March 25th, 2025
Is it the approach of the 30th anniversary of Rory's disappearance?... In any case, his audience on Spotify is making a giant leap, in recent weeks going from around 500,000 monthly fans to more than... 720,000!!!
Always interesting to take a look at Spotify statistics:
More than 520.000 listeners a month and...''Bad Penny'' is the most popular song with more than, 32 million read.
November 2nd, 2024
For each of Rory's albums, a specific study of Spotify figures is underway - see on albums.
It is worth noting that only ''Rory Gallagher'', Rory's first studio album, places 3 tracks in the Top 10 of Rory's most listened to songs on Spotify. Top Priority (1979) and Tattoo place two and ''Calling Card'' (1976) closes the march with only one track (but what a track!): ''Moonchild''. If we focus only on the podium, it is, quite surprisingly, ''Bad Penny'' which with more than 32 million streams is (largely) in the lead; followed by far by ''I Fall Apart'' (more than 14 million streams) and the sublime ''A Million Miles Away'' (studio version) with more than 13 million streams.
Rory's second least listened to album on Spotify with 2.4 million streams. the product of a smear campaign orchestrated by an international Press that decided Rory was no longer in fashion. Only ''Gosht Blues'' with 960,879 streams stands out. ''Slumming Angel'', second on the podium with 328,000 streams and the excellent ''King Of Zydeco'' (which deserves ten times more!) 179,000.
By far the most underrated of Rory's albums. Wrongly of course, as this return to business after five years of absence is excellent! 1,663,444 listens on Spotify and 495,902 for ''Loanshark Blues'', the most listened to track. ''Ain't No Saint'' comes next with 200,000 and ''Kickback City'' closes the march with nearly 159,000... ;-(
'Jinx' is probably one of the rare Rory albums most undervalued by a music press once again of rare incompetence! Result: the number of listens on Spotify followed this counter-publicity with 'only' 4,231,010 listens (as of December 20, 2024). Only the superb 'Easy Come, Easy Go' stands out with more than 2.5 million listens. Follows (far away) on the podium by 'Bourbon' with 617,000 and (even further!): 'Big Guns' 185,000
This album, driven by the astonishing score of ''Bad Penny'', the (very) widely most listened to title of all Rory Gallagher's discography with more than 33 million streams obtains the incredible score of more than 46 million streams!!! ''Philby'' (5th most listened to song by Rory's fans with 7,709,193 streams and which also enters the Top 10, all albums combined) is second and follows (by far in third position) ''Follow Me'' with 1,765,740 listens.
This album, with the two tracks that made its rating climb - 'ShadowPlay' (Rory's 5th most listened to track with 7,456,744 streams) and Shin Kicker (listened to 1,511,322 times) - has therefore become one of the most listened to with more than 11 million ''streams''; for the rest of the ''standard'' listening figures. ''Overnight Bag'', a very pretty ballad, closes the march, far behind, with 688,589 listens.
Since I started studying Rory and Spotify, 'Calling Card' is the second most streamed album (after 'Top Priority' 1979). With 13,708,654 streams and 'Moonchild' (4,529,868 alone); 'Do You Read Me' comes next with 3,717,073 and 'Calling Card' (the song) closes the podium with 1,905,138
Of all the albums studied so far (7) this is one of those that has had the least success with ''only'' 2,564,509 streams. No song reaches a million listens and only ''Bought And Sold'' and ''Out On The Western Plains'' stand out (very modestly) with 749,538 and 731,600 listens respectively. Is it necessary to mention the third on the podium (?): ''Ain't To Good'' which, with 196,538 streams, is only listened to confidentially...
Carried by the sublime ''Million Miles Away'', the 3rd most listened to title of Rory's entire repertoire, ''Tatoo'' which, all in all, was a rather modest album is one of the most listened to (the second to date behind ''Top Priority'') with 26,019,311 listens (as of January 15, 2025). Also noteworthy is the excellent score of what is probably one of Rory's most emblematic songs: ''Tattoo'd Lady'' with nearly 5 million listens (4,992,356). More surprising are the almost equal numbers: "Admit It" and "They Don't Make Them Like You Anymore" with 2,242,123 and 2,218,093 respectively. The others pick up the crumbs (between 200 and 500,000 plays) with "Cradle Rock" still coming out on top with 975,818 plays.