EDIT: Actually many years are missing, it seems. For Norway there's nothing between 2000 and 1985, but I guess that's how the charts are pulled?
I also noticed that when you only have these 5 year jumps, certain genres are completely missing. Take US charts - Grunge is non-existent, as it had not yet hit the charts in 1990, and by 1995 it was over.
I found a small mistake, the Argentina 2000 list [1] shows "Babasónicos - Ella usó mi cabeza como un revolver", but the actual song by Babasónicos (the one that plays) is titled "Cómo eran las cosas", and "Ella usó mi cabeza como un revolver" is a song by Soda Stereo.
One question/request: How did you get the data, and would it be possible to filter by language or genre?
TBH I'm actually trying to chase which songs were popular when I was a kid - for example I distinctly remember Astronomia (Tony Iggy) being massive in the club/party "scene" (and even in malls I think!) - but these charts only give what everyone was listening to - so they're pop songs in the local language.
Question, is this data generated by spotify itself, or are you using some other chart-tracking tool?
Not sure what the data source is, but needs a little bit of cleaning and validation. Not critiquing, this project is awesome, just giving a heads up.
A few things need ironing out as others have mentioned, but I'll be following the project. Cheers!
I assume you looked into automating the charts for new countries/years. What were the blockers for that?
Otherwise, very nice project.
Waiting for more countries (like, in Africa).. and more than first 10 ??
[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDZ78RbAdxU 11 minutes
In fairness to this post, they probably posted as much as they could get easily and consistently. I feel like the same situation reigns for country history in book shops. When I go to a used book store in Queens, New York, I'm not apt to find any books about Jaipur, India. But, if I were to go to Mumbai, India, I could probably find something. So, maybe we should prevail upon or sponsor people in Africa to volunteer their lists.
nice project :D
Seriously... I found this very interesting, but for some country (i'm from Italy) maybe the charts are not so accurate (maybe yes, I'm not an expert ;-( ). Despite everything, very nice idea
It’s cool though, brings back memories.
The thing that I find amazing is that I have listened to songs from 1950 from the "mera joota hai japaani" to quite some old songs. There were only a few songs that I hadn't heard in total. (I have heard the movie awaara from which the song is, had gotten quite famous in Russia during that time too)
Lata Mangeshkar truly dominated the Indian records. She was truly an Nightingale of India (Rest in peace)
It was from the 1995 -> 2000/2005 shift that I found Indian music to have this feeling of "old" to "new", is this even an Indian specific effect or all across the world?
I feel like the reasons I know the retro songs are because for example the 1950's song is so iconic that nearly 70-75 years later, we are comfortable singing it. I think that also is because of India's Independence being in 1947 and the song being a patriotic song (essentially meaning that no matter what nation's clothes I wear, I will always be an Hindustani)
1995's Tujhe Dekha toh ye jaana sanam and DDLJ and Jaa Simran Jaa is like SRK's magnus opus that the actor is defined by this era.
I think that the one of the reasons that new gen knows about these songs is also because our parents listen to these songs and jukeboxes within the house and my father had the habit of tuning into 92.7 when I had to go to school and they always had retro songs. Although we only listened for 5 minutes but I definitely remember some songs that I heard on the radio (Gulaabi Aakhein)
It also solved one of the mysteries I had on what song is used by the popcorn makers who come near homes, they are/were so catchy. I used to think it was the song "twisted"[0] but that movie came out sort of recent and I couldn't understand but it was with this app that I found that twisted song was a remix of the 1955's third most famous song by lata mangeshkar (mann dole mera tann dole) from the iconic movie naagin.
It truly feels like music sums up some aspects of my country and usually the music which gets famous is because the movie becomes generational too that its quote can be referenced even till today. I can only imagine the same for some other countries as well.
It makes me wish to listen to other countries musics to learn about their culture.
Joota hai japani/writing this comment made me remember of an experience from my life. There is another song from the same movie "awara" known as "Kisi ki muskarahoton par ho nisar" and I was once very ill and y'know how you feel really sad when you're ill or something, I then remember listening to this song and I am not sure but that day I ate some biscuit Krack jack and I really felt happy/better so that had the effect of me preferring those biscuits a lot too. I still eat those biscuits sometimes and listen to this song.
It also reminds me of, I had a music teacher in my school, Prem sir [Prem meaning love], and being honest I have never seen a teacher this patient with kids. He would play songs and we would try to guess. He used to tell us stories about him playing flutes near his house iirc and I still remember him singing "Achutam Keshavam Krishna Damodaram" song in his voice. He was one of the best teachers I had. His passion in music was seen by his patience and how he treated us nicely even if we are shouting as kids and making ruckus, he would then sometimes sing the tunes of song and then have us guess it and the whole class would be pin drop silent except his music and he is an expert of many music instruments. He is such a kind and patient soul. He used to sing these retro songs and the music teachers in our school so that was another source of influence of retro songs even though the gap between my generation and songs are large, but its the teachers and everyone who introduced us.
Thank you for making this app kind stranger. I hope many others feel the same way about some sense of nostalgia/remembering past events like I did with your application.
Your welcome! That's great to hear that my culture/heritage and my nation left a positive impact on ya. I really appreciate your comment and your application. Wishing you many good wishes for your future from my side. Enjoy having a nice day!