Category / Music

by admin

iTunes Top 200 Artists: #181-188

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 the genres of pop, punk, rock, and hip-hop.  We have three performers making their debut on the list this week.

#188: Bowling For Soup
iTunes stats: 61 plays
Previous ranking: NR

Formed in Wichita Falls, Texas, in 1994, the band makes their debut appearance on this chart thanks for two versions, one from the studio and one live on the Adam Carolla Show, of the Phineas and Ferb theme song.

#188: Chicago
iTunes stats: 61 plays
Previous ranking: #188

The ten-time Grammy nominees, who named themselves Chicago Transit Authority in 1968 and shortened to its current version the following year, show up on the list on the strength of three tracks, two from the early 1970s and one from the mid-80s.

#188: Coolio
iTunes stats: 61 plays
Previous ranking: #178

The 1996 Grammy winner for Best Rap Solo Performance, who passed away in 2022, parlayed his two hits into just twelve new listens over the past five years.

#184: Bad Religion
iTunes stats: 62 plays
Previous ranking: #182

The punk rock band from LA, who I saw open for Pearl Jam at Soldier Field back in 1995, add fourteen new plays to the two songs in my collection.

#184: Bloodhound Gang
iTunes stats: 62 plays
Previous ranking: #164

The band known for humorous and off-beat, satirical lyrics, formed in Pennsylvania in 1992, picked up only nine new listens, which resulted in a 20-spot fall in the charts.

#184: Sarah McLachlan
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by admin

iTunes Top 200 Artists: #191-195

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 kick things off today with our first batch of ten artists, covering the genres of pop, rock, and hip-hop.  We only have one performer who is a newcomer, at least as a solo artist, to the list this week.

#195: Naughty By Nature
iTunes stats: 59 plays
Previous ranking: #182

Formed in East Orange, New Jersey in 1986, the Grammy award winners added eleven new plays to the two seminal rap tunes that grace my collection.

#195: Fall Out Boy
iTunes stats: 59 plays
Previous ranking: #194

The local band, founded in 2001 and named after a character from The Simpsons, picked up fourteen new listens spread across the two songs in my collection, one of which spent the 2015 season as the running-onto-the-field music for the White Sox.

#195: Stan Bush
iTunes stats: 59 plays
Previous ranking: #178

The star of the TransFormers: The Movie soundtrack has two tracks comprise his total, which increased by ten listens over the past five years.

#195: The Cure
iTunes stats: 59 plays
Previous ranking: #188

One of the originators of the Goth Rock scene of the early 80s, The Cure, founded in 1976 in England, use two tracks to make up their total, which increased by thirteen over five years ago.

#195: The Juliana Hatfield Three
iTunes stats: 59 plays
Previous ranking: #197

After breaking up with the Blake Babies, Juliana Hatfield put together this band in 1993 before going solo, which rises two slots on this chart after garnering fifteen new listens across its two tracks, including one from the Reality Bites soundtrack.

#195: Sixpence None The Richer
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by admin

iTunes Top 200 Wrap-Up

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 had been five years since we last counted down the Top 200 songs in my iTunes library.  Last week, we finished our journey through the latest list of my most listened to songs since late 2007.  Now it’s time to take a final look at those 210 songs and the artists that made them.  The average number of listens was just over 52, with the median number being 41.  There were 35 new entries, and, overall, there was an average increase of just a tad over nine listens per song.

Most Represented Band

15 – Foo Fighters
9 – The Beatles
8 – The Cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
7 – Garbage
6 – The Lonely Island

Largest Increase

74 – Harry Caray – Take Me Out To The Ballgame
71 – Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers –Let’s Go-Go-Go White Sox
69 – Steam – Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
68 – AC/DC – Thunderstruck
64 – Blues Brothers – Sweet Home Chicago

Smallest Increase

0 – The Beatles – Can’t Buy Me Love
0 – The Crystal Method – Bones Theme
2 – Dr. John – My Opinionation
2 – Chance The Rapper – Stand Up Part 2
2 – The Lonely Island – Natalie’s Rap (ft. Natalie Portman & Chris Parnell)
2 – P.O.D. – Boom

Most Recently Played

12/27/2024 7:51 PM – Mott the Hoople – All the Young Dudes
12/18/2024 5:26 PM – Foo Fighters – Everlong
12/18/2024 4:48 PM – Jay Z – Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)
12/18/2024 11:59 AM – Steam – Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
12/18/2024 4:27 PM – The Beatles – Eight Days a Week

Least Recently Played

9/30/2019 5:13 PM – The Beates – Can’t Buy Me Love
11/27/2019 6:02 PM – The Crystal Method – Bones Theme
10/11/2021 12:09 AM – Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child o’ Mine
10/29/2021 11:32 PM – The Wonders – That Thing You Do
1/4/2022 12:16 PM – Aerosmith – Janie’s Got a Gun

by admin

iTunes Top 200: #1

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 songs in my iTunes library, featuring he songs I have listened to the most since 2007.  It is time to do so again, seeing which older songs still resonate and if any newer ones have joined the fray.  So, without further ado, here are my most listened to songs, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2025.

