I forgot to ask, is this Ubuntu MATE 15.10? Which window manager are you using? (eg. Marco, Compiz - can be checked in MATE Tweak).
Spotify v.0.9.17.1 here runs fine on my system, Ubuntu MATE 15.10 with Compiz as window manager. There is an occasional quirk with the context menus, needing to press ESC to dismiss them, so it could be the window manager at fault here.
Also, where did you install Spotify? I ask since v.0.9.17.1 (that I have) is apparently outdated, and I've been stubborn to update it.