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Albums or Singles person- Which one are you?


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Old 26-12-2005, 19:49
lala
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There are some that just buy singles and then start getting the albums. Then there are some who buy both strangely.

I'm an album person to be honest. I can't stand getting one piece of the puzzle bit by bit. I really like to get the whole package. Artist like Madonna don't make 'singles albums' they make albums where each song is apart of the whole story of that one album. If there is only one song I like out of one particular album then I'll wait and get a mixed CD collection of songs.... Which is IMO a much better solution then getting singles.

For me singles are a waste of 75p in my opinion for 3 or 4 songs. But that is my opinion. Singles are usually the first piece of music we buy when we start getting in to music, I know it was for me. But now I've up-graded. Lol
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Old 26-12-2005, 20:08
TennantsElbow
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Originally Posted by lala
There are some that just buy singles and then start getting the albums. Then there are some who buy both strangely.

I'm an album person to be honest. I can't stand getting one piece of the puzzle bit by bit. I really like to get the whole package. Artist like Madonna don't make 'singles albums' they make albums where each song is apart of the whole story of that one album. If there is only one song I like out of one particular album then I'll wait and get a mixed CD collection of songs.... Which is IMO a much better solution then getting singles.

For me singles are a waste of 75p in my opinion for 3 or 4 songs. But that is my opinion. Singles are usually the first piece of music we buy when we start getting in to music, I know it was for me. But now I've up-graded. Lol
Most of the artists I like don't even release singles
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Old 26-12-2005, 20:08
StewartF
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I'm an album person - rarely buy singles, can't even remember the last time I bought one. I'll only buy a single if it is from an album to be released a while in the future (e.g. more than 3 weeks).
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Old 26-12-2005, 20:10
fi~
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im a album person.......only bought 2 singles this year and both were for charity
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Old 26-12-2005, 21:50
maximilian
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Albums definitely. Does anyone over age 10 actually still buy singles on a regular basis?
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Old 26-12-2005, 22:56
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Originally Posted by maximilian
Albums definitely. Does anyone over age 10 actually still buy singles on a regular basis?
Oh come on, be fair. It's perfectly normal to buy singles up to the age of 13. After that, well...
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Old 26-12-2005, 22:59
big mac
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I much prefer albums. I think they are a truer reflection of a band/solo artist's talent than just a single record.
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Old 26-12-2005, 22:59
Soapmad Kate
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Originally Posted by Ruby_
Oh come on, be fair. It's perfectly normal to buy singles up to the age of 13. After that, well...
And why cant you buy singles over the age of 13
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Old 26-12-2005, 23:51
ReReg
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I don't buy albums because I tend to like songs on their own merit, rather than because of who they are by. Buying an album is showing a blind trust in whoever's album you are buying however it is very rare that an album is full of good songs. If every song was good, they'd all be released as singles, but this NEVER happens. I think the only album I've listened to where all the songs were good enough to be singles is Thriller by Michael Jackson.
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Old 26-12-2005, 23:51
ReReg
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I do neither by the way.
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Old 26-12-2005, 23:56
AcerBen
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If I'd never discovered the joys of downloading (legal iTunes/semi-legal allofmp3/illegal Limewire) I probably would still be one of those who still bought CD singles. Well, I still do occassionally if it's a song I really really love. But it used to be 2-4 a week and it was a habit difficult to shake off. I realise now that I never actually listened to them in the last few years because it was a bit of a pain having to change the CD all of the time. I have about 600 of the things just gathering dust but I don't have the heart to throw them out.

I will usually buy the CD album rather than downloading but really I'm not an albums person because I get bored of listening to the same person. So I'm not really either an albums or singles person. You could say I'm a songs person more than an artists person ! God that was an unnecessarily long post.
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Old 26-12-2005, 23:58
ZipGypsy
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I am an album lover.

If I like you....I love you But...like anyone...I've made mistakes....
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Old 27-12-2005, 00:14
luvsnail
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It's generally only kids that buy singles.. probably because it's all their pocket money can stretch to, or because they have tiny attention spans.. or both! But if you look at the singles chart, it's clear to see the vast majority of it is kids' music.
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Old 27-12-2005, 00:43
jenzie
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depends on the song's really
i've got about the same amount of singles as albums!
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Old 27-12-2005, 00:44
Ceza
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im an album person too.. although i do buy singles of my favourite artist to get the b-sides and for my collection
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Old 27-12-2005, 01:12
Brain Donor
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Albums for me.

I don't like the way singles are released in 3/4/5 different formats now. OK, completists will have to get them all but it puts me off. I don't know which version to buy so I end up not buying any of them.
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Old 27-12-2005, 10:34
TennantsElbow
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Originally Posted by ReReg
it is very rare that an album is full of good songs. If every song was good, they'd all be released as singles, but this NEVER happens. I think the only album I've listened to where all the songs were good enough to be singles is Thriller by Michael Jackson.
What on earth are you listening to!

