Streaming services like Pandora and Spotify have revolutionized music and the music industry over the last few decades, greatly impacting the art that is music production both positively and negatively. On the one hand, instead of having to buy physical music or scrounge for favorite songs on the radio, listeners have virtually unlimited access to main-stream artists and smaller, independent artists. They can curate playlists, have algorithms recommend songs to them based on which tracks they listen to on a particular day of the week, and blend their music preferences with friends, among a multitude of other newly-introduced aspects of these apps. However, on the other hand, smaller, less conspicuous aspects of music production that were once vital to successful artistry are becoming less important in terms of monetary and popular success, and therefore are falling out of style. Namely, album sequencing, which is the process of ordering songs in a particular way on an album, EP, or mixtape, has become a rarity. Album sequencing can be the difference between a good album and a masterful album, evident in the past, present, and hopefully, in the future.
What Makes an Album Well-Sequenced?
An album’s sequencing has many elements, but the main ones are the first impression (track one), ending (final track), and the pacing of the songs in between. What makes these elements “good” is of course subjective, but generally, an album’s sequencing is successful when it not only captures the audience’s attention, but holds onto it, preventing the album from feeling like just another playlist, and instead taking the listener on a journey throughout the collection of songs. Ideally, an average listener should be able to listen to any song from an artist’s album and be taken back to that journey; they should want to experience the album again every time they are pulled back into that first back-to-front journey, the same way a person would ideally watch a scene from a film and have the urge to rewatch the entire thing. Simply put, an album’s sequencing is “good” if it is intentional– and if that intention translates to the consumers, even as they take different interpretations of the lyrics and melodies.
There is no template that artists should follow, as the ordering of tracks on a collection of songs is extremely unique to the songs and the message the artist themselves wants to convey. However, there are unspoken rules that most “Album Sequencing for Dummies” sites would share with someone new to the idea of album sequencing. For example, avoiding making the lead single of the album the first or last track or placing the lead singles (if there are multiple lead singles) in consecutive track numbers. As to the former, placing a lead single at the front or tail end of an album is synonymous with sharing the opening or concluding scene of a movie in the teaser trailer; it causes a lack of suspension and can lead to quick disinterest, especially in the short-attention-spanned society of the present. It is typically a much better idea to leave the listener wondering where the single fits in the cohesive body of the album. You will quickly notice that many themes within the art of album sequencing pertain to holding the attention of the listener, an unpredictable and increasingly challenging task, and one that artists have long had to undertake, though the methods have evolved with cultural and societal trends in the past and present.
Albums That do Sequencing Right.
To best exemplify the power of album sequencing, it is necessary to provide examples of albums that are good, but have been elevated to near masterpieces because of the sequencing and overall cohesion of the album. One example that comes up in nearly every discussion of the most well-ordered albums, and in the discussion of best albums in general, is Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. This album sold over 20 million copies and remains a cultural phenomenon, not only for the numerous hits such as “Don’t Stop,” “Dreams,” and “The Chain,” but also for the collective story the album presented, which detailed speculations about relationship drama in the band and the reason for their messy formation. The sequencing of “Rumours” by Fleetwood Mac is a testament to the band’s tumultuous personal lives during its creation. Against a backdrop of romantic entanglements and internal strife, the album unfolds like a diary of their collective experiences. “Second Hand News” kicks off the story with lead-guitarist and co-vocalist Lindsey Buckingham’s introspective musings, followed by lead-vocalist Stevie Nicks’ haunting “Dreams,” embodying the raw pain of heartbreak. Buckingham’s determination to move forward is evident in “Never Going Back Again,” while “Don’t Stop” offers a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos. His conflicted emotions come to the fore in “Go Your Own Way,” before keyboardist and vocalist Christine McVie’s “Songbird” provides a moment of solace. The unbreakable bond of the band is captured in “The Chain,” leading into McVie’s joyful “You Make Loving Fun.” “I Don’t Want to Know” and “Oh Daddy” offer closure, while “Gold Dust Woman” concludes the album with an enigmatic exploration of addiction. This carefully curated sequence not only showcases Fleetwood Mac’s musical prowess but also provides a window into their turbulent lives, making “Rumours” a timeless masterpiece.
