Home » Audio » Source » Would you say CDs killed the idea of albums seen as a whole piece of work? (Do you still play albums from beginning to end?)
Would you say CDs killed the idea of albums seen as a whole piece of work? [message #99689] Wed, 12 August 2026 00:40 Go to next message
Cole is currently offline  Cole
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Registered: December 2025
Baron
I was just thinking about this. Before we started having CDs, many of us had the chance of playing albums from the beginning till the end.

Sometimes, I feel like the invention of CD and playlists killed that hunger and zeal by many to play songs on an album from the start to finish.

Are you still patient enough to listen to albums all the way through, or have that hunger died away when you play songs on an album?
Re: Would you say CDs killed the idea of albums seen as a whole piece of work? [message #99693 is a reply to message #99689] Thu, 13 August 2026 21:16 Go to previous messageGo to next message
gofar99 is currently offline  gofar99
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Hi, I still listen to LPs end to end.  CDs I don't.

Good Listening
Bruce
Re: Would you say CDs killed the idea of albums seen as a whole piece of work? [message #99695 is a reply to message #99693] Fri, 14 August 2026 12:09 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Wayne Parham is currently offline  Wayne Parham
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Registered: January 2001
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Most of my favorite music is recorded and distributed as a form of concept album.  So the whole album flows naturally.  Examples are recordings from bands like Yes, the Moody Blues, Genesis and Alan Parsons.  Naturally, I tend to listen to albums like that from start to finish.

I have other albums that are a collection of unrelated songs.  Some of those I really like too.  But it is much more likely that I will listen to only one or two songs on an album like that.
Re: Would you say CDs killed the idea of albums seen as a whole piece of work? [message #99696 is a reply to message #99689] Fri, 14 August 2026 23:37 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Bercle is currently offline  Bercle
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I have never been patient enough to listen to any album from the beginning until all the songs are played. I would rather pick the songs that give me that excitement when I listen to from any album.
Re: Would you say CDs killed the idea of albums seen as a whole piece of work? [message #99700 is a reply to message #99696] Sat, 15 August 2026 11:35 Go to previous messageGo to next message
George is currently offline  George
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Bercle wrote on Fri, 14 August 2026 23:37
I have never been patient enough to listen to any album from the beginning until all the songs are played. I would rather pick the songs that give me that excitement when I listen to from any album.
During those years of Michael Jackson running the pop section, I doubt that I ever missed spending time listening to his songs from the start till the end. Looks like you didn't experience that period, yeah?
Re: Would you say CDs killed the idea of albums seen as a whole piece of work? [message #99701 is a reply to message #99696] Sat, 15 August 2026 11:36 Go to previous messageGo to next message
George is currently offline  George
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Bercle wrote on Fri, 14 August 2026 23:37
I have never been patient enough to listen to any album from the beginning until all the songs are played. I would rather pick the songs that give me that excitement when I listen to from any album.
During those years of Michael Jackson running the pop section, I doubt that I ever missed spending time listening to his songs from the start till the end. Looks like you didn't experience that period, yeah?
Re: Would you say CDs killed the idea of albums seen as a whole piece of work? [message #99702 is a reply to message #99696] Sat, 15 August 2026 11:38 Go to previous messageGo to next message
George is currently offline  George
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It was good old days!
Re: Would you say CDs killed the idea of albums seen as a whole piece of work? [message #99714 is a reply to message #99693] Thu, 20 August 2026 23:40 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Cole is currently offline  Cole
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Registered: December 2025
Baron
gofar99 wrote on Thu, 13 August 2026 21:16
Hi, I still listen to LPs end to end.  CDs I don't.
That is the issue that I had with CDs. It made most music lovers now have the choice to skip a song or two while playing an album which was something that was never possible in the past.
Re: Would you say CDs killed the idea of albums seen as a whole piece of work? [message #99718 is a reply to message #99714] Fri, 21 August 2026 08:08 Go to previous messageGo to next message
Barryso is currently offline  Barryso
Messages: 223
Registered: May 2009
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Back when vinyl ruled the earth I'd record cassettes for use in the car.  But I tended to change the order of the tracks and it used to drive my friends insane.

When playing vinyl at home one side would be played all the way but generally it'd get switched to another album when it was time to flip the record over.  I was up anyway so why not change things up?

CD's made listening to favorite cuts pretty painless.

Digital music servers make pulling favorites even less painless.  It's easier to do a hop, skip and jump and it does get in the way of continuous listening.  Now it takes the right album or artist to keep playing the whole album.

I find the local audio folks who have just gotten digital music servers to be the worst.  They'll start something and won't even let the song play through without jumping to something else.  Yeah, I do it too but not when guests are over as it's pretty annoying.
Re: Would you say CDs killed the idea of albums seen as a whole piece of work? [message #99746 is a reply to message #99718] Sat, 29 August 2026 00:13 Go to previous message
Cole is currently offline  Cole
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Registered: December 2025
Baron
Barryso wrote on Fri, 21 August 2026 08:08
Back when vinyl ruled the earth I'd record cassettes for use in the car.  But I tended to change the order of the tracks and it used to drive my friends insane.

When playing vinyl at home one side would be played all the way but generally it'd get switched to another album when it was time to flip the record over.  I was up anyway so why not change things up?

CD's made listening to favorite cuts pretty painless.

Digital music servers make pulling favorites even less painless.  It's easier to do a hop, skip and jump and it does get in the way of continuous listening.  Now it takes the right album or artist to keep playing the whole album.

I find the local audio folks who have just gotten digital music servers to be the worst.  They'll start something and won't even let the song play through without jumping to something else.  Yeah, I do it too but not when guests are over as it's pretty annoying.
I agree with you.

I can still remember how it felt when one can flip sides when playing albums. You play part one, then flip to the other side to complete the rest of the songs on the album. My friends  always disliked my attitude of changing tracks on tapes while we were in the car, but I liked doing it.

Nowadays, going digital has made people do whatever they wish. You will be in a party vibing to a song, and before the song goes halfway, the DJ has switched to a different song. I always get angry when such is done while my favourite song is being played, but I can only be angry. There is nothing I can do about it anymore.

It is the new thing, and we have to adjust even when it hasn't been fun, unlike those days when I play full albums for friends when they come around my place.
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