[Scalestein]

Something about vinyl specifically is the fact that there is a real break in the album when one side ends. It requires some thought and gives an additional aspect to artists when creating the track listing.

For example, "Stairway To Heaven" is the last track on the first side of Led Zeppelin IV. If you listen on Spotify the song hits the (overplayed) epic climax, smooth come down and ends with some haunting vocals. Then immediately the jaunty bop of Misty Mountain Hop comes on all bouncing around the room in a totally contrasting upbeat mood. Very jarring.

It is very obvious these were planned to the end of one side and the beginning of another. When Stairway ends I need a minute to breathe and take it in before moving on. With a vinyl record this is planned for and intended by the artist, but on any other medium (save cassettes maybe) you lose this capability.

[mark-r]

Even just the fact that the artist gets to specify the play order. Today it's rare that a playlist will even have two songs from the same artist in sequence, but in olden days you could have a sequence that was greater than the sum of the parts. My favorite example is the last 3 songs on side A of The Cars Candy-O - Double Life is kind of relaxing, Shoo Be Doo cranks up the tension, and Candy-O starts with a crescendo that releases the tension. I don't actually know if that was intentional, but it feels like it was.