Tag / 9/11

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iTunes Top 200 Artists: #161-170

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 and rock, with an actor and a stadium organist for good measure.  We have a single group making their debut on the list this week.

#170: The Rembrandts
iTunes stats: 67 plays
Previous ranking: #186

Formed in 1989, the band combines the totals from their first single, which hit the Billboard Hot 100 in 1990, with various forms of the Friends theme song to rise up the chart, increasing their plays by nearly 43% over these past five years.

#166: Blur
iTunes stats: 68 plays
Previous ranking: #161

The English foursome, formed in London in 1988 and a key contributor to the Britpop genre in the 1990s, added only fourteen new listens over the past five years.

#166: Republica
iTunes stats: 68 plays
Previous ranking: #164

The technopop punk rock band from the UK added fifteen new plays, an increase of over 28% over the past five years.

#166: Tag Team
iTunes stats: 68 plays
Previous ranking: #154

Thank to their inclusion on my Cubs victory playlist, the one hit wonders from Denver, Colorado, who I have seen perform at half time of a Bulls game and before a White Sox game, increased their listens by thirteen.

#166: Dean Martin
iTunes stats: 68 plays
Previous ranking: #176

The Rat Pack member, who passed away in 1995, picked up 18 new plays over the past five years.

#165: Belinda Carlisle
Continue reading →

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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.

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iTunes Top 200: #183 Part II

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 next batch of songs tied for 183rd place with 36 plays apiece since my stats began in late 2007.

#183: Nirvana – About a Girl
iTunes stats: 36 plays, most recently on 12/7/2023
Previous ranking: NR

Written about Kurt Cobain’s then girlfriend, this live acoustic version was recorded in November of 1993 and was released as a single in October of 1994, the band’s first single after Cobain’s death.

#183: The McCoys – Hang on Sloopy
iTunes stats: 36 plays, most recently on 6/25/2024
Previous ranking: NR

After falling off the chart five years ago, the official rock song of Ohio returns, adding 19 plays over the last nine years.

#183: Mazzy Star – Into Dust
iTunes stats: 36 plays, most recently on 2/9/2024
Previous ranking: NR

Featured on the group’s second studio album and charting twice in the UK despite never being released as a single, the track has picked up 16 plays over these last nine years.

#183: Mark Snow – X-Files Theme
iTunes stats: 36 plays, most recently on 5/24/2023
Previous ranking: #125

My current ringtone, the theme from the 90s FOX hit became just the second instrumental to hit #1 on the French pop charts.

#183: Lustra – Scotty Doesn’t Know
iTunes stats: 36 plays, most recently on 12/13/2024
Previous ranking: #170

Written for the 2004 film Eurotrip, the track picked up six additional plays over these past five years. Continue reading →

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Fifty Years Of Music – 2002

Fifty years ago, I made my first appeared on the Earth.  In celebration, we are going to take a look at the year-end Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for each year of my life and see what songs resonated with me at the time and if they continue to do so to this day.

We continue our look back at the music of my lifetime with 2002, the year I celebrated my 28th birthday.  Only 29 songs remain familiar to me today, with just 21 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#96: Avril Lavigne – Sk8er Boi
iTunes stats: 29 plays

Peaking at #10, it gave Lavigne her second straight top ten hit and a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance.

#95: Alanis Morissette – Hands Clean
iTunes stats: 12 plays

The lead single from Morissette’s fifth studio album, it reached #23 and was her last single to crack the Top 40.

#87: Jewel – Standing Still
iTunes stats: 20 plays

Spending a total of 20 weeks on the Hot 100, it topped out at #25

#77: Ludacris – Rollout (My Business)
iTunes stats: 23 plays

Nominated for the 2002 Grammy Award for Best Male Rap Solo Performance, it went to #17.

#71: No Doubt featuring Lady Saw – Underneath It All
iTunes stats: 12 plays

Spending two weeks at #3, it is the groups highest charting single.

#63: Eminem – Lose Yourself
iTunes stats: 55 plays

The track from the 8 Mile soundtrack spent 12 weeks at #1 across 2002 and 2003, becoming the rapper’s first chart topping single.

#59: No Doubt – Hella Good
iTunes stats: 26 plays

The second single from the group’s fifth studio album, it peaked at #13.

#56: LeAnn Rimes – Can’t Fight the Moonlight
iTunes stats: 12 plays

The theme song from Coyote Ugly, it stalled at #71 in 2000 but returned to the charts in late 2001, eventually rising to #11.

#54: Missy Elliot – Work It
iTunes stats: 21 plays

Elliot’s most successful single, it spent ten weeks at #2, tying Foreigner for the longest stint at that position.

#47: Eminem – Cleanin’ Out My Closet
iTunes stats: 31 plays

The second release from the rapper’s fourth studio album, it peaked at #4.

#46: Five for Fighting – Superman (It’s Not Easy)
iTunes stats: N/A

The first charting single for the band, it reached #14 while being used to honor the victims, survivors, police, and firefighters involved in the 9/11 attacks.

