Musical Trends & Audience Reception

We aim to explore the music trends and listener preferences over time in the 20th and 21st  centuries in the United States, incorporating cultural and historical contexts. Our objective is to investigate the evolution of music preferences over the last century in response to technological advancements and societal changes. Starting with Berliner’s gramophone in the late 19th century, the music industry has continually transformed, offering an increasing variety of genres and styles. Our project leverages a Spotify dataset to analyze music trends, particularly noting a peak in the energy features of songs around the 2000s, coinciding with the digital revolution. By examining selected decades from the 20th and 21st centuries, we aim to uncover potential correlations between historical events and music trends in the United States. Through data visualization and analysis, we seek to identify how societal trends are mirrored in music, providing insights into the dynamic interplay between cultural developments and musical evolution. Utilizing digital humanities theory, we aim to deepen our understanding of the relationship between historical contexts and the shifting patterns of music preferences.