223. 1968 is the first year that Album sales overtook 45 rpm single sales. The preference for albums over singles opened the door to concept albums. While a traditional album consisted of 16-24 individual songs by a single artist or group. A concept album is thematic and meant to be played in sequence from start to finish. Rock fans no better than to play a concept album on shuffle.
The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, The Who’s “Tommy”, and Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” are all great concept albums. David Bowie’s concept album from 1972, “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars” tells the story of the rise in popularity of a fictional rock star who makes love to his ego until his fall from grace and his suicide.