I don't even understand what the OP's grounds for this statement were. There are so many albums being recorded even now that are meant to be a full, cohesive package and not merely a standalone piece.
One really good example of this would have to be The Decemberists' 2009 The Hazards of Love album, which many have bashed for the fact that all of the tracks are so dependent on one another that listening to the whole album is pretty much a requirement.
Additionally, even back when Sgt. Pepper's, Dark Side of the Moon, and other such albums were being recorded, there still were quite a large quantity of albums which were "just songs", particularly in the mainstream.
As far as I can tell, that's pretty much how music has been for at least the last thirty years. And that estimate is probably very low.
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It's a hand-me-down, the thoughts are broken
Perhaps they're better left unsung
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