Publishers Weekly
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Dalla Riva, a senior product manager at Audiomack, mixes data analysis with music criticism in this scrupulous debut analysis of popular music trends from the 1950s to the present. The book moves chronologically, exploring technological, cultural, and societal shifts that shaped the music of each era. For example, the popularization of digital recording in the 1990s paved the way for chart-toppers longer than four minutes and saw Napster fuel debates about copyright. Dalla Riva also rates the number one hits of each era (the “trance-inducing” ABBA hit “Dancing Queen” and Earth, Wind, and Fire’s “Shining Star” fare favorably; lowlights include “The Streak” by Ray Stevens), while ample graphs and charts bring the statistical research to life. Throughout, Riva answers questions that will fascinate data nerds (“When a number one hit loses the top spot, how far does it fall?”) while taking a broader look at the forces that have influenced the music industry. He notes, for instance, that the category Billboard now calls R&B was originally labeled “race records” and intended specifically for Black artists, a bias that persists today—“If you’re a singer and you’re Black,” Frank Ocean once explained, “you’re an R&B artist. Period.” Data-minded music fans will relish this deep dive. (Nov.)

Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.

Musician and data analyst Dalla Riva loves statistics. After listening to every song at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 lists in chronological order, he presents them here according to “eras.” The first is from August 4, 1958, the start of the list, to June 19, 1961. The last era begins on April 13, 2019, and ends on January 11, 2025. From Pat Boone’s rendition of “Moody River” to Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” Dalla Riva looks at the hits through both musical and historical lenses. It’s a fun way to approach the subject. Given the author’s analytical mind, the book is full of charts, from the percentage of number one hits without vocals to measuring the lyrical complexity of number one hits to the percentage of number one hits with explicit lyrics. Each section includes Highlights and Lowlights. Uncharted Territory is a quirky way to look at music, and clearly a massive amount of thought and research went into it. Just the ticket for those who love music and numbers.