Concept record
| Concept album | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | 1940s–50s |
| Subgenres | |
| Other topics | |
A concept album is an album in which its tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Sometimes the term is referenced to albums considered to be of "uniform excellence" rather than an LP with an explicit musical or lyrical motif. The exact criterion for a "concept album" varies, with no discernible consensus.
The format originates with folk singer Woody Guthrie's Dust Bowl Ballads (1940) and subsequently popularized by traditional pop singer Frank Sinatra's 1940s–50s string of albums, but the term is more often associated with rock music. In the 1960s, several well-regarded concept albums were released by various rock bands, which eventually led to the invention of progressive rock and the rock opera. Since then, many concept albums have been released across many different musical genres.
Concepts are general ideas, thoughts, or abstract notions. There is no clear definition of what constitutes a "concept album". Fiona Sturges of The Independent stated that the concept album "was originally defined as a long-player where the songs were based on one dramatic idea – but the term is subjective." A precursor to this type of album can be found in the 19th century song cycle which ran into some of the same difficulties in classification. The extremely broad definitions of a "concept album" could potentially encompass all soundtracks, compilations, cast recordings, greatest hits albums, tribute albums, Christmas albums, and live albums.
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