Top of the music charts around the world

According to hit internet radio station Last.fm, that has 15 million users around the world, we have oportunity to see what people around the world listen.
And it is pretty amazing.





Figures show the most popular track played in war-torn Iraq last week was Johnny Cash’s Ring Of Fire.




Nirvana’s hit Come As You Are came out tops in Afghanistan.




Over in troubled Lebanon, meanwhile, the No1 choice was distinctly laid-back — Pink Floyd’s Coming Back To Life.



Website — www.last.fm — analyses user profiles including home addresses to come up with their listening figures.

Information allows the station to name the most popular songs in different countries — and even individual cities.

Latest figures show that Coldplay’s Clocks is currently the most listened to internet track on www.Last.fm in China.




In Sweden, native indie band Kent top the charts.




While in Somalia it’s French dance group Air with their song Playground Love.




The Beatles are the most popular band online in Japan and the Fab Four’s Strawberry Fields Forever is also first choice in Argentina.




In France Radiohead are the most requested band.





While in Germany it is the Red Hot Chili Peppers.





America finds Jesus Christ by Brand New the hot favourite.




While Australia is keen on Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars.




Austria's hit is Billy Talent’s Red Flag.




And in Britain more people listened to The Killers through their PCs last week than any other band.




Last FM was set up in 2002 by three graduates in London and claims to be heralding a social music revolution.
It offers a huge range of channels, and by charting what songs and genres users enjoy it can tailor broadcasts to include only the music specific listeners want to hear.

Users can also see what other people have on their playlists and opt to tune in to those tracks.

Service is funded by advertising and optional subscriptions and royalties are paid on the music played.

Co-founder Martin Stiksel - “Millions of people are listening to music through their computers now.

“We have 15million users in almost every country in the world and that figure is growing on average by eight per cent a month.

“The way we operate means we can take a snapshot of what people in a specific city or country are listening to at any time of the day.

“You may find it surprising that Ring Of Fire is No1 in Iraq but it is probably being listened to by many American soldiers on their laptops.”

Experts predict that, thanks to the ability to cherry-pick favourite tunes, internet radio will overtake conventional stations within a few years.

“There is a growing appetite for listening to streaming radio through your PC and we are seeing that in the huge numbers of listeners we are getting.”