Lost in the Shuffle: Technology, History, and the Idea of Musical Randomness

Before the rise of algorithms, “intelligent” radio stations, and devices that curated our musical collections, there was shuffle: a playback technology predicated on randomness. Focusing on shuffle and the idea of musical randomness, this article traces the changeable ways in which playback technologies, formats, industrial strategies, discourses, and listening habits have converged to structure auditory experiences of recorded popular music. I employ popular music to argue that there is continuity, rather than stark division, between randomness and order, particularly if we remain mindful of the importance of human interpretation during moments where technology intervenes in cultural selection.