Today’s post headline is a question people have been asking one another for decades and decades. And since the era of social media, it’s a question guaranteed to generate lots of comments and opinions. In some ways, it’s a statement about who we are.
Most of us have favorite albums. The challenge is narrowing them down to just one. At least for many of us.
In some ways, it’s not dissimilar from those other tough, self-defining questions:
What’s your favorite movie? TV show? Restaurant?
But the album question may turn out to be much more relevant to Boomers and Xers because younger generations are having a much different experience with music. And the trajectory is unmistakable as music technology continues to evolve. If you’re questioning my logic, ask a 13 year-old that question.
Albums have been going the way of the T-Rex for some time now. And a new global study from Deezer indicates that trend may be accelerating as young consumers gravitate to songs, rather than collections of them from one artist, packaged in the traditional album format
To quantify this trend, Deezer interviewed 8,000 adults – 2,000 each from the U.S., German, France, and Brazil – last month. And they learned that nearly four in ten respondents now opt for playlists over albums, while fewer than one in ten prefers the traditional album.
Of course, albums still matter. The Deezer researchers discovered the average person listens to five albums a month. Some listen to these collections in the order in which they were recorded; others prefer the shuffle feature.
But perhaps the most important measure of the album’s erosion is that a majority (54%) say they’re listening to fewer albums now than they did 5-10 years ago. And as someone who grew up with record albums and still has a turntable, I’m listening to fewer albums, too. Five a month? Hardly.
This trend away from albums likely took flight when iPods became ubiquitous in the early years of this millennium. And playlist services like Spotify turbocharged the trend.
That’s why when you watch this short clip from the 2000 film, “High Fidelity,” featuring music snobs John Cusack, Jack Black, and Todd Luiso, it takes you back to a time and a mindset that has become virtually nonexistent. (By the way, it’s quite NSFW.)
So, what does this album downtrend mean for artists, labels, band managers, and of course, radio?
Does the time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears that’s goes into the writing, performing, production, packaging, and promotion of albums continue to make sense in today’s music economy?
Guns N’ Roses isn’t so sure. And they’re questioning the conventional wisdom they need to put out yet another album. In a story last month by Ashley King in Digital Music News, the title says it all:
“Does the Album Even Matter Anymore? Guns N’ Roses Is Unsure”
She quotes an interview with Slash in Guitar.com where the iconic guitarist questions the wisdom of an album for his iconic band especially given the low royalty rates for 
streaming consumption. The band reportedly has new songs ready to go, and in other years, they would have made its way to the album format. Now, they’re just not sure what to do with them.
Here’s Slash’s money quote:
“There’s a handful of people who said, ‘Yeah, make a record and go old school. And there’s a handful of people are like, ‘We don’t even know what buying a record is anymore.'”
For many of radio’s music formats – from Rock to Country to Hip-Hop – growth and sustainability have often rested on the development of core artists – and most of the truly great ones made their reputations based on their album repertoire.
After all, artists are the foundation of formats historically, largely because they build fan bases, sell concert tickets and merch, and (hopefully) provide radio stations with marketing opportunities and audience experiences.
But in a “singles world,” do albums become a thing of the past, an extravagance that only established artists can afford to produce? And what effect does that have on the branding of artists?
We may already be seeing the diminished effect of bands and solo musicians. Many formats are facing this challenge, including Alternative. That new Pearl Jam single, “Dance of the Clairvoyants” – is an interesting test case. Is it an automatic “add” because of the strong, historic power of the Pear Jam brand or is it because the song is a bona fide hit?
As radio stations have been learning – often the hard way – these past few years, the success of a name brand band’s new project, based largely on past album sales, is no longer a guarantee of future performance. Yes, bands with a legacy and a track record command attention in music meetings. But increasingly, there are strong indicators incumbency might not be as valuable as it once was as music discovery becomes more about songs. And you can point to the decreasing impact of the album format as part of this story.
The album in every form – vinyl, 8-track, cassettes, CDs, mp3 files, streams – has been the backbone of discovering an artist, whether it’s Adele or Aerosmith. In a singles world, the slate is wiped clean. It’s possible for anyone to shoot to the top with a hooky song, only to fade into relative obscurity with the next single.,
Building a format coalition, an audience that develops an affinity for a genre and the bands that make it up, and structuring music architecture around these core artists is part of the radio programmer’s handbook.
