Let me start off this week’s post with something I haven’t mentioned in a long time. Did you know you can support your friends at Record Archive through Patreon? For a monthly donation (depending on the level) you can get advance info on upcoming releases, curated Spotify playlists from the Archive staff that you can add too, Record Archive swag and gift certificates, and more. Get the information HERE.
Speaking of Spotify… Perhaps over the past week or two you’ve seen people posting on Twitter and Facebook about their #2020Wrapped. I know this will come as a shock, but it seems that the streaming service has been tracking our listening habits, and as a year end “gift” is telling us what they’ve learned. Let me tell you about a few of the things from the summary they put together about me.
– Somehow I’ve listened to 225 different genres of music. What?? Not songs. Not albums. 225 genres. I didn’t even know there were that many types of music. My top 5 are…
1. Roots Rock
2. Rock
3. Rockabilly
4. Alternative Rock
5. Deep New Americana
I don’t know. It seems like some of these are the same thing, or are at least subgenres of each other.
– My five most listened to songs were…
1. Almost- Bowling For Soup
2. Revolution Rock And Roll- Low Cut Connie
3. Squeep Fleep- The Gooms
4. You’re All I Need To Get By- Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
5. Busted- Dustbowl Revival
Yeah, these make sense.
If you want to check out my one hundred most listened to songs on Spotify this year you can click HERE.
A couple tunes on this list don’t make sense to me, but overall I love it (obviously). I’m a big Warren Zevon fan, but don’t really like “Lawyers, Guns, and Money”. How did that make my Top 100, and not “Mohammed’s Radio” or “Excitable Boy”?
A song called “Bad Reputation” by Freedy Johnson is my #98 most listened to song and I don’t think I’ve ever heard it before.
– Supposedly I listened to 735 different artists, but these are my Top 5 that I listened to the most often…
1. Bruce Springsteen (insert shocked face here)
2. The Gooms
3. Eddie From Ohio
4. Christophe Beck
5. Moxy Fruvous
While Springsteen being #1 obviously makes sense there are a couple things on here that I don’t understand
Who the F is Christophe Beck? I actually had to Google him. He’s not the guy that did “Loser” and “Where It’s At” in the 90’s. He never had a radio show in Rochester. No I didn’t forgot an “r” at the end of his first name. I guess he is most famous for composing movie scores, including Frozen and Frozen 2. MAYBE I listened “Do You Want To Build A Snowman” and “Let It Go” a couple times after watching the movie on Disney+, but I’m not even sure he is the person behind those songs since he is credited with the instrumental score. If I listened to Mr. Beck so often how come he has no songs on my Top 100 of 2020 playlist?
Actually that same question can be asked of Eddie From Ohio. I love them, but they didn’t make the year end list of songs that Mr. and Mrs. Spotify themselves put together.
I guess I listened to The Gooms two albums even more than I thought. That also surprised me. Actually, Moxy Fruvous too… I don’t think I listened to them much at all.
Where are the Elvises (or is it Elvis’, or maybe even Elvisi)? I’m surprised neither Mr. Presley or Costello made my Top 5 artists.
What about The Adam Ezra Group? Barenaked Ladies? Low Cut Connie? Rolling Stones? The Band? Prince? Billy Joel? The Smithereens? Tons of others actually.
To be honest I think the real reason is that the free Spotify app (with lots of ads) is my third or fourth choice when it comes to listening to music. Here are the places I get most of my tuneage…
1. Actual records and CDs. I still love owning physical media when I can afford it. It’s mine and can never be taken away from me. I have hundreds… maybe thousands… of albums and discs I’ve collected over the decades, and can pull them out any time I want.
2. Amazon streaming that costs me $8 a month and gives me access to millions of songs and albums.
3. WRUR 88.5 F.M. I’m going to write more about this fantastic Rochester radio station someday, but if you liked the music I used to play on Sunday mornings you’ll hear similar stuff here. If I don’t like everything I at least find it interesting. I’ve become a big fan in the past year.
4. Spotify. A good place for me to make playlists to share with friends, family, and folks that liked my taste in music on the radio. The app also suggest songs I might like based on what I’ve been listening to. I like finding new stuff here, and then buying the CDs from the Archive or the artists website.
In none of these formats of music have I become familiar with the oeuvre of Christophe Beck.
I’m still looking for your recommendations. What are you reading, watching, and listening to? What was on your #2020Wrapped? I really am curious. @RadioFreeBillyD on Twitter, Billy D’Ettorre on Facebook, or RadioBillyD@gmail.com
Do me a favor… if you’re reading this it’s because the folks at Record Archive are super nice, secure in the knowledge that they have a great business, and aren’t worried about me talking a little bit about streaming music. Stop in at the store and pick up something you’ve been wanting (or a gift for someone else). You can also call the Archive for curbside pick up, or have your order shipped. The online store is also a great resource.
https://shop.recordarchive.com
Stay safe, stay healthy, and wear a damn mask.
Billy