History Main / AlbumSingle

A single is a release of {{Music}} that is shorter than an [[AlbumsIndex album, LP or EP]]. Usually, a single will get the most {{Radio}} airplay, and will be a band's most recognized work. Singles are usually filmed with [[MusicVideos music videos]]. They are also probably the highest quality and [[AlbumFiller most compact]] of all music. Singles are in a bit of a [[CyclicTrope cycle]] becoming far more popular with the advent of digital music downloads again as people no longer have to buy a full length album to hear the one or two songs they wanted to hear. Singles tend to be [[ColdOpening the dramatic beginning]] or the [[GrandFinale climactic ending]] of an album.

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!!Examples:
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* Music/TheBeatles had [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Beatles_discography#Singles dozens of singles]], a product of the early days of RockAndRoll. Among the most notable:
** "Love Me Do"
** "A Hard Day's Night"
** "Nowhere Man"
** "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
** "Helter Skelter"
* Some of Music/{{Coldplay}}'s singles include "Yellow, "the Scientist", and "Viva la Vida".
* Music/DeepPurple have released quite a few singles over the years, including their well-known "Smoke on the Water".
** Their most recent album, ''Whoosh!'', featured three singles, "Throw My Bones" (the first song from the album), "Man Alive", and "Nothing at All". This last one was only released as a single because of the COVID-19 pandemic forcing them into [[ReleaseDateChange delaying the album]].
* Music/FosterThePeople had five singles on their album ''{{Music/Torches}}'', including "Pumped Up Kicks" and "Houdini".
** Music/BestFriend
* {{Music/Korn}}:
** Music/FollowTheLeader: "All in the family", "Got the Life", "Children of Korn", "B.B.K, "Freak on a leash"
* Music/{{Lit}}: Had at least two notable singles during the height of their popularity, both from their album "A Place In The Sun":
** My Own Worst Enemy, about getting totally wasted, blacking out, and waking up the next day with no memory of what happened.
** Music/{{Miserable}}, whose music video stars Pamela Anderson as a [[GiantWoman giantess]] that the band serenades while standing on various parts of her body.
* Music/MichaelJackson
** {{Music/Thriller}}: The Girl is Mine, Billie Jean, Beat It, Wanna Be Startling Something", "Human Nature", "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" and "Thriller"
** {{Music/Bad}}: {{Exaggerated|Trope}} because nearly '''every song''' on this album was a single, excluding "Just Good Friends".
* {{Music/Nirvana}}'s singles included "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Come As You Are", and "Heart-Shaped Box".
* Music/TheRollingStones have had many in a career on-going since 1962.
** "Not Fade Away"
** ''Music/{{Aftermath}}'': "Paint It, Black"
** ''Music/TheirSatanicMajestiesRequest'': "She's a Rainbow"
** ''Music/LetItBleed'': "You Can't Always Get What You Want"
** ''Music/StickyFingers'': "Wild Horses"
* Music/{{Savatage}}:
** ''Music/GulletBallet'': "Gutter Ballet" and "When the Crowds Are Gone".
** ''Music/StreetsARockOpera'': "Jesus Saves"
** ''Music/EdgeOfThorns'': "Edge of Thorns", "Sleep".
** ''Music/DeadWinterDead'' had four, including "Doesn't Matter Anyway", "Dead Winter Dead", and "One Child". "Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24" was the biggest success the band had, played to this day during the Christmas season, and led to the creation of Music/TransSiberianOrchestra.
** ''Music/TheWakeOfMagellan'': "Turns to Me"
** ''Music/PoetsAndMadmen'': "Commissar", the band's last single before their 2002 hiatus.
* Music/{{Slowdive}}: "Star Roving", "Sugar for the Pill"
* Music/TheSmashingPumpkins:
** Music/SiameseDream: "Cherub Rock", "Today", "Disarm", "Rocket"
** Music/MellonCollieAndTheInfiniteSadness: "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", "1979", "Tonight, Tonight", "Zero", "Thirty-Three"
*** "Music/TonightTonight" now has its own article
* {{Music/Weezer}}:
** Music/WeezerTheBlueAlbum: "Undone-The Sweater Song", "Buddy Holly" and "Say it Ain't So"

[[AC:WesternAnimation:]]
* Music/CatHairballs from ''WesternAnimation/RenAndStimpy''
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** {{Music/Thriller}}: The Girl is Mine, Billie Jean, Beat It, Wanna Be Startling Something", "Human Nature","P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)" and "Thriller"
** {{Music/Bad}}: Taken UpToEleven cause nearly '''every song''' on this album was a single, excluding "Just Good Friends".

WesternAnimation:

* RenAndStimpy: Music/CatHairballs