But should it be?
Let’s face it – the album has always had structural flaws. We all know the old adage about how so many albums sadly have just one or two hits, peppered with lots of filler tracks. For every “Abbey Road,” Jagged Little Pill,” “Dark Side of the Moon,” or “Appetite For Destruction” that are joys to track all the way through, there are thousands of albums – even those that went gold or platinum – that contain several stiffs.
The iPod ushered in an era of greater choice, flexibility, and convenience. No longer did you have to walk across the room to find another album or a
different track. With the push of a button on a device you hold in your hand, you can skip a track, play a favorite a second (or third) time, or mix and match your own playlists from your personal “greatest hits” collection.
That sea change in the way people enjoy and consume music is noteworthy. And it has an impact on both the music and radio industries. How people listen to music, where they listen, on which devices they listen, and the format in which music is released and assembled matters.
Classic Rock stations are able to nurture a comforting sort of nostalgia for albums when they present vinyl features or even remind listeners where that song came from. There’s mileage in evoking the so-called “good old days.” But for other stations, formats, and PDs, the relevance of the album is clearly fading.
The names of albums may make great fodder for “Jeopardy” answers, but are losing their resonance as the building blocks of our musical pop culture.
In just a few short years, that scene in “High Fidelity” – watching those elitists impress each other with their encyclopedic knowledge of albums, bands, and songs – may sound like a foreign language for future generations.
But don’t let me stop you from using the “comments” section below to answer the question:
So, what’s your favorite album?
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“Pet Sounds” by the Beach Boys is the CD (album) I have taken with me everywhere since the turn of the century. No matter what mood I am in, there is bound to be a song on it to match. I kinda think of it as my audio security blanket, in a way.
Brian Wilson at his very best.
Steely Dan / Aja. I still have the vinyl copy from 1977. I find it fun that in the clip they are talking about The Clash, Velvet Underground, Kansas and so on, but the first album that gets the camera shot is Whipped Cream and Other Delights / Herb Alpert.
I instantly became a Tijuana Brass fan.
In the “good old days,” the main reason to acquire an album was straightforward: You couldn’t really rely on any radio station to play consistently the songs you wanted to hear, so putting on an album gave you control. Today it’s no longer necessary to have the album to exert control over what you hear. I can tell Pandora to play exactly what I like within parameters I have set myself. Even “owning” music is now optional. There are plenty of ways to license the pleasure of hearing what I want to hear. Do I even play one album a month, despite having over 2000 LPs in my collection? Nope.
There’s no THE favorite, simply a collection of them. If I’m going to name one, on the spur of the moment, how about Fred Neil’s eponymous album of 1966 (Capitol), a superlative exposition of a unique voice that goes down like fine bourbon. Your favorite?
It’s a tough call, of course, but Donald Fagen’s “The Nightfly” is probably on top. Several Beatles albums are in the top 10. Thanks, John.
Well I’ll tell you this. In a day and age when no one buys albums any more, I’m enjoying buying for cheap cheap cheap on CD lots of classic recordings that Amazon is dumping.
Miles Davis, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson…. all of their classic albums for Columbia and RCA can be found brand new, with bonus tracks, for less than $4 on Amazon.
My favorite album, though? Probably “Revolver.”
It’s all in the eye of the beholder. Collectors will always appreciate a great find. Thanks, Nathan.
Albums never mattered to the bulk of people.
The majority have always wanted something with “a good beat and easy to dance to”.
That is why radio is so resilient; we play the hits.
The only difference is that now people can buy around albums much easier and record companies don’t have the power to shove them down our throats like they did before.
In fact, most people including myself, don’t own music anymore. We only rent it for as long as we want to keep paying Spotify $9.99 a month. I only buy CD’s at a show to support the artist.
It is too tough to name a favorite album of all time so I’ll name my favorite in the last 10 years – KMAG YOYO – Hayes Carll.
Mike, good points here. Even owning music has become passse, forget the format. Appreciate you engaging here.
As a kid for some reason the “Electric Light Orchestra” had this appeal coming thru the speakers that was different from other rock bands. The Eldorado albums sticks out as one of my personal favorites
I played the heck out of that one. Love the band, Scott, especially Jeff Lynn’s genius.
LOVE the comments so far, Fred.
But here’s a question:
If “albums” are “passe”…why have vinyl sales surged, and even surpassed cd sales?
