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S. Roessner, "The Beat Goes Static: A Tempo Analysis of U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #1 Songs from 1955–2015," Paper 9849, (2017 October.). doi: S. Roessner, "The Beat Goes Static: A Tempo Analysis of U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #1 Songs from 1955–2015," Paper 9849, (2017 October.). doi:
Abstract: The Billboard Hot 100 is a rich source of information for tracking musical trends. Using available data analysis tools, we devised a method to accurately track tempo throughout a song. In this paper we demonstrate through an analysis of all number one songs from the chart that tempo variation within a song has declined over a 60-year period. In the 5-year span from 1955–1959, the average standard deviation of tempo was 5.01 beats per minute, or about 4.8%. Conversely, from 2010–2014, the average standard deviation was less than 1 beat per minute, or only about 0.85% of the average tempo.

@article{roessner2017the,
author={roessner, stephen},
journal={journal of the audio engineering society},
title={the beat goes static: a tempo analysis of u.s. billboard hot 100 #1 songs from 1955–2015},
year={2017},
volume={},
number={},
pages={},
doi={},
month={october},} @article{roessner2017the,
author={roessner, stephen},
journal={journal of the audio engineering society},
title={the beat goes static: a tempo analysis of u.s. billboard hot 100 #1 songs from 1955–2015},
year={2017},
volume={},
number={},
pages={},
doi={},
month={october},
abstract={the billboard hot 100 is a rich source of information for tracking musical trends. using available data analysis tools, we devised a method to accurately track tempo throughout a song. in this paper we demonstrate through an analysis of all number one songs from the chart that tempo variation within a song has declined over a 60-year period. in the 5-year span from 1955–1959, the average standard deviation of tempo was 5.01 beats per minute, or about 4.8%. conversely, from 2010–2014, the average standard deviation was less than 1 beat per minute, or only about 0.85% of the average tempo.},}

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TI - The Beat Goes Static: A Tempo Analysis of U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #1 Songs from 1955–2015
SP - EP -
AU - Roessner, Stephen
PY - 2017
JO - Journal of the Audio Engineering Society
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VO -
VL -
Y1 - October 2017 TY - paper
TI - The Beat Goes Static: A Tempo Analysis of U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #1 Songs from 1955–2015
SP - EP -
AU - Roessner, Stephen
PY - 2017
JO - Journal of the Audio Engineering Society
IS -
VO -
VL -
Y1 - October 2017
AB - The Billboard Hot 100 is a rich source of information for tracking musical trends. Using available data analysis tools, we devised a method to accurately track tempo throughout a song. In this paper we demonstrate through an analysis of all number one songs from the chart that tempo variation within a song has declined over a 60-year period. In the 5-year span from 1955–1959, the average standard deviation of tempo was 5.01 beats per minute, or about 4.8%. Conversely, from 2010–2014, the average standard deviation was less than 1 beat per minute, or only about 0.85% of the average tempo.