Nas’ critically revered "Illmatic" hit record store shelves 30 years ago today. The digital age has ensured that there will never be another album like it.
I know it doesn’t sound like a tech article but it is!
What distinguishes a good album from a mixtape (which is what the article was essentially describing when it said albums where dead) is in a good album there is a central theme (be that a story, emotion or simply a repeated refrain) the songs flow into each other each building on the last, a good album also has a good opening and closing track that introduce or resolve all the tension in the album. It is true many people don’t listen to albums from cover to cover anymore, but those who truly love music do because most of the time it is the best way to enjoy it
Reclaimer by Shadow of Intent is one of my personal favorite examples of a well put together album, and that I love to listen through from beginning to end.
I cant speak for everything on that list, and I generally agree with you, but as a fan of Eminem it has always been an annoyance for me that he cannot keep to a theme to save his life. Maybe in the first four you could argue his theme was kept through cohesion sonically but no way do any of his recent works carry a theme. How many love songs on music to be murdered by? Kamikaze stops to take a stroll trough nowhere with Normal, good guy🤐 and bad guy then a soundtrack to a superhero movie and despite being great, stepping stones fits nowhere on then album.
Counterpoints:
To Pimp a Butterfly - Kendrick Lamar
The Rising Tide - Fort Minor
The Black Parade - My Chemical Romance
Wretched and Divine - Black Veil Brides
Lincoln Park’s entire discography
Natural Causes - Skylar Grey
Endgame
Appeal To Reason - Rise Against
Eminem’s entire discography (Revival excluded)
Oh my heart - mother mother
Fallen - Evenescence
The Search - NF
Carolus Rex - Sabaton
Amorphous - Icon for Hire
Goodbye and Good Riddance - Juice WRLD
What distinguishes a good album from a mixtape (which is what the article was essentially describing when it said albums where dead) is in a good album there is a central theme (be that a story, emotion or simply a repeated refrain) the songs flow into each other each building on the last, a good album also has a good opening and closing track that introduce or resolve all the tension in the album. It is true many people don’t listen to albums from cover to cover anymore, but those who truly love music do because most of the time it is the best way to enjoy it
Reclaimer by Shadow of Intent is one of my personal favorite examples of a well put together album, and that I love to listen through from beginning to end.
I’ll check it out
I find it astounding that many people don’t listen to whole albums front to back.
How do you hear a song you love and not want to hear more of it? The best way to hear more is to hear an album as the artist intended it to be heard.
It’s Linkin Park. Found it amusing that you’re stating their whole discography is great, but misspelled their name.
Lol woops
I cant speak for everything on that list, and I generally agree with you, but as a fan of Eminem it has always been an annoyance for me that he cannot keep to a theme to save his life. Maybe in the first four you could argue his theme was kept through cohesion sonically but no way do any of his recent works carry a theme. How many love songs on music to be murdered by? Kamikaze stops to take a stroll trough nowhere with Normal, good guy🤐 and bad guy then a soundtrack to a superhero movie and despite being great, stepping stones fits nowhere on then album.