Another point of discussion in music creation is how many songs are in an album, more specifically, how many songs are too many to keep the attention of an average listener (seeing as dedicated fans are likely to listen to albums no matter the length). Undoubtedly, it is simpler to create a cohesive and intelligible flow between songs when there are fewer; an extremely well-organized, short album is more memorable than a jam-packed 32-song album that is a bit sporadic in its order, for most consumers. Thriller by Michael Jackson, though shorter than most albums with only nine songs, is a masterclass in sequencing, with each track flowing seamlessly into the next to create a captivating listening experience. The album begins with the infectious energy of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” setting the stage for the electrifying journey ahead. This is followed by the catchy and upbeat “Baby Be Mine,” leading into the playful duet “The Girl Is Mine” with Paul McCartney. The album’s centerpiece, the iconic title track “Thriller,” emerges with its eerie atmosphere and groundbreaking music video, solidifying its status as a pop culture phenomenon. The energy continues with the legendary “Beat It,” featuring Eddie Van Halen’s iconic guitar solo, and then peaks with “Billie Jean,” perhaps Jackson’s most famous track, with its infectious bassline and enigmatic lyrics. “Human Nature” provides a moment of reflection before “P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)” returns the energy with its infectious rhythm and catchy melody. Finally, “The Lady in My Life” closes the album on a soulful note, showcasing Jackson’s tender vocals and emotional depth. Through its expertly arranged tracklist, Thriller remains a timeless masterpiece that continues to captivate audiences worldwide.
More modern examples of successful sequencing are Melodrama by Lorde and To Pimp a Butterfly by Kendrick Lamar. In To Pimp a Butterfly, Kendrick Lamar takes listeners on a journey through the complexities of race, identity, and self-discovery, with tracks like “Wesley’s Theory” and “These Walls” leading into powerful reflections on black culture and personal growth. Meanwhile, Melodrama by Lorde navigates the extremities of young adulthood and heartbreak, with its sequence moving from euphoric celebrations in tracks like “Green Light” to poignant reflections on loss and longing in songs like “Liability,” crafting a cohesive exploration of the complexities of love and life. Each album’s sequencing is deliberate and immersive, enhancing the listening experience and deepening the thematic resonance of the music.
A New Approach To Sequencing
Since the rise of streaming platforms, there has been a noticeable decline in the art of album sequencing. With the ability to access individual tracks at any moment, listeners often consume music in a fragmented manner, bypassing the carefully curated journey that artists intended. As a result, the significance of sequencing has diminished, with fewer albums being conceived as cohesive bodies of work. Instead, there is a tendency for artists to prioritize individual tracks that stand alone as singles, rather than crafting albums with a deliberate flow and narrative arc. Additionally, the prevalence of shuffled playback further disrupts the intended sequencing of albums, diluting the impact of transitions between tracks. While streaming platforms offer unparalleled accessibility, they have also contributed to a shift in how music is consumed, leading to a decline in the appreciation of album sequencing as an art form.
However, not all artists are turning away from the concept of sequencing; some have leveraged the digital landscape to experiment with new approaches to album releases and sequencing, profoundly impacting how music is consumed and experienced. Beyoncé’s Lemonade, released in 2016, exemplifies this evolution. Beyond being a groundbreaking visual album, Lemonade was strategically crafted for the streaming era. The album’s seamless transitions between tracks, coupled with its accompanying visual narrative, transformed the listening experience into a cohesive journey of emotion and storytelling. Beyoncé’s decision to release Lemonade as an exclusive on Tidal initially and then subsequently on other streaming platforms demonstrated the power of these platforms in reaching global audiences instantly. The album’s impact was not just musical but cultural, sparking conversations about race, feminism, and marital strife, while also showcasing the potential of streaming platforms to elevate artists’ creative visions and amplify their voices on a global scale. Lemonade represents a paradigm shift in how artists utilize streaming platforms to connect with audiences, redefine album releases, and create immersive musical experiences that resonate far beyond the confines of traditional album formats.
An Indispensable, Ever-lasting Importance
One of the biggest reasons many avid music-buffs are not partial to the introduction of music streaming is the lack of sentimentality and decline of true appreciation of songs and albums on their own, in the way they were intended to be listened to. When you think of albums as a collective piece of art in the same way as a novel or a film, this decline doesn’t make much sense. You wouldn’t typically watch different scenes of a movie out of order or read chapters at random. Admittedly, there are differences in the plots of novels and films and the necessity for prior information, yet the point still remains that the artist intended for the listener to listen to songs in the order they were placed, and therefore the intro song and the interludes are necessities if one wants to consume music in the way the artist intended it.
