In an era of music streaming and low attention spans, new music can be swept under the rug in a week, but concept albums stand the test of time and stay in the conversation for years. 

A concept album is an album where all of the songs have a unified story or theme. Concept albums push the grain of what a music album can be, thinking of an album as a complete piece of art instead of a collection of songs.

A unified theme throughout the album allows the artist to convey themes and points more clearly. Allowing the artist to express different perspectives on topics across multiple tracks.

These types of albums encourage the listener to take a different approach to and listen to music in a more intentional way. These albums ask us to immerse ourselves not only in the music but also in the story and themes that are emphasized throughout the album.   

To Pimp a Butterfly (Kendrick Lamar, 2015) speaks about the African American experiences in America within the backdrop of Kendrick’s own story. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (The Beatles, 1966) has prevalently themes of escapism and the creation of alter egos with the band the album is named after. 

We as a collective people tend to be drawn to these types of albums. Seven out of the last ten albums of the year winners at the Grammy’s have been a concept album. Why is this?  

Jazz band member and music lover Aiden Ohm ’25 says, “I like when songs go together in a good way, like being in the same genre or having the same vibe.” 

The element of emotional connections and storytelling throughout the tracks offer us more of an opportunity to connect to what is being said in the album. Having a unified sound within every song helps elevate the connection between all of the tracks.