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.

Last week, we wrapped up our latest look at the Top 200 artists I’ve listened to, according to iTunes, since 2008. Now it’s time to take one final look at those artists and the songs that put them on the list. The average number of listens per performer was 222.4, with the median number being 113.  There were seven new artists debuting on the list, with the highest being the Blues Brothers at #106.

Largest Increase

Garbage – 576
The Beatles – 411
George Carlin – 384
Taylor Swift – 336
Garfunkel and Oates – 226

Largest Percentage Increase

Taylor Swift – 158%
Icona Pop – 93%
Florence + The Machine – 59%
Matthew Sweet – 57%
UB40 – 56%

Smallest Increase

The Dandy Warhols – 3
The Outfield – 4
Nancy Faust – 4
Chance the Rapper – 6
Klaus Badelt – 7

Smallest Percentage Increase

Klaus Badelt – 4%
The Outfield – 4%
David Cross – 5%
The Dandy Warhols – 5%
Ron Funches – 6%