Singles seperate from albums

[OneEar/OneEye]

I'm curious about the way the British record industry operated regarding singles and albums.   The standard apparently was that singles didn't appear on albums, but of course SOME did, while others did not.   Why was this?  Was the British record industry really less greedy than its USA counterpart?   Not generally wishing to make the consumer pay for the same songs they'd just bought on singles on the albums too?   I'm thinking specifically of the Beatles, but this would go for all British acts.  George Martin has said that Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever had to be excluded from Peppers because it had been released as a single when one was needed, but why?  Eleanor Rigby/Yellow Submarine had appeared on revolver AND as a single.  Was It just because the beatles wanted it that way?    I think it was cool that they had that sort of system in the British market because I like stand alone singles, but I don't really understand the reasons for how it was. 

[Rocker]

I don't know, but Elvis' singles also didn't appear on his albums already in the 50s

[OneEar/OneEye]

I don't know, but Elvis' singles also didn't appear on his albums already in the 50s

Was that in the UK or in the US? 

[Rocker]

I don't know, but Elvis' singles also didn't appear on his albums already in the 50s

Was that in the UK or in the US? 

US, but I probably the same in the UK because the albums didn't differ