by Jessica Gentile
Over the course of 100 billion scrobbles, we've learned a lot about our users' listening habits. Some of it obvious, some of it surprising and almost all of it fascinating. Below are eight of our favorite findings from our listeners around the globe.
Zagreb is under the influence of stoner rock
At first glance Zagreb might not seem like the most obvious capital of stoner rock, but upon closer examination it makes total sense. Croatia's abundance of natural beauty, nude beaches and laidback vibes make it an awesome locale for taking in some psychedelic jams. The flora, fauna and history is as gorgeous as it is deep (They do film Game of Thrones here, after all!).
When soundtracked by heavy riffs and hazy drones, it's a perfect country for pondering life's big questions like "What does it all mean?," "How did that waterfall get here?," and "Where's the next joint?" And it looks like the government is catching up with our listeners. Marijuana was recently legalized, though only for medical usage.
Seattle is the capital of Christmas
Christmas music might be sappier than Christmas trees. But Seattleites don't care. In fact, they welcome all the cheer and goodwill they can get. Perhaps the long winters and dreary weather make the sound of sleigh bells and 50s crooners a lot more palatable? Or maybe Mariah Carey's "All I Want For Christmas Is You" is the grunge antidote they've been looking for all along? Regardless of their reasoning, we applaud the city for boasting the sonic equivalent of leaving your holiday lights up until March.
Lady Gaga is your secret shame
Be forewarned, we've uncovered your deepest, darkest listening secrets.The top three deleted tracks from our users' music libraries are all by Lady Gaga. For some reason no one in the Last.fm community wants to own up to their love of "Pokerface", "Bad Romance" and "Born This Way" and that's a real shame. After all, there is no harm in blasting a killer pop track and letting the whole world know about it. Allow us to absolve your guilty pleasure guilt. From this moment onward, we are granting you full permission to embrace your inner little monster. Besides, it's not like you're listening to Katy Perry.
Oslo is home to the trendsetters
If you're looking for the next big thing, ask your Norwegian friends for recommendations first. According to our data, Oslo users listen to the most music tagged as having 'under 2000 listeners'. That means they're quick to discover emerging talents before the rest of us. It shouldn't come as a shock that these Scandinavians are so on top of the latest trends though.
Oslo's population barely exceeds half a million, yet the city sustains a huge amount of venues, record shops and festivals given its modest size. A 2010 statistic found that twenty percent of the city's population attended a music festival every year. And that makes sense considering The Øya Festival, The Oslo Jazz Festival, The Oslo World Music Festival and Inferno Metal Festival all call the city home. These events cover a broad range of tastes and genres and have clearly spurred a boom for musical discovery. In other words, if your band is getting ready to tour be sure to hit up Oslo if you want a shot at being heard.
Rio still loves Glee
Glee may have ended its six season run last year, but Rio just won't stop believing! The theatrical covers by everyone's favorite fictional high school show choir continue to be just as beloved in Brazil than ever. Nine out of the top twenty most popular titles on the country's IMDb page are even episodes of the show! Maybe it's the flamboyant songs or the teenage melodrama or just a love of karaoke culture that keeps Rio's listeners coming back for more. But whatever the cause, our users just can't help but sing along Broadway-style to one of the most polarizing soundtracks in recent history.
Sofia doesn't care that you hate Nickelback
While universally panned by critics and elitist music fans alike, Nickelback have devolved into something of a punchline in recent years. Few bands inspire as much hatred as the Canadian quartet, which is weird (Do you know how hard it is to hate Canadians?). Despite selling over 30 million records worldwide, have you ever met anyone who willingly admitted to liking the band? Well, the brave citizens of Sofia are out to change that. The Bulgarian capital is home to the most Nickelback listeners and we doubt they could care less what you think of their listening habits. The vocal community of fans are probably blasting "How You Remind Me" as you read this, oblivious to your eye rolls and scowls.
The cult of O.S.T.R.
With over 193 plays per listener, Adam Ostrowski, aka Polish hip-hop artist and producer O.S.T.R has the most passionate following on Last.fm. The second best-selling rapper in Poland has been releasing albums for over a decade and has garnered a rabid fan base for his lyrical honesty and creativity. For more on the the Polish hip-hop check out our in-depth feature on the country's rap scene.
NYC - the birthplace of hip-hop is still booming
While hip-hop has less geographical boundaries than ever before, its birthplace is just as relevant as ever. New York City's been home to so many of rap's foundational pioneers, including Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Afrika Bambaataa, Eric B. & Rakim, Public Enemy. You might think that the lack of burgeoning MCs from NYC would have correlated with a decrease in listenership, but New York City has hip-hop in its DNA, and after crunching the numbers it still boasts the highest listenership for the genre.
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