We conclude this week with the chart-topping song with the most plays since my stats began in late 2007.

#1: Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers – Let’s Go-Go-Go White Sox
iTunes stats: 224 plays, most recently on 9/29/2019
Previous ranking: #1

On June 18, 2005, the White Sox were hosting the Dodgers in inter-league play, the first time the two teams had faced each other in Chicago since the 1959 World Series.  The Saturday night tilt celebrated the occasion, with the Go-Go White Sox celebrated prior to the game and both teams wearing 1959 throwbacks.  During the game, the stadium crew dusted off a fight song that hadn’t been heard in nearly 50 years, creating a video montage with the words as part of the night’s festivities.  Down 3-1 in the bottom of the 9th, the White Sox rallied for 4 runs, capped off by A.J. Pierzynski’s two run shot to end the game, and a new tradition at US Cellular Field was born.

The song was written by former White Sox minor leaguer Al Trace and his friend Walter “Li’l Wally” Jagiello during the 1959 season as the White Sox battled for their first pennant since throwing the World Series in 1919.  They brought the song to Tom Fouts, leader of Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers, a popular local band best known for performing on WLS Prairie Farmer Radio and writing and performing advertising jingles.  The song and the team were both a success, as the White Sox did indeed win the pennant, but lost the World Series to the Dodgers in 6 games.

Following that June night, the song became a rallying point for the remainder of the 2005 season.  It received national exposure, as FOX included clips of it in their coverage of the team’s trek through the post-season.  WGN utilized it during their coverage of the World Series victory parade, over clips of highlights of both the 1959 and 2005 teams.  While not as ubiquitous today, the song does still show up occasionally at the ballpark, when the White Sox go on a big rally.

I managed to download an MP3 of the tune at some point, and it has had a place on every White Sox victory playlist I’ve created ever since.

by admin

He Closed His Eyes Forever

Ozzy Osbourne, the seminal lead singer of Black Sabbath, died Tuesday at 76 after a long battle with Parkinson’s disease.  He, and the band, came to prominence in the 1970s, defining the UK heavy metal sound.  In 1979, he left the group, leading to a successful solo career throughout the 80s and early 90s.  He earned fame with a whole new generation in the 2000s when he and his family starred in The Osbournes, a reality show that became one of MTV’s biggest hits.

Locally, Osbourne caused a stir in 2003 when he appeared at Wrigley Field with his wife Sharon to perform the 7th Inning Stretch.  His performance of Take Me Out to the Ballgame was one for the ages, and not in the good way.  His final performance came just two weeks ago in his hometown of Birmingham, England, where Osbourne wrapped up a ten-hour day with a five-song solo set followed by a four-song set with the original members of Black Sabbath.

by admin

iTunes Top 200: #2

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 songs in my iTunes library, featuring he songs I have listened to the most since 2007.  It is time to do so again, seeing which older songs still resonate and if any newer ones have joined the fray.  So, without further ado, here are my most listened to songs, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2025.

Our penultimate entry is a track released as a single in 1990 and became associated with the White Sox in 2004.

#2: AC/DC – Thunderstruck
iTunes stats: 292 plays, most recently on 9/15/2024
Previous ranking: #1

The 12th studio album from AC/DC, The Razor’s Edge, was released in September of 1990, with Thunderstruck released as the first single.  It peaked at #5 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and is now considered one of the band’s signature songs.

The White Sox started taking the field to the song during the 2004 season, and it has been used off and on ever since.  Because of that, it has held a place on every version of my victory playlist since which has led to its high play total.

by admin

iTunes Top 200: #3

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 songs in my iTunes library, featuring he songs I have listened to the most since 2007.  It is time to do so again, seeing which older songs still resonate and if any newer ones have joined the fray.  So, without further ado, here are my most listened to songs, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2025.

We continue this week with the third most popular song in my collection, which became a sports staple in 1977 thanks to an organist on the south side of Chicago.

#3: Steam – Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
iTunes stats: 215 plays, most recently on 10/16/2019
Previous ranking: #3

Originally written as a blues shuffle in the early 1960s, the song was recorded and released in 1969 by the then-fictitious band called Steam.  It reached #1 for two weeks in December, finishing as Billboard’s final multi-week number 1 hit of the 1960s.  The song got a second life in 1977, thanks to the South Side Hitmen and their organist, Nancy Faust.  With the White Sox hitting the cover off the ball and finding themselves in a surprising first place, Faust started playing the song after home runs.  Eventually, she also started playing it when the opposing pitcher was chased from the game.

