What makes a great album?

[Make me your Dream Life 87,723]

From a listener’s perspective, what does it need to be a great album? 
 

Bangers? Individual songs that make it good? 
 

An overall theme? Production? 
 

Discuss. 

[Psychedelic Pussy 30,107]

the atmosphere of the album as a whole, the visuals (especially the album art), but mostly its a combination of great production, vocals, lyrics and melodies. something cohesive and impactful that sounds good & makes you feel something

 

Case in point: Ultraviolence 

[TropicoKitten 5,012]

I love when an album is extremely cohesive. When every track sounds like it’s from the same universe, it helps me visualize the album better as a whole

[Black to Blue 5,679]

When each (or the overwhelming majority) of the tracks hit your soul. Of course this is dependent on the lyrics, music, album theme, etc. but it truly comes down to whether you feel something special in your soul when listening. This is subjective since not everyone will get this feeling when listening to a certain record.

[bonniewinterbottom 3,163]

Good album art (on theme as well) + cohesion in terms of production/sonority

[bluechemtrails 26,683]

A good concept that is maintained throughout the songs.

[honey dew 11,759]

Great songs ✔️ great track listing ✔️ unified overall sound palette ✔️ ➕ all brought to life with great visuals ✔️

[Embach 42,103]

I was just thinking about this few days ago!

 

My answer is creativity!

[Terrence Loves Me 72,683]

Two things: Good music (although this is subjective of course) and cohesiveness.

And cohesiveness doesn't have to mean that everything sounds the same, when i think of a great album the first thing that comes to mind is Britneys Blackout. That's a great example of an album that is extremely cohesive but every song is a different style and generates a different feeling. Production is also really important!

[Ethel Cain 9,011]

Emotion-evoking 

[Americen Whore 10,132]

Rick Nowels 

[Venice Peach 54,293]

Great songs (obviously) but also a bit of cohesion. There are some albums out there that sound like random playlists where every song is good but lack the feeling of listening to a whole record.

 

Great visuals are just a plus for me. They can elevate an album but I don't mind less effort in that aspect if the music is good on its own.

[The Siren 30,519]

Mix of personality, atmosphere and personal connection 

[PCM86 180]

Cohesion. Feeling all songs are on the same pace musically and that none is a filler. Then I would say the visual concept from it is important too, but musically speaking, just that.

[Quincy 4,371]

It varies, depending on the artist, genre and listener. 
 

Some would say that a “concept” album is as good as it gets. A record that tells a story or theme throughout, flowing effortlessly from start to finish. The best concept albums can have several hit singles, but they may include some tracks that need greater context to fully appreciate them as a whole.

 

Others would say that an album with hit after hit makes a great album. The flow and pace keep up, each song is followed up by another banger and there isn’t a dull moment on the record. 
 

I’d say I prefer the former, as concept albums are top tier. Now, I will say that it can be jarring if a track or two by themselves in a concept album lacks context or doesn’t make sense (I’d use Pink Floyd’s, The Wall as a prime example). I don’t often have time to listen to an entire album from start to finish. 
 

In my own personal taste, including with Lana, here’s what makes an album great to me:

 

Creativity, variety, flow, musical arrangements, thoughtful lyrics and pace. 
 

Some albums move too fast and I want to be able to pause and appreciate them in the moment. This is why I love tracks such as Venice Beach and A&W. You can get lost in the track and even be momentarily lost in the whole experience, which can be profound.
 

Sometimes too many words or too short of a song leaves me wanting more. I also am not a fan of filler material. There’s no black or white rule that states how long an album must be, how many tracks it has to contain, etc. 

 

For a bonus, unique album art is great too. It can bring the whole story together and create a special experience for the fan. 
 

Another honorable mention is track selection. Ideally, I’d like the first track to do one of two things. It either slowly draws the listener into the music, or it immediately establishes the entire mood of the record. How tracks flow is important. Not every album has to be a concept album, but if the tracks bounce around too much, it can be jarring. I also appreciate if the record ends on a high note. It can be a long, moving arrangement to fade out the story, or it can be an epic final track that leaves a lasting impression. 

[Party Favor 10,308]

me liking it 

[HoneymoonHaze 121]

literally the album cover. if the album cover is bad, the songs will be bad.