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 the next batch of ten artists, half of which I have seen perform live at least once.
#29: Guns N’ Roses
iTunes stats: 360 plays
Previous ranking: #29
Axl Rose and his sometimes friends add 96 new listens to the now 21 songs in my collection, enabling them to remain at the same position in the rankings.
#29: Avril Lavigne
iTunes stats: 360 plays
Previous ranking: #27
The eight-time Grammy nominee, who somehow has 25 tracks that I’ve listened to in my collection, added just 63 new plays, which moved her down two spots on the charts.
#28: The Monkees
iTunes stats: 371 plays
Previous ranking: #28
The made-for-TV band, who are down to two living members following the death of Peter Tork in 2019, had a 33% increase in their listens, keeping them even in the rankings.
#27: Veruca Salt
iTunes stats: 373 plays
Previous ranking: #26
The girls from Chicago, who I saw live in Champaign back in the day, used fourteen songs to increase their plays by 73, allowing them to drop just a single slot.
#26: Weezer
iTunes stats: 400 plays
Previous ranking: #25
The 19 songs in my collection picked up 98 new listens, helping the band drop a spot in the rankings.
#25: Stone Temple Pilots
iTunes stats: 415 plays
Previous ranking: #24
The band, who I saw at the Elliot Hall of Music back in college, added an even 100 new listens in these past five years, dropping them a single slot in the rankings.
#24: Green Day
iTunes stats: 423 plays
Previous ranking: #23
The west coast punk rockers added 97 listens spread across the 18 songs in my collection, falling one spot in the rankings.
#23: The Lonely Island
iTunes stats: 375 plays
Previous ranking: #19
The comedy troupe sees a four-spot drop after increasing their listens by a scant 14%.
#22: Eminem
iTunes stats: 452 plays
Previous ranking: #21
The same 16 tunes provided 85 new listens, causing the Detroit rapper to fall one slot from five years ago.
#21: Liz Phair
iTunes stats: 463 plays
Previous ranking: #22
The former local indie darling, who I saw most recently at the Chicago Theatre in 2023, added 105 new listens to jump up a spot in the rankings.