When Did Album-Based Music End?

[HeIsEdrid]

Or did it ever start? My primary exposure to music is 1960-1979, so I listen to a lot of albums, but I rarely, if ever, remember specific songs. Looking back, when did music stop producing albums and start producing just songs again? I mean, I know it happened before album-based music, but what made it go back?

I really hope that that made sense.

[Onslaught_fei]

Almost all active bands I listen to are still producing album based music and rarely produce "singles".

[Nuff_Said]

black metal doesn't have too many singles outside of Demon Burger. And i don't know how many singles prog metal has....or psychedelic folk bands.

[Mystlyfe77]

Most of the stuff I listen to is at least moderately album based, if not entirely. Hell, I have have concept hip-hop albums.

[ImHotterThanYou]

It began to leave the mainstream in the 80s.

[Fizzeler]

Almost all active bands I listen to are still producing album based music and rarely produce "singles".

Same here really depends what music you are listening to

[Onslaught_fei]

It began to leave the mainstream in the 80s.

Well actually in the 40s and well into the 70s singles were the dominant form of music. Album Oriented Rock (AOR) grew to prominence in the 70s and into the 80s.

[Gowienczyk]

When did it end? as far as I know, very few bands rely on singles-based music.

[Oscar-Rio]

some people let radio and tv dictate too much of their music to them.

[Onslaught_fei]

When did it end? as far as I know, very few bands rely on singles-based music.

I find it disheartening that some artists make more money on ringtones than their actual albums. Granted, this never occurs within rock or its family but amongst other genres.

[MronoC]

It hasn't, it still exists, it's just kind of bypassed by more casual listeners in the era of digital distribution where people can buy any single song they want.

[Alright_Computer]

Album-based music is still alive and kicking, thank you very much.

[MrFruitLord]

It hasn't ended, but some bands are doing it for no reason (I'm looking at you, Billy Corgan.)

[SolidSnake526]

It still isn't over
It's more sporadic, but it's still alive.

For example, Dream Theater released Octavarium, an album that flows entirely through itself, in 2004
And Metropolis Part 2, a concept album about a past-life murder tale, in 1999
And Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence, about six different mental disorders, in 2001.

Their albums even span through each other sometimes, like with Mike Portnoy's 12-step suite.

On An Island by David Gilmour, released in 2006, flows really nicely through itself.

Album-based music isn't dead, it's just much harder to come by now than it was back to when Aqualung and The Wall and Dark Side of the Moon were the biggest things out there.

[HeIsEdrid]

The only real modern music that I listen to is The Killers and Green Day, and none of The Killers' stuff is really "album-based" in the same way that, say, 2112 was. It doesn't follow themes and the such. Green Day is, but they're more of an exception than a rule, from where I'm sitting.

[Fizzeler]

The only real modern music that I listen to is The Killers and Green Day, and none of The Killers' stuff is really "album-based" in the same way that, say, 2112 was. It doesn't follow themes and the such. Green Day is, but they're more of an exception than a rule, from where I'm sitting.

listen to some of Porcupine Tree's work or BE by Pain Of Salvation they all have the whole album appeal to them

[Runesmith]

If anything, album-based music has seen a recent surge over the past few years. Look at all of the concept albums that have been released recently - for several examples, Sixx:AM's The Heroin Diaries, Green Day's American Idiot & 21st Century Breakdown, Mastodon's Blood Mountain & Crack The Skye, and MCR's The Black Parade have received an enormous amount of mainstream attention and success.

People seem to forget that much of the 1960s' music was heavily banked on singles, and not albums.

[willdabeast21]

It's modern pop and Hip-Hop that aren't album based, because the vast majority of people who listen to that garbage don't bother with albums
I quote my music-ignorant sister - "If all 12 songs on the CD are good, why have I only heard 2 on the radio?"
Album based music still thrives, but its not mainstream anymore

[Quinarvy]

It's modern pop and Hip-Hop that aren't album based, because the vast majority of people who listen to that garbage don't bother with albums
I quote my music-ignorant sister - "If all 12 songs on the CD are good, why have I only heard 2 on the radio?"
Album based music still thrives, but its not mainstream anymore

That may be the most true statement ever.

[Soror_YZBL]

Or did it ever start? My primary exposure to music is 1960-1979, so I listen to a lot of albums, but I rarely, if ever, remember specific songs. Looking back, when did music stop producing albums and start producing just songs again? I mean, I know it happened before album-based music, but what made it go back?

I really hope that that made sense.

When you stopped listening to it. There's an absolute deluge of albums (and album oriented music) out there.

[Lolicat]

When you stopped listening to it. There's an absolute deluge of albums (and album oriented music) out there.

This. Seriosly, not only Dream Theatre and old smelly prog farts still make album based music, and just because a band has a music video for a single doesn't mean it's automatically not album based, merely that the record company wanted to get the music out there and releasing an album track is an appreciated way to do that.

Maybe your Arr und Bee musiks produces mainly singles and avoids albums, but that's hardly anything new.

[Squaretriangles]

Or did it ever start? My primary exposure to music is 1960-1979, so I listen to a lot of albums, but I rarely, if ever, remember specific songs. Looking back, when did music stop producing albums and start producing just songs again? I mean, I know it happened before album-based music, but what made it go back?

I really hope that that made sense.

How can you say something as absolute and all-encompassing as this-------^....


The only real modern music that I listen to is The Killers and Green Day, and none of The Killers' stuff is really "album-based" in the same way that, say, 2112 was. It doesn't follow themes and the such. Green Day is, but they're more of an exception than a rule, from where I'm sitting.

....And follow it up with this? There are tons of artists that are keeping the art of the album alive today. Go look for them.

[Soror_YZBL]

Maybe your Arr und Bee musiks produces mainly singles and avoids albums, but that's hardly anything new.

Is this what happens when pirates and bumbles make music together?

[timmay9]

It ended? News to me.

[iwolfe]

It ended when you could download individual songs instead of having to buy a whole CD.

[Ultimatum]

Hell, I have have concept hip-hop albums.

Can you list a few? I'm genuinely interested.

[franticfish]

Can you list a few? I'm genuinely interested.Death Certificate by Ice Cube is one that springs to mind.

[supernova1324]

Death Certificate by Ice Cube is one that springs to mind.

Kanye West's first two albums can also be considered concept albums.

[Mystlyfe77]

Can you list a few? I'm genuinely interested.

Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030
Prince Among Thieves - Prince Paul
MM.. Food - MF Doom
A Piece of Strange - Cunninglynguists
Ready to Die - The Notorious B.I.G.

[Idiostock]

A Piece of Strange - Cunninglynguists

Best name I have ever seen.

[cherokeesam]

Deltron 3030 - Deltron 3030
Prince Among Thieves - Prince Paul
MM.. Food - MF Doom
A Piece of Strange - Cunninglynguists
Ready to Die - The Notorious B.I.G.

Don't forget American Gangster by Jay-Z.