“I liked their early stuff better” has long been the stereotypical refrain of obnoxious music snobs. But now Spotify has given mustachioed partygoers something even better to annoy us with: statistics. A new interactive tool called “Found Them First,” released today, promises to identify the bands you listened to before they were cool—and tell you what percentile of early listeners you fall into. It’ll also provide you with a playlist of similar artists you haven’t yet listened to.
It speaks to the site’s accuracy that I’m credited with “discovering” only three artists. Apparently, I was within the first 2 percent of people who listened to Tove Lo, whose music I first streamed last March, right when her debut EP came out. However, there doesn’t seem to be much distinction between bands you adopt early and those you stream just once or twice before moving on. The app credits me with being an early Made in Heights listener, but I’m pretty sure I only streamed a couple of songs out of curiosity. It also seems to have a charitable definition of “discovery”—Slate staff writer Aisha Harris noted that the widget credits her with discovering Major Lazer, even though Diplo (who created the group) was already big in 2013 when the app says she first listened. (Also of note: Several Slate staffers apparently discovered Lorde.)
But what happens if you’re a true bandwagoner? Will the widget fib a little to make you feel cooler? Apparently not: Spotify credits one of my colleagues with discovering zero artists—which should make all you early adopters out there feel extra smug by comparison.
