When a band releases an album, it’s much more than just music. It’s people who have poured their heart and soul into this piece of art that they can truly call their own. They may have spent years working on this album for their own and their

fans’ enjoyment. That’s why the last track on an album should be the pinnacle of the artwork.

The final moments of an album should capture the entire album as a whole and provide closure for the listener. It should wrap up all the songs and bring out an emotional and intense section that surprises listeners and makes them come back for more, to both the album and the song. The listener should be able to tell that it’s the last song on the album. Far too often bands’ last tracks fall short of this standard or they don’t get how important the last track really is. An album’s order is extraordinarily important when it comes to replay value. One example of a great last track of an album is “Golden” off Tyler, The Creator’s album “Goblin”. It wraps up the artistic points of the album and drives home the fact that “Goblin” is a very dark and eerie album and that life doesn’t always have a happy ending.

The last track does not have to be the “best” track on the album. It doesn’t need to be the hit. It doesn’t need to be the fan favorite. It should be the artistic conclusion. When listening to a cd as a whole, I anticipate the ending, and if it is an intense ending, I walk away feeling completely satisfied. When the cd just trails off or the song ends with no bang or flair, I feel empty and cheated. Like I need more and the artist hasn’t fully satisfied me, the listener. Even if the rest of the album is amazing, I have a hard time listening to it as a whole. I tend to pick and choose which songs to listen to, which is not necessarily a bad thing, but I typically enjoy listening to albums as a whole.

An album deserves to have a great ending. If the artist put that much work into it, they should make an outstanding closer to the cd and give closure to the listener. It makes the artwork really seem complete.