#45: Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out of My Head
iTunes stats: N/A

Written and produced by former singer Cathy Dennis, it topped out at #7 and was her best-selling single in the US since 1987.

#43: Pink – Just Like a Pill
iTunes stats: 28 plays

Peaking at #8, it was written by Pink and Dallas Austin for her second studio album.

#36: Pink – Don’t Let Me Get Me
iTunes stats: 21 plays

The fifth top ten hit of Pink’s career, it reached #8.

#35: Sheryl Crow – Soak Up the Sun
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The lead single from her fourth studio album, it went to #17, becoming her sixth Top 40 hit.

#32: No Doubt – Hey Baby
iTunes stats: 27 plays

Earning the band the Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal, it spent two weeks at #5.

#28: Shakira – Whenever, Wherever
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The lead single from the Colombian singer’s English language debut, it peaked at #6.

#25: Chad Kroger featuring Josey Scott – Hero
iTunes stats: N/A

Recorded for the Spider-Man soundtrack, it topped the Modern Rock and Mainstream Rock charts while topping out at #3 on the Hot 100.

#24: Pink – Get the Party Started
iTunes stats: 26 plays

Originally written for Madonna, Pink took the party anthem to #4 in late December 2001.

#23: Michelle Branch – All You Wanted
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Reaching #6, this second single from her debut album was written by Branch.

#22: Enrique Iglesias – Hero
iTunes stats: N/A

Released eight days before the 9/11 attacks in 2001, it spent fifteen weeks at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart while going to #3 on the Hot 100.

#21: Eminem – Without Me
iTunes stats: 25 plays

Earning two Grammy nominations, the lead single from Eminem’s fourth studio album peaked at #2.

#20: Creed – My Sacrifice
iTunes stats: N/A

Spending nine weeks atop the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, it reached #4 on the Hot 100.

#14: Jimmy Eat World – The Middle
iTunes stats: N/A

The band’s only Top 40 hit, it went all the way to #5.

#11: Avril Lavigne – Complicated
iTunes stats: 18 plays

The debut single from the Canadian singer-songwriter, it topped out at #2 while staying on the chart for 31 weeks.

#6: Vanessa Carlton – A Thousand Miles
iTunes stats: N/A

The singer’s debut single, it remains her biggest hit, reaching #5.

#5: The Calling – Wherever You Will Go
iTunes stats: 17 plays

The band’s only single to reach the Hot 100, it peaked at #5.

#3: Nelly – Hot in Herre
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The lead single from his second studio album, it spent seven weeks at #1 during the summer of 2002.

#1: Nickelback – How You Remind Me
iTunes stats: N/A

Spending four weeks atop the Hot 100 across 2001 and 2002, it was named the most played song of the decade on US radio stations.

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Fifty Years Of Music – 2001

Fifty years ago, I made my first appeared on the Earth.  In celebration, we are going to take a look at the year-end Billboard Hot 100 singles chart for each year of my life and see what songs resonated with me at the time and if they continue to do so to this day.

We continue our look back at the music of my lifetime with 2001, the year the world changed on a Tuesday morning in September, I celebrated my 27th birthday, and Danny joined the family.  22 of these songs remain familiar to me today, with just nine of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#99: Enrique Iglesias – Hero
iTunes stats: N/A

Released less than two weeks before 9/11, it peaked at #3

#75: U2 – Beautiful Day
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from the group’s tenth studio album, it reached #21 on the Hot 100.

#47: Aerosmith – Jaded
iTunes stats: 26 plays

Topping out at #7, the song made Aerosmith the first act to have an actively charting single when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

#44: 3 Doors Down – Kryptonite
iTunes stats: N/A

The group’s debut single, it spent nine weeks atop the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, eleven weeks on top of the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and went to #3 on the Hot 100.

#43: Nelly Furtado – I’m Like a Bird
iTunes stats: 22 plays

The debut single from the Canadian singer-songwriter, it became her first top ten hit, peaking at #9.

#39: Creed – With Arms Wide Open
iTunes stats: N/A

Spending a single week atop the Hot 100, it remains the group’s sole #1 hit.

#35: Missy Elliot – Get Ur Freak On
iTunes stats: 20 plays

Reaching #7, the track was the lead single from her third studio album.

#33: Moby featuring Gwen Stefani – South Side
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Spending 32 weeks on the Hot 100, it topped out at #14 in May.

#29: Crazy Town – Butterfly
iTunes stats: N/A

The group’s third single, it spent two non-consecutive weeks at #1 in the spring.

#27: Faith Hill – The Way You Love Me
iTunes stats: N/A

The song spent four weeks atop the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in May, becoming her eighth #1 hit on that chart, while later peaking at #6 on the Hot 100 in December.

#26: Jennifer Lopez – Love Don’t Cost a Thing
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from her sophomore effort, it reached #3 for two weeks.

