I've mostly stopped buying CDs, but for many of the same reasons, but with a different solutions.

I love great CDs that I can listen to from start to finish, too. But the vast majority of CDs out there are made up of one or two good tracks and the rest is filler material. Granted, some top notch artists do darn good filler material. But not many. That doesn't stop every lousy artist out there from whining about how people don't listen to their whole CD, when much of it is dreck. Those that really have a problem with it, simply don't allow the licensing to download single songs. No biggie.

First, I went to used CDs, so it didn't hurt $o bad when that new CD stunk 85%. But I was still tired of having a shelf full of CDs that I never listened to because it wasn't worth putting the CD in the player for one good 3 minute song. (Especially since I mostly listen in the car.) Sold a bunch of CDs on Amazon's marketplace. Lost money. Found one or two new artists that I liked.

Then I tried previewing 30 seconds of a song on Amazon, etc., but the previews didn't translate to a whole CD I might enjoy, and after a while I never found anything I wanted. Sold a bunch more CDs on the Marketplace, lost more money. Didn't find anyone new I liked.

Tried a "subscription" music service, but didn't have time to wade through gobs of ads for big artists to find the good ones. Tried to look up tracks for old favorites, but they usually weren't licensed for the service. Net result: one whole home-burned CD of Mozart's Requiem, final cost about $45.00 in fees.

Then I bought a Sirius satellite radio and paid $12.95/month service. I now have over 100 channels, 60 of them commercial free music. I no longer have the desire to buy CDs because there's always something great on, but if I do get the hankering, I press a button and the radio displays the song name and the artist. If only that button then emailed that info to my house, I might follow up on that purchase more often... and it probably won't be for a whole CD unless they *really* impress me.

Certain artists have earned the benefit of the doubt from me and I'll buy the whole thing site unseen.

Meanwhile, every CD that isn't either from a friend or good enough to listen to from start to finish has been sold or recycled. I don't have very many CDs left :)