Almost every 20-something I know has a turntable and is buying vinyl.
Anyhow, my fave(no surprise, here) is
ABBEY ROAD, which I listened to twice last night while putting away Xmas decorations(yeah, i know I’m late)
JC, I thought about that dichotomy – vinyl’s resurgence among Millennials. But in the Gen Z zone, it’s looking like a different story.
So, I remember waiting in line to buy “Abbey Road.” It was a communal scene outside that record store. And we all went home very happy.
For me Fred, its Layla and other Love Songs. Clapton, Duane Allman, heroin addiction and love scorned. What’s not to like? I love that Tedeski, Trucks do several songs from that collection.
“Layla…” was a big one during my college days. A roommate bought the album and played it non-stop for a month.
My favorite albums that still get dusted off and can’t shut off until they are played entirely .
In The Court if the Crimson King, The Yes Album and The Allman Brothers Live at the Filmore. That being said, I’m not sure what I was on to get through 20th Century Skihizoid Man by King Crimson back then, don’t think Id care to be on it again but the rest of the album, cutting edge in 1969
Yes, there were many pharmaceuticals back then, fueling tastes…and other things. Thanks, Mark.
Count me among the people who virtually never listen to albums anymore. The last album I listened to also happens to be the one that, if forced to pick my “favorite” (an impossible task, of course), I’d name: “Blow By Blow” by Jeff Beck.
(Wait, or is it “Revolver,” “Countdown To Ecstasy,” “Katy Lied,” “Pretzel Logic,” “Let It Bleed,” “Sticky Fingers,” Allman Brothers “At Fillmore East,” “Kind Of Blue,” etc., etc., etc.?)
Interesting admission from the former editor of R&R “AOR” page. Thanks, Harvey. It’s a tough call.
Put me down for “Chicago Transit Authority” – a complete listening experience, from “Introduction” through “Liberation” – not a moment I don’t love in its entirety.
It was a good one, and like that first Blood, Sweat & Tears album, broke a lot of ground, bringing horns and strings to rock in a unique way. Thanks, Andy.
“Never Mind The Bullocks Here’s The Sex Pistols” The emotion is pure and it is the reason I’m still here. It is the definition of authentic . It almost brought down the monarchy single handed
You always had cutting-edged taste, Lex. I miss those days of “discussing” music with you at Rock 105. 🙂
Lots of favorites listed among the comments. Like you, Fred, The Beatles would surely fill much of my top-ten list, but the top spot would have to go to “Jesus Freak” by DC Talk, a group whose influences clearly range from the Beatles to Nine Inch Nails. The writing and production and musicianship are stunning, and like Abbey Road (probably my second favorite), the sum is somehow, amazingly, even greater than it’s already stunning individual parts–as if every song is perfectly placed in the only order the universe could have imagined. Truly a majestic, glorious album. Always a fun question to kick around. Thanks, Fred!
Couldn’t have said it better, Dave.
As a classical music fan, albums are still very much at the heart of my listening. My favorite album is still the 1981 recording of Glenn Gould playing the Bach Goldberg Variations. In the mid 80’s I drove all the way from northern Idaho to central Missouri listening to that cassette auto-reverse over and over again. I still don’t get tired of it!
Appreciate it, John.
Interesting group of albums in the picture above.
Alphabetically left to right:
Julian Cope to Gryphon
(although that red one at the end may be the 2nd ‘Grand Funk’)
A few others are misfiled a well.
Also, that Paul Kossoff collection is filed with the Free albums.
(I’ll give ’em a pass on that)
P.S. What the hell is wrong with me that I had to point out all that minutiae
That’s what we love about you, Marty Bender. Attention to detail always matters.
Favorite album? That’s a tough one! Currently, I would say Peter Wolf’s A Cure For Loneliness.
That said, don’t forget the evolution of the album. Starting as a a collection of songs that had already been released, to to a separate entity from which singles were taken. Really, it has always been about the song.
It’s always been possible for an artist to hit once, or twice, then fade away – see any list of one-hit wonders.
Thanks for the perspective, Paul.
Songs for Swingin’ Lovers by Frank Sinatra. Every track is gold. I can listen to it over and over, and never get tired. My one true desert island disc.
Diamonds and Rust Joan Baez I still love it all. Aja another favorite. Great comments