From Adele to Zeppelin: now that's what I call music overload
Yet, even when armed with these recommendations, there is still room for discontent. When you’re faced with endless choice, there is always a strong sense that something better is out there waiting for you to find it.
We’re about to enter the season when those who write about and talk about music highlight their albums of the year. Your trusted hip sources may well be urging you to check out 2012 releases by Miguel, Metz, Andy Stott, Dr John, Kendrick Lamar, John Talabot, Bat for Lashes, Merchandise, Adrian Crowley or Rebekka Karijord. Even if you trust the person recommending those releases, are you willing to stick with these albums until they stick with you? Or will you take the easier option of clicking, for the rest of your days, in search of an instant high or that perfect song or artist?
The old routine of selecting an album, investing time and money in it and sticking with it is over. Many albums were never as good as they sounded in the shop, or even lived up to the hype that caused you to pick them up in the first place, but there were plenty that revealed their charms only after many listens.
There are still music fans who will give an album the time the artist who produced it thinks it deserves, but mainstream fans will already have clicked away shortly after the second song has begun to play if the music fails to hook them. The fact that they now have millions of places to go in search of musical thrills makes breaking this new habit all the harder.
Three of the best Where to listen online
The go-to streaming service with more tracks than you will ever get around to listening to. Also see Deezer, which is sort of the French for Spotify.
Hype Machine’s excellent website keeps track of the acts and tunes music bloggers are covering and allows you to hear the highlighted tracks.
Music with pictures: why didn’t anyone else think of this first?