The song became a hit once again, and Faust was awarded a RIAA gold record from Mercury Records to acknowledge her contributions.  It was a mainstay at Comiskey Park and its successors until Faust’s retirement in 2010.  Post-COVID, a recording of the song still makes the occasional appearance, though not as often as in Faust’s heyday.  The high play total is a result of the songs inclusion on every iteration of my White Sox victory playlists.

by admin

iTunes Top 200: #4

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 songs in my iTunes library, featuring he songs I have listened to the most since 2007.  It is time to do so again, seeing which older songs still resonate and if any newer ones have joined the fray.  So, without further ado, here are my most listened to songs, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2025.

We continue this week with the fourth highest ranked song, a sing-a-long classic and the oldest composition on this list which has notched 242 plays since my stats began in late 2007.

#3: Harry Caray – Take Me Out To The Ballgame
iTunes stats: 242 plays, most recently on 9/27/2024
Previous ranking: #5

First written in 1908, Take Me Out to the Ball Game was popularized through many vaudeville acts and is considered one of the three-most recognizable songs in the country, although most people today have only heard the chorus.  It is thought to have first been played at a ballpark in 1934 and made an appearance later that year in Game 4 of the World Series.

Harry Caray joined the White Sox broadcast booth in 1971, becoming popular with the South Side faithful and enjoying a reputation for joviality and public carousing.  Returning owner Bill Veeck, knowing that Caray would sing along to Take Me Out To The Ballgame in the broadcast booth during the Seventh Inning Stretch, wanted Caray to lead the crowd in stadium-wide event.  Early in the 1976 season, Veeck secretly installed a public address microphone into the broadcast booth and turned it on once organist Nancy Faust started playing the song.  Caray initially did not want to do it, but, as Veeck explained, “Anybody in the ballpark hearing you sing Take Me Out to the Ball Game knows that he can sing as well as you can. Probably better than you can. So he or she sings along. Hell, if you had a good singing voice, you’d intimidate them, and nobody would join in.”  Caray finally agreed to sing it live, accompanied by Faust on the organ, and went on to become famous for singing the tune.

This version features Caray and Faust and comes from a YouTube video compilation of Caray’s performances from the late 1970s.  While Caray left the White Sox following the 1981 season and passed away in 1998, I still include the song on my White Sox victory playlists, attributing to its high play total.

by admin

iTunes Top 200: #5

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 songs in my iTunes library, featuring he songs I have listened to the most since 2007. It is time to do so again, seeing which older songs still resonate and if any newer ones have joined the fray. So, without further ado, here are my most listened to songs, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2025.

Today, we move up to the fifth most listened to song in my library, with 182 plays since my stats began in late 2007. It is the top ranked instrumental and also the top ranked soundtrack entry.

#5: Klaus Badelt – He’s A Pirate
iTunes stats: 182 plays, most recently on 9/27/2024
Previous ranking: #4

Klaus Badelt was a relatively new composer when Hans Zimmer recommended him for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.  That score earned him the ASCAP Award for Top Box Office Film.  He’s A Pirate is the final track of the score, played at the beginning of the end credits.

Starting with the 2005 season, the White Sox incorporated the song into their game presentation, using it along with a string of highlights on the video board at the beginning of each game, leading into Thunderstruck as the team takes the field.  The song remained in use through the 2012 season, when it was replaced with a generic sound-a-like that never really caught on.  The song had a long run on my White Sox victory play lists, but has been removed in recent versions, which accounts for the drop seen here, from 4th place down to 5th.

by admin

Book 32 (of 52) – Pretend We’re Dead

Pretend We’re Dead: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Women in Rock in the ’90s – Tanya Pearson

In Pretend We’re Dead: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of Women in Rock in the ’90s, Tanya Pearson dives into the evolution of women in the alternative rock music scenes of the 1990s, the commercialization and mainstream absorption of alternative rock, which led to the marginalization of many of these artists, and the resurgence of these female artists in the 2010s and ’20s, both for their own careers and as catalysts for the young artists emerging today.

The book chronicles the significant impact that female musicians and rock bands had in the ’90s, including Courtney Love of Hole, Shirley Manson of Garbage, Nina Gordon and Louise Post of Veruca Salt, and Tanya Donelly of Belly, alongside solo acts like Liz Phair and Tracy Bonham. These women not only dominated the airwaves but also challenged the traditional, often misogynistic, norms of the music industry, being outspoken, unapologetic, and helping to redefine the notion of femininity in rock.  At least until the shifting landscape of the music and radio industries left them behind, starting with the rise of nu-metal in 1997 and the inherent misogyny that entailed and, finally, in the backlash against non-conformity following the 9/11 attacks.

This era and these artists covered by Pearson were the soundtrack to my college experience.  There are the groups I listened to, the concerts I went to, and, in many cases, still do today.  I’ll need to do some homework to catch up on the newer releases and to see how their influence has spread amongst the artists of today.