When an artist writes an album, they place the songs in a particular order. They have a story to tell, and that story has its own sequence.
When vinyl records were the only option, we listened to albums from beginning to end. Sure, we could skip a song—or start an album in the middle—but it was more cumbersome than it is today.
We don’t start novels in the middle. Nor recipes, plays, movies, or even classes at the gym. So why do we do it with music?
Of course, like most others, I save my favourite songs and shuffle through them on Spotify, but I also listen to albums in their entirety to try and understand why the artist ordered the songs in that way.
I think it gives us listeners a richer insight into their art, talent, and mind.