The Top Songs and Podcasts of 2022
Also: AMC Networks is in trouble, and Mariah Carey spends Christmas in the metaverse
Friends: Can I ask a favor? I hope you are all enjoying Remote Notes and finding it useful, informative and entertaining. I’d like to have more paid subscribers to offset some of its expenses. If you are so inclined, will you consider changing your free subscription to a paid one? It’s just $30 for a year. That’s the minimum the Substack platform will allow.
You’ll be supporting independent journalism as well as my Fresca habit. Thank you. On with the newsletter!
THE LEDE
In what’s become an annual tradition, Spotify has released lists of its top-performing podcasts and music for the year. “Spotify Wrapped” covers how the world and individual subscribers used the service for the year. So you get a wrap-up of the most popular songs and podcasts globally, as well as your own choices. (See mine in LINKS AND LIKES, below.)
For the third year in a row, “The Joe Rogan Experience” leads the pack as the most popular podcast on Spotify:
IMAGES: Courtesy Spotify Wrapped
Bad Bunny was the most-streamed musical artist for the third year in a row, with Taylor Swift coming in second despite briefly breaking Spotify when her new album dropped in October.
As for the top song of the year? “As It Was” by Harry Styles was the most-streamed tune.
There are lots of lists to check out on Spotify Wrapped, and one I especially liked was its “Top Throwback Songs” streamed (songs that are 20 years old or more). Check out the renewed love for Kate Bush, thanks to “Stranger Things” using her music.
Check out Spotify Wrapped for more great charts like these, including top albums and overall trends.
NEWS AND NOTES
AMC NETWORKS IN TROUBLE: AMC Networks is in rough shape. It is losing its audience to streaming services, has revenue dropping 16% over last year, and is looking at layoffs. But the big story this past week was the golden parachute departure of its CEO, Christina Spade. After only holding the job for three months, Spade abruptly resigned. According to Business Insider, Spade’s contract entitles her to a $10.5 million payout. Not bad for 90 days of work, but not a great look for a company that will be firing people.
MARIAH CAREY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL TO BE ON GAMING PLATFORM: This is surely a sign of the times. Mariah Carey is performing a Christmas special to be shown on Roblox, the gaming platform. “Mariah Carey’s Winter Wonderland” will be on Roblox’s Livetopia site, and Carey is promoting this event as taking place in the metaverse. Said Carey in a statement:
“This year, I wanted to do something different to ring in the holiday season … My kids and I live for Roblox, and we couldn’t be more excited to be creating this festive metaverse experience for everyone!”
The virtual Mariah show will be streamed for four nights, beginning Wednesday, December 21st, at 7 p.m. EST. But, if you’re a Mariah fan who prefers their entertainment served more conventionally, don’t worry. A different special — “Mariah Carey: Merry Christmas to All” — will air on CBS on Tuesday, December 20th.
NASA TO LAUNCH SPANISH-LANGUAGE PODCAST: NASA is creating a Spanish-language podcast as a spinoff of its flagship show, Curious Universe. The podcast will be called Universo Curioso de la NASA and will be hosted by Noelia González, a graduate of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. González is a host on NASA’S Spanish-language YouTube channel:
Writes NASA:
"(The podcast will be) an opportunity to showcase how NASA's Hispanic experts contribute to its missions and inform audiences about how NASA projects impact their daily lives, from the production of the food they eat to their general understanding of the universe."
NPR reports the podcast is part of a larger outreach program called NASA en Español, which aims to draw Spanish-speaking listeners who might not otherwise follow NASA.
LINKS AND LIKES
GOOGLE DOODLE HONORS VIDEO GAME PIONEER: We had a special treat last week when the “Google Doodle” honored Gerald “Jerry” Lawson, the video game pioneer who invented the gaming cartridge. That development changed the way home video consoles were sold, opening them up to more than just “Pong” devices.
The Doodle linked to a playable game that taught about Lawson’s life and career. Lawson, who died in 2011, was a programmer from Brooklyn, who broke the color barrier; He was Black in an overwhelmingly white industry.
Side Note: There is an archive of Google Doodles. Want to play Pac-Man for free? It’s there.
THE MAN IN THE HAT IS BACK!: The first trailer for the new “Indiana Jones” movie is out, and it looks great. This fifth installment in the series is entitled “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” (In keeping with tradition, nobody likes the name.) In the trailer, sharp-eyed fans of the TV series “Fleabag” will notice that show’s creator and star, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, is in a lead role. You’ll also see shots of a young Indy, courtesy of de-aging technology:
Disney+ is also developing an “Indiana Jones”-related TV show. According to The Wrap:
This new series (will) be a prequel focused on young Abner Ravenwood, Marion Ravenwood’s father who remains a much talked-about but never seen figure in Indiana Jones lore.
“Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny” takes place in 1969. It comes out on June 30, 2023.
PANTONE NAMES ITS COLOR OF THE YEAR: Pantone has announced its “Color of the Year” for 2023 and I like it. “Viva Magenta” (Pantone 18-1750) gets the honors this year.
Why “Viva Magenta?” Writes the company in its announcement:
Pantone’s Color of the Year, Viva Magenta 18-1750, vibrates with vim and vigor. It is a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength. Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative.
That’s a lot of heavy lifting for a shade of red. Now, this is obviously a PR thing — Pantone has been doing this since 1999. But it sucks me in every year. Viva Magenta!
BEYOND THE REMOTE
MY YEAR IN MUSIC: As I mentioned, Spotify is out with its fun annual lists of what each user listened to most in the previous year. Here is my list of top artists, and try to keep in mind I’m from the ‘80s.
That’s consistent, especially when you consider Genesis, Peter Gabriel and Steve Hackett are all pretty much the same music. If you haven’t discovered “The Divine Comedy,” I recommend the songs “National Express” and “To The Rescue.”
For my friends who are wondering: “Where are the Beatles, you crazy Beatlemaniac?” I also listen to Apple Music, and the Beatles are tops there. Listen to Spotify and Apple versions of the new Beatles remaster of “Revolver.” You will hear a difference.
ADVERTISING: Sponsor Remote Notes for $25 a week. Our audience? Lots of folks in the journalism/podcasting business and other media-savvy people. For more information, smash the “Email Me” button below.
REMOTE NOTES
Newsletter #33
Founder/Writer: Steve Safran
Editor: John Cockrell
Copyright 2022
-30-