User:JustinTime55/sandbox/Album article template

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Background

It should not be assumed that the reader is familiar with the artist's history and/or previously released albums. If it's necessary to put these items into context for the reader to further his understanding of later content in the article, a background section is suggested. This section should discuss previous occasions in the artist's history and important events that had an impact on the album. For a band or musical ensemble, this could include the gaining and loss of group members or a notable changing of record labels. What did the artist do between this album and the last? Did the artist create a solo project that may have impacted the recording of this album? See Adore (The Smashing Pumpkins album) and In Utero (album).

Style, writing, composition

There is rarely enough information for songs and singles to all have their own individual articles (see WP:NSONGS). It is recommended to merge already existing articles for songs that have little more than an infobox and a music video description into a relevant album article.

Recording, production

Who is the producer? What other works of art is this producer known for? Keep the list of other works short, as the producer will likely have his own article with a more complete list. Has the producer previously worked with this artist before? Where was the album produced, and how long did it take to record? Were there any unique or standout recording techniques used during production (such as Phil Spector and his famed use of an echo chamber)? Was the cost of recording especially high or low? Were there any innovative uses of technology?

Artwork, packaging

Music albums are composed of not just the songs themselves, but different styles of packaging and artwork that help create a visual statement to accompany the recording. A section can be created that explains the process of creating visuals and branding for an album, including any controversial content. Note that pictures of liner notes and album art must comply with fair use guidelines.

Release, promotion, marketing

The date an album or song was leaked onto the Internet is not notable unless it results in some other action that is notable, such as being directly responded to by the musical artist or their management, or the leak itself receiving broad media coverage. Do not add leak dates to articles unless a notable consequence of the leak can be properly sourced to the same regular, reliable media sources that would be expected for any other content in the article. A website that announces album or song leaks but contains no other content (such as hasitleaked.com) is not an appropriate source under the requirements of WP:RS.

Touring

Concert tours are not always notable enough to warrant stand-alone articles (see WP:NMG#Concert tours). Instead, information about notable tours and festivals should be incorporated into either the artist's page, or the album article for which the tour is supporting. Do not list all dates here, instead mention the range of dates (ex. June–September 1992). Aspects of concerts to be mentioned could include: financial and commercial success, other bands on the tour, stage set-up (lights, props, backdrop, etc.) and notable on-stage guest appearances.

Critical reception

A section should be dedicated to an overview of the critical reception of the album, as documented by reliable secondary sources such as reviews, books, or reputable articles that discuss the album. Be sure to note minority opinions as well, properly cited. Also, the way that the album affected the cultural consciousness of a society or culture should be included to further establish notability.

Professional reviews may include only reviews written by professional music journalists or DJs, or found within any online or print publication having a (paid or volunteer) editorial and writing staff (which excludes personal blogs). The standard for inclusion always is that the review meet Wikipedia's guideline for reliable sources and that the source be independent of the artist, record company, etc. A list of some sources of professional reviews is available at WP:ALBUM/SOURCES. Lists can be considered as another source of reviews as to notability but due to their proliferation and the dubious value of some lists (e.g. the fictional Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Punk Rock Albums of the Early 1980s), they are to be held to a higher standard. Lists should not be a simple enumeration but to be cited should include prose.

Album ratings template

The bulk of the information should be in prose format, though the text may be supplemented with the {{Album ratings}} template, as a summary of professional reviews in table form. The template is not to be a substitute for a section in paragraph form, since a review cannot be accurately boiled down to a simple rating out of five stars or other scoring system. If an article is lacking a reception section in prose, but the information is presented in table format, you may optionally add the parameter | noprose = yes to the template to flag the section for expansion.

Include no more than ten reviews in table form. When choosing which reviews to include, consider the notability of the review source and keeping a neutral point of view. For older albums, try to include not just contemporary but also some more recent reviews.

Accolades

Accolades are prestigious awards given to an album by publications and associations. This could include an album of the year award or some other kind of recognition. Care should be taken when adding accolades. Some album of the year lists are given alphabetically, in which case the numerical ranking will have no true value, and others are compiled by user submissions instead of the publication's staff members.

Track listing

Links should only be created to song articles that don't exist if the song merits the creation of an article per the notability guidelines at Wikipedia:Notability (music)#Songs.

A track listing should generally be formatted as a numbered list.

1. "Complete song title" (John Doe, Brian Smith) – 4:23
   • First verse: Name of rapper
   • Second verse: Name of rapper
   • Samples: Name of sample source (preferably including artist, song, and album)
2. "Complete song title" (Doe, Kelly Kalamazoo) – 3:24
3. "Complete song title" (Doe, Kalamazoo, Smith, David Whitman) – 2:34

Release history

Albums are often released on different dates, on different labels, and on different formats in different regions. This information can be included in a table. Note that the infobox should only include the first release date and label.

Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog