I got 99 tracks…

The other day I was out mowing the front yard and wondering what I should write about next… I actually have been working on two topics, but wasn’t feeling the way they were going. While mowing, I hit my “audiobooks monthly limit,” and I started listening to music. Usually, I just put on my liked songs and Smart Shuffle, and a Prince song came on. That sent me down the proverbial rabbit hole.

I think the generations of today are missing out on a part of music that the generations of yesteryear knew. There was something special about buying that LP/cassette/CD the day it came out, pulling out the liner notes, reading about the artist, the songs, the inspiration, and the album, and then listening to the album from song 1 to song whatever. Many albums told a story and were meant to be listened to from beginning to end. This, at least to me, is missing from today’s music, as artists release a new single or “EP” every few weeks.

Back when I was a kid, to find artists you didn’t know, you could do one of two things… change the radio station—they were pared down: Top 40, country, pop, rock, alternative, oldies, etc.—or you found those Columbia House or BMG Music Club order forms and got 15 CDs for the cost of one (plus shipping). These were so awesome (as long as you remembered to cancel them!).

I remember getting so many BAD CDs. However, every now and then you’d find a gem. This was a memorable experience, trying to find enough CDs (they always had a limited selection and only a handful of the ones you really wanted) to pick just to get the 1 or 2 you really “had to have.”

You can still find artists who will release a “story,” but I do feel it is becoming a lost art. Just something that streaming has done to the music industry.

One of the examples for me was when I bought the album Lovesexy by Prince. Prince was always a favorite artist of mine. I just loved the vibe. However, listening to his older music today puts that “vibe” into a different light!

I ran out, bought Lovesexy, put it in the CD player, and hit play… The “big” song was “Alphabet Street,” but you couldn’t jump to it because this particular CD was only ONE track. The whole CD was one track, and it just flowed together, song by song. It was a masterpiece.

Since then, they have released it with individual tracks, but nothing will be that first listen, the way Prince wanted you to hear it.

Another thing streaming has changed is the art of the “hidden” tracks.

I was telling my teenage kids about hidden tracks, and both of them told me how dumb that was!

One day I was listening to a CD (maybe NIN), and it started clicking, like the CD was scratched (those who know, know). I looked down and saw the track number increasing, one by one:

15… 16… 17… 18… 30… 40… 76… 97… 99.

Then a song came on.

I was like, what just happened?

There were 75 empty, one-second tracks, but the song was worth the wait! It was something unique artists would do (usually it was only 4 or 5 tracks). These hidden tracks are lost. Hard to hide a track on a streaming service!

Don’t get me wrong—the streaming service I use, I use it A LOT. I love music, and I love the fact that you can listen to just about everything!

My daughter has turned me on to artists and genres I never would have known. TBF, when I grew up, there were like 5 genres, and now there are sub-sub-genres!

Streaming puts all different types of music at your fingertips. Not in the mood for this genre? Find something else. Want a mix? Mix it up. All that power is at your fingertips!

The “old” way of music is fading, and streaming is changing the game. But there will always be something special about liner notes, hidden tracks, and stories—something that is difficult, if not impossible, to recreate with streaming.