Album facts for kids

A compact disc within an open jewel case

For other uses, see: Album (disambiguation)

An album is a collection of sound recordings. It is usually made by a musician, and is sold in stores to people. Albums today mainly come in the form of compact discs, although many artists also release their albums on vinyl records.

Types of albums

There are two main types of albums, studio albums and live albums. Studio albums are recorded at a recording studio. Live albums are normally recorded while the musicians are performing for an audience. Live albums are usually recorded at concerts.

Other types of albums include:

• Compilation album: Compilation albums are usually made of from songs that first came from many different albums. These songs can all be from the same musicians (often called "Greatest Hits" albums) or they can each be from different musicians.
• Debut album: the first album from a musician or musical group.
• Solo album - A solo album is an album by a single musician. This often happens when a singer or musician who is a part of a band creates an album without the rest of the band. It may also happen when the person leaves the band and starts performing alone. For example, most of Beyoncé's albums after she stopped performing with Destiny's Child are solo albums.
• Tribute album: Tribute albums or "cover albums" are albums where a second group of musicians plays songs which were first played by another, often more famous, group of musicians. The second group is usually called a "Tribute band" when most or all of the music they play is from another band. For example, a Slipknot tribute band would mainly play only songs that were written and played by the band Slipknot.

Tracks

Albums are normally separated into Tracks. Each track is a part of the album which has one song in it. The term is often used to mean a specific song on the album by number. For example, the "fourth track" or "track four" from an album is the fourth song on the album when it is played from the beginning.

Related pages

• Extended play
• Single (music)

Images for kids

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  A compact disc album within an open jewel case

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  Early record albums were multiple 78rpm discs packaged in book form, like a photograph album

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  A vinyl LP on a turntable

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  A typical 8-track tape player

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  A blank compact cassette tape and case

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  The ten-track compact disc studio album Led Zeppelin III

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  An orchestra recorded "live" in the studio

See also

In Spanish: Álbum para niños