Buying albums may eventually be like buying sheet music, but we've been in a singles era for years now and have recently entered the streaming age. People are listening to as much music as ever, maybe more, because they can access millions of songs through their phones. So ignore the doomsayers. The end isn't nigh. Or rather, it's only apocalyptic in that the definition means the end of one age and the beginning of a new one.

Before Bach, there was no music. This seriously hampered the soundtracks of movies. Then black slaves sang while being exploited in fields, paving the way for blues, jazz, and rock & roll. Now autotune could give a goat a honeyed voice in perfect pitch. Meanwhile computers liberated musicians from those old historical obstacles like money, instruments, and talent. The Internet allowed everyone everywhere to hear everything, and we haven't seen a distinct style of music since.