Do any major bands not release singles?

musicismylife78

Even the bands that come to mind (Tool, The Mars Volta) that are "album bands", bands who make coherent, cohesive albums that have themes and such, release singles.

can you think of any major bands that refuse to release singles?

soulsinging

Singles are irrelevant in this day and age of the internet. You can hear and buy anything you want online and radio is all but dead and worthless. Look at MTV, music videos are nothing more than short commercials for an artist, never played for more than 30 seconds. That's all a single is anymore, a soundbite. Nobody buys them, it's just like a tip... hey dj, play this one, it's catchy.

Three of PJ's biggest hits were never released as singles (black, betterman, corduroy).

musicismylife78

while you are correct about the power of music videos and such, seeing as MTV and Vh1 decide to play Road Rules marathons instead of actual music videos.

However I disagree on your second point.

The whole problem with iTunes from my perspective is that the so called album bands that I listed, and alot of bands in general, put effort into the sequencing of songs, and the album as a whole. So going to iTunes and getting the new Bruce single, and the new Death Cab single, is sort of counter productive.

Albums in my mind should be digested whole. They chose a song to lead off the album and a song to close it, and they chose them for a reason.

People do indeed by singles, look at what happens when an album comes out. iTunes gets alot of visits and the song that is bought the most is usually the single(s).

To be honest alot of times a bands singles arent even that mindblowing. was Worldwide Suicide really deserving of being the lead off single for Avocado?

The people who dont torrent, and buy album's legally these days, will go to iTunes and most likely dont buy the entire album. They buy a few songs from the band, and most likely the songs they buy are gonna be the singles.