Tag Archives: spotify

Angel of My Dreams – How to find new music

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I was reading an article on a UK newspaper website, ‘How Spotify silenced rock bands’  (The Telegraph, 11 August 2024), about the small number of new bands who made it to number one, and with it the challenge of finding new music via streaming services. The article indicated the music we listen to is selected using algorithms that are driven by our listening habits and those of your cohort. 

It was something my own experience completely bore out. Overwhelmingly my listening habits are centred around the 70s and a decade either side. I have posted before about 1975 as the greatest year in music. This apart from my other passion country, an occasional dabble with Christian/Gospel and classical, pretty much reflect my preferred listening. Continue reading →

The Beatles – my most listened to in 2023

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Like everyone who subscribes to Spotify, at this time of the year, we receive the wrap of our listening for the year. I have posted on this topic in the past. It’s always interesting to see what I have listened to and what I listened to most.

There is always Springsteen with Born to Run, usually in my most listened to songs. In 2023, it was no different, however, it was my continued love of The Beatles and Paul McCartney that showed through. Band on the Run was among my most listened to songs; it’s the crashing guitars as the song breaks from its intro to the main song that I always notice, no matter how often I listen to it.

In 2023, The Beatles were my most listened to band.  On reflection, it was no surprise. I regularly pick one of their albums or songs to listen too. Often, I will listen to their albums from start to finish or from the start to Revolver or Sgt Peppers to Let it Be. Continue reading →

My most listened of 2019

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As 2019 closed I often wondered what songs I’d listened to most as I have sat at my desk “chugging away” on my PhD. Spotify dutifully obliges each December with a listing of what I have listened to the most on that platform. I haven’t only listened on Spotify as I like the Stingray platform that comes with our PayTV subscription, particularly they 70s Chanel. I also listen to some vinyl, so it’s not a complete picture but it will be pretty close.

My year’s listening was dominated by 70s music and Springsteen’s Western Stars.

It wasn’t a surprise that the songs from Western Star dominated. I have blogged previously on how much I like this album, so I won’t spend a lot of time writing about it again, except to say that it is definitely my album of the year with Tuscon Train my current favourite from the album.

From there it was largely 1970s music. Continue reading →

Puff the magic dragon

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As I was working on the last section of my Research Methodology chapter which at the time of writing stands at an absurd and definitely to be edited 63 pages before appendices, a childhood favourite came up on the Spotify playlist – Puff the Magic Dragon.

My parents loved Peter, Paul and Mary and as kids, their music was regularly playing on the family radiogram. There aren’t a lot of music artists that I have in common with my now late parents but Peter, Paul and Mary was one of them.

Continue reading →

My Top Songs 2018 Part Two

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In my previous post, I looked at the Top 15 of my Spotify Top Songs of 2018. In this post rather than going numerically through the remaining 85 I have picked out a selection.

I thought I would top and tail this post with extremes.

In my Top 20 is, what my daughter refers to as my ode to Eurotrash – Loreen’s Euphoria, winner of the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest. Only to be listened to at the gym with the volume at the max!

David Bowie is also in my Top 20 with Life on Mars. I can’t say Bowie is a go-to in my music listening, but there are some of his albums that I adore and Hunky Dory of which Life on Mars is the fourth track on side one is definitely one. I can’t remember when I bought the album, it’s an import so it must have been around 1975 when a school friend of mine and I took advantage of the huge difference in exchange rates between the UK and Australia and started importing records.  Whether its Life on Mars, Changes, Kooks, Andy Warhol, this is a classic album and seeing it in My Top Songs gave me an excuse to fire up the turntable and give it a spin.

America’s Ventura Highway. The simplicity and harmonies make America’s music and Ventura Highway, in particular, a regular on my Spotify Playlists. Continue reading →