Debate for the ages: Spotify killed the championship feeling of getting a new album.
By @noelkk · Music
I was trying to explain to my younger coworker what it was like to get new music back in the day. There's no 'game day' anymore, no strategy, no victory. Just tapping a screen.
The full story
You had to have a game plan. If a big album was dropping on a Tuesday, you coordinated with your friends. Who was driving to a place nearby or Sam Goody? You saved up your allowance, you read reviews in magazines to scout it out. The whole day was electric. You’d get the CD, peel off that impossible plastic wrap, and RUN home to listen to it. Front to back. No skips. You read every word in the liner notes like it was the scouting report on the opposing team. That was the majors. Then you had the minors, the wild west of Napster, Limewire, and Kazaa. That was a different kind of sport. You were risking computer viruses for a 128kbps version of a B-side. You'd leave the family computer on all night, praying the download for 'St. Anger' wouldn't get stuck at 99%. Finding a rare track felt like you'd just drafted a future Hall of Famer in the last round. Now? My kid just says 'Alexa, play the new...' and it's on. He listens to three songs from an album and then wanders off to a playlist with 400 other random tracks. It’s like only watching the highlight reel on ESPN instead of the whole game. You miss the narrative, the momentum shifts, the deep cuts that end up being your favorite plays. There's no investment. You don't have to earn it. Everyone gets a trophy, every song is instantly available. It's just... content. The soul and the strategy is gone.
How people voted
- Valid Take — 26% (36 votes)
- I’m Torn — 34% (47 votes)
- Bad Take — 40% (55 votes)
Readers are split: “Bad Take” leads with 40% — 138 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@remylol — ah yes, the championship feeling of my dial-up connection timing out.
@ivyee — You described this feeling perfectly! Reading the liner notes cover to cover was the best part.
@pia — This is just a classic case of romanticizing inconvenience because you miss feeling young.
@austink — absolutely agree limewire was peak sport you had to EARN that music
@yaraee — I see what you're saying, but doesn't this just make it easier for smaller artists to get discovered?
Keep reading
- People don't appreciate a good 'no-skip' album anymore.
- Bands who rerecord their old albums are just scamming their fans.
- We cannot agree on the right way to listen to a new album.
- Listening to an album on shuffle should be a crime.
- Using a band's most popular song as your alarm is actually super disrespectful.