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 enter our final quarter of the list today with our next batch of ten artists, featuring a wide array of musical genres.
#50: Smashing Pumpkins
iTunes stats: 210 plays
Previous ranking: #58
65 new listens over the past five years enables the Chicago-based alternative band, led by that twat Billy Corgan, to move up eight spots in the rankings.
#49: Weird Al Yankovic
iTunes stats: 213 plays
Previous ranking: #50
The parody hit maker added 37 listens to the seven tracks in my collection over these past five years.
#48: The Cranberries
iTunes stats: 226 plays
Previous ranking: #53
Despite the untimely death of singer Dolores O’Riordan in 2018, the group scored a 68-listen increase, moving up five spots.
#47: John Morris
iTunes stats: 231 plays
Previous ranking: #46
The composer of the score from the best movie ever made, Clue: The Movie picked up 49 new plays.
#46: Boyz II Men
iTunes stats: 235 plays
Previous ranking: #48
The stars of my first concert added 58 new listens from their nine tunes in my collection, inching them up two spots in the rankings.
#45: Snoop Dogg
iTunes stats: 248 plays
Previous ranking: #47
The ganja-smoking gangsta rapper, a somewhat surprising fourteen-time Grammy nominee, added 67 additional listens, rising two spots in the rankings.
#44: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
iTunes stats: 250 plays
Previous ranking: #42
The 2001 inductees into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame saw a 25% increase in plays, despite the 2017 death of Petty.
#43: The Offspring
iTunes stats: 259 plays
Previous ranking: #39
The winners of the 1999 Billboard Music Award for Modern Rock Artist of the Year gained 49 new listens spread across the nine tunes in my collection.
#42: Purdue “All-American” Marching Band
iTunes stats: 260 plays
Previous ranking: #45
The marching band for my alma mater, which include Danny for a good portion of these last five years, rises three spots in the rankings thanks to 69 new listens, driven by a phenomenally successful run in basketball.
#41: Mötley Crüe
iTunes stats: 261 plays
Previous ranking: #41
The winners of the 1991 American Music Award for Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Album saw 60 new listens over the past five years.