I really miss the excitement and anticipation of going to a music shop (mostly gone now) and waiting to get my hands on an actual disc of a new single of my current favourite artist out on that day.

It was lovely to get the record home and play it a hundred times () Not only that, there was also the added excitement of listening for the first time, to the 'B' side

Oh dear, fings ain't what they used to be

More of an album, singles mean **** all.

Yes, especially when it was the first release from an album that hadn't been released yet.

Yes, that's what I mean I know the album is the most important now, but the singles meant much more years ago, and not the throwaway ones they are today.

Yes, every Monday lunchtime I'd be down to Our Price to check the new singles rack. They were cheap for the first week to boost the chart position and there would be the permitted three formats (CD1, CD2, DVD or 7"). Loads of bonus tracks to sample for hidden gems.

I never buy singles these days only albums --- but what I find ruins the excitement now is that singles are available to listen to weeks or even months before they are actually available to buy.

By the time you can buy them you are likely to be fed up with them

Years ago ---- yeah Ok I am old ---- you would only hear the new releases on the radio a couple of days before their release and then you had to actually go to the record shop and buy them ---- As the OP says it was exciting to hold your shiny new piece of plastic for the first time then run off home to play it to death

I could cry thinking how sh1te it is now compared to back then.

Kept every single record immaculate and they ended up worth nothing

For me, no, not really. I love the buzz of waiting to hear that first new single from my favourite band but it still get that with a download leak or whatever. I guess im more into the music and not really into the actual packaging and holding the physical product etc,

I miss good music per se. It's just rubbish these days.