How much do you listen to your favorite albums?

[Rob]

In the introduction to my Climbing the Mountains of Music topic I explained I wanted to spend more time with albums. All the albums I love I have listened to quite a lot. When I listen to one once or even twice I might have a feeling of whether I like it or not, but I rarely feel I have a grip on it yet. Compared to say films and books it is more elusive. In recent years, since joining AM I noticed I only spend much time on only a few albums a year; maybe five or so. I felt quantity listening surpassed qualitative listening after a while.

When talking to many of my friends about this I noticed that they find this unusual behavior. Many of them listen to favorite albums (or playlists) over and over. As I used to do. I feel that this forum is very different and I want to check if my feeling is correct. Especially since some people can give massive lists for 2020 already I wonder if you all make such lists based on only one listen per album? Do you feel you can judge them adequately then? Personally I notice that with music familiarity deepens my love for it.

[DaveC]

For me, 3 is the magic number. Forming an opinion after 1 listen is a mistake: If I like the album a lot, the chances are that it will get boring quickly*, on the other hand a good album rarely reveals itself on first listen. After 3 listens, I can form an opinion that probably won't change radically - then I know if it is an album that I want to hear again or not.

* has poptimism broken out because critics have too many albums to hear and not enough time?

[Jirin]

I've got a program that randomizes what albums to listen to and the higher on the list they are the more often they come up. But unless I'm doing a tournament or something my favorites might come up 3 or so times a year.

[prosecutorgodot]

All the albums on my list I've listened to at least three times each. It doesn't go on my list if I'm not familiar with it. And certainly the albums higher up are more familiar.

At the same time, I don't keep count of how many times. If I like it I'm going to come back to it. But a minimum of two is a given.

I treat all-time favorites perhaps a bit more loosely, moreso trying to work in as many genres and styles that I can.

[Schüttelbirne]

I've listened to most albums on my list more than once, but my general attitude towards an album rarely changes on repeat listens. My opinion which one is better does change all the time, but that's mostly due to two-dimensional ranking not being able to completely describe the different dimensions music possesses for me.

Listening to an album many times can certainly deepen the appreciation for it, but it can also disenchant it in a way. I read an interview with some classical music person a few months ago and he talked about his favorite musical composition and how he makes sure not to listen to it to often, so he doesn't completely memorize it, because it would break the spell of it.
That's something I experienced with my SOY this year, Kaja Draksler Octet's "Away!", which blew me away at first listen. It was an incredible experience and having listened to it a few times it became my SOY. But I think I listened to it too often, and now I know exactly what instruments come in at what point and how both singers are singing together at that exact point to emphasize the lyrics etc. I still love the song of course, but in a way repeat listens can retroactively worsen a musical experience.

So I make sure not to listen to some of my absolute favorites too often, although that certainly depends on the album. I can listen to the Nina Hagen Band albums without my opinion of it being impaired, but Cecil Taylor Unit's Dark to Themselves is an example, where I really try to not to listen to it too often, because the experience of actually listening to it is very unique.

So, this was my opinion for today; tomorrow it might be totally different, so take the above with a sea of salt.

[Live in Phoenix]

I've typically listened to something 5-6 times before I even put it on a list or rank it for something like the "final round" '70s decade poll (maybe four times if I *just* listened to it). It might take a few listens for a song to even pop out. (It might take just one listen to harshly judge a song ) At one point, several years ago, I heard everything on the main page's top 100 album list 8-12 times. It feels kind of ridiculous keeping track of listens -- not that I can point to any given album and immediately say how many times I've heard it -- but I guess I felt for a while that I had to before I could "move on."

[Listyguy]

Most of my absolute favorite albums I listen to a few times a year, but it certainly varies based on my mood and the length of the album (for example, I've probably listened to Blue and Revolver 5-6 times this year, but Electric Ladyland only once).

[Andre]

Quite some years ago, Moonbeam wrote on this forum that he is more a song person rather than an album person. At that moment I found myself in another position and used to mainly listen to albums a lot, not so much to songs only.

This has changed drastically over the last few years, and now I hardly listen to albums anymore. Two reasons I can possible think of causing this change: Having less time to listen to music and Spotify having gotten me addicted to creating playlists.

When it comes to giving a reliable or stabile rating for an album, it takes about 3 to 4 listens on average. This should clarify if it is becoming a "friend" or not. If I need more listens, it is usually a good sign and the album is interesting and potentially becomes a favorite.

Some all-time favorite albums like Remain in Light or Murmur, I still go back to, like 2 or 3 times per year ...

[Edre Depeche Head]

I don't have a specific method and I believe music doesn't need any rules. Do you love it and wanna listen to it every day or every other day, go for it! Do you wanna listen to it and revisit in a week, go for it! There are albums i return to dozens of times a month and still enjoy just as much. There are also albums that I listen to once or twice a year and I also love them just as much. Any opinion is valid rather that be a first impression or a 50th listen, it is all valid. As a YouTube reviewer, I try to listen to an album at least twice but it all depends on my mood since I am a casual listener. That being said, if I can form an opinion on first listen then so be it.

At the end of the day, there is no "magic number" in my opinion and I just think people should listen to shit as much as they want to because there is no rules in music listening in my opinion.

