Ep.557 Great Songs Not in Spotify

·31 min·3 clips

PF reveals six great songs you can't find on Spotify, questioning the platform's sound quality and artist payouts.

The episode opens with PF Wilson introducing the theme: six great songs not on Spotify, plus a discussion of the platform's pros and cons. He plays a humorous archival bit from the Gary Burbank show, where a fake news segment satirizes record companies wanting royalties for songs stuck in people's heads. PF uses this to illustrate that record companies have long prioritized profit over artists, linking it to modern Spotify controversies. He references an NPR story about artist Jamie Stewart leaving Spotify due to the CEO's investments and criticizes Spotify's sound quality and disposableness of music. PF explains Spotify's stream-share royalty model, noting artists earn $0.003-$0.005 per stream, requiring 140 plays to match one iTunes download. He lists examples of artists missing from Spotify, like Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and Garth Brooks, and mentions local bands like Birdhouse and The Exotic Birds. The host then begins an alphabetical list of six songs not on Spotify, starting with The Beach Boys' 'Island Girl' from the album 'Still Cruisin',' sharing a personal memory of hearing it at a water park. Next is The Fleshtones' 'Right Side of a Good Thing' from 'Hexbreaker,' noting their early work is unavailable. He plays The Lover Speaks' 'No More I Love Yous,' revealing it's the original version covered by Annie Lennox, and checks chart positions. PF introduces Movieland's 'Postcard to New York,' a rare track from 1986 not on CD or streaming. He discusses One to One's 'Angel in My Pocket,' linking the duo to Alanis Morissette and a liner note mystery. The list ends with Shriek Back's 'Nemesis,' a loud rock song from 1986. PF teases a future episode on cover versions and missing artists. He closes with a song of the week: Churches' cover of 'Such Great Heights,' mentioning the band's recent activity and hopes for new music.

As heard by us

A catalog scavenger hunt that turns missing songs into a loose case against streaming's neatness.

PF's Tape Recorder turns six great songs missing from Spotify into a brisk argument about sound quality, disposability, and the economics behind access.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You get six missing-from-Spotify songs, a wary little royalty detour, and Churches covering "Such Great Heights" on the way out.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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