Music. It is a powerful thing that brings people together, creates memories, and evokes emotions. It is the universal language that speaks to the soul. It forms the soundtrack of our lives.
It has now been five years since we last counted down the Top 200 artists in my iTunes library, featuring the songs I have listened to the most since 2007. It is time to do so again, seeing which performers still resonate and if any newer ones have joined the fray. So, without further ado, here are my most listened to artists, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2026.
We continue today with our next batch of ten artists, covering three acts I’ve seen perform live.
#80: The Beastie Boys
iTunes stats: 140 plays
Previous ranking: #76
The hip-hop pioneers, who disbanded in 2012 after Adam Yauch died of cancer, picked up 25 new listens in the last five years, leading to a four-spot drop in the rankings.
#79: Bush
iTunes stats: 141 plays
Previous ranking: #79
The winners of the American Music Award for Favorite Alternative Group in 1998, who I saw in concert back in 1996, picked up 32 additional listens while dropping staying even on the list.
#78: Britney Spears
iTunes stats: 143 plays
Previous ranking: #79
The troubled pop princess and one-time Grammy Award winner (surprised you there, didn’t I) sees a 31% increase in plays over the past five years, going up one spot.
#77: Fiona Apple
iTunes stats: 147 plays
Previous ranking: #77
The Manhattan-born singer/songwriter, who I’ve seen in concert twice, picked up 33 new listens, raising her total 29%.
#76: Black Eyed Peas
iTunes stats: 152 plays
Previous ranking: #69
The six-time Grammy Award winners, formed in Los Angeles in 1992, saw a small 20% increase in plays over the past five years, gaining 26 spins.
#75: Salt-N-Pepa
iTunes stats: 119 plays
Previous ranking: #74
The first ladies of rap, who met in the lunchroom of a Queens Sears, add 35 new listens to the seven tunes in my collection, dropping a spot on the chart.
#74: Barenaked Ladies
iTunes stats: 157 plays
Previous ranking: #72
The Canadian band, who I saw at the IBM Think conference in Vegas back in 2018, pick up an additional 35 spins, causing them to drop two spots on the chart.
#73: Icona Pop
iTunes stats: 158 plays
Previous ranking: #104
A single song, featuring British singer Charli XCX and featured on the most recent versions of my White Sox victory playlist, added 76 plays, jumping up 93% and 31-spots up the charts.
#72: U2
iTunes stats: 160 plays
Previous ranking: #75
The most decorated Grammy-winning band in history posts a 38% increase, jumping three slots in the process.
#70: Red Hot Chili Peppers
iTunes stats: 162 plays
Previous ranking: #66
The California-based rockers, who I saw briefly at Lollapalooza back in 2016, increase their plays by 32% over the last five years.