Please fix your algorithms!

[mlightner1]

PLEASE, please, please fix your algorithms Pandora!  

If I queue up a station of 80 hits, I do not want to hear songs that were released in any other decade.  I don't care how similar those songs are to the ones I'm hearing from the 80s.  It is so annoying to pay monthly, now an extra two dollars, and have you play songs that were released three years ago on the my 80s station.  Also, 90s country...SHOULD ONLY PLAY COUNTRY MUSIC FROM THE 90s!!!  It's so easy to fix the algorithm that if I have a decade specific genre, do not play ANYTHING outside that decade.  There's a reason I choose the music I do and when you add your stupid "like" music to my decade, you ruin my whole listening experience. Please fix.

[TannerPandora]

Hi @mlightner1 

Welcome to the Community! Thanks so much for taking the time to share your feedback. I’m sorry for the frustration this has caused.

Genre stations like 80s Hits and 90s Country are curated by Pandora and work a little differently from a station you create yourself. They’re built around a particular era, genre, or style, but they aren’t necessarily limited only to songs released during that specific decade. From time to time, you may hear a song from outside the decade if it fits the overall sound and style of the station.

As you listen, we recommend using Thumbs Up and Thumbs Down to let Pandora know what you do and don’t enjoy. That feedback helps shape the station over time and gives Pandora a better sense of the music you’d like to hear.

Keep in mind that Thumb feedback is specific to each station, so a Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down on one station won’t affect what you hear on your other stations.

Alternatively, you can create your own station based on a favorite artist or song from that era for a more personalized listening experience. We’d still recommend using your Thumb feedback there as well, since that’s one of the best ways to help tailor the station to your tastes.

We appreciate you taking the time to let us know what you’d like to hear from these decade-focused stations, and I’ve passed your feedback along.

Thanks for being part of community!

[mlightner1]

So, if I hear Pandora correctly, I pay you for your service, yet you want me to do the work to train my station?  And you expect that no matter what activity I am involved, I'm supposed stop, pull my phone out, open the app, and hit the thumbs?  For example, when I'm driving, you want me now to take my eyes off the road to train your station?  You prefer your algorithm over my safety.  Got it.

Why in the world would you allow a song outside that decade to play on that station?  Why?  It makes no sense.  Neither does hitting a thumbs down on those songs because I do enjoy those songs, I just don't want to hear a song from 2019 when I'm listening to 80s or 90s music.  Hitting thumbs down, while you call it training the station, does not make logical sense.  Fixing your algorithm does!  Maybe when the station is created, prompt the user to indicate if they would allow similar songs outside the decade.  If they say no, keep those songs out.  It is not a difficult ask.  I am a product owner that oversees software development.  I know this is easy.  Show you care for crying out loud, you are now charging more for the same service.