Five albums you shouldn’t shuffle on Spotify

In a music landscape full of playlists and surprise single drops, the art of the album has become underappreciated. Instead of listening to artists’ projects from start to finish, a lot of us skip to find our favourite tracks, then hop to another playlist once our attention span expires. After absentmindedly pressing play on Spotify, we might even end up listening to an album on shuffle, much to the dismay of artists who’ve stressed over the sequencing of the songs.

That’s why Adele requested that Spotify remove the auto-shuffle function on her new album 30, which was released last Friday. We don’t create albums with so much care and thought into our tracklisting for no reason,” THE FACE’s cover star said in a tweet. ​“Our art tells a story and our stories should be listened to as we intended.”

Now, the streaming giant has announced that the change will be implemented for all music on the platform, as part of a new Premium feature. ​“As Adele mentioned, we are excited to share that we have begun rolling out a new Premium feature that has been long requested by both users and artists to make ​‘play’ the default button on all albums,” confirmed a Spotify spokesperson. ​“For those users still wishing to shuffle an album, they can go to the Now Playing view and select the ​‘shuffle’ toggle.”

To celebrate, THE FACE team have rounded up their favourite albums that sound even better when played from start to finish. No skips, just vibes.

Davy Reed, Music Editor

Why you need to listen from start to finish: First of all, there’s a credible argument to be made that Down on the Street – with the heavy rhythmic swing of Ron Asheton’s malicious proto-punk riff and Iggy Pop’s unhinged yelps – is the best album opener ever. Then the pacing across Fun House’s seven songs is just perfect. After the intensity of the first three tunes, you can almost hear Iggy wipe the sweat off his brow during the downbeat breather Dirt, before it all kicks off again for 1970. Towards the end of the latter tune, Steven Mackay shows up to improvise on the saxophone, lingering around for the rest of the record. Ultimately, The Stooges completely fall apart on the chaotic, atonal closer L.A. Blues. It’s actually quite upsetting to think that anyone’s listened to this album on shuffle.

Stream it now here.

Olive Pometsey, Features Editor

Why you need to listen from start to finish: As the vocal arrangements swell to a crescendo and Nicki Minaj​’s narration gets increasingly deranged on opening track Dark Fantasy, it becomes clear that Kanye West​’s fifth studio album is going to take you on a journey – and boy, what a journey it is. A sonic roller coaster through the controversial rapper’s mind, West lifts you up to the peak of his ego on tracks such as POWER and Monster, then plummets you back down to earth with the internal toil laid bare on Runaway and Lost In The World. Impeccably produced throughout, it’s an album that marries tenderness with brute braggadocio, revealing two sides to one of the most divisive artists of our time. Oh, peak Ye, how we miss thee.

Stream it now here.

Jessica Morgan, Deputy Editor

Why you need to listen from start to finish: As a veteran beyhive member, I couldn’t contribute to this feature without giving a shout out to one of the best albums of the decade. I still remember when Lemonade dropped and listening to opener Pray You Catch Me for the first time. Beyoncé​’s harmonies reach a crescendo before she opens her heart and embraces her vulnerable side. Detailing her – ahem – husband’s infidelity, something which she had never spoken publicly about, Lemonade is a call to arms for Black women to know their worth and value. From Don’t Hurt Yourself to Sorry to the finale, Formation, Beyoncé teaches us all about the things we have missed, ignored or submerged and empowers us all at the same time. There’s no way you can listen to the entirety of this album out of order. Let’s get it in formation!

Stream it now here.

Craig McLean, Consultant Editor

Why you need to listen from start to finish: This is back at the top of my listening pile in light of the release of the Taylor’s Version re-record. But while I’m definitely not suggesting that the new, 30-track iteration of TayTay’s fourth album has to be listened to in a oner, the blockbuster version of this album has reminded me of the agenda-setting brilliance of the 2012 original. It careens out of the traps with the guitars-turned-up-to-11 State of Grace, as if Swift has the ghosts of relationships past on her heels – ghosts that propel her, not envelope her. Also being left for dust is the country music scene whence she came – a sense amplified by, in sequence, the dubstep‑y fire of I Knew You Were Trouble, the autumnal romantic reflection of All Too Well and 22’s ceiling-punching freedom. True, even the 16-song Red could have been a couple of songs shorter. But as a statement-of-intent about where Taylor Swift was at, and where she was headed, this is the album as life snapshot. Listening to it out of order? That’d be out of order.

Stream it now here.

Jade Wickes, Staff Writer

Why you need to listen from start to finish: It’s one of the greatest albums of all time, from one of the most important bands of the Nineties. So it would be remiss not to listen to this one in full – and in order. Nevermind kicks off with the era-defining Smells Like Teen Spirit, which leads a lightning-bolt charge through Kurt Cobain​’s psyche. Come As You Are​’s call to arms is offset by the sheer darkness of tunes like Polly, a moment you get yanked out of by the thundering irreverence of Territorial Pissings and Drain You. Then comes Lounge Act, a jealousy-soaked banger – and personal favourite Nirvana song – which spells a gradual descent into melancholy. Cue Something In The Way, a song as beautifully tender as it is sad. Basically, Nevermind will completely transport you for all of its 49 minutes 15 seconds runtime, whether you’re sad, happy, pissed off or all three at once.

Stream it now here.