In a global survey on listening habits conducted in January 2020, only 9% of people reported a preference for albums, whereas 40% opted for playlists instead according to Statista. Another 54% admitted to listening to fewer albums than 5 to 10 years ago. These sobering statistics demonstrate the declining interest in albums over the course of the last few decades, likely due to  reasons like the explosion in popularity of short-form content. But even in today’s world of single hits, consumers should consider listening and appreciating the album more.

Ironically, I used to fall into the latter 40% of playlist-listeners. Even as a child, my understanding of music was limited to the hit singles that would play on the car radio during rides to and from my swimming lessons. As I grew up and became more acquainted with streaming services, I still would choose to search for my favorite songs on Spotify and amass hundreds of liked songs and multiple playlists for my own leisure. It wasn’t until my sophomore year that I dared  explore an album in its entirety. From that point on, it was as though my life had changed course. 

Maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but listening to my first album definitely altered my perspective on music. Although I’m not 100% sure of how I came across it, I recall finding a pattern in some of my “liked” songs all belonging to the same artist: Sufjan Stevens. Naturally, I decided to take the plunge and try listening to one of his most famous albums, Carrie and Lowell, just to see what an album was like.

I hesitated before pressing play, unsure of what to expect, but as it turns out, there was no reason to hesitate at all. Song after song, my ears were serenaded with new and exciting sounds I hadn’t heard anywhere else. Needless to say, I had that album on repeat for the rest of the school year (and I’ll admit, I’m partially writing this article as an excuse to revisit it). 

So, what stuck out to me, and what is the appeal of the album as a medium? Well, I’ve narrowed it down to 3 qualities: satisfaction, ambience, and message. 

Let’s begin with satisfaction. This take might make me seem like a boomer, and I’ll say it anyway: In this day and age, we have grown so used to the ease of access that streaming platforms have provided us. With the click of a button, we can play our favorite songs and get that instant dopamine release. This convenience is not inherently bad; I, myself, am guilty of listening to certain songs just because it’s what the mood calls for. However, it does create an obstacle for many people when it comes to albums: patience. Many of our prized songs lie in the middle or end of their respective albums and this can discourage listeners from trying them. It’s funny because before the age of the internet, people would have to do just this and wait for their songs to come on vinyl records. I’d argue that this waiting period typically accentuates the impact of these songs. There’s a unique satisfaction that comes from hearing a track unfold with the buildup of preceding songs. Furthermore, I’ve found that the more times you listen to an album, the greater appreciation you have for its songs and the more details you pick up that you never noticed before. It might be in the form of a unique sound in the chorus of that one song you only used to tolerate, or the song lyric that seemed odd until suddenly it just clicked. Whatever it may be, it deepens the impact of the album entirely, much more than a single song or arbitrarily organized ones could achieve in a playlist. 

This leads me to my second point: ambience. An album aims to create a certain atmosphere with its songs, from the instruments used to the content of the lyrics. However hard you may try, it’s near impossible to get the same feel in a playlist because songs simply weren’t made to be listened to together, and even if you find a combination that works, it occupies time that could be spent elsewhere. The album arguably does this more efficiently and effectively, as the songs are already organized for you and were created with the intent of being listened to chronologically. The ambience The Strokes created in Is This It demonstrates this perfectly to me. The impassioned and nasally, yet strong, voice of Julian Casablancas complements the catchy guitar chords, which together form its indie rock feel. This ultimately entertains a prolonged mood, completely consuming the listener in the moment, savoring each second of the album. 

Lastly, the third quality is the message. There are certainly empowering messages in singular songs—there’s no arguing against that. What the album does, though, is take that instance of a particular message, and utilize it to constitute an even greater one. Some of the best albums will have many, many themes within them simply because of what they can achieve with multiple songs. Without the time-constraint of a single, or the mess of a playlist, an album presents an important perspective from people of complex and diverse backgrounds. Going back to the original album which sparked the idea for this article, Carrie and Lowell is about Sufjan Stevens’ journey accepting his mother’s death and undergoing the grieving process, along with handling other emotional baggage which he must reconcile from their relationship (or lack thereof). This journey requires a multi-song medium to present and process the different emotions that emerge when coping with loss and the internal struggle against an invisible ache. Not only is this a great way for an artist to make their voice heard and promote their message, but a way to reach society’s most vulnerable and connect in a way that a playlist or single simply cannot.

It is incredibly unfortunate that the album has reached such a morose state. Something beautiful which unites people across the world is slowly losing its audience in favor of manufactured mainstream music which doesn’t even scratch the surface of the depth an album provides, which is why I strongly encourage you to listen to an album. There are a vast amount of options, so just pick what best suits you. Whether it’s a pop album or an indie album, you will surely find something that fits your vibe. Whatever you may do, don’t let this art form fade into obscurity because of our decreasing attention spans—give it a chance.