Has an artist's choice of title or cover artwork ever affected your decision to buy an album?

 

I'm thinking more in general terms than specifically, but maybe there are particular examples you could name?

I never buy eponomus albums, punishment for being lazy (I lie, titles would never sway my decision). I'd be more tempted to buy a physical copy of an album of it has a pretty cover, to be fair.

Album covers do when it comes to compilation albums and other minor releases like that. If it's a studio album, then I'll buy it solely on quality. I know I was more inclined to get Kylie's The Albums: 2000-2010 due to that fantastic album cover (:wub:), although didn't as I have all the albums from that boxset anyway! :P

 

With album title, it doesn't really affect my decision, although I may talk to my friends about it if it was cleverly done like a pun or something.

No difference. I will only listen to an album if the music's good.

Neither have made me not want an album. It's about the MUSIC not the cover (although a nice cover + booklet is always a good bonus).

No difference. I will only listen to an album if the music's good.

 

THIS.

Neither have made me not want an album. It's about the MUSIC not the cover (although a nice cover + booklet is always a good bonus).

I actually always check out the album booklet *before* listening to the CD! :P

Back in the 1980's, I delayed buying Duran Duran's 'Rio' for several years because I hated the cover picture.

I don't know how to answer them. Seeing this is about buying music (not streaming or other means), I imagine a good cover makes me more likely to buy it. Titles make no difference to me.

Edited May 24, 201312 yr by FM11

Album titles make no difference (unless it is named something ridiculous, with no clever use of swear words/profanity).

 

If I like a song or two from the album and it has a really interesting album cover, or if it's really cute, then I'll be more likely to buy it.

Not really, although on some occasions I have felt embarrassed about handing the album over to the cashier if the cover is really that bad.

I'm more likely to buy an album with a pretty cover tbh

I don't really mind the cover if it's a great album but if I had to choose between 2 or more, I'd definitely go for the prettier one.

The quality of artwork is important to my music-buying experience for two reasons:

 

- good art (primarily interesting art) makes an artist look more interesting by association, and thus I'm more likely to give them a chance

- pretty art is good to have in your record collection anyway

 

I feel like if you only download music then you're not really the target audience for a "do you care about artwork?" survey - it's a completely different experience with a physical product. Of course, music is the ultimate deciding factor, but I won't begrudge an "OK" album's place in my collection if the art pleases my eyes.

I have bought so many albums due to loving their artwork over the years, often without ever hearing a single note from the band before.

 

A cover featuring a picture of the band or artist is a big turn off for me, far less likely to buy those.

Occasionally when I browse CDs I will take a closer look at something with a nice looking cover, and probably be more likely to be convinced to buy it, but I still won't if it's a kind of music I don't really like. I'll definitely say that it often happens that both covers and titles dissuade me from buying something - if I pick it up and think, that looks/sounds stupid, I won't buy it. However, this happens quite rarely seeing as whatever browsing I do, I usually only buy an album if it's either by an artist whose albums I always get, or if I've been listening to them a lot recently and have heard some songs from the album, so in general it's the music itself that I choose based on. Having said that I still get annoyed if someone I like comes out with an album that looks stupid :lol:

Generally they don't matter when I'm looking at the cover, but its always nice to see them make an effort. Of course it can affect anyone and the artists can represent themselves through their name/artwork and specify their audience with it, who would be very likely on the grounds that 'that sounds like my sort of thing' - lets just say if the album was by a group called The Slaughterers of Bodem and it was titled 'The Afterlife is full of c**ts' and accompanied by a picture of a row of hung people, I wouldn't even think of buying it, but it could appeal to a different demographic... (this sort of thing would of course only really work for albums of a clear genre from their title)

Edited May 24, 201312 yr by Chez Wombat

Not really, although on some occasions I have felt embarrassed about handing the album over to the cashier if the cover is really that bad.

 

That's the advantage of downloads... :P

 

It also applies if you're buying an embarrassing album for someone - you feel like you have to say to the cashier 'It's not for *me*', but you know they are still thinking 'Yeah, right... :rolleyes: '

I'd say the closest I've come to buying an album for its cover would be when there has been a limited edition cover at the time of release. However, that would only have affected the timing rather than whether I bought it at all.

Lazy album titles annoy me but don't prevent me from buying them.