The Data Behind Where The Music Matters

KEXP is a mission-driven radio station and arts organization that exists to enrich lives through music and discovery. We serve music lovers who are extremely curious, adventurous, and open-minded. This approach is reflected in our eclectic programming, with a wide range of artists, genres, and eras of music represented.

This incredible variety is reflected in our Playlist, a living record of every track played by KEXP DJs over the last 18 years. Our friends at Tableau recently compiled this data to answer burning questions like how much does KEXP play a particular artist? When are you most likely to hear Radiohead versus The Cure? Which DJ plays Jay Som the most?

Other important themes emerge from this work, like KEXP's championing of artists and music of the Pacific Northwest. And we see the impact when artists pass away, and their fans turn to KEXP for a place to mourn and remember them.

Check out some samples of the Tableau data visualizations ("vizzes") below, and click the links or images to check out the full interactive versions.

LIVE STREAM: If you're interested in these intersections of music and data, watch the live stream discussion featuring KEXP DJs Larry Rose and Morgan, and Annie Worman, Andrew Grinaker, and Ria Montenegro (viz creator) from Tableau. Watch the Video.