Listening to a curated playlist based on a prompt, mood, or genre can be just as much of a unique experience as a proper album. These are significant reasons that immediately come to mind.
An Artist’s Discography Isn’t Consistent
I can’t think of any band or music artist that doesn’t have one or two stinkers. Not all their music is printed on gold-plated discs. Sometimes their worst material is an entire album, or maybe just a handful of songs. With playlists, I can scrap the songs I don’t care for and keep the ones I do.
I try to follow a strict rule though: if it’s part of a concept album, keep the songs together. Those are albums where each song is connected, creating a theme—like Marilyn Manson’s Triptych.
I prefer listening to concept albums from start to finish, especially when I’m listening with the front of my brain, a good pair of headphones—and, as corny as it sounds, my heart. Otherwise, it feels like I’m reading random chapters of a book.
Playlists Can Be Curated Based on Mood and Genre
When I create playlists, it’s to serve a particular purpose—a mood, genre, or to enjoy my favorite songs. I’m not entirely concerned with quality; it’s there to serve as candy for my brain while I work. But when I do listen to albums, it’s strictly done on CDs.
For example, when I’m feeling gloomy, I tend to sink into a mix of Alice in Chains, Nine Inch Nails, and a hodgepodge of handpicked songs from The Smiths, Nirvana, and lo-fi. Of course, this extends to genres, too. If I’m in no particular mood and just want to jam, give me a combination of Megadeth, Cradle of Filth, and metal any day of the week.
I even go as far as to curate a playlist based on fictional stories I’m working on. As I’m working out the scenes in my head, it’s almost always accompanied by music. It serves as a muse, of sorts, allowing me to sink into the mood of the story.
Playlists Help Me Gauge What I Feel Like Listening To
I listen to playlists and albums in almost equal amounts, but the true power of a playlist is when I’m in an audio lull. When I have no idea what I’m in the mood for, I retreat to a playlist of my favorite songs.
This usually leads to multiple listens of a particular song or two. And when that happens, I almost always listen to the album that song comes from. Put me in a vacuum with NiN’s The Becoming, and suddenly, I want to listen to all of The Downward Spiral. Sometimes a single track has that kind of pull.
I Love Burning Mix CDs
I do very little music streaming; I prefer owning my music instead. One of the most useful benefits of this is getting to burn mix CDs. Perhaps it’s a bit archaic these days, given the ability to stream music, but I’d rather not run up my mobile data bill. A mix CD is the next best thing!
Part of the fun is creating mix CDs based on a prompt, silly or otherwise. “Songs That Make Me Think of Winter” or “Songs That Would Fit in a Marvel Movie” or “Songs That Put Me to Sleep” are just a few examples. That’s way more entertaining and challenging than “Best Pop Songs of 2020”.
However, the real fun of having a mix CD isn’t just to enjoy, but to share as well. Many of the people in my family listen to a lot of the same music. Any mix CD I make is inevitably loaned and forgotten about, and it’s a great feeling knowing someone else can enjoy it.
What matters most is that music playlists feel personalized. That’s when they’re at their best; otherwise, albums beat random playlists every single time. To me, a well-curated playlist has the power to make me revisit albums I’ve heard a million times. That’s what I want out of every playlist I create.