00:32:08 GMT

Author: AfterHours

Posted: 09/04/2016 04:32

I go in spurts where I'll re-listen to a large section of my top 500 to ensure it still holds up, and make various revisions as necessary. Then I'll listen to several new albums as well, and making necessary additions to my list(s). Occasionally I'll mix the two, but more often than not, I'm largely one or the other.

Re: Listening habits

Lowkey — Mon, 1 Feb 2016 19:20:25 GMT

Author: Lowkey

Posted: 02/02/2016 00:20

75% digital
20 % cds in the car
5% vinyl

Listening habits

Coconut — Mon, 1 Feb 2016 19:10:52 GMT

Author: Coconut

Posted: 02/02/2016 00:10

I listen to about 50% new & 50% from my personal collection. I use my local public library to check out the new stuff or older music I haven't heard before. If I like something I really like I may purchase it for myself. I also have a vinyl collection and do buy records when I find them at a good price and they're in good condition.

Re: Listening habits

Patman360 — Thu, 27 Aug 2015 08:25:00 GMT

Author: Patman360

Posted: 08/27/2015 12:25

I've grown to collect vinyl over the past few years, for a number of reasons I guess, the major one surprisingly being price, maybe's it's just here in Cork but second hand vinyl has actually become easier to come by than second hand CDs (and shops are selling new CDs at the same price as new vinyl which is crazy...), a few years back I exclusively bought CDs, but now I can pick up some decent vinyl with a bit of looking for under a tenner and sometimes as low as a euro or two. I do get the occasional CD though if the price is right.

Re: Listening habits

Anti — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 20:32:03 GMT

Author: Anti

Posted: 08/27/2015 00:32

Spotify usually does the job for me. Good enough quality. I don't really notice the difference in quality once you go beyond 320kbps, even with higher-end headphones. I collect both CD's and vinyl, although I do find it easier to concentrate on the music by burning the CD onto the computer and listening with headphones in than vinyl and speakers, regardless of the quality. Can't figure out why. I normally buy albums on vinyl if it hits my "Greatest" chart, but sometimes beautiful packaging/coloring can be enough of a motive.

Re: Listening habits

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Aug 2015 19:53:09 GMT

Author: Anonymous

Posted: 08/26/2015 23:53

meccalecca wrote:

but inferior not so much

again, to my ears. i don't get the sense of warmth that is so widely rumored to be dramatically apparent with vinyl records, and the mechanical sounds that end up getting reproduced to some small extent, even on high-end systems like the one i use at work, tend to irritate me. i also think the contemporary trend of backwards adapting digitally produced audio files onto an analog format makes for very odd-sounding vinyl records. that's based on an incredibly small sample, though, because work never gets new albums on vinyl, and the friends I have who purchase new vinyl tend to not play the stuff for me in focused listening session settings, but rather social settings where I'm not evaluating the sound quality. there's just a gimmickry to it that i can sense about as intangibly as people who were raised on vinyl seem to sense warmth. to your other point, I can see CDs getting scratched if you use them in the car a lot or aren't careful with handling (and can concede that the physical and aesthetic weight of vinyl makes it where you tend to treat it a bit more nicely than flimsy plastic discs that appear in virtually all areas of life for various disposable reasons), but maintaining a CD collection is as easy as having a small rag and some cleaner that you'll use only when you accidentally smudge something - no need for laborious technique or those expensive vacuum things. again, i think it's all up to personal preference and totally understand the appeal of vinyl (the visual element is definitely somewhere where it unequivocally beats CDs). i just don't really experience the marginal benefits people tend to claim as the reason for investing sometimes as much as three to five times the amount they would for a CD copy. not to mention that the inflated cost of the hardware to play and maintain vinyl (and to maintain that hardware itself) is very unappealing. if i could, i'd keep everything as lossless audio files, honestly, since i don't even care about the glitz and glamour of a physical collection, but it seems more trouble than it's worth to have part of my sound system purchases include new computer parts and adapters, and the labor of re-acquiring everything I like in FLAC or something seems like it would quickly turn me off the idea.