I completely agree that a band should be judged by their music if nothing else; however, it would be an incomplete judgment because a band should also be judged on their live performances as well. This is where having the album in my hands come into play.

I like to have the albums of bands like Kiss, Pink Floyd, Rolling Stones in my hands because it brings a piece of their live performances and their style into my hands: it's a significant piece of their band identity. I can't imagine Pink Floyd on their music alone; I don't think anyone can. Their live performances and the imagery in their album artwork has come to define a significant portion of the band identity. Having the music only, without this additional concept to Floyd's identity, would be a disservice to them as a band. I like to feel that this can be applied to other bands as well and is my reasoning why it's still relevant in music industry.