This is my last week of the year working (I guess I come back on the 30th for a minute), so I decided to do some analysis of my year. I like data and numbers, so I’m looking at a few aspects of life this year with data I’ve compiled from previous years.
This is the end of the week and I’m looking at music, which is a big part of my life.
Spotify Wrapped
I listen a lot on Spotify. On my phone, in the car, even at my desk. I do some YouTube at times, and I have my local library from days past loaded into the Spotify app, but mostly I’m streaming.
- Minutes: 36916 (25.6 days)
- Songs: 3,598
- Biggest day: 657 minutes (10 hours, flying DEN-LAX-SYD)
- Ghost in my Guitar most played, 62 times this year
- Artists: 1536, Zach Bryan being the top one for me (almost 10% of my minutes)
- #2 – Beatles
- #3 – Kanye
- #4 – John Mayer
- #5 – Linkin Park
When I look back, this is slightly less than last year. About 40 minutes less streaming, about 100 less artists, about 200 less songs. More repeats.
Interesting that my top artists were similar. John Mayer, Zach Bryan, The Beatles. This year Kanye and Linkin Park replaced U2 and Chris Stapleton. Previous years had Jay-Z, Tupac, and Kenny Chesney in there.
I like to think I explore different music, but not a lot (apparently). I tend to listen to familiar things and keep some playlists around for a long time.
Guitar
Another part of my music is that I play guitar to relax. I keep an acoustic Sweetwater guitar by my bed and will play many nights for a bit to unwind. I love Redgate has a few in our Cambridge lobby, though they are very cheap, not comfortable ones, but they work.
This year I also bought a Lava Me Play smart guitar in the summer, which I’ve taken on some vacations. It sits by my desk and I’ll take a break and strum something during the way. I haven’t done much with the “smart” features, which helped me learn I really just wanted a second, smaller acoustic.
Top songs I’ve worked on this year (in no order):
- Mechanical Bull – Zach Bryan
- 28 – Zach Bryan
- With or without you – U2
- 3×5 – John Mayer
- Jersey Giant – Tyler Childers
- You’ve Got To Hide Your Live – The Beatles
- Hallelujah – Jeff Buckley
- If I Ain’t Got You – Alicia Keys
I’ve done a few more lighlty, but these are some I’ve played a lot, a few I’m still trying to get to sound vaguely like something you recognize.
2024 was a fun year of music for me, and I’m looking forward to 2025.