Single (music)

In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a song recording of fewer tracks than an LP record or an album. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, a single is a song that is released separately from an album, although it usually also appears on an album. Typically, these are the songs from albums that are released separately for promotional uses such as digital download or commercial radio airplay and are expected to be the most popular. In other cases a recording released as a single may not appear on an album.

As digital downloading and audio streaming have become more prevalent, it is often possible for every track on an album to also be available separately. Nevertheless, the concept of a single for an album has been retained as an identification of a more heavily promoted or more popular song (or group of songs) within an album collection.

Despite being referred to as a single, singles can include up to as many as three tracks on them. The biggest digital music distributor iTunes accepts as many as three tracks less than ten minutes each as a single, as well as popular music player Spotify also following in this trend. Anymore than three tracks on a musical release or longer than thirty minutes in total running time is commonly classed as an Extended Play (EP).

Singles (The Long Blondes album)

"Singles" is a compilation album released by the Sheffield band The Long Blondes on October 8, 2008 via Angular Records. The 12-track album collates all of the songs from the band's singles prior to their signing to Rough Trade Records in April 2006, released by various independent record labels. The compilation was released on the same day that the band broke up, with the album's inlay breaking the news of their decision to split.

"Singles" was named the 25th best album of 2008 by Artrocker magazine.

Background

The compilation features the previously unreleased song "Peterborough" and an alternate version of "Separated By Motorways". This version of "Separated By Motorways" differs from the single release, with the group opting to include Alan Smyth's demo version instead. The compilation also features rare information, pictures and early interviews with the band.

"New Idols" and "Long Blonde" were originally released by Thee Sheffield Phonographic Corporation on bubblegum pink vinyl as a double A-side. The latter was also featured on a split 7" with The Boyfriends on Filthy Little Angels (which also featured "Autonomy Boy"). These were followed by two singles on Angular Records; "Giddy Stratospheres" (backed by "Polly" and "Darts") and "Appropriation (By Any Other Name)" (backed by "My Heart Is Out of Bounds" and "Lust in the Movies"). "Giddy Stratospheres" was also released in the US on 12" by What's Your Rupture?, featuring the three tracks included on the UK version, plus '"Autonomy Boy". The band's final release before signing to Rough Trade was "Separated By Motorways", which came out on Paul Epworth's Good & Evil Records backed by "Big Infatuation".

Singles: Flirt Up Your Life

Singles: Flirt Up Your Life is a video game developed by Rotobee and published by German company Deep Silver in 2003.

It is very similar to The Sims in that the player is responsible for characters who have to be taken care of, such as by ordering them to eat, sleep, go to work, etc.

The game is available for sale via download from the company's website, with payment required to continue playing after the one-hour time limit expires.

The CD-ROM version sold in the USA censors any nudity throughout the game.

Comparison to earlier games

Singles was largely panned by critics for being a rip-off of The Sims and the way it offered little challenge, with the player required to simply follow a routine of making the characters progress from making small talk through to professing love then running off to bed together via the simple interaction menus. The 'needs' are also considered fairly inconsequential, with the characters never starving to death even when their 'hunger' need has dropped to zero.

Singles (Travis album)

Singles is the first and only compilation album from Scottish alternative rock band Travis. The album was released on 1 November 2004. The album consists of all of the band's singles from 1997–2004, as well as including two new tracks, "Walking In The Sun" and "The Distance". The album charted at #4 on the UK Albums Chart, performing considerably better than 12 Memories, actually selling the required 300,000+ copies that were shipped to make it a platinum album.

Track listing

Music (Erick Sermon and Marvin Gaye song)

"Music" is a 2001 hit single by Erick Sermon featuring archived vocals from Marvin Gaye.

The song was thought of by Sermon after buying a copy of Gaye's Midnight Love and the Sexual Healing Sessions album, which overlook some of the original album's earlier mixes. After listening to an outtake of Gaye's 1982 album track, "Turn On Some Music" (titled "I've Got My Music" in its initial version), Sermon decided to mix the vocals (done in a cappella) and add it into his own song. The result was similar to Natalie Cole's interpolation of her father, jazz great Nat "King" Cole's hit, "Unforgettable" revisioned as a duet. The hip hop and soul duet featuring the two veteran performers was released as the leading song of the soundtrack to the Martin Lawrence & Danny DeVito comedy, "What's the Worst That Could Happen?" The song became a runaway success rising to #2 on Billboard's R&B chart and was #1 on the rap charts. It also registered at #21 pop giving Sermon his highest-charted single on the pop charts as a solo artist and giving Gaye his first posthumous hit in 10 years following 1991's R&B-charted single, "My Last Chance" also bringing Gaye his 41st top 40 pop hit. There is also a version that's played on Adult R&B stations that removes Erick Sermon's rap verses. The song was featured in the 2011 Matthew McConaughey film The Lincoln Lawyer.

Music (Erick Sermon album)

Music is the fourth album and first album on J Records by hip hop artist Erick Sermon. It was received well critically and commercially. Its success was fueled by its title track "Music" which sampled vocals from Marvin Gaye and in terms of chart position is Sermon's most popular song, peaking at #22, along with inclusion on the soundtrack of the Martin Lawrence/Danny DeVito film What's the Worst That Could Happen?; the music video for the song featured scenes from the film intermixed with clips of Gaye performing in archived music videos and music programs. "Music" propelled the album to reach #33 on The Billboard 200 chart making it Sermon's second most popular solo album.

Track listing

Samples

Come Thru

Music

I'm That Nigga

Music (horse)

Music (foaled 1810) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse and broodmare who won the classic Oaks Stakes at Epsom Downs Racecourse in 1813. Music's success in the Guineas was the only win in a seven race career and gave her owner George FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton the first of twenty classic wins. Music was sold and exported to Ireland at the end of her three-year-old season.

Background

Music was a bay mare bred by Augustus FitzRoy, 3rd Duke of Grafton at his stud at Euston Hall in Suffolk. On the third Duke's death in 1811 ownership of the stud and the yearling filly passed to his son George FitzRoy, 4th Duke of Grafton. Her dam, Woodbine was a half-sister to the good broodmare Hornby Lass and herself produced several other winners including the 1815 Oaks winner Minuet. Music was sired by the 1790 Epsom Derby winner Waxy, who became an influential and important stallion, siring two additional Oaks winners and four winners of the Derby. Grafton sent the filly to be trained at Newmarket by Robert Robson, the so-called "Emperor of Trainers".