Streaming services often make the sure that the listener knows how many other people have streamed the songs they listen to. At the very top of the artist’s profile are their most streamed songs. But truly streams are not a good indicator of quality.
Often times people choose to listen to the songs that are the easiest, the most musically familiar. To really experience new sounds, new rhythms, new forms, one needs to explore the “deep cuts”. Certainly there are a number of songs that are deserving of being ignored in comparison to the other songs from an artist, but for artists of high caliber, even their “flops” tend to be great.
Consider one of the best albums I have listened to recently, Amon Tobin’s Permutation. Looking at the most streamed songs, you see songs like Sordid and Nightlife. Now compared to most music, Amon Tobin is rather far-out and experimental, but I’d consider songs like “Sordid” and “Nightlife” to be great songs, but not super avant-garde, at least compared to the others. “Escape” is one of the best songs, in my opinion, because of it’s use of unique samples and the way they are layered on top of each other. “Bridge” is also one of my favorites, and it has gotten a lot of streams. It isn’t too crazy, but it is so well made and makes great use of its 4/5 time signature.
All that to say: listen to the entire album.
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