The quality of songs on any real artist's album is not judged by whether the record company decide to release them as singles . It's a crazy thing to say that a song is only good if it could be released as a single.

Try listening to some quality albums... Arcade Fire, Black Mountain, anything by Radiohead, The Decemberists, Elbow, Doves, Rufus Wainwright... I could go on all day
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Old 27-12-2005, 10:40
muguguyman
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Originally Posted by maximilian
Albums definitely. Does anyone over age 10 actually still buy singles on a regular basis?
I'm 15 and I buy singles regularly (but they are 12" singles, not CD ones). However, I do primarily buy albums, and I only really get drum 'n' bass singles (because quite often, it is hard to find a lot of drum 'n' bass on CD or the internet).
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Old 27-12-2005, 11:17
ReReg
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Originally Posted by loosefur
What on earth are you listening to!

The quality of songs on any real artist's album is not judged by whether the record company decide to release them as singles . It's a crazy thing to say that a song is only good if it could be released as a single.

Try listening to some quality albums... Arcade Fire, Black Mountain, anything by Radiohead, The Decemberists, Elbow, Doves, Rufus Wainwright... I could go on all day
Sorry, but I disagree. I used to buy albums when I was younger but stopped when I realised I was being ripped-off. Sure, there are good album songs, but these aren't good enough to be released as singles - they wouldn't sell. If they were good enough, they would be released. However credible an artist and their fans like to think they are, the primary objective of the record company is to make money and if releasing a song as a single will make the company any money, that's what's going to happen. Since albums generate a far greater revenue than singles, an artist is encouraged to make the filler songs on an album decent ones. But that's all they are, decent filler songs.
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Old 27-12-2005, 11:47
most_haunted
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Albums 100% for me - if I desperately want a song but don't want the rest of the album I'll just download it...
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Old 27-12-2005, 11:56
KrisHayward
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Never buy singles - only albums
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Old 27-12-2005, 13:13
TennantsElbow
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Originally Posted by ReReg
Sorry, but I disagree. I used to buy albums when I was younger but stopped when I realised I was being ripped-off. Sure, there are good album songs, but these aren't good enough to be released as singles - they wouldn't sell. If they were good enough, they would be released. However credible an artist and their fans like to think they are, the primary objective of the record company is to make money and if releasing a song as a single will make the company any money, that's what's going to happen. Since albums generate a far greater revenue than singles, an artist is encouraged to make the filler songs on an album decent ones. But that's all they are, decent filler songs.
The primary objective of record companies is to make money but the primary objective of any serious musician is to make great music.

You might well have record companies getting manufactured artists to put filler songs on albums but any real artist aspires to make an album full of fantastic songs. That might not always be commercial but not being commercial is generally a GOOD thing - as far as the quality of music is concerned. Appealing to the masses is NOT what great music is about.

Have you ever heard of concept albums? Or albums that are designed to be heard as a series of songs not individual tracks because they are conveying a meaning that goes beyond a 2 and a half minute chart hit?

There's a lot more to music than a catchy hook and a brief stint in the charts.

Just out of interest - what sort of music do you normally buy?
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Old 27-12-2005, 13:31
Eraserhead
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I've always bought both singles and albums, although in the past couple of years I've not bought very many singles at all - like AcerBen (post #11) I've got hundreds of singles which I hardly ever play. Most of the songs are on the albums I buy and the b-sides are often not particularly good, and even if they are it's too much hassle to play one or two tracks, then swap over.

This will change with mp3 players, though. You can stick everything you own onto an iPod and listening to that obscure Dawn of the Replicants b-side is just a click of a button away.

Even so, I'm finding that singles just aren't worth the money and it's much easier and cheaper to download a track (or several) and then buy the album if you like what you hear.

I would definitely say I'm more of an albums person - I'm the sort of person who likes to listen to an entire album. I very rarely just pick one or two tracks to play. If I put an album on I have to listen to the whole thing.
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Old 27-12-2005, 13:38
Wishkahbanks
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Always albums for me,ive not bought a single for about 10 years
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Old 27-12-2005, 13:50
Ruby_
 
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Originally Posted by loosefur
The primary objective of record companies is to make money but the primary objective of any serious musician is to make great music.

You might well have record companies getting manufactured artists to put filler songs on albums but any real artist aspires to make an album full of fantastic songs. That might not always be commercial but not being commercial is generally a GOOD thing - as far as the quality of music is concerned. Appealing to the masses is NOT what great music is about.

Have you ever heard of concept albums? Or albums that are designed to be heard as a series of songs not individual tracks because they are conveying a meaning that goes beyond a 2 and a half minute chart hit?

There's a lot more to music than a catchy hook and a brief stint in the charts.
Very nicely said. I marvel at your patience, I really do.

Now if we could just arrange to have the highlighted bits above arranged into a nice large banner at the top of the forum, perhaps the concept would eventually sink into people's consciousness. Oh no dammit, that can't happen... I keep forgetting that this forum is a shrine to the god of Mammon!
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