Let's discuss: Queen - the most Spotify streamed classic rock group.

Baring in mind that Millenials use Spotify the most, far more than baby boomers, this also adds to what I've always thought - that Queen's music transcends - and is loved across - the generations (don't forget Gen x in the middle).
Queen was also the most Spotify streamed classic rock group in 2017. Back then, Queen ranked at 86th, with the Beatles at in 122nd place. For some reason, the gap has widened, Queen is rising, the Beatles are falling.

Queen - 18,393,174 (74th place)
The Beatles - 13, 578, 961 (132nd place)
The Rolling Stones - 11,817, 898 (161st place)
Led Zeppelin - 10, 486, 239 (194th place)
U2 - 9,377,683 (231st place)
Pink Floyd - 8, 603,520 (270th place)
Elvis Presley - 6, 951,380 (358th place)
The Who - 5, 099, 824 (place not listed)

But should this be a surprise?
Queen is ranked as the second highest selling rock group (after the Beatles) on Chartmasters, which also includes physical music sales.
CSPC: Data Collector - Page 24 of 26 - ChartMasters

I think that's pretty good going for Queen.




No thread crapping, please!

 

why do you write this you do not have to.

 

So people are respectful.

 

I can believe this. I teach High School and kids there like both Queen and Beatles, but with the 'vinyl renaissance', many will go and buy the latter on records - the relatively competitively priced d'Agostini Beatles Vinyl Collection last year was a good incentive - as opposed to just on Spotify. Also, the iconic aesthetic of Beatles in having a record of Pepper or Abbey Road was not matched by a similar desire to have The Works or The Game (no smarty comments about the Jazz fold out please!). If they wanted Radio Ga Ga, Spotify was the way, well that's what they said anyway.
Another similar scenario was with say Pink Floyd and Rolling Stones. Retro kids I know wanted just 'Greatest Hits' Stones so hit Spotify but liked the idea of having Dark Side Of The Moon or The Wall on record. See where those are in the list? Similar to the other.

 

I think most people care for their greatest hits. Or maybe I should say I care only for their greatest hits, even though the radio ruined bohemian rhapsody by turning it into a super overplayed song.

 

From Chartmasters analysis...

"The reputation of Queen being a singles band appears to be clearly wrong with their streaming numbers. The album Queen, arguably their least remembered, still has plenty of album tracks with 2 million streams on Spotify."

CSPC: Queen Popularity Analysis - Page 30 of 63 - ChartMasters

 

Yes people on steve hoffman forums are respectful
and they give their opinion without cursing

 

Serious question - How many of those streams were from people actively seeking out Queen, and how many were from their songs being foisted upon listeners in multiple playlists?

Sorry to sound so cynical. You know I live Queen, but I am cynical about all things related to Spotify, where better playlist exposure is most definitely for sale. I suppose if this is helping Queen get a bigger audience amongst the next generation then it is money well spent.

 

"Threadcrapping" is a word that I learned from this very forum, after seeing members do just that to one another with that word being used to point it out (by admin too).

Anyway, let's move on from that now.

 

Perhaps I'm being impatient, but I've spent some quality time at your source site and I can't find anything there indicating what countries are counted in tabulating the streaming numbers. Do you know, offhand, or do they document this somewhere?

 

You could ask that of the other acts. All those groups songs get added to playlists.

 

The streaming numbers are taking directly from the sites - as far as I know. The guy who researches for the Chartmaster website frequents this forum. He might turn up on this thread and answer you.

In case anyone doubts what I've put above, go to Spotify yourself - click the "About" section of the groups mentioned above, and then look at the Monthly Listeners. It's global btw. Try Queen, try The Beatles, and so on...

This is the part you're looking for. Here's Queen.



Someone had also observed this last year (which inspired this thread after I checked for myself): Let's Talk: Queen, the most Spotify-streamed classic rock artist? • r/LetsTalkMusic

 

"Don't Stop Me Now" MUST be on a pretty popular playlist. Its numbers beat "We Will Rock You".

 

Okay, it was not clear (to me) from your initial post that the bolded numbers were "Monthly Listeners", which tells us a number of things, but hides others. And not to be difficult, but what does "global" mean? Does Spotify even operate in the UK? All these things are easily enough found, I suppose, but a brief word or two about "methodology" would have been helpful.

In fact, I was gonna ask what role (if any) South America played in Queen's ranking, because they were so huge there, and I see, in Spotify, that among the top 4 sources of monthly Queen listeners are folks in Mexico City (#1! Beating out London), Brazil and Chile.
Bringing up the tail end, a US city finally enters the chart at #5 (Los Angeles). For the most part, not Earth-shattering news for followers.

The Beatles, by contrast, have two North American cities in their top 5, and London is at the top of the heap. Geography plays a role. Without Spotify established in Mexico and South America, Queen might have had a bit more trouble getting to the top.

