The whole can be greater than the sum of the parts, such is the concept of a great album.

Sufjan Stevens‘ Illinois made an impact on the indie music scene back in 2005.

The album was 22 songs long, timed in at over 70 minutes, and garnered amazing critical success.

The album was intriguing not just due to its length, but to its concept: all the songs were written and inspired by Stevens driving around Illinois, and the history of the state itself.

The loss of the artform of the album is something that the music industry has been fearing for a while, which would involve the loss of great pieces, such as this, being created.

The album has reigned as the prince of popular music formats for nearly a century. Yet, it’s become unclear how long this reign will last. Digital technology has transformed the way many listeners experience music and fueled a resurgence of the short-form single.

For the past several years bloggers, critics, industry pros and consumers have contributed to countless articles and comments discussing the merits of this transformation. Most of these discussions have revolved around business models and economics. If the album becomes obsolete, what will it do to industry profits? How will artists continue to make money? Conspicuously missing is any thought given to how all of this will effect music as an art-form.

From Creative Destruction

The article also has great points on alternate release strategies, and how an artist can take advantage of them.

The album may still be right for your music, but with the success of the single on iTunes, some of this may apply to your music in the future, so its worth paying attention to.

Technorati Tags: advice, album, creative destruction, sufjan stevens

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