What Are You Listening To?

[Foggle]

I don't deny that they were all great tracks, I just think it's kind of self-indulgent to exceed 4 singles with one album.

[Avaitor]

Three is kind of the perfect amount. That should be enough to last you at least a year of promotion for the album and eventual tour.

If the album does well enough that it's still big on the charts after a few singles, than it should be fine to go beyond, but otherwise I think three is ideal.

[Spark Of Spirit]

I don't deny that they were all great tracks, I just think it's kind of self-indulgent to exceed 4 singles with one album.

You're right on that, but it's important to remember that Wanna Be Startin' Something, P.Y.T., and The Girl Is Mine were radio-only while Billie Jean, Beat It, Human Nature, and Thriller all had videos.

Also take into account that some songs are released as singles overseas and not here and vice-versa sometimes. It's really a label issue and how much they think they can make off of the album.

[Nel_Annette]

It depends on the song quality for me. If all those songs the artist releases as singles are genuinely single-worthy, more power to them. Congrats on a fantastic album. If not, well, it reeks of milking.

[Avaitor]

KISS- "Cold Gin"

[Kiddington]

Blink-182 - "What's My Age Again?"

[No-Personality]

Doesn't Teenage Dream have that many singles on it, too?

I hope not. There's only one great song on that album.

I don't deny that they were all great tracks, I just think it's kind of self-indulgent to exceed 4 singles with one album.

Bjork had 6 singles with Post. Do I think it's self-indulgent? No. Because, #1, music videos. It's an artistry all its' own and what would it be like now if, oh, Madonna hadn't released 5 singles with True Blue or Michael at least 5 with Thriller? The videos should be good enough to consider promotion for buying the album alone but they by themselves necessitate the single's physical place in the market for people who don't want to buy the album. (Not to mention I'm a huge music video fan, while I don't care as much for any point that would also argue that we should have less of them.) #2, this is history. And, crap like Teenage Dream notwithstanding, a great album deserves historical representation with a large number of singles since awards pretty much mean squat now (if they ever meant anything before).

I'm not trying to challenge you, but you have to admit- answering a question with a question is the same as not having anything to say. Or: null and void your original point.

Not really, since I said all her songs sounded the same to me, which naturally means all of her singles(the songs that get radio airplay) because I've never bothered to listen to a full album nor do I care too.  If what you say is true and she has had 33 singles in the past, what, seven or eight years, then that tells me that a majority of her songs do sound the same or at the very least similar, because aside from "Umbrella" I maybe could only name two or three other songs that stood out at all, the rest just kind of blend together.  Kind of like songs by Nickleback or Linkin Park.

Pop albums are usually pretty scattered. Except for Madonna or Bjork (and maybe Cyndi Lauper), very few artists have ever cared about thematic cohesion and making a strong album. And I know there are quite a few album-people on AR. However, I don't get this "oh, it's just someone like Rihanna whose songs all sound the same." Her songs all sound the same in about as far as literally over 90% of the music artists who have ever received radio play and charted more than 2 singles sound the same. In the ears of people who don't listen or don't care to. I don't expect someone to go to me if they want a report on the nuances of someone like Bob Dylan, the kind of artist I don't listen carefully to. Some people try to take your attitude, that it's the artist and not the listener. It's almost always the listener. Because if a person thinks they have the ear for everything and can fairly judge what artist really defies this rule, they're flattering themselves.

Oh, and...
Was the point of your first reply: "Why would you be listening to Rihanna?" As in: "I wouldn't because I think all her songs sound the same"?

Hmmm...

[Avaitor]

The only Katy Perry song I can kinda tolerate is "The One That Got Away", because it's the only one where she kind of sounds her age.

[No-Personality]

"Waking Up in Vegas" is good.
"Teenage Dream" is very good.
"I Kissed a Girl" is a guilty pleasure.
"Hot 'n Cold" is awesome.

After that, she's just a joke as a musician. I believe her talent is as an actress. She's a very engaging and hypnotic screen presence. And I think she can play characters, very well.

[Avaitor]

She was pretty good on HIMYM.

But Britney was not. Stage presence doesn't always lead to acting skills.

[Foggle]

Bjork had 6 singles with Post. Do I think it's self-indulgent? No. Because, #1, music videos. It's an artistry all its' own and what would it be like now if, oh, Madonna hadn't released 5 singles with True Blue or Michael at least 5 with Thriller? The videos should be good enough to consider promotion for buying the album alone but they by themselves necessitate the single's physical place in the market for people who don't want to buy the album. (Not to mention I'm a huge music video fan, while I don't care as much for any point that would also argue that we should have less of them.) #2, this is history. And, crap like Teenage Dream notwithstanding, a great album deserves historical representation with a large number of singles since awards pretty much mean squat now (if they ever meant anything before).

But, does a song even need to be a single to have a music video? Electric Six has quite a few songs with videos that aren't considered singles.

I'm not going to argue that a great album shouldn't have a lot of exposure, but I still think an entire EP's worth of singles from one record is overkill. Though I am a bit of a crotchety old man on this subject, since most of my favorite artists aren't even able to make their songs into singles unless you take that as meaning "free downloads from their website".

[No-Personality]

Fair enough.

She was pretty good on HIMYM.

But Britney was not. Stage presence doesn't always lead to acting skills.

Actually, I remember her being okay on Will & Grace. And excellent on Saturday Night Live, in that Barbie mannequin robot sketch.

[Nel_Annette]

Speaking of all that Green Day talk in the other thread, I saw this at Best Buy yesterday and picked it up. Seemed like a steal at $40. Also picked up a copy of Uno! with the collector's box and a copy of Dos!.



Honestly, I wish more bands had things like this. Neat little box sets that contained a good chunk of their discography. Would certainly save me a shit ton of shelf space.

[Commode]

Is there any new content on any of the albums?  I have all of those, and have had them for years.  Is the song "I Want To Be Alone" included on 1039/Smoothed Out Slappy Hours?  I have the original Lookout print of it(and Kerplunk), but I've heard the Reprise reissues omit that song for whatever reason, it's supposed to be the last song on the album.

[Avaitor]

A Tribe Called Quest- "Can I Kick It?"