Bit of Ivory

So, two Wednesdays back (10/10), I decided that I wanted to prove to myself that KOSY plays the same songs and artists over and over and over again. So I started keeping track of all the songs played between 8:00 am and 5:00 pm for one whole week, with the help of KOSY.com. I had to reconstruct what was played during my lunch hour, so I might have missed a few songs. I ended up doing 6 days, actually, because I thought that the first Wednesday was kind of atypical, and wanted to compare (I was right). I took Thursday off from my spreadsheet (yes, a spreadsheet), and on Friday began compiling my data. I would have posted this yesterday, but our internet went kaput (hopefully it will be fixed by the time I get home).

Quick Facts:

Each day there was at least one song played twice. On Wednesday 10/17, two songs were played twice. On Wednesday 10/10 and Monday 10/15, the same song (“Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol) was played twice; in other words, the same song was played twice twice.

Each day except Tuesday, at least one artist had their songs played 4 times. Most days there were multiple artists with 4 plays.

On Friday 10/12, a whopping 16 artists had multiple plays, including 4 artists with at least 4 songs played.

14 artists had a song played on each of the 6 days. Of those 14, 5 of them had only one song played, and one artist, Michael Bublé, had one song (“Everything”) played all but one of his plays, making it 6 songs that were played each day for 6 days.

13 artists had songs played 5 of the 6 days. Of those, 2 had the same song played. One group (Rascal Flatts) had one song (“My Wish”) played 5/6 days, in addition to other songs.

Elton John was the most played artist, with 20 plays (13 unique songs). Following close behind were Celine Dion and Phil Collins, who each had 17 plays, with 10 unique songs.

In addition to the 27 artists mentioned above, 126 artists were played more than once. Of those, 70 had only one song played (some of these were one-hit wonders; most were not).

Want more detail? Click the link!

Wednesday 10/10

Artists with multiple plays:
Billy Joel (4)
Bread (2)
Celine Dion (3)
Elton John (4)
Faith Hill (2)
Neil Diamond (2)
Phil Collins (4)
Rascal Flatts (2)
Shania Twain (2)
Snow Patrol (2)

Songs with multiple plays:
“Chasing Cars,” Snow Patrol

Thurs. 10/11

Artists with multiple plays:
Celine Dion (2)
The Eagles (4)
Elton John (4)
Five for Fighting (2)
Kenny Loggins (3)
Mariah Carey (2)
Matchbox 20 (2)
The Pointer Sisters (2)
Rascal Flatts (2)

Songs with multiple plays:
“My Wish,” Rascal Flatts

Friday 10/12

Artists with multiple plays:
Billy Joel (3)
Bread (2)
Bryan Adams (2)
Celine Dion (4)
Elton John (4)
Faith Hill (4)
Fergie (2)
James Taylor (2)
Jim Brickman (2)
Mariah Carey (3)
Martina McBride (2)
Neil Diamond (2)
Phil Collins (2)
Rascal Flatts (2)
Rod Stewart (2)
Whitney Houston (2)

Songs with multiple plays:
“Big Girls Don’t Cry,” Fergie

Monday 10/15

Artists with multiple plays:
The Backstreet Boys (3)
Celine Dion (4)
Elton John (3)
Enya (2)
Maria Carey (2)
Michael Bublé (2)
Savage Garden (2)
Snow Patrol (2)

Songs with multiple plays:
“Chasing Cars,” Snow Patrol

Tuesday 10/16:

Artists with multiple plays:
Bette Midler (2)
The Eagles (2)
Elton John (2)
Fleetwood Mac (2)
Josh Groban (2)
Kenny G (2)
Kenny Loggins (2)
Martina McBride (2)
Phil Collins (2)
Rob Thomas (2)
Toto (2)

Songs with multiple plays:
“Little Wonders,” Rob Thomas

Wednesday 10/17

Artists with multiple plays:
Billy Joel (3)
Celine Dion (3)
The Eagles (2)
Elton John (3)
Faith Hill (3)
The Fray (2)
Kenny Loggins (2)
Phil Collins (4)
Rascal Flatts (2)
Richard Marx (2)
Shania Twain (2)
The Beach Boys (3)

