Unlike a data CD, an audio CD isn't really made up of individual files. It's just one big file which holds several different tracks. (It's a bit similar to writing several short stories but putting them all into different chapters of a single Word file, which you then burn onto a disk. There's only a single file but inside it are several different stories/tracks).
So if that single file become damaged in any way, the whole CD (rather than any single track) will become unplayable.
Also, unlike good old-fashioned vinyl, the information on a CD is read starting from the middle, working outwards. A small scratch, near to the centre of the CD, can make the initial data (which tells the CD player or CD what's on it) inaccessible. Try cleaning the disk, using an in-and-out (rather than round-and-round) motion as you wipe the surface.
So your hubby's probably not really going mad, but keep the strait jacket handy, just in case!
Chris