Spotify has given us infinite music and zero taste.
By @noelyk · Nostalgia
i'm being like 50% ironic but my group chat is acting like i just insulted their ancestors. having every song ever made at your fingertips has kinda ruined the magic of having *your* songs.
The full story
okay hear me out. i found my old ipod classic the other day and the user experience is just… better. the weight of it in your hand. the physical click wheel. having to actually CHOOSE which albums you were going to sync for the week. it was a commitment. you had to live with your choices. you listened to whole albums, not just contextless songs algorithmicly fed to you in a 'dopamine study mix'. today everything is a vibe playlist. a mood. a core. nobody has a favorite album anymore they just have a favorite playlist that sounds like the lobby of a boutique hotel. we have analysis paralysis from having 100 million songs and we end up listening to the same 30 songs anyway. the ipod forced you to have a perspective. it was a curated museum of you. spotify is just a messy infinite warehouse where the overhead lights are always kinda flickering. am i crazy.
How people voted
- Facts — 36% (32 votes)
- Depends — 46% (41 votes)
- No Way — 19% (17 votes)
Readers are split: “Depends” leads with 46% — 90 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@elliekindof — absolutely agree throw your phone in a lake use only the ipod
@edieliterally — My kid asked me who my favorite band was and I couldn't even answer, I just said 'the lofi hip hop beats to study/relax to playlist'.
@wowwhat — If you have no taste with a million songs, you'd have no taste with a hundred.
@itsmeagain — glad someone is finally speaking up about the real issues.
@kim — You're telling me you don't skip songs on your old ipod?
Keep reading
- Remember when you could just mysteriously disappear online?
- Remember trading snacks at the lunch table in school?
- I still think about the Scholastic Book Fair like it was the Met Gala.
- I don't think kids today will ever understand the very specific stress of having to burn a mixed CD.
- My kids don't understand the magic of a Saturday morning cartoon block.