Singles

[2pints-mate 0]

Quote:

78 million CD, tape and vinyl singles were bought in 1999 - the height of the physical single's popularity - but this fell to only eight million CD singles in 2007.

I used to buy quite a lot of singles, 7" and 12" then to a less extent CD singles.



Looks like the market is almost expired here.

Is there a singles market in Japan or it is all albums?

[big-will 7]

They might have had a longer life in the UK if the people in charge had not messed around with the format so much on CD that it was just outrageously overpriced. The limits they put on them were both complex and idiotic. Something like a maximum of 3 different tracks, 14 minutes with no one song over 6 minutes and other nonsense rules to get them valid for the charts. It became a joke. I remember buying singles as well and at first on CD they were really good.

[veronica 2]

Yeah cd singles in the uk are totally messed up. US has been much better with longer maxisingles. Problem is they still often put some tracks/remixes only on the uk versions or even promos that aren't available commercially anywhere (sometimes ending up being the best versions as well!), well with the bands I like anyway. It is annoying.

 

What will happen to the extra tracks that were once b-sides? Will they be download-only, will albums get longer or will we just be ripped off further with deluxe versions of the album once everyone has the original.

[base40 0]

78 million. Thats a lot of singles.