You have to let it grow on you....

[jhuik]

A lot of great albums do not immediately grab you. Couple of questions...

How many times do you listen to an album (that is supposed to be great) before you give up?

I suspect no one has a static 'process' so what are some examples of odd ways in which you have come to like or love a particular album?
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[Taric]

I have downloaded and deleted In The Aeroplane Over The Sea twice and then downloaded it again. I think on my eight listen or something I began to like it and now it's one of my favourite albums.
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[Puncture Repair]

I'm not sure there's any set number.

I recall listening to In the Aeroplane Over the Sea the first time and thinking it was average at best and left it for a goo few months. The second time I listened to it much more intently and found it really powerful, it kind of went from there. I think that's the only album that my opinion went from bad to good - other albums I'll think are good and the extra listens make it even better, like Hospice or My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

If I don't like an album after 5 listens where I'm really trying to like it then I'll probably not think of it as a grower, but I don't think that means I can't return to it sometime.

[Kiki]

Try one.

Grab life by the horns! I have a great reason for the above answer but then again it can sort of be interpreted as continuous listens. In reality I'm probably giving 10+ listens to albums I don't like.

[Yourselfisntsteam]

I have no set pattern for how many times I listen to an album before formulating an opinion.....some I listen to only twice.....some take 10-20 listens.

I'm always surprised people bring up In an Aeroplane Over the Sea in these threads.......albums like that are so simple and melodic I don't think it should take 2-3 listens to determine whether or not you like them.

I think an album needs many listens to "get" when it is either something very complex, or from a genre the listener is not familiar with. I have been listening to punk music for years, I can figure out whether or not I like a punk album in one or two listens.....metal I just started listening to in the last year....a metal album might need far more listens to properly absorb.

There is no reason to give one album that "is considered great" (by critics or popular consensus) more listens than any other (less loved, more obscure) album.

In general listening to an album more almost always increases the chances of you liking or becoming emotionally connected to it though.

[Wombi]

Many. Many many many.

The majority of my favourite albums I was either indifferent to or borderline despised on first listen. In fact I always worry whenever I enjoy an album immensely straight away because it usually means it won't be a keeper (of course there have been exceptions).

What's also important is the space between listens. Listening to an album you didn't like the first time you heard it straight after you just heard it may only reinforce the opinions you already formed. Quite often giving it a few weeks or months or even a year or two can really help.

The Soft Bulletin, my favourite album of all time, I thought was one of the dullest things I'd ever heard when I first listened to it. I left it for a about a year to a year and a half due to no interest but when I'd returned suddenly it was like I was hearing a different album. Whether that's to do with a maturing taste or whatever, I don't know. Similar thing happened with my second favourite In Ghost Colours.

So basically I don't think there is a rule necessarily but most 'great' albums you need to spend time with and get to know before you can truly make an assessment. I'll say at least 4 listens spread out before you could confidently say you gave an album your best shot. At the very least.


EDIT:
In reference to Yourselfisntsteam's obnoxious comment above - I had a similar experience with ITAOTS as well I didn't like it frst time but then within the next 2 listens the emotion of the album started seeping into me and I understood why the album needed to be simple. The advantage of re-listening to albums has nothing to do with the complexity of an album.

[Yourselfisntsteam]

[Guest]

The brain is a muscle. The more you train it musically, the less listens things take. And Note: I'm not just talking about how often one listens to music.

[19loveless91]

As Jhereko said, it has nothing to do with complexity. More with what you are used of. E.g. if you never listened to hip hop in your life, then you'll have a more difficult time getting into this kind of music.

[bongritsu]

I usually give albums only about 3 listens before i deiced my opinion on it. i don't have time to try forcing myself into liking music im not into
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