Pandora won't play other songs like "Hail Holy Queen" from Sister Act

[pfahlstrom]

I have tried off and on for years to get Pandora to play other songs like "Hail Holy Queen" from the movie Sister Act. It seems like Pandora has all the wrong keywords attached to that song, or something like that. Whenever I start a station using that song, not only does that song itself never get played so I can give it a thumbs-up, all songs that do play are not like it at all.

This song starts out as a very traditional conservative (in vocals and accompaniment) religious choir song, and then gets jazzed up in both departments until it is a glorious listening experience. Other songs Pandora plays based on this are not religious in any way but are typically Motown songs (like the other songs in Sister Act, but not like this one) or songs from other musicals. I thumbs-down these songs one after another after another, but the next song in the queue never gets closer to the original seed.

What other songs are like it? I don't know! That's why I want Pandora to suggest some. But it just doesn't know how to. I have tried adding Gregorian chant as additional seeds (my best guess), which does get me Gregorian chant songs, but none of them are as exciting as "Hail Holy Queen." I also don't want modern Christian rock—but something like a rock version of Handel's Messiah could fit the bill if it's high-energy enough.

[AdamPandora]

Hi, @pfahlstrom. 👋

Thanks so much for taking the time to share such a detailed explanation of what you’re experiencing—we really appreciate it.

I completely understand how frustrating it can be when a station doesn’t quite capture the specific sound you’re hoping for, especially with a song as unique as “Hail Holy Queen.” That blend of traditional choir and high-energy gospel-style performance is definitely a very specific vibe, and it’s not always easy for any recommendation system to match it perfectly.

Regarding the issue where the seed song itself isn’t playing, we have a helpful tip that walks through why this occurs. If you check out this post and scroll to the section titled “Not hearing the artist or song your station was created for,” it should give you some useful guidance: Tips for better stations

As for the recommendations you’re getting—your observation actually makes a lot of sense. Since “Hail Holy Queen” is part of a movie soundtrack, it carries a mix of musical traits (gospel, choral, theatrical, and even some Motown influence), which can lead the station in a few different directions that may not fully match the exact progression and energy you’re looking for.

Our curation team took a look, and the tracks currently being suggested are aligned with how the song is categorized. That said, because your goal is such a specific style (traditional choir that builds into something more powerful and energetic), the best way to steer Pandora in that direction is to start fresh with a station based on a song or artist that already leans more heavily into that exact sound.

I know you mentioned that’s the tricky part—not knowing what those songs are. One approach that can help is:

You might get closer results by starting a station with a large choir gospel (e.g., Edwin Hawkins Singers), cinematic/orchestral composers (like Hans Zimmer), or even “epic choir” artists (like Two Steps From Hell). Those tend to capture the same big, high-energy choral feel you’re looking for more than Gregorian chant or Christian rock. 

From there, you can continue to utilize thumb ratings to help further guide your station. Make sure to thumb up tracks you feel fit the spirit of your station, while thumbing down tracks you don't want to play again on your station.

We really appreciate you calling this out—feedback like yours helps highlight where certain nuanced styles can be harder to match.

Thanks again for being part of the community! 

[pfahlstrom]

So, you said "the tracks currently being suggested are aligned with how the song is categorized" but I'm suggesting the song is incorrectly categorized. It does seem like the album is correctly categorized, but not the song itself—as you said, the song has "gospel, choral" traits in addition to "theatrical, and even some Motown"—but the recommendations are always theatrical and Motown, never ever gospel or choral.

What better seed to lean into the exact sound I want than the exact song that has that sound? If Pandora isn't giving me suggestions matching that song's sound, it sure seems like an error in Pandora's classification of that song.

Two Steps from Hell and Hans Zimmer, while great, don't fit the bill—I already have other Pandora stations that use both of those as seeds. I've just checked out the Edwin Hawkins Singers too, and it's really not the same.

[AdamPandora · Accepted solution]

@pfahlstrom Hi again, and thank you for sticking with me on this, I really appreciate the level of detail you’ve shared.

I understand what you’re calling out here. From your perspective, it makes sense that seeding a station with a specific track should bring you more of that same sound, especially the choir-driven, high-energy build you’re looking for.

I’m sorry this hasn’t been your experience so far. I can see how frustrating it is to hear recommendations that lean more toward show tunes or Motown-style tracks instead of the gospel/choral elements you expected.

Since “Hail Holy Queen” blends a few different musical styles, the station is picking up more heavily on its broader or more commonly associated traits (like theatrical and soundtrack influences), rather than prioritizing the choir/gospel elements you’re trying to center your station around. Because of that, what you’re hearing is consistent with how the station is currently designed to function, even though it’s not aligning with the specific sound you’re hoping to get.

It sounds like your goal is to hear more music that captures that same choir-focused energy and build, rather than those adjacent styles and that’s really helpful context.

To help shift things closer to that sound, here are a few targeted steps that can make a difference:

• Add a few additional seeds that strongly represent gospel choir or choral arrangements (even if they’re not exact matches on their own)
• When you hear a track that gets closer to what you want, give it a thumbs up right away to reinforce that direction
• Use thumbs down more selectively, so the station doesn’t overcorrect in unintended ways

This approach can help guide the station more clearly toward the specific elements you’re looking for, even when the original seed has a wider mix of influences.

I do want to be transparent that because this track spans multiple styles, you may still hear some theatrical-style recommendations in the mix. While adding more seeds can shift things closer to your preference, it may not fully isolate that exact sound.

That said, your feedback here is incredibly valuable, especially around wanting recommendations to prioritize musicological similarities like that choir-driven progression. I’ll be sure to share this with the right team.