[Gillingham]

I listen to my favorite albums about once a year or even less if they are well established favorites. This is mostly because I want them to keep being magical, as others have said. But also a bit because of time, because discovering new(ish) albums takes up most of my listening time.

When it comes to new albums (for me) I want to listen to them at least twice, unless I didn't find anything interesting at all, then I might listen just once and only re-listen months or so later. And for ranking the year albums, at least two, preferably about at least four listens. But when an albums comes out late in the year (or I discover an album late in the year) then I might listen to it less, because I don't like to binge listen in a couple of days. I prefer to spread listens of the same album out a bit.

But at the moment lack of time is definitely a big issue too.

[aalamar]

When my generation began listening to rock music there were no spotify nor other music services. There were no computers, well except Sinclair's Spectrum 16 or 64 Mb. There were no internet. There just were the LPs you paid for. There were no rock music radios in my country at that time.

The only playlists that existed were to buy a "the best of ..." record. So the natural way of listening music was listening the whole LP. And we use to do it a hundred times a year because you couldn't afford buying a lot of them. Then came the CDs: you could play them on an aleatory way!

My kids can't understand that I still keep listening the whole LPs. But I can't imagine how you could listen to a single song of "Quadrophenia", "The dark side of the moon" or "Black and Blue".

With the arrival of Spotify to my family a year ago things are changing. I begin listening to Acclaimed Music playlists!. And I'm slowly but surely learning that you can use playlists. Or even make your own ones. Besides this, you have access to all known music on the earth! Too much!

... but I continue to listen hundreds of times a year the albums of The Who, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and The Doors.

[Edre Depeche Head]

My kids can't understand that I still keep listening the whole LPs. But I can't imagine how you could listen to a single song of "Quadrophenia", "The dark side of the moon" or "Black and Blue".

I find that funny! As some one who is a teenager I always use Spotify to listen to full LPs. I try to go for two walks a day so I bring my nice headphones and find either a full classic album or a brand new albums to listen to on my walk. I still make playlists of my favorite songs, genres, and artists i'm obsessed with, but I still genuinely believe that if you want the full listening experience, you have to listen to the whole damn thing!

You are right, a lot of people my age that are not music fanatics don't listen to albums as much but that being said, the group of people in my age that I do talk to are also big music fans and all listen to albums lol! We also have all been working on building up our record collection with both old and new records. I am sure I am in the hundreds now and listening to records on a good sound system really is a totally different experience!

Lastly, i'm with you on listening to certain artists a ton throughout the year. I return to Depeche Mode and Radiohead all the time.

(PS - Quadrophenia is my favorite Who albums and I love seeing it get some love!)

[Rob]

It seems that most people more or less agree here. For me, the opinion doesn't radically change after three listens most of the time, except perhaps when over a very long period where my tastes change somewhat. Seems incredible to me. For the Mountains of Music topic I have not set a number of required listens, but I have listened to all of them at least five times. I indeed know the rating after three times, but I also want to deepen my knowledge in more detail before writing.

Still surprising that people find the time to listen to so many albums three times to make an long end-of-year list. I listen to music a lot, but can't see me ever doing a top 100 list at the end of the year with exclusively albums I love and having heard them three times.

* has poptimism broken out because critics have too many albums to hear and not enough time?

I doubt this is a popular opinion, but it almost makes sense (although shifting tastes and dwindling readers play a role too I guess). Pop music tend to sound great on the first listen, but loses it's luster very quickly for me. After the first hook, there usually isn't much there there in my opinion, which is why I can't find myself embracing the poptimism movement anytime soon (that and the frequently shallow lyrics).

[Fred]

Not much

[poorpete]

I learned to give every album at least three tries, and I'm glad other here say the same! Three is just enough to get those hooks to hook. If it doesn't impress the brain at that point, it's time to move on. A few years ago I listened to NPR's 150 Greatest Albums By Women+ and after one listen of Yoko Ono's Plastic Ono album I was like "I only live once, I'm choosing to never listen to this awful drivel ever again." But once I finished listening and reranking them all, I thought it was only right that I'd give it two more listens, and after three... I didn't hate it. Amazing how music works on us (or at least me hehe).

I'm now onto not rating films after one watch too.

My favorites albums I try at least once a year. Like a favorite film, not quite enough to memorize it all, but enough that every tiny part, like an accidental banjo strum in Pet Sounds or Paul Simon rubbing his moustache, brings a tingle of joy.

[Nassim]

There are usually between 1 and 3 albums a year (new releases or old ones I discover) that I am going to listen to "a lot" which for me will mean between 20 and 30 times over a couple months.
Albums I really love (say, my top 250 albums of all time) I probably will listen to 5 to 10 times on the first few months after discovery.
Albums I like (anything I would add to my all time list which right now is around 550 albums long) I usually will listen 3 to 5 times over the year after discovery.

I would guess I listen to most albums in my top 100 at least once a year and those in my top 25 a bit more often.

I also have a few playlists, some artists specific that I will go back to fairly regularly (I don't think a month goes by where I don't listen to some LCD Soundsystem, Built to Spill or Run the Jewels, even if not to a full album)

[Jirin]

My reason for mostly listening to albums and not songs is it would take so much more work to pick a new song every few minutes.