Friday Fun -- iTunes Stats

[Passacaglia]

This should be a good distracter for this Friday. I made a graph of how many songs I have by year. I don't think all my songs are labeled, but most are. I'm thinking of making some other graphs with iTunes stats -- anyone have any ideas?

Also, anyone want to make a similar graph for their collection? If you're not sure how, I have a database and spreadsheet that can do it, but don't have a place to host it.

Here's mine:

http://img167.imageshack.us/img167/624/musicsh9.png

[Kodos]

It doesn't get much simpler than a red X.

[rkmsuf]

this is more fun than beaming

[Passacaglia]

Working now?

[Passacaglia]

Blah, I hate GeoCities. Aren't we able to attach files now?

[JediKooter]

Yes, we can now attach files. Look for the paper clip icon.

[korme]

Upload to imageshack?

[Passacaglia]

Upload to imageshack?

Thanks! It should be working now!

Seems like people aren't as interested in wasting their Fridays as I am, though.

[Maple Leafs]

What's the name of the MP3 from 1884?

[Passacaglia]

What's the name of the MP3 from 1884?

I figured it was some classical music or something, but it turns out to be a typo -- "Sports" by Huey Lewis and the News was probably 1984, not 1884.

[Mustang]

I see a spike in 1996. You really should cut down on the number of Macarena remixes that you have.

[lurker]

It looks like the highest point is around when you started college -- I bet that's the case for most people. It's probably when you're the "coolest" (very relatively speaking for you) and have the most time to get into new music.

[JediKooter]

Also looks like the mid part of '67 was a low point for purchases. Sgt. Pepper not to your liking?

[Passacaglia]

It looks like the highest point is around when you started college -- I bet that's the case for most people. It's probably when you're the "coolest" (very relatively speaking for you) and have the most time to get into new music.

Close...I was hoping to get the graph to show the high point better, but it was 1993 -- when I was 16. But yeah, once college ended, something must have happened that made me very uncool.

[Passacaglia]

Also looks like the mid part of '67 was a low point for purchases. Sgt. Pepper not to your liking?

Again, the graph isn't very good, but the dip is actually in 1966 -- I have 12 songs in 1967, and 2 in 1966. Sgt. Pepper is probably my favorite Beatles album, though -- I just don't have a copy of it. :(

[Passacaglia]

Anyway, if people want, I can email them my database that sorts this stuff, or they can email me (agage1 a-with-a-circle-around-it gmail period com) their itunes library file, and I can do a graph for them.

[JediKooter]

Again, the graph isn't very good, but the dip is actually in 1966 -- I have 12 songs in 1967, and 2 in 1966. Sgt. Pepper is probably my favorite Beatles album, though -- I just don't have a copy of it. :(

Ah, cool. Sgt. Pepper was probably one of the first albums I ever listened to as a kid when I found my moms stash of records and figured out how to work the record player.

Don't feel bad, my copy is long lost through the many moves I've done over the last 10 years. :)

[korme]

Fired you an email, Pass

[Passacaglia]

Ah, cool. Sgt. Pepper was probably one of the first albums I ever listened to as a kid when I found my moms stash of records and figured out how to work the record player.

Don't feel bad, my copy is long lost through the many moves I've done over the last 10 years. :)

That's a lot like me. I had my mom's CD growing up, then "borrowed" it when I was in college. I gave it back at some point after, and never got a new one. I'm sure I have at least half the songs on compilations, though.

[Passacaglia]

Fired you an email, Pass

huh?

[Passacaglia]

Fired you an email, Pass

whoa -- that post said something different when i hit quote. :p

[ShaneTheMaster]

Problem with Itunes is that alot of the song data is screwed up, especially ones that are part of a compilation - it lists the year the compilation came out, not the year the song came out.

[MikeVic]

So you want us to guess every song you have? Is that the Friday Fun here?

[Passacaglia]

So you want us to guess every song you have? Is that the Friday Fun here?

The idea was for other people to provide similar graphs, and maybe come up with some other things to quantify regarding their itunes libraries. Never really got off the ground.

[MikeVic]

I'mm guess Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit.

[Passacaglia]

wrong

[Kodos]

Man, I Feel Like A Woman?

[MJ4H]

i have no idea how to produce such a graph

[korme]

Hey jack it's not Friday fun if I try to participate and you never hook up my results!!

[Passacaglia]

Hey jack it's not Friday fun if I try to participate and you never hook up my results!!

Did you get the reply to my email? I think I need it in text or XML format. But I'll try to play with it when I get back to work, and it'll have to be Monday fun.

[Passacaglia]

i have no idea how to produce such a graph

If you want, you can send me your library (which can be exported from itunes), and I can make one and post it for you.

[Easy Mac]

My chart, and in case you're wondering, I have 12 from 1949, its just too small to pick up.

[Cringer]

Here is mine. ________________________________________________

[Easy Mac]

oh, and how to do it if you have 20 minutes to kill:

Export your Itunes Library (File-->Export Library)

Download this file (http://www.paraesthesia.com/images/pMachine/itunes2html.xsl) (no spyware, and save it to wherever you exported the Itunes Library)

Right click the Itunes Library file and select edit (may take a little time depending on the size

Right below the first line in the file, put the following:
<?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="itunes2html.xsl"?>
Save the library and exit.

Now, double click on the Library file and it should open in your browser (again, it may take a while depending on size)

Once everything is loaded, you may be able to right click in the browser and select "export to excel". This did not work right for me using excel 2007, so you may need to just copy and paste the data into excel.

Once its in excel, delete all of the columns except the year.

Make a new column. Go row by row and type your first year, then your second (i.e. 1949, 1950)... (to quicken it, do 1949, then 1950, select them both, click on the bottom right of 1950 and drag it down until its 2008)

Now, in the row next to your first year, type:
=COUNTIF($A$1:$A$1000, $B1) basically, you tell it before the first comma to look at the range from all the years listed for each of your tracks. After the comma is the location of the cell of the current year it should be looking for (i.e. 1949 is in cell B1, 1950 in B2...).

From there, drag the formula so that it copies down to the last year you're looking for.

Then just create a chart using the total counted number and the corresponding year.

I have no idea if what I just typed made sense, but it was fun.

[MJ4H]

will it work in open office

[Easy Mac]

i don't think i ever got it to work right in open office when i messed around with it last year.