# Pandora "Similar Artists"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandora-similar-artists/765861>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [September 13, 2016, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandora-similar-artists/765861 "2016-09-13T15:41:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Orwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/dfb087/32.png) [@Orwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orwell)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandora-similar-artists/765861/1 "2016-09-13T15:41:20Z")

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Fairly regularly, I stream Pandora on my computer while I work. I typically play it on shuffle, with all 30 or so artists checked to play, along with similar songs/artists. I often look at the screen to see the lyrics or artist notes while a song is playing. I have Cheap Trick as one of my stations/artists.

While Pandora was playing I Want You To Want Me, it listed the following four entries as “similar artists”:  
Cars  
Queen  
AC/DC  
Van Halen.

OK, I get The Cars and Queen, but AC/DC and (especially) Van Halen? In retrospect, I suppose AC/DC and Van Halen have more than a touch of humor and cheekiness about them, which relates them to Cheap Trick. But I would probably put The Beatles, Squeeze, Smithereens and a few others before I get to AC/DC and Van Halen as being similar.

Anyhoo… anyone else notice odd or humorous “related artist” entries? Or weird songs/artists playing as being related to one of your stations?

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**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandora-similar-artists/765861/2 "2016-09-13T16:34:55Z")

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I have a **Dusty Springfield** station for when I am in the mood for the very specific kinds of songs that Dusty, Petula Clark, Lesley Gore, etc sang.

One day I was shocked to hear a song that definitely didn’t belong. It was a song I recognized, but it sure did not fit on the channel. The song was \*For What It’s Worth \*, and the artist was **Buffalo Springfield**.:dubious:

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**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandora-similar-artists/765861/3 "2016-09-13T17:03:13Z")

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Of these:  
Cheap Trick  
Cars  
Queen  
AC/DC  
Van Halen.

The only one that doesn’t fit (to my ears) is The Cars. The others I would lump into a category of “stadium rock”.

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**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandora-similar-artists/765861/4 "2016-09-13T17:35:45Z")

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My wife was listening to the “Classical Music for Working” station, and in between Mahler and Debussy it played “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Aire”.

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**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\
**Post date:** [September 13, 2016, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pandora-similar-artists/765861/5 "2016-09-13T17:43:48Z")

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I noticed tho if you play “shuffle” you tend to get less of the "other artist thing "

they plan on changing he format but the problem is licensing fees because if you just play a stream of one band or singer its not a radio station anymore and fees go up …