Songs with multiple plays:
“How to Save a Life,” The Fray
“Good Vibrations, ” The Beach Boys

Artists who were played every day (# of plays/# of songs):
[If the artist only had one song played, it is listed after]

Bread (8/5)
Carrie Underwood (6/1) [“Before He Cheats”]
Celine Dion (17/10)
The Eagles (11/8)
Elton John (20/13)
Faith Hill (12/7)
The Fray (7/1) [“How to Save a Life”]
John Mayer (6/1) [“Waiting on the World to Change”]
Kenny Loggins (10/5)
Michael Bublé (7/2) [all but one play was “Everything”]
Neil Diamond (8/5)
Phil Collins (17/10)
Rob Thomas (7/1) [“Little Wonders”]
Snow Patrol (8/1) [“Chasing Cars”]

Artists who were played 5 out of 6 days:

Bettle Midler (6/3)
Billy Joel (12/9) {I have a sneaking suspicion that he actually was played 6/6 days, but I missed writing it down.}
Fergie (6/1) [“Big Girls Don’t Cry”]
James Taylor (6/3)
Lee Ann Womack (5/1) [“I Hope You Dance”]
Lionel Ritchie (5/3)
Mariah Carey (9/6)
Matchbox 20 (6/3)
Rascal Flatts (9/3) [“I Wish” played 5/6 days]
Richard Marx (6/4)
Shania Twain (7/4)
The Beach Boys (7/3)
The Carpenters (5/2)

Artists played Multiple Times (# of plays/ # of songs):
[If the artist only had one song played, it is listed after] {Bold indicated 4 or more plays, italics 3 plays}

