When Spotify recommends "new" artists to you based on who you have (allegedly) been listening to .. (weird connections, OTM recommends, or "duh" ones)

People who listen to Aphrodite's Child are also listening to Sandie Shaw

If you like The Fall, try Clinic

You listened to Inspiral Carpets this week Want to try The Lightning Seeds?

Goo Goo Dolls into Journey was some good music criticism by the program.

my all-time fave (so far):

"you listened to bo diddley this week. like to try brigitte bardot?"

what, as in "lol you live in the fifties.." ?

I'm not making this one up. Yesterday I got "If you like Ass Ponys, try Fuck." Which actually makes sense, but still...

"Fallin' was popular when you were in school. Play now?"

slightly creepy new message template

They Might Be Giants + Paul Simon ---> The Allmann Brothers Band, Eat A Peach

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buyIDQG0Ig0

legitimate connection, I guess

You listened to Devo yesterday. Want to try Muddy Waters?

Like Moondog and The Gun Club? Check out The Fall
or on the more WTF end...
You listened to The Chocolate Watch Band, you might like Urinals
I mean, yeah. I do but still
In the "so obvious it's redundant" camp...
You listened to Rites Of Spring and Drive Like Jehu, you might like Nation Of Ulysses

if you like the fall we recommend suicide

Man, Spotify is really excited that I played some Cher.

Who's this Michael Jackson guy?

The 'Related Artists' page for Devo includes Muddy Waters, also Robert Johnson and Leadbelly. Does anyone have any idea why this should be?

I mean, some of the tracks on those 'Hardcore Devo' compilations that went up recently are sort of blusey in a via Cpt. Beefheart kind of way, but i can't imagine there's more crossover between people listening to Devo and these three guys than there is between Devo and literally hundreds of other artists.

haha yeah it's on the other spotify thread but spotify recommends has had a boner for hardcore devo for awhile now

I guess they're still looking for someone to fix their algo: https://www.spotify.com/us/jobs/view/oI3QWfwh/

As someone who gives money to Spotify, it is only beneficial for that position to be posted in a music forum.

People who listen to Aphrodite's Child are also listening to Sandie Shaw

lol, that was probably me.

You listened to Gary Numan yesterday. Want to try Small Faces?

old gary and the lads, just 'avin' a laff

mine have mostly been obvious suggs. amazed it hasn't indirectly made fun of me for the number of Irene Cara songs I've played in the last week.

"You listened to Paul Simon. Here's an album you might like *image of Bob Dylan's Self-Portrait*"

Now that's a challop.

mine have mostly been obvious suggs.

If you like obvious suggs, try Madness

Hello, I resisted that one. Cheers..

"If you like The Jacksons, try Rod Stewart" is whatever, but the image they have of Rod is actually a shot of Sting from the "All 4 Love" days, with rod and bryan's faces half cropped on each side of him

You Listened to Sly & The Family Stone . Here's an album you might like.
http://userserve-ak.last.fm/serve/_/37754003/This+Years+Model+Deluxe+Edition+Elvis_Costello_and_the_Attract.jpg

You listened to Cyndi Lauper this week. Want to try Aerosmith?

I never noticed these before but now I have tons of these "___________ was huge when you were a teenager. Play now?" And no thanks, I don't really feel like listening to C+C Music Factory, EMF, Tears in Heaven, or Lisa Loeb. Giving You The Best That I Got by Anita Baker is a little tempting though.

no way were you a teenager when they were out!

damn, are you calling me old? I mean I am old but not older than that.

If you like Elliott Smith, try Interpol.

I'm not sure what it is, but there's something about those recommendations which make me not want to listen to the suggested artist - even if I like them.

I've been paying attention to these recommendations more thanks to this thread and now it led me to discover Cleaners From Venus which I'm really digging.

"Like Paul Simon and the Cure? Check out Bob Dylan."

"If you like the Ronettes, we recommend Nat King Cole."

