Perfect length of a studio album

[That 70s Guy]

45 mins

11 tracks

 

[CLASIKROKR]

Talkin' about age, remember when bands would put out an album a year, or sometimes two in a year? It takes bands 2,3,4 years to produce an album anymore, and sometimes they produce "crap". I say the more songs the better, at least half of the album might be good!!

 

[AboutAGirl]

Talkin' about age, remember when bands would put out an album a year, or sometimes two in a year? It takes bands 2,3,4 years to produce an album anymore, and sometimes they produce "crap". I say the more songs the better, at least half of the album might be good!!

Agreed 500%

Instead of putting out a filler-filled piece of crap thrice a decade, bands should craft succinct, focused 30-40 minute records once or twice a year.

 

[Rika]

I don't have a preference really, I just take each album as it comes. But generally, the majority of albums that stand out to me are in the 10-12 tracks range

 

[Gabble Ratchet]

It really depends on the album. I have the patience to listen to hour and a half prog odysseys, but that's because most of them are high quality all the way through. If say a punk band or a pop band were to release an hour and a half long album it just wouldn't fit, their niche is 30 - 40 minute albums.

So IMO there is no perfect length, it's all relative to the music

 

[LG]

^^Good point Sal, I just finished playing one of Bruckner's Symphonies that clocked in at about 70 minutes. The CD has been a godsend for classical music, of course most of those compositions have stood the test of time and people don't mind the length of them.

If a band takes 3 years in between studio albums then I find no reason they can't knock my socks off with the new album, as we already said in the days of vinyl one 40+ minute record a year was the standard contract between artist and label.

 

[Harkat]

It really depends on the album. I have the patience to listen to hour and a half prog odysseys, but that's because most of them are high quality all the way through. If say a punk band or a pop band were to release an hour and a half long album it just wouldn't fit, their niche is 30 - 40 minute albums.

So IMO there is no perfect length, it's all relative to the music

seconded!

IMO, as long as it is high quality music, I dont really care.
Wintersun's latest album 'Time' has been in the studio for about 6 years now. All Jari wants is to make a really perfect album and I am quite willing to wait for that top quality album.

 

[Craig in Indy]

I agree with those who judge by total time rather than by number of tracks. Maybe I got used to that from spending my youth listening to Jackson Browne albums that ran, like most LPs of the day, about 40 minutes, but had only 8 tracks on them.