How do you usually listen to music?

[SlappyMcGee]

I'm not saying that just watching the ear chopping scene from Reservoir Dogs is entirely without merit but the entirety of the work is more than its climax and that's always true, no matter the medium. Maybe I could more easily understand your point with some examples?

Paper Planes?

[Tanner]

Paper Planes was released as a single. I would still prefer to listen to all of Kala but I think the artist has given their blessing in regards to listening to just Paper Planes by releasing it as a single.

[SlappyMcGee]

Paper Planes was released as a single. I would still prefer to listen to all of Kala but I think the artist has given their blessing in regards to listening to just Paper Planes by releasing it as a single.

There are billions of songs released as singles. So, you're cool with those?

[Tanner]

Paper Planes was released as a single. I would still prefer to listen to all of Kala but I think the artist has given their blessing in regards to listening to just Paper Planes by releasing it as a single.

There are billions of songs released as singles. So, you're cool with those?

Yep.

[yungerkid]

Specific examples? Wherever the effect created by the whole is only slightly greater than the sum of its parts, individually. As for specific songs that carry effectively as much weight on their own as they do in sequence with the album, I'd have to say that for me any Rammstein song will do. Most trance stuff that I have listened to is also fairly free-standing. Power Quest also comes to mind, and Dragonforce too. Generally, songs that derive their quality solely from their creativity and unique sound and/or style are going to be individually powerful.

[Izzy]

Usually by artist or album, but then there are those absolutely fuckmazing singles that just have to be repeated repeated repeated repeated.

[aids]

With speakers, or headphones

How the fuck else can you listen to music? *takes out sheet music*

[SlappyMcGee]

With speakers, or headphones

How the fuck else can you listen to music? *takes out sheet music*

I think that's the joke. :/

[Donfuy]

Albums, most of the time.

[乳头的早餐谷物]

Nice job ruining the poll, whoever ruined the poll.

[Lenny]

I love playlists. Usually shuffling through my Awesome Music one, but otherwise listening to entire albums or artists which I stash in other playlists.

Oh, and occasionally I use speakers and headphones too. But only when I'm actually listening to music.

----------------
Now playing: Nigel Sabin - Celebrations
via FoxyTunes

[yungerkid]

I don't want to create a list of all my favourite bands, because I like to rely on raw memory, but I might be about to do so, just to remind myself about certain bands.

[t̷s͢uk̕a͡t͜ư]

I don't want to create a list of all my favourite bands, because I like to rely on raw memory, but I might be about to do so, just to remind myself about certain bands.

What the-- why?
There is such a ridiculous amount of interference that can affect your memory of large sets of things. Content is free to change, delete itself, or add new non-existing items to itself if you rely on highly volatile storage.
Do you also prefer to store your food on public park benches? Keep your class notes scribbled in sharpie in a bathroom stall?

[yungerkid]

Well, I usually remember songs when I want to listen to them. They just pop into my head. I also don't have all that many bands to remember - about 50 or so in total, probably, and from a number of very different genres. The storage is not highly volatile - it doesn't change. But I think I am going to start a list now. I can remember all of the bands, but not off the top of my head.

[t̷s͢uk̕a͡t͜ư]

The storage is not highly volatile - it doesn't change.

You just called human memory non-volatile. You make me lol so much, yungerkid.

[yungerkid]

I said that my memory in this particular area was non-volatile. And I know that from personal experience with that memory. I can't remember very much right off-hand, but in time I can remember quite a bit, and the list changes very slowly if at all. This is especially so in remembering bands, which are each distinct and which are each on the list for a reason.

[Tanner]

Rainman? Is that you? Reports of your death have been greatly exaggerated.

[SlappyMcGee]

I'm hoping he is relying on the literal interpretation of Wikipedia's seventh best definition of the word.

[t̷s͢uk̕a͡t͜ư]

You are not a fucking robot, no matter how badly you wish you were.

[capt_weasle]

I really only over listen to music when I'm driving, but this ends up being pretty often since I started commuting an hour away for school.
Realistically, the process goes something like this:
Let "Song X" be the song I'm presently obsessed with.
1. Turn on shuffle. Start with Song X.
2. Repeatedly skip songs until I find a song I feel like listening to. Average number of skips between songs could be 2 or 3 on most days, or up to 10 on others.
3. Repeat step 2 one or two dozen times.
4. Play Song X.
5. Turn off shuffle and listen to a bunch of songs by the same artist who performs Song X.
6. Play Song X.
7. Go back to step 2.

This. However I do have a few playlists that I frequent, such as Recently Added, EDM, Classical, and my Movie playlist, which contains both soundtracks and certain songs that feel cinematic.

[Zer0]

Hard to explain for me, if I see music, I get it.

[epigone]

Almost always when I'm listening to my own music, its an album at a time. I listen to Last.fm a lot though, and that's just a pure shuffle of random music.

[a happy song]

Playlists or albums, depending on my mood.

[RiKoLaS]

1 song at a time. I'm not that patient, so I usually get sick of a song/artist after a bit.

[Evil Bob]

Where's the "with my ears" option?