All that said, I am finding the reports on counts of individual songs to be very helpful, and sometimes a little quirky. It's all making for an interesting drill-down.

 

Nothing's being hidden. On the blue bar under in the screenshot, you'll see the placing of the group (as I mentioned 74th, which is the highest of the classic rock groups). Bare in mind 12 months ago Queen were 86th. And the Beatles, for example, were 122nd.

You said "Spotify established in Mexico and South America, Queen might have had a bit more trouble getting to the top", but then you could say the same about The Beatles and the U.S for example.

I'll message the guy who runs Chartmasters, and he'll be able to help you out (he's more knowledgeable on researching this than you or me).

 

Again, I'm scrolling through later Queen albums in the CSPC report, and Queen's great hits clearly outstrip their "deep cut" next-door neighbors numerically. (Although I'd love to see what was up with "Don't Stop Me Now". )

CSPC seems to be a pretty deep resource, and it will be fun exploring other artists' fates.

 

Yes, and anyone would expect that to be the case too. But they're still not numbers to be scoffed at. As mentioned, when you consider Queen's debut is probably the most overlooked of their catalog.

 

I'm not surprised that people who never bought Queen album "X" after all these years would spin that album when it's offered for "free" (once you've paid for the streaming).

I think I heard "Kind of Magic" once in the 80s (I'm an American philistine), but gave the deluxe some spins (on Tidal).

 

Well, that's how it works in general now with all the groups, and how Millenials, in particular, get their music. I listen to Spotify myself, and Tidal (Gen X here btw). I also buy vinyl and CD albums too.

A Kind of Magic isn't probably my least liked Queen album. Queen, Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, A Night At The Oprea, A Day At The Races, The Game, The Works, and Innuendo are my favourites. Plus the live albums.

About Don't Stop Me Now, that's become one of their most popular songs (I know it wasn't in the U.S though).

"The song was voted as the third best Queen song by readers of Rolling Stone, who noted that "time has also been very kind to it and it's widely seen now as one of the group's best works."[9] The single also has reached Platinum status in the United Kingdom." - Wiki.

 

If I was a cynic I might be tempted to think that list in the op was being used to show the forum just how far down the list all their ‘giants’ are. Anyway, here's what I consider a few of Queen’s standout traits.

A band where all 4 members have individually written a #1 hit single (UK) for the group.

A singer with more charisma and presence than most, combined with serious vocal chops!

A guitar player who’s lead work is literally recognisable with just one or two notes.

A great balance of art and entertainment (too much of one you get John Cage’s 4.33, too much of the other you get Agadoo)

 

Gawd no. Those groups I listen to regularly and love, particularly Queen, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, 90s U2, and late 60s to mid 70s Rolling Stones. I don't think it's a surprise that the more current artists are higher up on the streaming services.

Overall, including physical sales, all of those mentioned (apart from The Who) are around the very top among the very top-selling groups ever. There's nothing to worry about there.

 

I just checked. There doesn't seem to be any more Queen playlists than any other group mentioned.

 

It makes sense to me.

Queen is the only band that, no matter who I ask or talk with: to a greater or lesser extent they always seem to like them. No matter if it´s a 12 year old kid, a 85 year old grandma or a guy living in a small and rural town in the hidden depths of Indonesia or Senegal.

Of course most of those people never went beyond the "typical hits", and have never heard any tracks from the Queen I or II albums. Most of them have never proactively searched or played a song of them (they just hear them in movies, tv, playlists or radio). But it´s still a cool thing and a great accomplishment for any band or artist.

I mean... I even know quite a few people that don´t like The Beatles, Elvis or even Mozart. But I do not that much people that dislike Queen.

 

I remember hearing Bohemian Rhapsody when it was first released (I was 15 or 16) and complaining loudly, vehemently and completely earnestly to friends later that "it's at least 4 minutes into it before even starts to rock!"

 

There are four reasons for this

• Spotify has been around since 2008 and the Beatles only came on in 2015, so not only have Queen had a healthy head start but millennials who wanted to hear the Beatles pre 2015 would have found other ways to do so and some may still use those same methods
• There is a major Queen movie being made, the trailer just dropped last month (13m views already) which will have gotten new fans curious about their music
• Bohemian Rhapsody is a huge hit on Spotify, 68 million streams and is still a huge cultural phenomenon, thanks to it being consistently used in new media, from Wayne's World to Carpool Karaoke it has never dropped out of the spotlight. Take out Bohemian Rhapsody and the Beatles most popular song, Come Together, and the Beatles have overtaken Queen and are almost 30 million ahead.
  
• Queen are pure stadium rock, their biggest hits are still used before, during and after sporting events, on top of that the Beatles are just too expensive to be used. Hearing a song that you like in a film, show or advert will make someone not familiar with the band search the song out and other material.