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The Mysteries of Random Play

9 out of 10 times when I listen to music I simply hit random play and listen to whatever comes up from the approximately 13,000 songs I've put on hard disk and access via iTunes (see my system setup for more details). Well last night the system actually spooked me. It started out with Minnie Riperton's "Seeing You This Way" which was produced and recorded with Stevie Wonder and then it went to Stevie W. performing "You Are the Sunshine of My Life". I noticed the thematic link, but didn't pay much attention until the next song up, "Inna City Mama" by Nenah Cherry came up because it opens with a snippet of dialog -- "New York, just like I pictured it, skyscrapers and everythang". At this point I'm a little spooked, I mean 3 songs in a row with a Stevie Wonder link. By now I'm truly anticipating the next song, and up comes "I Love Every Little Thing About You" by Stevie Wonder. What are the odds of 4 straight S. Wonder related songs coming up? Clearly my system has soul.

BTW, the next song in the sequence was Bill Evans live piano solo of "I Loves You Porgy".
128x128onhwy61
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albertporter's avatar
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albertporter
4,949 posts
 
Two possible answers. You have only Stevie Wonder related songs on your computer :^).

Steve Jobs had a real thing for "Songs In The Key Of Life" and programed the passion into iTunes.
thsalmon
348 posts
 
How many songs on your hard disk out of the 13,000 are by Stevie Wonder? If you know, we can calculate the odds.
onhwy61's avatar
onhwy61 OP
5,144 posts
 
Out of the hard disk music collection there's maybe 120 Stevie Wonder tracks. Four straight songs by Stevie Wonder would be one thing, but to insert the Nenah Cherry track which quotes a Stevie Wonder song, now that hints at a higher intelligence (or as Albert hints, some very sophisticated programming).
kinsekd
252 posts
 
You've actually given me a very interesting idea for a new invention. How about a jukebox that not only stores your entire music collection, but gauges your mood when you come in and responds accordingly.

If you come in dead drunk, it plays "The Wrong Five o'clock"

If you come in with a ghastly hangover, it puts on a little George Winston.

When you're working on your taxes it plays Johnny Cash's "I Walk The Line"

And when you get audited, it's "I'll Be Watching You" by the Police.

If you come in after a tough day at the office it puts on Johnny Paycheck's "Take This Job And Shove It"

On September 11th it plays Alan Jackson's "Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning?"

Too cool -- :0)
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