Do The Order Of Songs On An Album Really Matter To You?

**Scarlett O'Hara** · 06-07-2013, 08:55 PM

Most of time I listen to albums on shuffle, but when I get a new album I have a habit of listening to the album track by track in the order that it was intended.

YorkeDaddy · 06-07-2013, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

Truthfully, it does matter to me, and I think a lot of classic albums consider their track order when they're putting together an album. For instance, the arc of Hissing Fauna would make no sense if the album weren't organized as it is, and regardless of lyrical concept, it would make no structural sense to open an album with the Antlers' Wake or Epilogue, which close it out together.

Even albums that aren't such substantial pieces feel different out of order. I coped The Presets' Apocalypso for a friend, but the mislabeled files caused a track-order shuffling, and the resulting album that we listened to five times on the road trip was awkward and lackluster, because the punch-and-come-down order of things had been destroyed.

I'm a big believer in going with what the artist's intent is for the listener, unless my enjoyment of an album hinges on one song I can't stand that taints the whole thing for me. Impossible Soul, I'm looking at you.

:P Impossible Soul is one of my favorite Sufjan tracks.

**Janszoon** · 06-07-2013, 11:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Urban Hat€monger ?

Depends on the album.

If it's a well crafted piece of work that's meant to be enjoyed as a whole then yes it does matter because usually these things have been put in that order for a reason over hours of deliberation & thought.

If the album is just a reason to stick a few singles together with a bunch of filler tracks to sell them again as an album then no, usually I just want to hear the singles anyway.

This. On most punk albums it really doesn't matter for example. But there are a decent amount of albums out there that are as good as they are in part because of the track order.

SGR · 06-08-2013, 09:38 AM

It matters to me. The original tracklisting is the only way to listen to it for me. Each track fits into its own groove (most of the time) and they play off each other by the way they flow together and create tensions. Sometimes you'll have thematic or aural connections that creates an intended sense of unity and focus that you lose by shuffling.

Matchbox41 · 06-08-2013, 10:53 AM

Yes, a messy tracklist makes for a poor listening experience.

anathematized_one · 06-08-2013, 06:35 PM

I only read about half of the posts and I have to say I agree, that even if an album weren't a concept album and isn't aa load of generic tunes or most pop music, then the order does matter in regards to flow.

There is another reason though that it is important to me. Certain artists and groups that I like are for me, hit and miss.

One example is Die Fantastischen Vier [The Fantastic Four, German hip-hop group].

I love about half of their material and the other half is simply annoying, but some of the tracks on either side of the fence (loved or annoyed) are ones I actually prefer to listen to on occasion when I am in the mood for them. By listening in order, I know which track numbers on which albums to skip or not. Shuffling them would make that difficult to remember, because again, there are some that I sometimes want to hear and sometimes don't so even if I made a mix without the ones I never want to hear, it would be tedious skipping, or if there was one in particular I wanted to hear, it would be even more tedious.

Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2

crazed · 06-08-2013, 08:22 PM

Never used the shuffle button, don't plan to.

Norg · 06-09-2013, 12:14 AM

1st track Heavy

2nd track there AAA track

3rd track the single

4th track there AA tracks

5th track Ballad

6th and 7th TEH MEAT or MIDDLE

8th ..????

9th this track is usually a good song

10th and 11th ..??????

12th the closer

Relentless · 06-09-2013, 03:22 AM

I don't shuffle an album. It loses impact of the story telling in a lot of ways. like Kendricks Lamars-Good Kid Maad City or Pink Floyd etc etc. majority of the time the artist put the songs in that order for a reason.

Uncle Vernon · 06-09-2013, 03:26 PM

I'm an album guy. Ever since I started listening to music seriously with Led Zeppelin (who were always an album band) I've always seen albums as one piece of art. So in 90% of the music I listen to, the order matters as the album is a piece of art that was made in a certain way for a reason. But then again, a lot of early jazz and blues were recorded before albums became a thing, so then it doesn't really matter. A lot of 60's soul focuses on singles and the album is never really thought out as an album, so that's also an exception.

