Artists are often celebrated for making great albums. I for one am not a big fan of the album and I’m kind of happy to see it fade away in this mp3 age. I don’t know why an artist should be required to make all the music he or she writes mesh in a cohesive way in order to release it. Artists like Billy Corgan have expressed anti-album sentiments. I think a single song can stand alone as a complete work of art. If it fits with other stuff, great. If not, who cares? I much prefer a good mixtape to a good album (because albums are so difficult that even good ones aren’t that good).
I propose that people celebrate “singles artists” a bit more. I don’t mean that everyone has to appreciate Top 40 hits; I just think that artists who only produce a couple great songs should get more credit. Exhibit A: Gin Blossoms.
Guitarist Doug Hopkins only wrote five songs on Gin Blossoms’ first major label release, New Miserable Experience. Only two of the five songs, “Hey Jealousy” and “Found Out About You” were any good. But they were great. After the album was completed, the band kicked Hopkins out because of his drinking problem and got famous off his two masterpieces. He committed suicide later that year.
You listen to those songs and you can’t help but wonder, “What else did he have in him?” He could have written so many more great tunes. But he might not have. He may have been a two hit wonder. But that shouldn’t be frowned upon. He wrote two masterworks. So many “great” albums don’t have any songs nearly as good as those. So let’s celebrate the people who only have a couple great songs in them. It’s more than most of us.
