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

Zer0 · 06-07-2013, 06:44 AM

Inspired by a friend telling me that he only listens to albums on shuffle. I don't really understand the point of doing that as I feel that the album can lose some of it's impact on the listener. I always try to listen to albums in the order the artist intended. Granted there are plenty of albums where the sequencing seems wrong, but when the artist (or producer) gets it right and each songs flows perfectly into the next it can really make the album sound better on the whole and take you on a trip. I also like the idea of a beginning, middle and end to an album where certain songs seem to suit best at certain stages. Even when I'm creating playlists for myself or others I always try to put the songs in the order I think works best rather than just randomly.

**Goofle** · 06-07-2013, 07:11 AM

I try it with some albums that are kind of starting to bore me, but generally I think it's an odious experience.

Zer0 · 06-07-2013, 07:18 AM

The only real case where I'll listen to an album on shuffle is if it's a compilation and the song sequencing doesn't really matter to me as much. Other than that I have to listen to albums sequentially.

**Goofle** · 06-07-2013, 07:28 AM

Sometimes I download an album and the tracks aren't in order. I listen to it and judge it based on that, but when you realise it's clearly out of order (one song ends with silence and the next fades in) then I have to go and put it back together again or it feels incomplete.

Paedantic Basterd · 06-07-2013, 08:09 AM

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.

djchameleon · 06-07-2013, 01:57 PM

If I'm listening to the album for the first time then it HAS to be in order than the artist intended but after that it's anything goes depending on how I feel about certain tracks. I will mostly skip around on my own but not really shuffle though. I mark which tracks are my favorite then I'll play those in order.

ZiggyStardust · 06-07-2013, 02:04 PM

sidewinder · 06-07-2013, 02:17 PM

I agree with most of the statements, track order most definitely matters. Not just because the artist intended it to be that way, but because it usually flows well that way and I can't think of a compelling argument for not listening to it in that order. Other than trying to get a new perspective on an album you're very familiar with, just for fun. But I'm never done that. I'll shuffle a playlist with multiple albums in it, of course, but an album is an album.

The only album I can think of that would sound the same in order or on shuffle is Aphex Twin's Drukqs, as I've never felt that much thought went into ordering the tracks. It feels very random to me, and I actually separated the two discs into my own "chill" and "hyper" discs rather than having it all mixed up like RDJ did.

Urban Hat€monger ? · 06-07-2013, 04:15 PM

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.

Thom Yorke · 06-07-2013, 04:31 PM

I think it does. Even if it isn't a concept album or anything, once I listen to the album a few times and get into the flow of it, it's tough for me to listen to it out of order. I just like getting into the flow of it where I know what the next song will be an I love to key in on the transitions.

06-07-2013, 06:44 AM	#1 (permalink)
Zer0 ∞ Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 3,792	Do The Order Of Songs On An Album Really Matter To You? Inspired by a friend telling me that he only listens to albums on shuffle. I don't really understand the point of doing that as I feel that the album can lose some of it's impact on the listener. I always try to listen to albums in the order the artist intended. Granted there are plenty of albums where the sequencing seems wrong, but when the artist (or producer) gets it right and each songs flows perfectly into the next it can really make the album sound better on the whole and take you on a trip. I also like the idea of a beginning, middle and end to an album where certain songs seem to suit best at certain stages. Even when I'm creating playlists for myself or others I always try to put the songs in the order I think works best rather than just randomly. __________________ Last FM \| RYM \| The Final Sound

06-07-2013, 07:18 AM	#3 (permalink)
Zer0 ∞ Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 3,792	The only real case where I'll listen to an album on shuffle is if it's a compilation and the song sequencing doesn't really matter to me as much. Other than that I have to listen to albums sequentially. __________________ Last FM \| RYM \| The Final Sound

06-07-2013, 02:04 PM	#7 (permalink)
ZiggyStardust Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2013 Location: Mars Posts: 108	__________________ Welcome to the internet, where opinions are like toilets; everyone thinks theirs are perfect but the public ones stink.

06-07-2013, 02:17 PM	#8 (permalink)
sidewinder Engorged Member Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 5,536	I agree with most of the statements, track order most definitely matters. Not just because the artist intended it to be that way, but because it usually flows well that way and I can't think of a compelling argument for not listening to it in that order. Other than trying to get a new perspective on an album you're very familiar with, just for fun. But I'm never done that. I'll shuffle a playlist with multiple albums in it, of course, but an album is an album. The only album I can think of that would sound the same in order or on shuffle is Aphex Twin's Drukqs, as I've never felt that much thought went into ordering the tracks. It feels very random to me, and I actually separated the two discs into my own "chill" and "hyper" discs rather than having it all mixed up like RDJ did. __________________ last.fm \| my collection on RYM \| vinyl instagram @allthatyouseeandhear I'd love to see your signature/links too, but the huge and obnoxious ones have caused me to block all signatures.

06-07-2013, 04:15 PM	#9 (permalink)
Urban Hat€monger ? The Sexual Intellectual Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Somewhere cooler than you Posts: 18,605	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. __________________ Urb's RYM Stuff Most people sell their soul to the devil, but the devil sells his soul to Nick Cave.

06-07-2013, 08:09 AM	#5 (permalink)
Paedantic Basterd Music Addict Join Date: Sep 2010 Posts: 5,184	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.

06-07-2013, 04:31 PM	#10 (permalink)
Thom Yorke Music Addict Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 1,848	I think it does. Even if it isn't a concept album or anything, once I listen to the album a few times and get into the flow of it, it's tough for me to listen to it out of order. I just like getting into the flow of it where I know what the next song will be an I love to key in on the transitions.