When was the last time you listened to a complete music album released by an artist? Most of us these days pick up just one track from an album and play it on loop. Then it ends up in our “Favourites” playlist and keeps playing while the rest of the songs in the same album are ignored like Joe Biden ignores Elon Musk. I wonder how many people remember the name of the album to which their favourite song belongs.

The search for similar songs is easier than you have imagined. When I like a song or discover a new artist, I tend to search further for identical stuff. As I have noted, the songs of an album or artist are almost similar. There is a different kind of joy in discovering sometime all by oneself. Nowadays, you may find is easy to click on “Start Song Radio” in music streaming services, but exploring the album might be more rewarding.

Gramophones, audio cassettes and music CDs have become extinct. Consider yourself lucky if you have seen at least two of these things, functioning. Back when I was a kid, there were no iPods or cellphones; so we didn’t have music in our pockets. I remember ending up with a torn pocket after trying to forcibly fit in Walkman circa 2004. But it was a pleasure to watch the headshell needle on the rotating vinyl disc, as music from the gramophone filled my grandfather’s room. Skipping songs from an album then wasn’t easy as you had to pick up the needle, guesstimate a location and then place it there to hear your desired song – and most of the time, you’d be wrong.

Some vinyl records are still available for purchase, but I’d rather sing a song myself. I was recollecting the memories of listening to music from a gramophone and almost decided to buy one, with some vinyl records. I wanted to have something where I can play some good music and relax for a while like men in those good ol’ days. A quick search online showed me the hefty prices, and my urge to buy anything related to vinyls instantly disappeared.

Albums still exist. But they might not, after a few years, if you keep listening to only one song from an album. Artists and bands have started releasing EPs, and albums have started their battle against existential crisis. EP refers to Extended Play. Duration-wise, it is something longer than a single track but shorter than a music album. Usually EPs contain around four to five songs only, or have less than thirty minutes of music. But some EPs are so good that I wish they were albums. I realise the importance of albums when I listen to an EP and start cleaning my room or searching for something, but the music ends way too sooner. I am not against EPs, but this makes me miss the continuity that albums and vinyl records offered. And if you have read this so far, please start listening to complete music albums.