As Spotify grows in popularity, its potential to eclipse iTunes draws near (insert ominous music, here). The music streaming service's latest attempt to shake up the digital music world comes with Spotify Charts, an easily downloadable widget updated weekly showcasing the past week's most listened to and most viral tracks.
Think of it as one large Billboard Top 40 list that happens to be in constant motion. Each Monday, Spotify now updates the Spotify 50 and Social 50 charts, so you never having to face the fear of listening to something out of trend (if you think no one in your social network hasn't seen the number of times you've had Celine Dion on rotation, think again. But that's okay). “What’s so powerful about the streaming charts," says Steve Savoca, Head of Content at Spotify, “is they let you hear what people are really listening to, right now, and not just what they’re buying.” It's different than iTunes' top charts because it is tracking popularity, not just purchases. Users will be able to see a song's play count dating all the way back to October 2008.
You can download the free widget now and see what's popular and what's gone viral across each of Spotify's 28 global markets. If your friends give you flack for listening to One Direction (there is absolutely no shame in listening to them — none whatsoever) you can pull up the charts and show how popular they are in Europe — and automatically sound more superior, obviously.
Photo: Courtesy of Spotify.