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Loudness is a complex measurement that is both a function of time and frequency. What we measure is loudness as going through a human model of listening, and not as directly mapped from the recorded signal. For instance, with a traditional dB model a simple sinusoidal function would be measured as having the same exact "amplitude" (in dB) whether at 3KHz or 12KHz. But with our model, the loudness is lower at 12KHz than it is at 3KHz because you actually perceive those signals differently.
This post in the MusicMachinery blog shows the Echo Nest loudness for a number of artists, as well as a histogram showing the loudness distribution of about 15 thousand tracks. You'll find that artists, especially those that have released tracks recently, have pushed the loudness of their tracks as high as they can. This may account for the small range of loudness that you are seeing.
Here's the histogram plot from that blog post:
Hope this helps.
Paul
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