İdil Sanat ve Dil Dergisi
www.idildergisi.com
Cilt 8, Sayı 60  Ağustos 2019  (ISSN: 2146-9903, E-ISSN: 2147-3056)
Mehmet EFE, Ömer Bilgehan SONSEL

NO Makale Adı
1565005130 ANALYSIS OF POPULAR MUSIC LISTENED TO IN TURKEY: SPOTIFY SAMPLE

Invention of phonograph, which is the first sound recording mechanism, is regarded as a milestone which led to the emergence of music industry. Recording of sound enabled the recording of music as well, and the widespread of recorders turned music into a commercial merchandise enabling its purchase and selling, as well as reaching to large masses. Within a time period of approximately 150 years, the phonograph evolved into digital music platforms we know today. In these platforms, distribution of music is simultaneous with its production and it provides an easy access by a large amount of people; whereas, the embodiment of all kinds of qualified and non-qualified music that spread virally through the Internet, became something that affects people on a local or global scale and causes a rapid transformation. With the increase of production and consumption, the popular music listened to by people showed a rapid change, too. Since the music listened within a society reveals its current popular music and culture, analysis of these songs gains an utmost importance at this point.
This study focuses on the analysis of songs available in the Turkey top 50 list in July 2019 presented by Spotify, which is one of the most common digital platforms on a global scale. A total of 50 songs which stayed on the list during July 2019 were analyzed in terms of genre, tonality, rhythmic structure, duration, and backing tracks; while the singers were analyzed in terms of gender and their country of origin. There are certain striking data obtained throughout the study, which is believed to be musically periodic or permanent, and these data are tabulated and presented under related headings. Collected data are of great significance with regard to identifying the role of music in changing the mass psychology rapidly by means of its widespread via digital platforms, and dominating the common culture.

Keywords: popular music, Spotify, popular culture, music listening