Explore FM's Rise and Fall on Google Timeline

[michelej1]

Wired by Katie Collins, January 17, 2014

http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/...music-timeline


Explore the rise and fall of your favourite artists with Google's Music Timeline

Google's research department has released an interactive timeline that explores the popularity of music genres across the years from the 1950s to the present day.

The visualisation has been constructed based on how many Google Play users have specific albums or artists in their libraries. The thickness of each stripe along the timeline correlates with the popularity of that particular genre in each year.

UGoogle

To explore each genre in more detail, you can click on its stripe to find out about the waxing and waning popularity of its various subgenres and fusion genres. Alternatively, you can also search for specific albums or artists. The music Fleetwood Mac produced in the mid 70s, for example, has been dramatically more popular than anything else the band has released before or since. Unsurprisingly, this coincides almost perfectly with the release of the album Rumours in 1977.

[MacShadowsBall]

Fascinating! I would have thought more activity around Mirage and Tango. I am curious about the movement around BTM/1990 and '02/'03.

[ryan4136]

Puts it in perspective how insanely big Rumours really was. You get numb to it sometimes.

[elle]

Originally Posted by MacShadowsBall

Fascinating! I would have thought more activity around Mirage and Tango. I am curious about the movement around BTM/1990 and '02/'03.

if you click on the timeline you get links to the albums that were in the middle of the activity bubbles. for whatever reason they did not connect the first (and largest, after Rumours one!) bubble to PG-era albums. (what's wih those weird Albatross/Christine and FM/Stevie compilations on the lower part of this timeline?).



so we have PG-era, FM, Rumours & Tusk bubbles, and then Tango, the Dance, The Very Best of/SYW bubbles.

early 90s small movement may coincide with Bill Clinton running for president in 91-92...

[WildHearted]

So just to clarify how this works:

This isn't based on actual history, but rather on what current music listeners have in their music libraries?

[elle]

Originally Posted by WildHearted

So just to clarify how this works:

This isn't based on actual history, but rather on what current music listeners have in their music libraries?

like what they get from google play? could be, no idea... didn't look how they compiled it, but there definitely has to be something that throws whatever algorithm they use off a bit considering LB's biggest popularity was apparently in early 70s, before he had any albums out. it's interesting to play with either way.

[elle]

Originally Posted by WildHearted

So just to clarify how this works:

This isn't based on actual history, but rather on what current music listeners have in their music libraries?

looked it up, finally. you are right:

"Where does the data come from?
The Music Timeline is based on album and artist statistics aggregated from Google Play Music — we define popularity by how many users have an artist or album in their music library."

[MikeInNV]

Originally Posted by elle

looked it up, finally. you are right:

"Where does the data come from?
The Music Timeline is based on album and artist statistics aggregated from Google Play Music — we define popularity by how many users have an artist or album in their music library."

But that still doesn't explain LB's popularity in the early 70s.

[elle]

Originally Posted by MikeInNV

But that still doesn't explain LB's popularity in the early 70s.

right? lol.

[jenniferuk]

Interesting! It is odd to see the red SN/FM album (performed by studio musicians) and Royal Philharmonic compilations included. The Albatross Christine Perfect/ FM compilation is still available although I am not sure if it is US available. I remember seeing it in UK itunes or such.

Can't figure out the LB 70s bit...

[WildHearted]

Originally Posted by MikeInNV

But that still doesn't explain LB's popularity in the early 70s.

Maybe people have Buckingham Nicks or live Fritz stuff on there? That's the absolute only possibility, even though I'd be shocked if that were the reason lmao.

Does it only tally "official" music / purchased music or is it literally anything people have in their libraries?