The internet can unite far greater numbers behind a single concept than ever before. It also has the power to allow every single person to define a unique cultural aspect for him or herself.

In a not so recent column, I waffled on a bit about how the internet, particularly the MP3, MP4, or whatever format emerges, will change music. Recently, some or other band, took the first step towards showing the way ahead with an announcement that they would only be releasing singles in future, specifically with the internet in mind.
The reason for this step, they announced, was that they could release the singles quicker and didn’t have to delay the release while they cobbled together enough material for an album. I can relate to the situation: I rarely find an album, or more appropriately a CD, with more than three songs that hold my interest. Let’s have the singles and be done with it. Think of it as a return to those small wax discs, but in a digital format.
That being said, I won’t be downloading any of that particular band’s singles. It’s one of those fairly standard, marginally alternative, ‘we’re-so-grunge-you-can-believe-in-us’ type of bands. I hate template music. Something different with a large amount of passion gets me ever time.
I have mixed feelings about the demise of the album though. There were a whole bunch of excesses, and of course the matter of artists slinging together mediocre songs to fill albums so that they could release the one good song as a single, but more likely sell the more expensive album in the hopes that at least parts of it would be almost as good as the single.
On the other hand, there were genuinely great albums where most of the material was as good as the single or singles. No more ‘White Album’. No more ‘London Calling’. No more ‘Ziggy Stardust’, still a jaw-dropping experience almost 40 years on. But how long will it be before a compilation CD, ‘Greatest Internet Hits’ emerges on the shelves?