“I love music. Every kind of music.”* I am a music lover.
When the 24/7/365 celestial jukebox arrived, I knew my listening habits would change again. Evolving as they had over the years from AM radio and 45s to FM and albums, cassettes, CDs, and digital downloads. Aren’t we consumers suckers? How many versions of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of The Moon (1973) can one man own? Four! Planned obsolescence, indeed. The only music storage medium I didn’t buy was 8-Tracks. Only because I didn’t have a car until I was 21.
But beginning in 2005, with the high-tech combination of high-speed wireless internet, compressed audio files, smartphones, streaming apps, and great headphones/earbuds, my music listening became less about ownership than access. And over the last 17 years, I evolved. Have you? Today, I value diversity and efficiency over the snap, crackle and pop nostalgia of hi-fidelity and dust-collecting collectivity.
And since I made my transition in 2018 (awkward choice of words, I admit) from iTunes to Spotify, my evolution is complete. I hope!? And now, for less than $120 a year—where I used to spend $1,000 easily—I can listen to anything anytime anywhere—and with no ads. Of course, 456 million listeners around the world can’t be wrong. Can we? Anyway, I love it!
And no, I am not a paid social media influencer. I just love music, every kind of music…
And my listening habits did change. Both because of my discerning age and the advent of new technologies. I am less a fan of “popular taste” hit music now and more discriminating. Is that word okay to use when talking about music? Anyway, like my super-Tuscan wines and spicy-Asian foods, I know what I like and what I don’t like. I have a context. More mature—Yea, that’s what I am, more mature!—My Audio Aura is best described as “rich,” “mellow” and “wistful”—I like thoughtful, warm lyrics, coherent melodies and rhythms that are complex and musically rich, and harmonies that exult. You know, good music. I am a mercurial Gemini, after all.
And to each his own, whatever genre that maybe, go for it, enjoy! Be it Bronx Drill, Trap, Desi Pop, or Mellow Gold. Or to my throwback Classic Rock readers: Merseybeat, Yacht Rock and New Wave. Just no Trash Metal or CCM, please! Save your earbuds and sensibilities.
Well, my current Spotify music delivery system helps me appreciate music better and listen to more. I think? Although, according to my year-end 2022 Wrapped, I listened to less music in 2022 than in 2021. The pandemic had something to do with that, I’m sure. Anyway, it's just so easy to listen, and I do. When I’m driving, flying, having breakfast, or cooking. Okay, it helps that I have literally nothing to do all day too!But with over 40,000 new songs added daily, I am as up-to-date on new music as any teenager with my weekly “Release Radar” of 30 new tunes created in my image. I just have better taste.
Yet sometimes, it is like drinking water from a firehose. Almost too much of a good thing. And that worries me a little. David Bowie predicted that music would become ubiquitous in our lives. So, (In my best Carrie Bradshaw voice) If we have so much of it all time, will we still appreciate it?
Well, I do.
Not only am I exposed to new songs, musicians/bands, and genres—Spotify has 5,071 distinct database genres—but my music listening has become more mood-driven. It’s personal, not force-fed, sanitized Top-40 AM/FM radio crap. There’s my calming morning music with coffee and the papers (singer-songwriters). My commuting songs. The classical and jazz background while writing. Snappy pop doing domestic chores. Thump-thump energetic tunes while working out. Easy vibes while cooking (whole albums). Curious dinner music. And sentimental melancholy drinking-alone-at-night music. I’ve got it all covered. And Spotify helps me keep it fresh.
Because a big part of the joy I get from music is the discovery of new songs that resonate with me. Fresh finds. I also value open-minded novelty over comfortable catalogue nostalgia. And Spotify’s A.I. is pretty good (a little better than 50/50) in selecting songs I might like by mixing my music listening history, preferences, habits and online library together with their proprietary algorithm (aka the active ingredient). I can only guess, but in my mind, here’s how it works:
The Ever-Expanding Music Universe of Songs – What I listen to + Spotify’s secret sauce (aka the subjective psychoacoustic attributes of my preferences) + Similar playlists and genre niches that might appeal to me = My taste profile - What I’ve already listened to – What I don’t like = My personalized “Discover Weekly” mixtape.
They follow the breadcrumbs to my ears. And they do it well because my personally curated playlists are based on my actual listening history. In my aural bubble, I hear no Dylan, no Nickelback, no Pearl Jam, no Metallica, and no Jimmy Buffett. Pure bliss. Sacrilege to some, but it is my safe space.
According to my wife, I've overthought why Spotify is only a little better than a coin flip in choosing for me. And I’ve figured out the glitch, the bug, the flaw. It’s me! You see, I’m an unpredictable, untraditional musical omnivore. I listen to so much—2,895 different artists spread across 276 different musical genres in 2022, that I throw off the algorithm. As a result, I am labeled** a musical Adventurer. Whereas my wife is a Replayer—she likes what she likes and plays her likes often. And my daughter is a Fanclubber—she has a handful of bands she admittedly probably overplays. My son…well, let’s leave him out of this one. We don’t understand the mind of a teenager.
Obviously, accumulated data and algorithms cannot convey the joy I get from listening to music. Numbers never tell the real story. But they are interesting…in a spectrum way: collecting data is just categorizing things, really. With the added ability to compare and contrast what was and what is. It offers no real insight, no nuance, no context. It is knowledge, but of a misleading kind. Indeed, Spotify’s annual Wrapped is a bit cringe-worthy in that they keep track of everything I listen to (aka the surveillance business model). Unfortunately, it's a fact of life, hard to avoid unless you unplug entirely and live in remote parts of France and read the 126-page fine-print disclaimers.
But music, to me, is transformative and transportive. It can transform my mood and transport me to another time and place. Sometimes happy, nostalgic, and joyful states of being. And that’s why I love music. Every kind of music…
What’s your take? More importantly, what was your favorite song/act for 2022?
* That verse is by The O’Jays, who were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (Class of 2005). Now I’m just venting, but after recently watching the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, I am a little peeved that a few bands are still not in. WTF? And please, don’t quibble about their rock n’ roll bona fides, because they are all rock n’ rollers: Link Wray (rock guitar instrumentals), Dick Dale (surf-rock), Willie Nelson, MC5 (protopunk originators), The Guess Who (19 chart-topping hits), Three Dog Night (21 consecutive Top 40 hits), The Spinners, Grand Funk Railroad, The Runaways, The Jam (inspired Britpop), The B-52’s (dance party rock), The Smiths, Joy Division/New Order, George Michael (blue-eyed soul)…to name a few.
** Spotify has identified 16 listening personalities based on the music they streamed, similar to the popular Myers-Briggs Type Indicator test—I’m an ENTP. Their scales ID if you are an explorer or seek familiarity? Are into newness or timelessness? Are a loyal listener or seek variety? Do You listen to common songs or seek uniqueness? I’m an EVNU.
Thanks for the privilege of your time, it is the most precious thing we have, and I appreciate it. Be well.
William D. Chalmers © 2022 GreatEscape Adventures, Inc. All Rights Reserved.