ABBA (2/1) [“Dancing Queen”]
A-Ha (3/1) [“Take On Me”]
Air Supply (4/3)
Alabama (3/1) [“Feels So Right”]
All 4 One (3/2)
America (4/3)
Amy Grant (2/2)
The Backstreet Boys (5/4)
Ben E. King (3/1) [“Stand By Me”]
Berlin (3/1) [“Take My Breath Away”]
Bill Withers (3/2)
Bob Seger (3/2)
Bonnie Rait (2/2)
Bonnie Tyler (2/1) [“Total Eclipse of the Heart”]
Breathe (3/2)
Brian McKnight (2/1) [“Back at One”]
Bryan Adams (2/2)
Carl Carlton (3/1) [“Everlasting Love”]
Carly Simon (3/1) [“You Belong to Me”]
Cars (2/1) [“Drive”]
Cat Stephens (2/1) [“Wild World”]
Cher (3/2)
Chicago (4/3)
Christina Aguilera (3/1) [“Beautiful”]
Christopher Cross (2/1) [“Ride Like the Wind”]
Climax Blues Band (3/1) [“I Love You”]
Colbie Caillat (2/1) [“Bubbly”]
Collin Raye (2/1) [“In This Life”]
Commodores (2/2)
Cranberries (3/2)
Dan Fogelberg (3/2)
Dan Hill/Vonda Shepherd (3/1) [“Can’t We Try”]
Daniel Bedingfield (2/1) [“If You’re Not the One”]
Daniel Powter (2/1) [“Bad Day”]
Deniece Williams (2/1) [“Let’s Hear it For the Boy”]
Des’ree (2/1) [“You Gotta Be”]
Diamond Rio (2/1) [“One More Day”]
Dido (2/1) [“White Flag”]
Eddie Rabbit/Crystale Gayle (2/1) [“You and I”]
Edwin McCain (3/2)
Enrique Iglesias (4/1) [“Hero”]
Enya (5/2)
Eric Carmen (2/2)
Five for Fighting (4/3)
Fleetwood Mac (5/4)
Foreigner (2/1) [“I Want to Know What Love Is”]
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons (2/1) [“December 1963 (Oh What a Night)”]
Garth Brooks (2/1) [“To Make You Feel My Love”]
Gary Wright (2/1) [“Dream Weaver”]
Genesis (2/2)
George Benson (2/1) [“On Broadway”]
Gloria Estefan (4/2)
Gloria Gaynor (3/1) [“I Will Survive”]
Gnarls Barkley (3/1) [“Crazy”]
Hall & Oates (4/3)
Heatwave (2/1) [“Always and Forever”]
Jackson Browne (3/1) [“Somebody’s Baby”]
James Blunt (2/1) [“You’re Beautiful”]
Janet Jackson (3/2)
Jets (3/1) [“You Got it All”]
Jewel (2/1) [“You Were Meant for Me”]
Jim Brickman (3/2)
Jim Croce (2/1) [“Time in a Bottle”]
Jimmy Cliff (2/1) [“I Can See Clearly Now”]
Joe Cocker (4/3)
John Waite (2/1) [“Missing You”]
Josh Groban (5/2)
Journey (3/2)
Kenny G (3/2)
Kimberley Locke (2/1) [“Change”]
Kool and the Gang (3/1) [“Celebration”]
LeeAnn Rimes (3/2)
Lifehouse (2/1) [“You and Me”]
Little River Band (2/2)
Lonestar (3/2)
Madonna (2/1) [“Crazy for You”]
Marc Anthony (2/1) [“I Need to Know”]
Martina McBride (6/3)
Matthew Wilder (2/1) [“Break My Stride”]
Mercy Me (3/1) [“I Can Only Imagine”]
Michael W. Smith (3/2)
Mike and the Mechanics (2/1) [“The Living Years”]
Monica (2/1) [“For You I Will”]
Naked Eyes (3/1) [“Always Something There to Remind Me”]
Natalie Imbruglia (2/1) [“Torn”]
Natasha Bedinfiel (3/1) [“Unwritten”]
Norah Jones (2/1) [“Don’t Know Why”]
Olivia Newton-John (2/1) [“I Honestly Love You”]
Orchestral Manoeuvers in the Dark (2/1) [“If You Leave”]
Orleans (4/2)
Patrick Swayze (2/1) [“She’s Like the Wind”]
Patti Austin/James Ingram (2/1) [“Baby Come To Me”]
Patti Smyth/Don Henley (2/1) [“Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough”]
Paul Davis (3/1) [“Cool Night”]
Peter Cetera (4/3)
Pointer Sisters (4/2)
REO Speedwagon (3/2)
Restless Heart (2/2)
Righteous Brothers (2/1) [“Unchained Melody”]
Roxette (2/2)
S Club 7 (2/1) [“Never Had a Dream Come True”]
Sade (4/2)
Santana/Michelle Branch (3/1) [“The Game of Love”]
Sarah McLachlan (3/2)
Savage Garden (2/2)
Seal (2/2)
Sheena Easton (2/1) [“Morning Train”]
Sheryl Crow (2/1) [“All I Wanna Do”]
Sixpence None the Richer (2/2)
Sophie B. Hawkins (2/1) [“As I Lay Me Down”]
Spandau Ballet (2/1) [“True”]
Steven Bishop (2/1) [“It Might Be You”]
Sting (2/1) [“Fields of Gold”]
Styx (3/2)
Sugar Ray (2/1) [“Someday”]
The Bee Gees (3/2)
The Police (2/1) [“Every Breath You Take”] {Note: Technically, this means that Sting was played 4 times; two of these were on the same day (10/11)}
Tim McGraw (4/1) [“Live Like You Were Dying”]
Toni Braxton (2/1) [“Unbreak My Heart”]
Toto (4/3)
Uncle Kracker/Dobie Gray (4/1) [“Drift Away”]
Vanessa Carleton (4/1) [“Thousand Miles”]
Vanessa Williams (4/2)
Wham! (2/1) [“Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”]
Whitmey Houston (5/3)
Wilson Phillips (2/2)

So, what does all this prove? Well, it proves I’m not dreaming– they really do play the same songs and artists over and over again. It also proves that I probably don’t have enough actual work to do at work.

But it has had one good effect, beyond my own satisfaction in proving my thesis correct:  my supervisor has taken an interest, agrees that it is indeed annoying to listen to the same thing over and over again, and also agrees that if they keep this up when they switch to Christmas music on Halloween (yes, I know!)– and they will, because they always do– that we can change the station. So, soon I’ll get to listen to the Oldies station for a while. They play the same music over and over again, too, but at least it’ll be *different* music. For a while.