Is this the end of the classic album?

[YellowBook]

Whereas in the past when you bought a CD (or LP!) you bought a whole album (duff tracks included), people nowadays are not necessarily downloading or consuming whole albums as they are able to buy album tracks individually from digital/online channels, almost consuming them like singles. It seems people are now cherry-picking the best tracks to download to include on their MP3 playlists.

So, is this the beginning of the end for the classic album? Will consumers continue to buy if they can download the 'best bits' for a fraction of the cost?

I'm probably not alone in thinkng there is going to be a huge shift over the next five years and I'm not confident of the prospects for album sales long-term and therefore if there is little or no commercial benefit in releasing an album, you can be pretty certain that the record companies will not make them. I'm not saying that the album will die out, but I think the whole concept of an album will have to seriously change over the next few years for them to remain commercially viable.

[YellowBook]

interesting radio program - 'The Death of the Album' (BBC Radio 5)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/aod/networks...eath_album

Amongst the debate, some interesting points were that albums will have to improve in quality in future (many artists struggle to fill a whole CD with quality tracks - when was the last time that *you* burnt *all* the tracks from a single album to your MP3 player?) The program also speculates that not all artists will continue to make albums and they will become a niche area for the true artist. Music consumption will become pick and mix.

[Vegas]

I agree entirely.

Record companies certainly aren't going to be spending money on filler (not that they're putting much effort in at the moment anyway) if those songs are not going to realise a direct profit.

The problem lies in MTV, and its focus on the single versus the conceptual whole that an album provides. More and more, we are seeing albums with all four singles in the first couple of songs, and the rest remixed crap or absolute rubbish b-side material. Even bands like RHCP or U2 are tending towards ignoring the logic of the playlist (Stadium Arcadium has its songs in the most bizarre order I've ever seen), since no one seems to care about or even listen to the non-video tracks. What we need is a concerted publicity campaign towards making albums (and by that I mean the physical album, with great cover and insightful booklet and lyrics inside) more important than singles. Whereas TV and Radio are ill-placed to do this, the Internet is perfectly positioned to emphasise the glory of an album and its collective message over the cheap throwaway thrill of the four minute radio-friendly tune.

Nightswimming, Running to Stand Still, Stairway to Heaven, Lucy in the Sky of Diamonds (and 200 other Beatles songs), Telegraph Road, Cast No Shadow, Keep the Faith, Tiny Dancer, Hate this Place, Swallowed in the Sea, Spend Some Time - these are just some of the great album tracks that would never have seen the light of day in the world of the all dominant single.

Vegas

[YellowBook]

As you mentioned, albums are much more than just twelve songs, they used to be a very physical and tangible thing with great art-work on the cover and informative or entertaining sleeve-notes, photos and lyrics. As music has become more digital, we seem to have lost a lot of the packaging, most companies don't seem to make much of an effort any more. I guess the canvas space on a CD isn't as great as a vinyl LP but still they could do a lot better.

A great album used to 'announce' a new band in a much stronger way than a single can ever hope to do. The amount of one-hit wonders that are never seen again after releasing a single, or they release an album with one single and half an hour of utter crap. The singles market plays into the hands of manufactured bands and music that are written to some marketing formula to attract the 8-16 year old audience. I'm not sure how quickly things will change but it currently seems to play into the hands of these big corporations with the huge marketing budgets. Having said all that, there are some modern bands that have adapted very well to this environment but I just hope that the album doesn't die out.

[AfterHours]

So long as there are artists, there will be some significant albums made. It's just a matter of who.

Though I like the artwork and dedication that some of our past artists have put into the physical object that is the album, I am much more concerned with the state and quality of today's music. I haven't heard an actual masterpiece since 2000. That's going on 6 years now! Musically, this is definitely the weakest of all decades (only the 80's challenges).

[Black Dog]

I think the biggest reason we don't have as many classic albums these days is bands feel obligated to fill 60+ minutes of CD space. In the past bands were limited to about 45 minutes per album. This is one reason why such a high percentage of classic albums are from the 70's (pre-CD)

8 to 10 really good songs make for a cohesive, high quality album. Throw in the extra "filler" tracks and you really hurt your chances of coming up with a masterpiece. Very few bands have the ability to come up with 10 good songs per album, so 12-14 songs can lead to an average listening experience.

[Johnny Cage]

I believe personally in today's world you will find more people downloading just the single or any other song they deem a "hit". As for the people who are very much music purists or LP purists, they still will flock for the entire album and hunt for the B-Sides (a hobby of mine)

I think it firmly draws the line though of what kind of music fan you have, the one who enjoys wearing the album out and enjoying all of the art in it, or the comfy loafer who downloads the singles and shakes his groove thing when called upon.
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[acb27]

I think that the classic album is still very much alive. Just this past year, here are five albums I would deem classic:

Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Arcade Fire: The Suburbs
The Dead Weather: Sea of Cowards
Cee Lo Green- The Lady Killer
Vampire Weekend- Contra

[videoheadcleaner]

Interesting that a thread that started 6 years ago got a reboot.

I agree that there is still a division between those digital downloaders that want just one track to cherish and don't even listen to a whole album (and may never have), and those that (like me) still appreciate the ownership of music in a physical form. So some may see the death of the classic album has come and gone but many albums could receive that classic status in time.

It could be hard to define an instant classic because it is a personal thing but some critics and reviewers have recently dubbed instant classics. I read in some mag (Mojo or Uncut) that John Grant's Queen Of Denmark is an instant classic. It is a great album but classic is a tricky status to define.

[GARY]

Unfortunately yes it is.
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