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Discussion
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In a recent “Ask MLT” thread titled “When you do live shows again”, the question came up as to how many people worldwide are watching a given MLT video on YouTube at the same time. I figured out a way to estimate that number based on the length of the video, the age of the video, and the total number of views. There are some caveats, most significantly that it’s an average over the entire history of the video rather than the number at any given moment. You can check out the aforementioned thread for details.
Ten days ago I tabulated the top ten MLT videos with regard to the number of simultaneous views (S). Here’s how it turned out:
1) Please Mr. Postman / Wipeout: S = 16.7
2) Both Sides Now: S = 16.2
3) Wish You Were Here: S = 13.0
4) Nowhere Man: S = 8.7
5) You Can’t Do That: S = 5.8
6) Lola: S = 4.7
7) While My Guitar Gently Weeps: S = 4.3
8) Sunshine Superman: S = 4.2
9) I’m a Believer: S = 4.0
10) Till There Was You: S = 3.2And here’s how that list stands today, with the change in S given in parentheses after the updated value:
1) You Really Got Me: S = 19.2 (new)
2) Please Mr. Postman / Wipeout: S = 16.6 (-0.1)
3) Wish You Were Here: S = 12.9 (-0.1)
4) Both Sides Now: S = 12.1 (-4.1)
5) Nowhere Man: S = 8.2 (-0.5)
6) You Can’t Do That: S = 5.8 (0.0)
7) Lola: S = 4.7 (0.0)
8) While My Guitar Gently Weeps: S = 4.3 (0.0)
9) I’m a Believer: S = 3.9 (-0.1)
10) Sunshine Superman: S = 3.8 (-0.4)For a given video the number of simultaneous views is proportional to how many views it gets per day, so it’s expected that each S number will start out high during the discovery phase, drop off relatively quickly at first, and then gradually plateau over the long term. That seems to be the pattern we’re seeing here thus far. (The S number for YRGM is currently decreasing at about 0.1 per hour!) Longer videos have a leg up on shorter ones because the more time it takes to watch, the more viewers must be watching together in order to reach a certain number of views in a certain period of time.
The take-home lesson is that thanks to MLT, a lot of people are, as JP put it, “smiling for the same reason at precisely the same time”.
I plan to update this list about once a month, plus perhaps an occasional “news flash” when events warrant, until either I get bored with it or everyone tells me to stop.
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Replies
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I kinda grasp what you’re saying here David, lol, not fully but a glimmer of an ” Ah, Ok, I kinda get what he’s saying”…lol… explained in simpler terms with a visual reference , like a graph/chart would help me gain better understanding….But what I wanted to add to this, as it got me curious and wondering… the age of fans watching/discovering MLT videos and if that has perhaps any significance/lean/influence factor on the numbers you mention… from what I noticed amongst membership here, and outside MLT Club, MLT fans in general, for the most part range in the 50+ yrs of age age bracket, moreso leaning towards into the late 50s-70 age bracket, while there are some under 50 but it’s predominantly over 50 yrs of age bracket. I hope I may myself understood in my explanation, my apologies now if I’ve failed to do so and have you confused or misinterpreted my post because of how I tried to convey my thoughts. Not always good at making myself understood, that is what I was thinking to put into words. ????
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Jacki, here’s more or less what a graph of this might look like. The vertical axis is the S number, and the horizontal axis is the amount of time since the video was posted. Ignore the specific numbers shown; the trend is what’s relevant.
https://www.freemathhelp.com/images/lessons/graph1.gif
I agree that most MLT fans are probably in the 50 to 70 age range, but I don’t know how that would affect the results. It would be interesting to investigate, but there’s not much that can be done unless YouTube reveals the ages of the viewers.
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“Without your space helmet, Dave? You’re going to find that rather difficult.” I can never resist the HAL quotes when there is a Dave in the house.
Please continue with your analysis. I am looking forward to watching how “You Really Got Me” does.
Jacki, I may be in my fifties, but I listen like a kid. I am not sure if utube classifies viewers by age.
These numbers get crazy when you start breaking them down. When I actually try to picture a MILLION views of one video, it’s breathtaking. Clickity-click-click a million times. Like that picture Jung posted, it seems endless. Then they get FIVE million views, incredible! That is a big audience.Did I just age myself by referencing a mouse?
JP
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Cheers Tom,
You totally dated yourself. I was only three in 1968.
I worry our GPS devices are going to control our travel like HAL. Mine knows all my driving habits. When I approach an intersection where any other day I would instinctively turn left, Siri starts man-splaining the next turn in a very condescending tone. “At the stop sign, pause, look both ways and when clear, turn right. You’re not going to work today, you’re going to the store.”
