Friday Charts
I think that an interesting way to judge interest in music would be to view a list of the most seeded and requested albums. I'll be observing a popular file sharing site and reporting on what the most popular downloaded albums are, as well as some of the most popular requests for music that has yet to be released. This will be a good way to keep a pulse on how anticipated a record is among a music-loving & tech savvy audience, a method of tracking interest in an artist that is sure to be different from the Billboard charts.
Most Seeded Albums
(These are the albums that the most people are sharing, as good an indication of any of an albums popularity.)
1. Granddaddy - Just Like The Fambly Cat
2. Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops
3. The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth
4. Calexico - Garden Ruin
5. Jack Johnson & Friends - Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies from the Film Curious George
6. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
7. Dilated Peoples - 20/20
8. Aceyalone and RJD2 - Magnificent City
9. The Appleseed Cast - Peregrine
10. The Concretes - In Color
Some interesting things to observe about this way of ranking an albums popularity. First of all, Albums that have just become available obviously have the most interest in them, and frequently will experience an initial surge in popularity because of the novelty of its availability. This is why it is surprising to see the Strokes album, available for over a month and a half holding its high ranking. The album is arguably the most mainstream rock on the list, which could explain its longevity. For me, the two surprises were the 9 and 10 slots, which both feature bands I am unfamiliar with and will have to investigate, although initialy looking into the bands, The Concretes may be more my cup of tea than the Appleseed Cast. The entire chart, which lacks any of the Top Selling albums as defined by Billboard, is a good barometer of what a specific subset of the internet is listening to right now.
Click for a rundown of some of the most anticipated albums which have not been released yet...
Most Requested Albums
(These are the albums or singles that the most people signed up to be notifed once they are available.)
1. Flaming Lips - At War With The Mystics
2. Tool - Teleincision
3. Tenacious D - The Pick of Destiny
4. Muse - Stars on Fire
5. Outkast - 10 The Hard Way
These charts appear to be more wild and unpredictable than the seeding chart, since many of these releases are speculative. Though the Flaming Lips new album is far and away the most anticipated, the Tool and Muse releases are both theoretical, and Google searches for both of them turn up numerous pages with rumor vs scam debates, faked images, and general uncertainty. (Other high ranking items on the request list also include Zack De La Rocha's long rumored "Solo Album", a Neutral Milk Hotel tape that may or may not exist and Dr. Dre's "Detox" album.) The Outkast album has also been renamed Idlewild, so the high interest in what was a working title many months ago indicate that this has been a high interest item for a long time. All in all, an interesting, if not entirely useful look at what a specific group of listeners can't wait to hear.
