Many times have I listened to an album just to hear nearly every song sound exactly the same. In some cases, this can be good, but in most cases it really isn't. When I listen to something, I expect to get something from it. Whether it's a feeling of amazement or plain disappointment, I want to feel something.

When it comes to actually listening to music, here's my thoughts from best to worst format of music:
1. CD's
2. Vinyl
3. MP3's
4. Cassettes
CD's, in my opinion, are best as they have the best sound quality, and are less fragile than cassettes and vinyl. It's a well-known fact that MP3 files don't have the highest quality. In my time listening to vinyl, I've only had one album with a slightly distorted sound to it, while I have plenty of cassettes that are just entirely failures. I only have one CD that doesn't play due to much scratching.

Something that I think matters may annoy some, but I personally care about the production of an album. On many thrash albums, the instrumentation is extreme and aggressive, often drowning itself due to bad production. However, with good production and clarity, the instruments are distinguishable. (some may disagree with that thought, but I'm a musician and I personally like to hear what I'm playing)