Before albums you had 78’s. Albums became possible because of RIAA compression and electrical amplification and the 33 speed meant you could get close to an hour of music on two sides of vinyl.
Currently the CD is the physical media that determines an album (just over an hour or enough to fit Beethoven’s 5th)
Once physical media disappears then the concept of an album will likely whither and we go back to individual tracks like 78’s or complete performances of a work or live show in a digital package.
i just bought Otis Redding Live at the Whiskey in 96KHz 24 bit as one complete digital package with 65 tracks.... it is already happening.
Currently the CD is the physical media that determines an album (just over an hour or enough to fit Beethoven’s 5th)
Once physical media disappears then the concept of an album will likely whither and we go back to individual tracks like 78’s or complete performances of a work or live show in a digital package.
i just bought Otis Redding Live at the Whiskey in 96KHz 24 bit as one complete digital package with 65 tracks.... it is already happening.