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Gracenote Music Maps: the songs that make the whole world sing

Say you happen to be hanging out at a Starbucks in Turkey and you want to impress the exotic barista making your latte. Stop for a moment, listen to the music and, if a woman is singing, ask, “Is that Sezen Aksu?”

Even if it turns out to be Hepsi instead, the lovely woman behind the counter will be duly impressed with your knowledge of Turkish music.

The next weekend, you’re off to Borneo and want to load your iPod with tunes the Malays love. Go with the top two female vocalists in Malaysia.

I know it’s not a mix tape made in heaven, but Avril and Mariah are among the top five most downloaded artists in the country, according to my newest addiction, Gracenote Music Maps.

You’ve probably used Gracenote if you download music. iTunes and Yahoo! Music Jukebox, among others, use Gracenote’s CD information database and software to let consumers look up track listings for recordings. The company uses the search information to update its Music Map of the top 10 artists and albums across the globe.

Wandering around the world, the biggest surprise to me was that Linkin Park is in the top 10 almost everywhere. The grunge guys are No. 1 in the Czech Republic, India, Bulgaria and dozens more. I’d be much happier in Denmark, where The Beatles top the list, or Luxembourg, in which Queen rules.

No, not that Queen. She rules everywhere. This Queen. (Miss ya, Freddie.)

You can search the U.S. according to state. As of Thursday night, the battle of the bands is The Beatles vs. Carrie Underwood. I’m guessing the Fab Four will recapture the States when the CMA glow wears off, but for now, Underwood also leads the top 10 lists of albums in every state I searched. Interestingly, one non-musician appears in most of the top 10 lists — I think she’s outlawed in Mississippi.

Rowling is No. 1 in Utah, sharing the list with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The whole LDS church is on CD? Wow.

Fair warning: Once you start poking around Gracenote Music Maps, time will disappear. But what better way to spend the weekend than finding a new way to impress women?

What’s No. 1 in your neck of the woods? Any surprises — or embarrassments?

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