The need to bundle songs into a marketable package led to the “album” which led to the idea of the band essentially putting out a mix tape of new songs every few years or whenever the money ran out.
Now you can just skip forever among singles, which is fun! But there was more to the album format than just stacking radio hits together.
I always admired Pink Floyd for making that Animals album into a radio success. A 17 minute lead single ranting against A&E execs (what else), then two 10 minute psychedelic political diatribes. Radio gold!!!
Or Synchronicity from The Police which was a monster album in the 80s full of radio formatted hits but also had a theme and coherence that pulled it all together.
The need to bundle songs into a marketable package led to the “album” which led to the idea of the band essentially putting out a mix tape of new songs every few years or whenever the money ran out.
Now you can just skip forever among singles, which is fun! But there was more to the album format than just stacking radio hits together.
I always admired Pink Floyd for making that Animals album into a radio success. A 17 minute lead single ranting against A&E execs (what else), then two 10 minute psychedelic political diatribes. Radio gold!!!
Or Synchronicity from The Police which was a monster album in the 80s full of radio formatted hits but also had a theme and coherence that pulled it all together.
Good points. I don’t feel much affinity for the album per se—though I know some folks really love that packaging