"Since you listened to Aphrodite's Child, you might like this new release by Frankie Laine"

Cleaners from Venus are great

You listened to Big Star, we recommend Ride.

fuck off

Ride is pretty good

I'm sick of this "this song that is completely unlike anything you've listened to ever will somehow appeal to you because it came out when you were in school"

ive never had that

this song was out when you were in school thing i mean

Because i listened to FUNKADELIC i should check out Blind Faith though. wtf

ok WHAT IN THE FUCK
http://i.imgur.com/vghy0gA.png

One thing I'm hating, though it's probably my fault: the other day I played a bunch of stuff that my six-year-old wanted to hear (mostly big pop hits and stuff from musicals) and now my recommendations are totally fucked.

if you like death we recommend suicide

1452 Followers

This is little while ago, but I had a message saying 'You listened to Cassie. Check out this gig near you' accompanied by this photo:

http://o.scdn.co/300/1c926d8163f2399d7f87c87e3a917ceaed958e43

I was excited until I followed the link and realised that it was actually this Cassie:

http://cassieband.bandcamp.com/

Swear to god though, there was about 60 seconds I spent trying to work out why Cassie was appearing at Trof Fallowfield second on the bill after 'powerful and almost instrumental rock trio MARVIN'.

I didn't go, but this is the other Cassie in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNBAIM1ytgE

I dig that

You've been listening to a lot of "John and Marsha" by Stan Freberg lately.

Lies!

http://i.imgur.com/z8NzKdc.png

The lineup changed over the years, I take it?

"Since you listened to The Rolling Stones, you might like this new release by The Clash."

*large picture of Clash's self-titled debut*

Spotify also thinks I'll like this song because I was recently listening to Jackson 5 and Stevie Wonder.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcNJxVLoHVU

Darryl getting that Motown sound!

lol, there are a lot of Hall/Oates songs that I might recommend to J5 and Stevie fans, but that is decidedly not one of them, although it is an interesting find

all the "you like these artists, try this SPECIFIC SONG by a similar artist" choices must be randomly generated - I also had the Monkees' "Opening Ceremony" intro from Head suggested for playing Beach Boys or something. Key in singles if you're going to bother, Spots!

"You listened to The Cramps. Check out Sebadoh."

because i listened to the mavericks (and not particularly recently), today spotify would like me to listen to charlie rich AND buck owens AND merle haggard AND kris kristofferson AND george jones & tammy wynette. that's one email, one source artist, five suggestions. and, tbh, they had me at charlie rich.

A new low: "Have you heard The Best of Kate Bush - Tribute by Studio Sunset? Give it a try." Does anybody at Spotify even listen to music themselves?

"If you like ___ we recommend Suicide" will never stop being funny.

I am not listening to a band called Winter Titty no matter how much they plead.

ditto with the band Reptar

also spotify keeps spontaneously closing for me. i might have to uninstall and reinstall it...

Public Image Limited

Because you've listened to Can and Jilted John.

You listened to Run DMC and Salt-N-Pepa. Here's an album you might like:
Daryl Hall- Sacred Songs

"You listened to They Might Be Giants. Check out Jane's Addition."

Turned me on to Country Teasers based on TFUL282, I thought that was pretty astute actually.

I just liked the idea that Public Image Limited was basically Can fronted by Jilted John..

Check out this song by Moondog? We think you might like it.

High on a Rocky Ledge

for once I feel like there's an actual human presence behind these recommendations. what a song!

Oh, recommend Moondog to the world, Spotify!

Rdio now has a Recommendation section. It's a lot less ridiculous than Spotify's.

tempted to try our rdio, spotify's weird ideas about how to structure their service are becoming harder to pin on mere youthful exuberance

"If you like Shuggie Otis, try Scott Walker."

Recluse rock?

that doesn't make sense but it makes a lot of sense if you know what i mean

tbh i used to clown these but they've gotten so much better and i've actually discovered tons of cool stuff via them

You listened to They Might Be Giants. Check out William Shatner.

