Battleofendor wrote in another thread ...

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I generally try not to buy an album for one song. Chumbawumba taught me that lesson

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Probably most of my CD's are brought only knowing one song - Dido, Offspring, latest U2 one and so on.

So how do you buy CD's - have to have heard more than one song or is hearing just that one song enough?

Before i buy a CD, i usually want to hear most of the songs on the album beforehand so i know whether its worth getting or not.

In my opinion one or two reasonably good songs is not really good enough to buy a full album. There has to be quite a few songs on the album, which blow me away when ive heard them.

Chumbawumba was a baaad experience.
Beyond "Tubthumping", the CD was just about worth a coaster.

For Dido, I unintentionally waited until "Don't Leave Home" was released.

I did jump the gun on Six Pence, None the Richer's last one because I worship their Crowded House cover.
The songs are good, but the album overall sounds like a college town bar on a Wednesday during Summer quarter.

I bought Martin Page's "House of Stone and Light" for the title song, but he came with good creditials from Phil Collins.
That particular album was a really weird rush when played all night while reading Jean Aule's "Children of Earth" series.

I bought the new Dido cd based both on the fact that I liked her previous cd, I heard song samples on the net & I read favorable pre-release reviews. That's usually the route I go for most artists I have already heard or own a cd from them.

Some artists like REM, U2, Bevis Frond, Van Morrison, Wilco- I'll buy their latest release without song samples or reading reviews as long as I liked their previous record. The exceptions here are bands which lose key members (if Bono left U2 and the band continued on recording with a new lead vocalist- definately need song samples & reviews) or which have reunions after a significant amount of time (no telling what they'll sound like).

For new artists I've never heard before, it's song samples & reviews (from critics I trust). I try to buy as many cheap various artists compilations as possible to get a feel for the sound of new artists.

If I can't find samples or downloads, if reviews don't help but I know I like at least one song on the cd, then I only buy if it I can find it used. Many record stores allow customers to listen to used cd's (or even break open new ones). Sometimes the one song on a cd I like may turn up on a various artists compilation or maybe, if the artist is around for awhile, it'll be on a best-of record. Yeah, that might take a lot of waiting. I just bought the best of 311 cd as I don't really care for any whole album they've released.

CDs are a nightmare - I've picked up loads for just one song (spin doctors - two princes being probably a good example).

I think the problem is more exaggerated by CDs though - it is just so easy to skip the thing on to the next track - so you never end up listening to the whole thing properly. Back in the days of vinyl you put the thing on and listened to the whole side becuase it was such a pain to move the needle even if a track wasn't immediately listenable!

Generally I'll buy based on a friends recommendation (some you trust more than others) or occasionally completely blind (when completely flush with cash!!) with some success (Prodigy - Experience, Belly - Star) and some disasters (Juliana Hatfield 3).

I've personally only bought one CD for one track, and that was Fischerspooner's album #1 (for the song Emerge). But I usually know what I'm getting because I tend to purchase videogame soundtracks.

I just bought the new Modest Mouse CD because I love "Float On".

Beyond one other song, that CD is destined to collect dust.

I think a more prudent purchase would be Barry Manilow's Greatest Hits for Copa Cabana.

Just yesterday I bought the whole "Troy" soundtrack because I absolutely loved the song that was played during the credits.
Usually I don't do that. If I like just one song, I'll keep a look out for the single. Of course, if your favorite band releases a new album and you have only heard the first single, then you buy the album, anyway...
Sometimes I buy CDs without knowing anything at all about the music, but that's only the case if the CD in question is a cast recording of a musical. (I'm mad about musicals). Most of the time, I didn't regret that

Why don't you just download the songs and then burn them onto cds?

Oh to have the equipment to do that Monkey!

I do that all the time, buy an album for one song,I did it on friday, I brought an album with songs by various artists just because i liked 4 of the 48 songs, it's a stupid thing to do really, but if I really love the song and it doesn't be played on the radio much or if I can't find the single of it then the only way to hear it is, to buy the album and after listening to the song 100 times i get fed up with it, so it's a waste of money i think buying an album for one song, I just hope by forcing myself to listen to the other songs on the album i might like them too but most of the time i don't like the the others.