'Data dumps' or works of art? The album fights for survival

Some music fans regard newly released albums as merely "data dumps" of music, but not everyone thinks the format has reached the end of its life.

Listening habits are changing with technology, but does this really mean the long-predicted death of the album? Paul Jeffers

Neil McCormick

Jan 11, 2021 – 3.27pm

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Here's a thought experiment for music lovers. I want you to picture one of your favourite albums, an all-time classic you have treasured since you first opened the sleeve, slid out the vinyl, set the record player to 33 revolutions per minute and carefully dropped the needle in the groove of track one, side one, with a satisfying hiss.

Or perhaps you slotted it into a cassette machine, pressed play on a CD player, or simply typed its title into the search engine of your chosen streaming service and tapped your Bluetooth earbuds for action.

The Telegraph London