2015 Lessons: The Album Isn’t Going Anywhere
There’s been a lot of hand-wringing and soul-searching within the music world in the wake of Adele’s blockbuster 25 debut, which crushed every first-week sales record… and then crushed every second-week sales record. Here are the facts: Adele’s third album scored the biggest U.S. album debut since such stats started getting tracked in 1991, and it did so without appearing on any streaming services. Now, the industry must parse through what that means. Is this a one-time example of a transcendent artist doing what literally no other artist can do? Or is it indicative of a profound sea change in the way music is marketed—i.e., a huge blow to streaming as a necessary component to how artists will make money in the future? Is this a (very big) uptick in a downward spiral, or a sign of hope in a constantly shrinking industry?
Either way, one thing is clear as we approach the end of 2015: music fans—specifically, fans of the art form known as the “album”—have won, big time. Those proclaiming that the album is dead as a viable commercial entity have watched their arguments die, as the biggest music story of the year is one revolving around a full-length. Sorry, EP advocates; the LP is still the champ. And 25 is not the only rebuttal in the debate.
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