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TheA-side andB-side are the two sides ofphonograph records andcassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company intends to be the initial focus of promotional efforts and radio airplay, with the aim of it becoming ahit record. The B-side (or "flip-side") is a secondary recording that typically receives less attention, although some B-sides have been as successful as, or more so than, their A-sides.
Use of this language has largely declined in the 21st century as the music industry has transitioned away from analog recordings towardsdigital formats without physical sides, such asdownloads andstreaming. Nevertheless, some artists and labels continue to employ the termsA-side andB-side metaphorically to describe the type of content a particular release features, withB-side sometimes representing a "bonus" track or other material.[1]
Conventions shifted in the early 1960s, at which point record companies started assigning the song they wanted radio stations to play to side A, as 45 rpm single records ("45s") dominated most markets in terms of cash sales in comparison toalbums, which did not fare as well financially. Throughout the decade the industry would slowly shift to an album-driven paradigm for releasing new music; it was not until 1968 that the total production of albums on a unit basis finally surpassed that of singles in the United Kingdom.[2]
Today, with the vast majority of music released and accessed digitally onstreaming services, the traditional A-side/B-side is obsolete as a technological necessity. Nonetheless, some contemporary artists have added on a second track to a single release as a nominal B-side, which can serve as an aesthetic choice as well as a promotional tool.[3]
Adouble A-side,AA-side, ordual single is asingle where both sides are designated the A-side, with no designated B-side; that is, both sides are prospective hit songs and neither side will be promoted over the other. In 1949,Savoy Records promoted a new pair of singles by one of its artists,Paul Williams' "House Rocker" and "He Knows How to Hucklebuck", as "The New Double Side Hit – Both Sides 'A' Sides".[4] In 1965,Billboard reported that due to a disagreement betweenEMI andJohn Lennon about which side ofthe Beatles' "We Can Work It Out" and "Day Tripper" single should be considered the A-side and receive the plugging, "EMI settled for a double-side promotion campaign—unique in Britain."[5]
In the UK, before the advent of digital downloads, both A-sides were accredited with the same chart position, for the singles chart was compiled entirely from physical sales. In the UK, the biggest-selling non-charity single of all time was a double A-side,Wings' 1977 release "Mull of Kintyre"/"Girls' School", which sold over two million copies. It was also theUK Christmas No. 1 that year.[6][7]Nirvana released "All Apologies" and "Rape Me" as a double A-side in 1993, and both songs are accredited as a hit on both the UK Singles Chart[8] and theIrish Singles Chart.[9]
The term "b/w", an abbreviation of "backed with", is often used in listings to indicate the B-side of a record. The term "c/w", for "coupled with", is used similarly.[10]
B-sides are often considered to befiller material: songs of lower quality. However, some pop artists such asPrince,The Smiths,Def Leppard,Oasis,Bon Jovi andThe Beatles have been particularly known for releasing strong material on B-sides.[11][12] B-sides have often been compiled onexpanded or "deluxe" editions of albums or may be compiled into a "B-side compilation album" across multiple periods of an artist's career.[13]
Savoy and Paul Williams Lead Again with ... The New Double Side Hit – Both Sides 'A' Sides
