1. Mediabase – “Budapest” George Ezra

“Budapest” is number 58 on Spotify’s daily chart in the U.S. Number 99 on the weekly chart and number 54 on the worldwide chart. Why so low on Spotify? TOP FORTY AND AC ARE NOT PLAYING IT IN THE U.S!

Why is this, the song is a one listen smash and already proved its viability in the U.K. What kind of antiquated, ridiculous world do we live in where you’ve got to climb one chart to demonstrate your bonafides so you can climb another? I’d be surprised if “Budapest” does not cross over, but by then it will be ancient history in the ears of those who care.

Can we all get on the same page people?

It’s like having Twitter talk about six month old YouTube clips, everything’s in lockstep online. That is the world we live in.

2. Mediabase – “Make You Better” Decemberists

Not only is this not in the Spotify daily top 200, no Decemberists track is.

Yet all the press is citing the “Billboard” album chart, wherein the Decemberists debuted at number 5.

Huh?

Could it be that most people don’t care about the Decemberists?

Looks like it to me.

And it’s fine if you’re a fan, but I’m just pointing out the disconnect between the media/publicity world and the listening world.

Furthermore, the Decemberists’ new album, “What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World,” is not even in the Spotify top fifty albums.

As for streams… The above track has been listened to 2,053,647 times. Not bad, but “Centuries,” off Fall Out Boy’s new album, which entered the “Billboard” chart at number one, has been streamed 50,728,320 times.

Interestingly, the non-single Fall Out Boy tracks have nowhere near the traction. “The Kids Aren’t Alright” has been streamed 5,857,009 times and “Fourth Of July” has been streamed 2,610,943 times…

As for the Decemberists… From the new album, “Philomena” has been streamed 266,606 times and “A Beginning Song” has been streamed 444,897 times.

So it turns out we live in a singles world after all. Yes, no one is holding back fans from streaming these complete albums, but it turns out people are drawn to the hit, only the hard core fan listens to more.

This is very different from the old days when you purchased an LP and played it through, over and over again.

3. Mediabase – “From Eden” Hozier

“Take Me To Church” may have been monstrous… “From Eden”? Not so much.

“From Eden” does not make the daily Spotify top 200 in the United States, nor in the world.

However, “Take Me To Church” got 500,042 plays on Spotify in the U.S. YESTERDAY!

“Take Me To Church” sold 137,182 tracks in the U.S. last week. It got streamed on Spotify in the U.S. 3,632,681 times last week!

So, it turns out people continue to play their favorite music, what a concept!

And all you Spotify haters, you streaming ignoramuses, are too stupid to see how this benefits your bottom line. That’s right, you’re gonna get paid forever, if you create something people want to hear. No one gets paid when someone pulls an old copy of “Rumours” from the CD rack and pushes play. But when someone revisits “Gold Dust Woman” on Spotify, forty years later, they do! And, subscribers are trending upward…

Furthermore, Hozier’s album is number 6 on the Spotify album chart. But methinks that is probably the result of “Take Me To Church”‘s 176,570,689 streams, because the next closest track has 12 million, one even has 5 million.

So, get big enough and some people will check out the rest of your music, but not most.

However, “From Eden” does have 14,436,275 worldwide streams. But they’ve accumulated over time, “From Eden” is not a hit on Spotify right now. But accumulating over time is good.

Will AAA airplay goose the track on Spotify?

Not significantly, it needs to cross over to another format.

Proving once again that AAA is a very small niche. Some big records get started there, but AAA is a backwater. Don’t shoot the messenger! If you like what they play, more power to you. Just know that most people are not listening to what AAA plays.

4. Mediabase – “I Bet My Life” Imagine Dragons

Now this is number 115 on the daily global Spotify chart with 233,611 streams.

But it’s number 96 on the U.S. daily Spotify chart with 90,888 streams.

More females stream it in the U.S. than males. And the prime listeners are 18-24, where males dominate. Go under 17 and it’s more females. Over 55 and it’s more females.

Now it’s important to note that Top Forty radio IS playing “I Bet My Life,” it’s number 44 on the chart. Showing that to make the big Spotify chart you’ve got to cross over.

And remember, Spotify pays on actual streams. So being number one in a minor format may make you feel good, you can brag about it to your mother, but it will not fatten your wallet.

Okay, now that I’ve depressed you, let me give you some bright points.

This week’s “Billboard” chart tells us the Arctic Monkeys sold 5,622 albums and “AM” resides at number 46.

But “AM” is number 21 on the U.S. Spotify album chart.

And you won’t see the Lumineers LP on the “Billboard” chart because it’s too old.

But the public doesn’t care about age, not when it comes to music. The Lumineers album is number 57 on the U.S. Spotify chart.

And Childish Gambino’s “Because The Internet” is 103 on “Billboard” with a meager 2,783 sales this week. But it’s number 22 on the Spotify U.S. albums chart!

And, Twenty One Pilots is number 83 on Spotify! Yes, their 2013 album “Vessel” is still being listened to.

CONCLUSION

And you wonder why the public is confused…

We’ve got purveyors saying one thing, radio saying another and then the people who really care seem to be listening to something else.

Who do you believe?

Nobody. You just get on Snapchat and start texting.

What is going on here?

Media still lives in the pre-internet era and everybody else lives in today. Publications repeat the hype of the purveyors and radio moves more slowly than it did in the sixties, no wonder they’re both going downhill.

We’re moving to a listen economy. It’s all that counts.

Sure, you want to broadcast your track on radio to incite listens, but it turns out that the only thing that really works is Top Forty radio, Triple A is a niche. A well-loved niche, but one that has few adherents, however vocal and passionate.