This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(June 2022) |
TheA-sideandB-sideare the two sides ofphonograph recordsandcassettes,and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company intends to be the initial focus of promotional efforts and radio airplay, with the aim of it becoming ahit record.The B-side (or "flip-side" ) is a secondary recording that typically receives less attention, although some B-sides have been as successful as, or more so than, their A-sides.
Use of this language has largely declined in the 21st century as the music industry has transitioned away from analog recordings towardsdigital formatswithout physical sides, such asdownloadsandstreaming.Nevertheless, some artists and labels continue to employ the termsA-sideandB-sidemetaphorically to describe the type of content a particular release features, withB-sidesometimes representing a "bonus" track or other material.[1]
History
editConventions shifted in the early 1960s, at which point record companies started assigning the song they wanted radio stations to play to side A, as 45 rpm single records ( "45s" ) dominated most markets in terms of cash sales in comparison toalbums,which did not fare as well financially. Throughout the decade the industry would slowly shift to an album-driven paradigm for releasing new music; it was not until 1968 that the total production of albums on a unit basis finally surpassed that of singles in the United Kingdom.[2]
Today, with the vast majority of music released and accessed digitally onstreaming services,the traditional A-side/B-side is obsolete as a technological necessity. Nonetheless, some contemporary artists have added on a second track to a single release as a nominal B-side, which can serve as an aesthetic choice as well as a promotional tool.[3]
Double A-side
editA "double A-side", "AA-side", or "dual single" is asinglewhere both sides are designated the A-side, with no designated B-side; that is, both sides are prospective hit songs and neither side will be promoted over the other. In 1949,Savoy Recordspromoted a new single by one of its artists,Paul Williams' "House Rocker" and "He Knows How to Hucklebuck", as "The New Double Side Hit – Both Sides" A "Sides".[4]In 1965,Billboardreported that due to a disagreement betweenEMIandJohn Lennonabout which side ofthe Beatles' "We Can Work It Out"and"Day Tripper"single should be considered the A-side and receive the plugging," EMI settled for a double-side promotion campaign—unique in Britain. "[5]
In the UK, before the advent of digital downloads, both A-sides were accredited with the same chart position, for the singles chart was compiled entirely from physical sales. In the UK, the biggest-selling non-charity single of all time was a double A-side,Wings' 1977 release "Mull of Kintyre"/"Girls' School",which sold over two million copies. It was also theUK Christmas No. 1that year.[6][7]Nirvanareleased "All Apologies"and"Rape Me"as a double A-side in 1993, and both songs are accredited as a hit on both the UK Singles Chart[8]and theIrish Singles Chart.[9]
B/W
editThe term "b/w", an abbreviation of "backed with", is often used in listings to indicate the B-side of a record. The term "c/w", for "coupled with", is used similarly.[10]
Characteristics
editB-sides are often considered to befillermaterial: songs of lower quality. However, some pop artists such asPrince,The Smiths,Def Leppard,Oasis,Bon JoviandThe Beatleshave been particularly known for releasing strong material on B-sides.[11][12]B-sides have often been compiled onexpanded or "deluxe" editions of albumsor may be compiled into a "B-side compilation album" across multiple periods of an artist's career.[13]
B-side compilations
editSee also
editReferences
edit- ^Plasketes, George (28 January 2013).B-Sides, Undercurrents and Overtones: Peripheries to Popular in Music, 1960 to the Present.Ashgate Publishing.
- ^MacDonald, p. 296
- ^"The Return Of The B-Side Single".Vinyl Me, Please.Retrieved21 October2024.
- ^Billboard (25 June 1949). "Rhythm & Blues Records".Billboard.Vol. 61, no. 26. p. 30.ISSN0006-2510.
Savoy and Paul Williams Lead Again with... The New Double Side Hit – Both Sides 'A' Sides
- ^Hutchins, Chris. "Music Capitals of the WorldArchived20 March 2023 at theWayback Machine"Billboard4 December 1965: 26
- ^"1977-12-24 Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive | Official Charts".Official Charts Company.Archivedfrom the original on 3 June 2020.Retrieved6 May2020.
- ^"Every Official Christmas Number 1 ever".Official Charts Company. 25 December 2020.Archivedfrom the original on 3 April 2015.
- ^Nirvana – UK Singles Chart ArchiveArchived2 October 2013 at theWayback Machineofficialcharts.com. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^User needs to do an artist search for "Nirvana"Archived24 May 2012 atarchive.todayirishcharts.ie. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- ^"The Straight Dope: In the record business, what do" b/w "and" c/w "mean?".15 October 1999.Archivedfrom the original on 4 October 2008.Retrieved12 January2009.
- ^Beaumont, Mark(19 July 2021)."It's time for a return of the good, old-fashioned B-side – and Sam Fender's leading the charge".NME.Archivedfrom the original on 9 March 2022.Retrieved24 May2023.
- ^Petridis, Alexis(5 March 2020)."Oasis's greatest songs – ranked!".The Guardian.Archivedfrom the original on 17 May 2024.Retrieved24 May2023.
- ^Evanson, Keith."The Return Of The B-Side Single".Vinyl Me, Please.Archivedfrom the original on 24 May 2023.Retrieved24 May2023.
Other sources
edit- MacDonald, Ian.Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties–ISBN1-84413-828-3
- "A History of the 45rpm record" Martland, Peter.EMI: The First 100 Years–ISBN0-7134-6207-8