I don’t like listening to other people’s playlists because most of the time, they aren’t curated for me. At worst, I find that they result in me getting distracted. Albums, on the other hand, give me a much better return on investment; here’s why.
1 Listening to Albums in Order Makes Me Appreciate the Art of Music
I often forget that music is an art form, but listening to albums helps me reconnect with that realization. This is especially true if I listen to albums in chronological track order.
Music albums take a long time to make. While we often prefer a few songs more than the others, I can at least appreciate the work that went into each track. I also notice smaller things, such as rhyming schemes, when listening to albums.
Besides listening to decades-old albums, I’ll also pre-save new albums on Spotify to listen to right away. Each time I listen to an album, my understanding of each song also deepens.
2 Sometimes, I Want to Hear Just One Singer or Band’s Songs
I sometimes listen to “This Is [Artist/Band Name]” playlists when I don’t want to listen to multiple bands or singers in one sitting. But sometimes, I like going even deeper than that and listening to a group’s music within a specific period.
All artists evolve, but the change is much more obvious for some than it is for others. For example, lots of Machine Gun Kelly’s initial work was rap. But now, he does a lot more pop/rock music. His 2017 album, bloom, is very different from 2020’s Tickets To My Downfall.
Having the option to delve into playlists is nice, but I don’t think it’ll ever beat listening to just one singer or band at a time.
3 Playlists Make Me Feel Like I Need to Be Discovering New Songs
Although I’ve since switched back, I left Spotify for Apple Music because I felt like I constantly had to discover new songs (among other reasons). However, after analyzing my behavior, I realized that I rarely have this need when listening to albums.
Playlists are great for curating your favorite songs, and I also like how you can rediscover great tracks years later. However, I also dislike constantly being on the search for new stuff; I’d rather find it organically.
Besides the constant FOMO, constantly looking for new songs can stop me from focusing on a specific task. This, conveniently, brings me to my next point…
4 Albums Help Me Focus Better Than Playlists
I’m very prone to getting distracted, and music can be a double-edged sword. At its best, Spotify is helpful for staying productive throughout the day and I focus on tasks better. But if I’m not careful, I can find myself continuously falling off and having to get back on track.
Over the years I’ve noticed that playlists lead to me getting distracted much more often than albums. The first reason why is that when I listen to an album, I’m not constantly opening the Spotify app to save a new track (and subsequently getting dragged down a rabbit hole).
Another reason why I focus better when listening to albums is because I know which song will be up next. As a result, I’m not constantly checking my queue to determine whether I want to skip a song.
5 Albums Often Tell a Story
While many playlist songs have binding similarities (e.g. genre or language), most are not curated beyond that. This is different from albums, which are often in a very specific order for a reason. Concept albums, for example, can explore a specific narrative or theme over the course of their track list.
When listening to albums without shuffling them, you can learn a lot about the artist and what their life was like at the time of recording. I also love listening to albums to add to a real-life adventure. For example, My Head Is An Animal by Of Monsters and Men is a go-to whenever I’m road-tripping in Iceland.
You can also listen to albums when you’re feeling philosophical, and sometimes, music albums can give you an interesting insight into what the world was like at a certain point.
6 Some Songs Sound Better With Interludes and Skits
Skits and interludes often don’t sound the same in isolation, but in the greater context of an album, they add to the experience. Sometimes, I think songs sound better if you first listen to the interlude or skit just before them.
I’ve sometimes added skits to playlists so that I can listen to the song in all its glory. However, I normally prefer listening to them within the full album. If I want to listen to some songs again, I’ll skip back twice so I can hear the skit.
7 I’m Less Likely to Forget About Albums Than Random Playlists
I’d estimate that I’ve created over 300 playlists in my 15 years of streaming music, and I vaguely remember most of them. Most of the time, I’ll forget about playlists within a few years (though there are some exceptions).
On the flip side, I’m very unlikely to forget about an album. You’re probably the same in this respect. For example, we still talk about some of the all-time greats—like Abbey Road by the Beatles—decades after their initial release.
Buying or saving albums (even if only digitally) feels like you’re owning a piece of time. Playlists can do the same if you create your own, but nowhere near the same level that an album can.
8 Songs on Music Albums Often Grow on Me Over Time
I can only think of a few albums where I loved every song straight away. Normally, I’ll really like a few. In many instances, there’ll be a few songs that I think very little about.
However, my opinions normally change as I listen to albums multiple times. Tracks that I previously thought little about will become some of my favorites, which I believe leads to an even more rewarding experience and means you’re getting the best value from music streaming services.
I can start liking new songs that I didn’t before on playlists, but it doesn’t happen anywhere near as much.
Albums and playlists both have their place, but I would much rather listen to albums in most instances. Listening to tracks in order helps you learn more about the art of music, and I also like how timeless albums are compared to playlists.
