AI track hits #1 in Russia for the first time: 25 of top 100 chart songs are AI-generated

Topping both Yandex and VK charts — a Suno/Udio track based on Yesenin's poetry. Breaking down the audio slop phenomenon.

Author: Michael Kokin ·

Right now the #1 track on Russia's main charts (Yandex and VK) is "Syp, Garmonika!" — Yesenin's poetry "sung" by the SDP project ("A Poem Worthy of a Song") using Suno/Udio. Industry channels confirm: this is the first time in history that an AI track has topped both charts simultaneously.

But the most interesting part isn't even that. Characters like "Garik-Garik" literally pump out albums — his discography is packed with releases for 2025-2026, with more tracks than real artists produce in a lifetime. And nearly 2 million monthly listeners.

In Yandex Music's top 100, 25 tracks are AI-generated. The top AI "artists":

What does this mean?

We're witnessing the "death of the author" in real time. Most listeners don't care who's singing — a live person or a server rack — as long as the track hits and fits a short reel.

To musicians — my condolences. Your competitor is no longer another talented artist, but a bot that doesn't sleep, doesn't eat, doesn't ask for a fee, and releases an album per hour until it hits the algorithm.

Welcome to the era of audio slop.