I was (Mis) Informed By Spotify That My Most Listened To Song Of 2020 Was "Ghost Riders In The Sky"
GHOSTRIDERS IN THE SKY - Greatest Cowboy Movie Themes
I have used Spotify to listen to music pretty much ever since I found out about it , which seems like about 10 years ago. You can create playlists there and in effect program your own radio station, even without a paid subscription. They play about the same number of commercials you would hear on a regular AM or FM radio station. Or you can pay 10 bucks a month and get no commercials at all.
So I got an email from Spotify this morning with something new, as in I dont think they've ever done this before - they sent their users a visual breakdown of their 2020 usage , "You listened to 237 different genres this year". That was shocking news to me, since I have been previously unaware of the existence of more than a handful of genres (pop, rock, heavy metal, dance, easy listening, country, folk, r&b, rap, classical, etc) , but nowhere near 237. The summary also told me I listened to 56 NEW genres in 2020. (Maybe genres are exploding into our musical universe like newly born stars and galaxies. ) They said my favorite genre is "adult standards", which does sound about right, as Frank Sinatra was my most listened to artist of the year
ALL THE WAY - Frank Sinatra
Some of my most listened to songs were PEOPLE GET READY by the Impressions, I STILL HAVENT FOUND WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR by U2, GIRL ON FIRE by Alicia Keys, LOVE ME WITH ALL YOUR HEART by Agatha Faltskog, VIVA LA VIDA by Cold Play, and SOMETHING by the Beatles. Spotify tells you what your 100 most listened to songs of the year were. Problem is I am 100 percent positive those were not my most listened to songs of the year, although I do have all of them on one playlist or another. Spotify also told me that BLUE MOON by Vaughn Monroe ( I think was a vocalist in the 1940's) was my second favorite song of the year, unfortunately I have never heard that record, and dont think I have ever heard Vaughn Monroe sing.
Which brings me to my number one most listened to song of 2020, according to my Spotify account, GHOSTRIDERS IN THE SKY from the album Greatest Cowboy Movie themes.
Now I do have the song on a playlist , and I'm sure I played it once or twice during the year, but that is all.
My mother loved cowboy songs and when I was a little boy she would play records by Gene Autry
so I have always had somewhat of a liking for western songs , and have listened to Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys and more contemporary of the genre like Asleep At The Wheel
I'M AN OLD COWHAND
So,I think Spotify's recap of my listening year is kind of goofy, but it did bring to mind how technology can get things wrong and statistics and ubiquitous "information" overload may not always be what it is cracked up to be.
I happen to know that WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE by The Animals was my most listened to song of the great lost year 2020. Wasn't it everyone's?
WE GOTTA GET OUT OF THIS PLACE - The Animals
What is your most listened to song of the year ?
Jimmie Buffet's Gypsies In The Palace.
For THIS year??? No doubt about it -
I think this may be the song I listened to most this year. I cannot ever get enough of that incredible voice!
Trey Anastasio jamming out with Carlos Santana.
I use AccuRadio, which is similar to Spotify, and also free.
I can't think of songs I've particularly listened to more than once this past year, but if I guess, it would have been these three (none of which are cowboy songs), all being among my very favourites, and very meaningful to me:
Helpless - Neil Young (accompanied by The Band, and Joni Mitchell)
Suzanne - Leonard Cohen
My Way - Frank Sinatra
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