But back in the day, when monstrous thunder lizards roamed the earth and music came on vinyl disks and a CD was something you talked to your banker about, B-Sides were very much a part of the musical experience. In those hoary times, when you wanted the latest hit single, you bought a 45-rpm record. Side A contained the hit that was skyrocketing up the charts, while Side B contained a second song—sometimes a song of equal or greater value, occasionally another cut off the same album—that gave you another side of the recording artist.
Apple has decided to revive the era of the B-Side through the iTunes Store. The company has launched a Digital 45s section, which packages two songs from the same artist in one download.
I had conversation with an old music producer about this two weeks ago. It’s a great idea, and I’m excited to see Apple embrace it.