Easy - it is the first single released from the album. I really cannot see where any confusion arises!

This.

 

Lead implies something or someone that is FRONT or AHEAD of everything else - whether it's someone taking the lead, leading someone to something, etc. - the implication is still the same in each case. So therefore the lead single would be the one that is released ahead of all the others (so the first single to be released).

 

Seems pretty obvious to me, and I didn't realise anyone even referred to it as the second poll option :wacko:

This.

 

Lead implies something or someone that is FRONT or AHEAD of everything else - whether it's someone taking the lead, leading someone to something, etc. - the implication is still the same in each case. So therefore the lead single would be the one that is released ahead of all the others (so the first single to be released).

 

Seems pretty obvious to me, and I didn't realise anyone even referred to it as the second poll option :wacko:

 

It leads the public into the album in a way surely?

I have always classed it as the first official single off of an album not including buzz or promo singles. As has been previously mentioned Starships would be the official lead single off of Roman Reloaded, with Stupid Hoe being just a buzz single.

 

It will always be a dodgy area as some buzz/promo singles are given radio airplay/music videos etc confusing matters, and many songs which are meant to be lead singles end up being classed as buzz tracks usually due to a chart performance which confuse matters further.

I believe a 'lead'' single should account for the single released before the album (whether its the first before the album or second before album). If there is two or three singles before an album, i would declare the first and second singles as a 'buzz' singles. This can even apply to katy perry's california gurls and robbie williams's bodies (the first single will hold the 'buzz' or 'hype' until the album release) and then use the second single to heavy promote the album

 

In regards to X Factor (Matt Cardle, Alexandra Burke, Leona Lewis), the winner's single can be classed as a 'buzz' single. Both alexandra and Leona listed their winners singles as a bonus track to their album.

 

The only other way to tell the difference between 'buzz' and 'lead' singles is by the 'official confirmation' by the record label.

Edited March 23, 201213 yr by soundseekerz

The single that leads the album, therefore the one released directly before it. There's a reason "lead single" and "first single" are two separate terms.

For me, the lead single is the very first single from an album era, regardless of whether one or two more singles follow before the album is released. Being in the lead literally means being first anyway.

 

I tend to refer to the single released just before the album as the 'launch single'.

In this day, I class the single(s) before the album as buzz generators. The single that leads the album is the one that is released with/directly before it (if not the first single).

 

Examples:

 

Katy Perry - Teenage Dream

(buzz single, California Girls, lead single, Teenage Dream)

 

Jessie J - Who You Are

(buzz single. Do It Like A Dude, lead single, Price Tag)

 

Emeli Sande - Our Version of Events

 

(buzz singles, Heaven & Daddy, lead single, Next To Me)

 

Lana Del Rey - Born To Die

 

(buzz single, Video Games, lead single, Born To Die)

 

Cher Lloyd - Sticks & Stones

 

(buzz single, Swagger Jagger, lead single, With Ur Love)

 

The reason I say that is because the song you promote during the release of the album is generally your most recent single before this. But it's all down to opinion too! The lead single doesn't necessarily have to be the first/most successful.

I have always classed it as the first official single off of an album not including buzz or promo singles. As has been previously mentioned Starships would be the official lead single off of Roman Reloaded, with Stupid Hoe being just a buzz single.

 

Of course for certain artists, singles are virtually irrelevant - Bruce Springsteen for example - so anything they do release could be described as a 'buzz' single. Just something for radio to play to let fans know there is a new album on the way.

Would anyone really class My Heart Takes Over as the lead single of On Your Radar by The Saturdays, and Notorious and All Fired Up as buzz singles? I certainly wouldn't.

 

I say the lead single is the first single from the album, not including buzz or promotional singles, e.g. Break My Heart is the official first single of All Of Me by Estelle, with Freak and Fall In Love being buzz singles.

 

I like Jay's idea of calling the one directly before the album as the "launch" single. :)

Surely the whole point of 'lead' single is that it's the one that 'leads' up to the albums release? If Calvin Harris puts 'Feel So Close' on his next album, what on earth is it supposed to have lead?! It'll have been a year before. Or if Leona puts 'Collide' on her next album? Was 'Dance With Me' the lead single from Dizzee Rascal's last album despite being released 14 months before the album and with two more singles following it?

 

I suppose if there's a couple of singles close together (Ed Sheeran '+', Example 'Playing In The Shadows') it's difficult to decide, but when there's a long gap or three or more pre-album singles I don't see how you can just say it's always the first, because it clearly isn't. To me all a single does is 'lead' into the next release from that act, if that's an album then it's the lead single.

Both are lead singles, so I put 'other'. Like with Emeli Sande i'd say Heaven and Next To Me were both lead singles, as they both lead the album which came out after the release of both.

As it's not an officially defined term, it can mean whatever you want it to mean.

Usually some songs are labelled as promotional or buzz tracks, that's if they flop (eg. Madonna ,Leona Lewis, Nicki Minaj ....) but they're really lead singles if they have a video attached, it means the artist had the intention of promoting it, yet it didn't turn out to be a hit so they move on to the next...

Edited March 24, 201213 yr by Big Mistake

I would say the single immediately preceding the album (excluding 'promo singles') in ALL circumstances. This is just my opinion, but that is the single that is effectively leading the album to it's release. The singles before, I just simply would call pre-album singles. The Saturdays' Up, Alexis Jordan's Good Girl, The Hoosiers' Goodbye Mr A, Scouting For Girls' She's So Lovely... No matter what their succusses compared to prior singles, I consider them to be the 'lead single'.