Educate me or discuss

Thinking about this earlier today, what is the philosophy, psychology, or marketing on choosing that first released track. I get it on the mainstream side because it sells the album most of the time, but am I wrong to think that often they put out teasers and sometimes the best song is buried and never heard except by the uber fan? Or are some songs sleepers to an awakening conscious until discovered?

I find entry songs to bands that come often from a little known song. And, moreso I frequently like an artist for the other songs than the hyped release. Just curious to opinion and the wine made me ask.

a single is pretty much a commercial for the rest of the record.

they're dollar-grabs that artists end up hating but labels love because they pay the bills.

its not unheard of for publishers to supply songwriters with a list of "keywords" and phrases that tend to make songs do well. the following comes from an actual document sent to me from a publisher:

Count on me/ here for you
Friend
Strong/ Power/ strength
World at my fingertips
Fun/party song
Ready
Move Forward
Take you there
Do your thing
Be yourself
Hero/save
On top
Kitschy
Sexy
Layered
Changes
Fun/party
Girly
Fresh


if songs were fonts, most singles would be papyrus

I related to the "wine made me ask" thought... wine shall make me answer.

Since I'm not a psychologist nor am I a record company executive, my answer is purely from the gut and not based on any empirical evidence. I agree with toots to a certain degree, in that the single chosen is more of a "gateway drug" if you will. I also think, regardless of how many people here will say radio is dead, that the single is chosen based on the lowest common denominator listener-- what will the average teenager listen to? I'd imagine the single is also chosen based on how much it can be pitched for other relatively quick monetary gain (product endorsements, movie soundtracks, that crappy music they play between action at any sports game, etc.)?

With all that said, I was thoroughly depressed when I heard a Broken West song being used for a Comcast commercial (it was "Big City" for those who care).

I've often wondered about this question myself.

Back when I was the music director of my college station, our policy was that we never cared or paid mind about which songs were being marketed as singles by the label or promotion company. Instead, we would listen to the whole album through and pick and choose which songs were simply the best and therefore deserved to be played the most.

Occasionally, our assessments lined up with the promoted single, but I would say that happened 25% of the time or less.