Fix playlist bleed

[patagoniadave]

I have been using Pandora since day one, and I am a paid subscriber. Something has broken recently. Distinct playlists I have used for decades are starting to bleed together. There is no option for "not on this playlist", so I am afraid to thumbs down on a song a like, but am not in the mood for. A quick search of Reddit lets me know that I am by far not the only person having the issue. If I am listening to Fleetwood Mac, I don't want to hear Five Finger Death Punch, those serve different moods. 

My annual account renews in June. I will cancel if it is not resolved by then. 

[TannerPandora]

Hi @patagoniadave 

Thanks for sharing this, sorry for any frustration, it makes sense that this would stand out, especially when you’re expecting a certain vibe from a station you’ve been listening to for a while.

I took a closer look at your listening history from 3/20/2026 to 4/2/2026. During that time, Five Finger Death Punch played 8 times in total across your account, showing up on a couple of different stations:

• Everlast Radio (6 plays)
• Black Betty Radio (2 plays)

I also took a closer look at your Fleetwood Mac Radio playback and saw that around 62 songs played during that time. From what I can see, Five Finger Death Punch didn’t come up during that portion of your listening.

It looks like after your Fleetwood Mac session ended, playback continued into other stations, starting with Audioslave Radio, and then Everlast Radio, where the 6 recent Five Finger Death Punch tracks played. That’s likely where the shift in sound came in.

If you notice any other songs that feel out of place, feel free to share the track name, artist, and station, I’m always happy to take a closer look and dig in.

---

As a quick tip, using 👍 and 👎 on your stations is the best way to fine-tune what you hear. Pandora is designed to learn from your feedback, so those thumbs play a big role in shaping each station over time.

Every thumbs up or down helps guide what plays next, what to play more of, and what to avoid, so the more you use them, the more personalized your stations become. Thumbs are also specific to each station, so your feedback stays tailored to the vibe you want for that particular listening experience.

You can always update your thumbs at any time, too, as your preferences evolve.

[patagoniadave]

I used the Fleetwood Mac vs FFDP as an extreme example of my music spectrum. While it has not technically happened, there are often tracks that pop up that have no business in the playlist, and that never played before. Pearl Jam for example. The point is, there has been a shift lately that was never there before. I had to delete that Everlast playlist it was so corrupted, and I have had that one for over 10 years.

I had already put the time in thumbsing my stations years ago, and had them where I liked them. Only the occasional new artist should pop up, not wholesale changes in the algorithm.  This is not a me problem, this is a you problem, and I don't like getting blamed for it. I am super annoyed, and will delete my account at years end if I don't notice a marked improvement.

This is also the first I have heard that thumbs up and down are specific to stations. I do not want the Algorithm to assume that I do not like a song, just because I discard it from a specific station. 

Moderator Edit: Removed external link

[AdamPandora]

@patagoniadave I hear how frustrating that shift in your stations feels, especially after you’ve spent years fine-tuning them. That’s definitely not the experience we want for you.

We’re happy to take a closer look at any specific tracks that don’t seem to belong in any of your future listening sessions—if you can share the station, song, and artist, we’ll dig in further. In the meantime, I’ve passed your experience along to the team who manages our library and stations so they can review it as well.

[patagoniadave]

All of the stations show creep from other stations, and I really don't have time to go through and give specific examples. Literally for decades, I had my stations where I wanted them, and now something in your algorithm has shifted. This is not new music that is getting kicked up for potential review, these are songs that I have liked in one flavor of playlist getting added to playlists that they don't belong.

This is not something for me to fix by increasing my thumbs up skills. This is something that changed on your end. I'll give you a couple of months, then I am trying Spotify.

[patagoniadave]

How is Eric Clapton showing up in a Korn playlist?

I use these playlist at work to focus, and they are mood dependent. It jars me out of focusing on work when something comes in out of sync. I have to lose my train of thought, turn away from work, deal with your broken algorithm, and then try and figure out where I left off.

You can pay me $75 an hour to troubleshoot your issues. Where can I send invoices?