Editing A-side and B-side (section)

{{Short description|Two sides of phonograph records and cassettes}}
{{Redirect-several|dab=no|A-Sides (disambiguation)|B-Sides (disambiguation)}}
{{About||Filipino pop band|Side A (group)|the Christian theological positions|Side A, Side B, Side X, Side Y (theological views)}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2024}}

{{More citations needed|date=June 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Multiple image|caption_align=center|header_align=center
| direction = vertical
| width = 200
| image1 = 17929A-Lucia di Lammermoor.jpg
| alt1 = A-side
| image2 = 17929B-Fantasia.jpg
| alt2 = B-side
| footer = [[Victor Talking Machine Company|Victor]] 17929-A and 17929-B
}}
[[File:Compactcassette.jpg|thumb|A [[cassette tape]]]]

The '''A-side''' and '''B-side''' are the two sides of [[phonograph record|vinyl record]]s and [[Compact cassette|cassettes]], and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a [[Single (music)|single]] usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record company intends to be the initial focus of promotional efforts and radio airplay, with the aim of it becoming a [[hit record]]. The B-side (or "flip-side") is a secondary recording that typically receives less attention, although some B-sides have been as successful as, or more so than, their A-sides.

Use of this language has largely declined in the 21st century as the music industry has transitioned away from analog recordings towards [[Digital audio|digital formats]] without physical sides, such as [[music download|downloads]] and [[Music streaming|streaming]]. Nevertheless, some artists and labels continue to employ the terms ''A-side'' and ''B-side'' metaphorically to describe the type of content a particular release features, with ''B-side'' sometimes representing a "bonus" track or other material.<ref>{{cite book |last=Plasketes |first=George |title=B-Sides, Undercurrents and Overtones: Peripheries to Popular in Music, 1960 to the Present |publisher=Ashgate Publishing |date=28 January 2013 }}</ref>