Does song order matter?

[Interviewer/surveyer]

I've always wondered that. Does the order songs are in on a cd impact how good the c.d. is? Personally, I think it shouldn't, but it still does for me. I always think that the first 4 tracks are the songs the artist likes most, along with the last track, so I tend to observe those songs more. I don't want to, but I know sub-consciously I do it.

For example, (an album most of us know and enjoy) would Blackwater Park be any worse with this song order?

1. Dirge for November
2. Blackwater Park
3. Patterns in the Ivy
4. Harvest
5. A Funeral Portrait
6. The Leper Affinity
7. Drapery Falls
8. Bleak

[Eliminator]

the flow could be worse maybe not the album or music itself

[Russell]

im certainly not going to rearrange to my albums to test that.

[Kage]

Dude, the song order is everything.

[Eliminator]

someone please write an random album ordering program at once

[repcak]

When i did a CD it took me several hours, cause i paid attention that each song flows perfect into another :)

//expert

[masscows]

song order is important

[alytee123]

Re-arrange the tracks on Catch33. It pretty much still flows together every different arrangement.

[repcak]

very!

[Stevie II]

song order is important for most good music

[Meatplow]

it matters very much, I had a crappy ipod for several months that refuses to put albums in a coherent order and it annoyed me to no end

[repcak]

try to listen to "Mop" from the end to the beginning -> this would be the best example

[Stevie II]

try listening to an album played randomly and it will not have the same flow to it..

i also rarely listen to one song on its own. I nearly always listen to a full album or nothing

[Pete]

its different for different albums. some albums have a very defined flow to them while others have songs that are either too similar or too different for it to matter.

[Brad Norris Fan 777]

yeah song order matters

[G_Mac07]

try listening to an album played randomly and it will not have the same flow to it..

i also rarely listen to one song on its own. I nearly always listen to a full album or nothing

This.

[Ghoul Hustler]

Not to me, but I rarely ever listen to whole albums.

[Brad Norris Fan 777]

fag

[Ghoul Hustler]

fuk you you dont no me go fuk ur own mom

[okay]

is the sky blue?

[naboo]

Definitely important. For some albums it's like taking a movie and rearranging the scenes.

[Pete]

is the sky blue?

sometimes

the sky itself doesnt really have a color though

[FatalEnergy]

It definitely matters for concept albums. Operation Mindcrime, Abigail, Nightfall in Middle Earth, etc.

[DBlitz]

Depends on the album, but I think it usually does - if an album starts of well I have enough reason to listen to listen to the next song.

[McP3000]

It definitely matters for concept albums. Operation Mindcrime, Abigail, Nightfall in Middle Earth, etc.
well duh

but im pretty sure the issue is about non-concept albums with no story or interlocking themes

[FatalEnergy]

Well, besides concept albums I still think it's important.

The band/artist/whatever put the songs in the order they did for a reason.

[McP3000]

i totally agree

OK Computer wouldn't be nearly as good if the flow was bad

(still great, but not ****ing amazing like it is now)

[willfellmarsy]

Completely matters. The way each song on an album flows is crucial to how that album effects the listener. Though i agree with whoever said this is true of good music. A slow/fast song at the wrong time can completely ruin an album and make those songs bad even if on their own they are good.
Perfect example is City by Strapping Young Lad. If Room 429 was anywhere else in the album it would just mess up the entire heaviness of the album. It being second to last, and right after the listener has been bludgeoned with speed and heaviness throughout is a perfect break right before one more burst of aggression.

[Jude]

It's way important although more so for some albums than others. If it's intended to be listened to that way, then more will be lost by listening to it randomly.

In one case I had some album on my mp3 player and the tracks didn't have numbers, so the songs were just in alphabetical order. I didn't realize it until most of the way through the album (which I wasn't familiar with), but the whole time I was like, man, this album has horrible flow.

[1338 h4x0r]

someone please write an random album ordering program at once

allfather:$ ls *.mp3 | perl -we 'print sort { rand() <=> rand() } <>;'
06.\ Gebrechlichkeit\ II.mp3
01.\ Dunkelheit.mp3
05.\ Rundgang\ Um\ Die\ Transzendentale\ Saeule\ Der\ Singularitat.mp3
04.\ Gebrechlichkeit\ I.mp3
02.\ Jesus'\ Tod.mp3
03.\ Erblicket\ Die\ Tochter\ Des\ Firmaments.mp3
allfather:$

SIQQ

[Angmar]

Putting Filosofem in that order is madness.

[1338 h4x0r]

nuh uh

[Angmar]

But the album is suppose to have a black metal beginning with an ambient climax, putting the ambient stuff at the start and middle just ruins it! :mad:

[1338 h4x0r]

nuh uh

[Angmar]

**** You! :angry:

[1338 h4x0r]

nuh uh

[Interviewer/surveyer]

I think the general consensus is that it does matter, but it varies depending on what cd it. Certain albums have a higher emphasis on the importance of song order.

[marcus_in_absentia]

Yea it matters, especially for concept albums.

[Eliminator]

order doesnt matter a whole lot with most grind albums tbh

[PIGS(1 different one)]

man songz dont even matter juzt play whatever tha **** u wont lozl

[FreeSmells]

Depends on the album, but I think it usually does - if an album starts of well I have enough reason to listen to listen to the next song.

Yep yep.
Tbh though some albums sound better on shuffle.