JP
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https://youtu.be/QpWhugUmV5U
JP, for me the corded mouse is my favourite work hardware. I’m still using my Microsoft Wheel/Intellimouse from 2004!
Wow that computer looks ancient! Compared to my obsolete smart phone that desktop computer with monochrome monitor looks like the Wright Brothers bi-plane compared to an F22 Raptor.David, that list is awesome, please keep it going. It’s fascinating to see how the top MLT videos are trending in light of JPs mention of so many people finding joy in the same thing at the same time! Most of the top 10 songs seem to be holding with slight variations here and there. When you said Mr Postman is back on top, I almost felt proud like I’m rooting for it! You Really Got Me, keep it up!!! LOL
Jacki, good observation around the age range. I think as MLT music proliferate more, over time the age range will expand into the younger generations, which I think it already has begun. Certainly the Beatles and 60s music style attracts a lot of people old enough to appreciate the music from the 60s and 70s, but good music is good music, and it’s infectious to all age ranges. The younger new generation just need more exposure to MLT who are creating cutting edge modern music solidly based in good music from the past and inspired by the likes of the Beatles and other great legends. It’s modern progressive music with all the best elements of the great music from the past. Nothing Is In Vain to Sweet Lorraine to Janitor Joe, oh yeah, keep it coming!!!
As MLTs online presence growth continue to accelerate, and youtube views continue to snowball into the mega-millions, MLT are on track to touch souls across all generations in every corner of the world.
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I saw that movie when it was new, Jung, and I recall thinking how state-of-the-art that computer was. Of course, it was a huge step beyond the days of green ASCII characters on a black background.
I guess it shows that I was indeed rooting for Please Mr. Postman to reclaim the top spot. Wipeout has long been my unofficial generic song of celebration, so I was waiting for a reason to celebrate it again.
I imagine that just about every brand new video on this list will quickly drop through the stratosphere. It’s just a question of the altitude at which it will level off.
Here’s the latest on YRGM: after 84 hours (3.5 days), S = 14.5. I’m projecting that there will be a new #2 within 24 hours.
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Thanks David for the graph chart link reference that visual puts it into a better grasp understanding for me .
I’m hoping folks under age of 50 are discovering and appreciating MLT … but there’s always going to be those who just don’t dig old school stuff, just hell bent on a specific genre and/or just what the present music landscape predominately consists of, as in radio station formats. Back in the day, different radio stations catered to specific music lovers, not the case now , at least maybe in Canada, USA…!?!?
The online radio streaming indie/etc outlet stations have salvaged that catering to specific music lovers notion… allowing for MLT to be aired whereas on some actual radio stns, not online, that’s not the case, because the bigwigs that run these stations have the radio formats setup in a specific way, geared towards a certain age demographic that doesn’t necessarily reflect appreciation for old school type but more what the “Now” is that going on in music landscape… just my thoughts…???? -
Wish You Were Here has now taken over second place behind Please Mr. Postman / Wipeout, as You Really Got Me moves down to #3 with S = 12.7.
Both Sides Now should replace YRGM in the third spot sometime on Friday. Unfortunately I’m going to be “off the grid” until Monday evening, unable to monitor or report in the meantime.
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Jacki, I don’t know how it is in Ottawa, but in Vancouver I remember we use to have some great radio stations covering a variety of programming and so it was never boring, but over the last few decades all those stations have been bought up and converted to top 40. It wouldn’t be so bad if the top 40 was worth listening to, but it all sounds so bland and all the same with the same cookie cutter hook, as if the same handful of hired song writers wrote them and mixed up the songs in the same broth. So uninspiring. The younger generation need to experience the timeless music of the 60s/70s and MLT! Songs written by the Beatles on Sargent Peppers are timeless! A Day In the Life sound as good today as it did 55 years ago without sounding dated at all. Songs on Orange have that same timeless beauty, they will never sound dated. That is just great imaginative creative song writing, that seems to be lost to the current pop artists who are being rewarded for mediocrity, what a shame.
David, thanks for doing these, it’s awesome to follow along how the songs are doing.
JP, I’m rooting for Mr Post Man, but hey if Wish You Were Here takes #1 spot, I’m still happy! 🙂 As long as MLT music is being enjoyed simultaneously in droves across the world, it’s all great!
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Jung…most radio stns here are all owned by a big corporation, thus programming is strategic and specific and geared with the likes of Beyonce, etc. Though there are a few oldies type stations here, it’s the ones running the programming, either they aren’t into/interested in old school type and/or have to follow strict programming format aimed at specific age demographics, as in , the under 50s crowd…. there might be better luck with indie radio stns online around here or in Quebec. I’m not sure about rest of Ontario. But back in the day, as in around before 2000, tg0he radio stns were specific but at least played music from all decades not just present day stuff that would of been at the time, like they do now on most stns…
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