I think I'm being misunderstood.

What I mean with the melody when everything else is stripped away is not abstract random tones.

Say you're playing an instrument that doesn't allow you to harmonize but forces you to only play singular notes in a progression, say like a flute. Say somebody asks you to play "Sweet Child O' Mine" (just to give a random example). You might start playing the melody of the intro, then you go on playing the melody of the verse (what Axl sings) and later move on to play the melody of the chorus. THAT's the basic core melody I'm talking about. I don't know how to make it more clearer than that.

If I sit around a campfire and want to sing a song a capella, I'm not going to be singing background ambience, guitar arrangements or drum rhythm. I'll be singing the song in its basic form. The melody. And I want that basic form to be good.

I think it really depends on the album (as alot of others have said). Since I have Devin Townsend on my mind right now, I'll use his stuff as an example.
With the album Biomech, it is almost a necessity to listen to the full album because listening to individual tracks or shuffled tracks gives you the impression of simplicity and takes alot away from the album.
Now if you were gonna listen to the album Addicted, I feel the songs bear such a loose connection that you could easily listen to the tracks in any order and feel the same amount of satisfaction.

I usually listen to the full album. It feels strange when the wrong song comes on next. When I'm trying to think of a song that's slipping my mind, if I can remember how the song before it ends, I can usually remember it from there.

I do a little bit of both. I have albums, cassettes and cds in my collection there for years where some I listen to in entirety and others I pick the needle up, FF or skip to the next song.

I usually try to give neglected songs a listen though over time to see if my opinion of it has changed or if I still hate it. Sometimes I soften to songs I used to think sucked but usually my opinion remains the same.

most of the time full albums

Please, don't be so rude to the OP for asking a simple question. People DO have different approaches to their listening sessions....

For me, it depends on my mood. When I'm listening to a new artist, I generally try and listen to the album from start to finish. Same case with albums I really love...I also 'shuffle' when I'm in the mood for it, especially with random pop tunes I like.

I wasn't being rude I only asked him if it was a stupid question.

I don't know about you, but that's rude in my books.

Off topic, but yay! 15 posts!

I agree. I don't see how it's rude.

Posing it as a question doesn't change its nature. 'Isn't that a stupid question?' means the same as 'that's a stupid question' in terms of intended meaning, and that is something the majority of people would consider rude. I'm surpirsed you think otherwise! Anyway, I'm done on the subject, I'm not dragging this thread off topic any further.