If you like Slowdive, try Suicide

(done before, but still lol)

"you listened to tinariwen. here's an album you might like." link to lambchop's nixon.

i don't get the connection at all. however, i did and i do. so.

interesting:

If you like Ruthann Friedman we recommend Tom Verlaine

http://i.imgur.com/8ZlhQ0m.jpg

"sorry dude, I heard you missed out on those tickets. but look on the bright side, BBBRRRJJJJHWWWWWAAAAEEEAAAAAiiiiiiiiAAARROOOOOBBBWWWWWWWWWWWWWWERRRRRRRRRHXXXXXXXXoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO"

You listened to Jeezy and Twista. Here’s an album you might like.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TLy-Z%2B37L._SY355_.jpg

also i hate how it's usually "9 music suggestions for you" or some other random non-round number, very Buzzfeedy

http://i59.tinypic.com/ok08y8.png

I gotta say spotify's been accurately pitching a lot of c-grade 80s college rock at me I've never bothered to hear before.

there's still some i'd-assume-you-were-throwing-shade-if-you-weren't-an-algorithm moments like "Have you heard Greatest Hits by Red Hot Chili Peppers? Give it a try."

lol

"Your corny dinosaur ass was playing a lot of seventies bullshit last night. Do you know Eric Clapton? Check him out."

Know people like to complain about it as well, but Amazon algorithm is much better at predicting, partly no doubt because we have been caught up in their snares for longer and they have a lot more data, but also because they have a lot more and better computer scientists on staff.

Which I am sure I already posted upthread, harder to CTRL-F with zing toosh.

more importantly in my case, amazon knows what i look for to buy. Spotify doesn't know the difference between listening for pleasure and investigating out of morbid curiosity.

"huh, i guess he likes graham nash solo albums now...wasn't he listening to a lot of archers of loaf the other night? whatever, better tell him about livingston taylor!"

I listen on the phone mostly so don't see these recs.

I put it down to the perhaps fanciful idea that it is not designed to recommend really, it is instead intended to successfully imitate one of those people who say things "You like music, then you must like such and such" or "you play a musical instrument!? So does my neighbor's cousin, you should meet them and form a band!"

If I do listen on the laptop I still don't notice recs, although it does tell me what certain ilxors whose playlists I have subscribed to have been listening to.

they're on the "discover" page. it used to be the first thing that appeared but now you have to click thru from the "overview" page.

i had a nightmare period where people were telling me spotify kept telling them i was listening to carly simon's "coming around again." (which i maybe played like TWICE while investigation her top 40 career!). i think spotify might have been trying to goad me into using "private session" less often.

Spotify recs are much better/more interesting than Amazon ime.

more importantly in my case, amazon knows what i look for to buy. Spotify doesn't know the difference between listening for pleasure and investigating out of morbid curiosity.

― da croupier, Sunday, October 12, 2014 4:06 PM (1 hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Spotify knows what you listen to over and over again. Amazon doesn't automatically know if you liked something or not.

I put it down to the perhaps fanciful idea that it is not designed to recommend really, it is instead intended to successfully imitate one of those people who say things "You like music, then you must like such and such" or "you play a musical instrument!? So does my neighbor's cousin, you should meet them and form a band!"

― Bobby Ono Bland (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, October 12, 2014 12:18 PM (1 hour ago)

lol

I don't get these from Spotify anymore.

Their DW algorithm is on a roll right now, at least for me.

Gloria Ann Taylor - Deep Inside of You https://youtu.be/yF2Y4boaV8A
Anchorsong - Butterflies https://youtu.be/b0HZooDAfws
Rare Silk - Storm https://youtu.be/AQZESJ2Pga8

It's a shame that Spotify only looks at actual listened, I really liked Deezer where you can specifically mark favourite artists and songs (which their heuristics then takes into account). I marked about 100 of my favourite artists and immediately their recommendations were spot on. If I want that info into Spotify I'd have make a playlist with those 100 artists and play that on repeat at night or something.