# Selecting Tracks on Music Disks **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 22, 2001, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selecting-tracks-on-music-disks/77587 "2001-08-22T18:35:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sengle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/838e76/32.png) [@sengle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sengle)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selecting-tracks-on-music-disks/77587/1 "2001-08-22T18:35:21Z")
I’ve noticed that for most CDs and Albums, tracks 3 and 4 have the big hit song, and my friends have mentioned that often track 7 or 8 is also a winner. When I was a kid buying LPs I recall that tracks 1 and sometimes 2 were not pressed very well, presumably because they’re on the edge of the pressing plate, and I assumed putting the good songs on 3 or 4 made it so few people would complain about it. ---
**Author:** ![Falafel\_Waffle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@Falafel\_Waffle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Falafel_Waffle)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selecting-tracks-on-music-disks/77587/2 "2001-08-22T18:45:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sengle \* > \*\*I’ve noticed that for most CDs and Albums, tracks 3 and 4 have the big hit song, and my friends have mentioned that often track 7 or 8 is also a winner. When I was a kid buying LPs I recall that tracks 1 and sometimes 2 were not pressed very well, presumably because they’re on the edge of the pressing plate, and I assumed putting the good songs on 3 or 4 made it so few people would complain about it. \*\* Ummmm… Is there a question here somewhere? Or just a general observation? ---
**Author:** ![jonfromdenver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/82dd89/32.png) [@jonfromdenver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jonfromdenver)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selecting-tracks-on-music-disks/77587/3 "2001-08-22T18:46:39Z")
wow, that’s cool…never thought of that. but have you noticed lately that the pop bands and “one-hit wonders” have been putting their title tracks on the first track? it’s like they aren’t even trying to get people to listen to the rest of the cd anymore. ---
**Author:** ![SirRay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@SirRay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SirRay)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2001, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selecting-tracks-on-music-disks/77587/4 "2001-08-22T19:19:46Z")
Actually, I hate to say this but I have to agree; there does seem to a tendancy for the older albums (say \<1995) to have the better, most popular tracks a bit up there \>track 3 and then to peter out around track 7/8. Now of course there is absolutely no scientific statistical analysis here at all, just a general observation I remember from punching in the track #s on my CD player for hundreds of different albums over the years. So I don’t this will stand up as expert witness in court. ---
**Author:** ![bughunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@bughunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bughunter)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selecting-tracks-on-music-disks/77587/5 "2001-08-23T00:00:08Z")
Well, I infer the unstated question “Is it me, or is there really an intentional pattern here?” All I can add is that I have many CDs that I habitually punch FF to the second or third track because I don’t like the first track or two, but loved the rest of the album enough to buy it. Perhaps someone from the recording industry can lend insight. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2001, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/selecting-tracks-on-music-disks/77587/6 "2001-08-23T04:23:53Z")
This is the textbook case of Mundane Pointless Stuff I Must Share bibliophage moderator, GQ