Writing about Pitchfork's decline made me sad about the music industry and the current state of music discovery. Besides the fact that TikTok doesn't prioritize music as anything more than background noise, it means artists have to win a viral lottery to make a hit, and that's completely outside of their control.
But about two weeks ago, a friend introduced me to Music League, a game where everyone in the league submits songs to a playlist, and a group of us started playing. About a day after the first group formed, I created two more groups, one for another group of friends and one for my family.
The Music League socializes music in a way that, ironically, social media algorithms cannot.
I enjoy hearing new songs. I discovered “Binah” by the psychedelic rock band Dead Meadow at Family League and discovered their album Force Form Free. I also heard “Rumours in Town” by The Exploding Hearts for the first time at a game with a friend and discovered the sublime power pop album Guitar Romantic. I would never have come across these songs, let alone these great albums, on my own.
Music leagues socialize music in a way that, ironically, social media algorithms cannot. Every league I'm in has a group chat that erupts when a new playlist is released or a poll is held. The comments on songs are often very funny and may be my favorite part of the game.
When I was younger, monoculture meant that we all listened to the same thing, more or less. (It also allowed for “hipsters” to exist who could define themselves against that culture by promoting smaller, independent artists.) As streaming services became the mainstream form of music distribution, that situation disappeared.
Spotify's algorithmic discovery bombards you with what you already like. Did you listen to Nine Inch Nails? Great, more Nine Inch Nails please. Oh, did you add Whitney Houston to your playlist? All the other tracks suggested to your playlist are from the same album. Personalized playlists just play what you listen to most. The result is that you're trapped in your own bubble.
It was fun to hear the story behind the selection.
Bursting that bubble has been cathartic, and not just because I'm learning about music I would never have come across otherwise.
Here's how the app works: Users sign up with their Spotify account and join a public or private league. Leagues have rounds, and each round generates a playlist. The group's administrator chooses how many songs each user can submit to a round, how many points can be used to vote for songs in a round, the number of rounds, the theme of the round, and the deadline for submissions and voting.
I don't really care about the results of the votes. For me, it's fun to hear the stories behind the songs that are chosen. Sometimes friends just tease each other and pick songs that strongly hint at the songs that other players have chosen, which is also a lot of fun. Music is meant to be shared. That's what makes the live show so exciting.
Also, picking a theme is a lot of fun! Here are some of the leagues I participate in:
Former Disney star spiritually significant guitar solo space divorce knife crime island AOL instant messenger missed message content horse crime
These playlists have some pretty amazing selections! (The “Former Disney Star” category had all the usual suspects like Ryan Gosling, Justin Timberlake, Britney Spears, and Olivia Rodrigo, but someone also submitted a hair metal nutjob Cinderella.) Thinking about themes and audiences brings back some lovely nostalgia, like making mixtapes while driving to high school.
Of course, the Music League doesn't replace the broader cultural resonance that music had when there were healthy cultural institutions to back new artists — once upon a time, there were independent radio stations, MTV played music videos, and as late as the early 2010s, Pitchfork could launch albums to the top of the charts — but I'm happy to take anything to escape the quagmire of algorithms.
Sure, you can compete for points if you want, but for me, to borrow the words of the absolute legend Lemmy, it's the fun of playing. And if you too want to break away from the algorithm, I wholeheartedly recommend Music League.