The shuffle function is one I use if I listen to any of these genres and I want it to get more exciting, or if I've created say a hip hop playlist with songs and I want to be surprised. But putting "The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady" on shuffle would never work for me for example. I must say though, that it is fun at times putting your whole music library on shuffle...

06-07-2013, 08:55 PM	#21 (permalink)
Scarlett O'Hara Make it so Join Date: Oct 2005 Posts: 6,181	Most of time I listen to albums on shuffle, but when I get a new album I have a habit of listening to the album track by track in the order that it was intended. __________________ "Elph is truly an enfant terrible of the forum, bless and curse him" - Marie, Queen of Thots

06-08-2013, 06:35 PM	#26 (permalink)
anathematized_one Music Addict Join Date: May 2013 Location: Someplace Awful Posts: 123	I only read about half of the posts and I have to say I agree, that even if an album weren't a concept album and isn't aa load of generic tunes or most pop music, then the order does matter in regards to flow. There is another reason though that it is important to me. Certain artists and groups that I like are for me, hit and miss. One example is Die Fantastischen Vier [The Fantastic Four, German hip-hop group]. I love about half of their material and the other half is simply annoying, but some of the tracks on either side of the fence (loved or annoyed) are ones I actually prefer to listen to on occasion when I am in the mood for them. By listening in order, I know which track numbers on which albums to skip or not. Shuffling them would make that difficult to remember, because again, there are some that I sometimes want to hear and sometimes don't so even if I made a mix without the ones I never want to hear, it would be tedious skipping, or if there was one in particular I wanted to hear, it would be even more tedious. Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2 __________________ Sardonicus YouTube Channel

06-08-2013, 09:38 AM	#24 (permalink)
SGR No Ice In My Bourbon Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: /dev/null Posts: 4,326	It matters to me. The original tracklisting is the only way to listen to it for me. Each track fits into its own groove (most of the time) and they play off each other by the way they flow together and create tensions. Sometimes you'll have thematic or aural connections that creates an intended sense of unity and focus that you lose by shuffling.

06-08-2013, 10:53 AM	#25 (permalink)
Matchbox41 Groupie Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 17	Yes, a messy tracklist makes for a poor listening experience.

06-08-2013, 08:22 PM	#27 (permalink)
crazed Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Indiana Posts: 552	Never used the shuffle button, don't plan to.

06-09-2013, 12:14 AM	#28 (permalink)
Norg Music Addict Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 2,358	1st track Heavy 2nd track there AAA track 3rd track the single 4th track there AA tracks 5th track Ballad 6th and 7th TEH MEAT or MIDDLE 8th ..???? 9th this track is usually a good song 10th and 11th ..?????? 12th the closer

06-09-2013, 03:22 AM	#29 (permalink)
Relentless Groupie Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Jacksonville Florida Posts: 25	I don't shuffle an album. It loses impact of the story telling in a lot of ways. like Kendricks Lamars-Good Kid Maad City or Pink Floyd etc etc. majority of the time the artist put the songs in that order for a reason.

06-09-2013, 03:26 PM	#30 (permalink)
Uncle Vernon Groupie Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Stockholm, Sweden Posts: 27	I'm an album guy. Ever since I started listening to music seriously with Led Zeppelin (who were always an album band) I've always seen albums as one piece of art. So in 90% of the music I listen to, the order matters as the album is a piece of art that was made in a certain way for a reason. But then again, a lot of early jazz and blues were recorded before albums became a thing, so then it doesn't really matter. A lot of 60's soul focuses on singles and the album is never really thought out as an album, so that's also an exception. The shuffle function is one I use if I listen to any of these genres and I want it to get more exciting, or if I've created say a hip hop playlist with songs and I want to be surprised. But putting "The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady" on shuffle would never work for me for example. I must say though, that it is fun at times putting your whole music library on shuffle...