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.