#25: Outkast – Ms. Jackson
iTunes stats: 25 plays

The Grammy winner for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, it spent a single week at #1 in February.

#24: Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya, and Pink – Lady Marmalade
iTunes stats: 26 plays

Recorded for the soundtrack to Moulin Rouge!, it spent five weeks atop the Hot 100, making it just the ninth song to hit #1 when recorded by different artists.

#23: Destiny’s Child – Survivor
iTunes stats: N/A

Inspired by a joke that compared the group, who had already lost three members, to the reality show Survivor. it went to #2 on the Hot 100.

#19: Uncle Kracker – Follow Me
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #5, it was the debut single for the former Kid Rock hanger-on.

#18: Nelly featuring City Spud – Ride wit Me
iTunes stats: 14 plays

The third single from his debut studio album, it reached #3.

#17: Shaggy featuring Rayvon – Angel
iTunes stats: N/A

His second straight chart-topper, it spent a single week at #1 in March.

#14: Staind – It’s Been Awhile
iTunes stats: N/A

The group’s sole top ten hit, it went to #5.

#12: Shaggy featuring Rikrok – It Wasn’t Me
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from his fifth studio album, it spent two weeks atop the Hot 100 in February.

#8: Dido – Thank You
iTunes stats: 17 plays

Sampled for Eminem’s hit Stan, it spent three weeks at #3, her first and only top ten hit to date.

#7: Eve featuring Gwen Stefani – Let Me Blow Ya Mind
iTunes stats: 31 plays

Eve’s highest charting single, it peaked at #2 in August.

#4: Train – Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from the group’s sophomore album, it reached #5.

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Orange Haze

Last night’s contest between the White Sox and the Yankees in the Bronx was postponed after wildfires in Canada caused “clearly hazardous air quality” at Yankee Stadium.  Tuesday night’s game was played under a lesser haze, but conditions worsened during the day on Wednesday, leading to cancellations across sports in both New York and Philadelphia.  The game is currently scheduled to be made up today as part of a straight doubleheader, assuming the skies clear up some.

This is not the first time the White Sox have had a game cancelled in New York for non-weather-related reasons.  The White Sox were scheduled to start a series against the Yankees in New York on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, before certain events in the city caused the game to be delayed.

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Book 13 (of 52) – The Nineties

The Nineties: A Book – Chuck Klosterman

How does one define the Nineties?  Chronologically, the Nineties started January 1, 1990 and ended on New Year’s Eve 1999.  Culturally, it can be argued that the decade began on November 9, 1989 with the fall of the Berlin Wall and ended on a Tuesday September morning when the Twin Towers did the same.  Regardless of how you define it, Chuck Klosterman’s book takes a look back at the last decade of the 20th century, the decade that formed the background of Generation X.

Klosterman digs deep into the figures and events of the day, both the obvious and the less so.  From Singles, the prototypical Gen X movie (at least if you’re white) to the hullabaloo surrounding 2 Live Crew and Ice T’s controversial release Cop Killer.  The fast political rise and just-as-quick fall of Ross Perot and the Teflon-like nature of Bill Clinton.  The country’s brief obsession with clear drinks, like Crystal Pepsi and Zima.  Michael Jordan’s baseball career.  O.J. Simpson and the white Ford Bronco.  Dolly the cloned sheep.  And how the fallout from the election in 2000 has led to the political polarization we see today.

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Travelling The 50 States – New York

Over my 48 years, I’ve done my fair share of travelling across these United States.  I thought it would be an interesting experiment go look back at those trips to each of the 31 states I have visited (62% isn’t bad, is it?) and see if, and when, I may be returning.  Working in alphabetical order, we continue today with the 11th state to be added to the Union: New York.

State: New York
Joined the Union: 1788
Visits: 3

I’ve made three visits to the Empire State, two to New York City and one upstate.

My first visit to New York came in March of 2003, when the Cubs were scheduled to open their season in Queens against the Mets.  After arriving at our Newark hotel, we took the train into Manhattan, meeting up with a friend of my traveling companion and grabbing a late dinner at the Tick Tock Diner across the street from Madison Square Garden.  During the meal, plans were made to meet up again the following day for a tour of the city.

After a morning in Jersey, it was back to Manhattan, where we ditched the rental car at a church and headed out on foot for a tour of the city.  Our first stop was Ground Zero, where we saw what remained of the World Trade Center a year and a half after 9/11.  From there, we headed to Chinatown, where we hooked up with our friend from the night before, who scored box seats for Monday’s opening day tilt from the nuns that lived in her building, a welcome upgrade from the upper-level tix we had scored on eBay prior to leaving home.  The rest of the day was spent walking around and seeing the sites, including a trip to St. Mark’s Comics.  Eventually, we found our way back to the car and headed back to the hotel.

Monday morning was the big day and meant traveling from New Jersey across Manhattan, and then onto Long Island and into Queens to get to Shea Stadium.  We listened to Howard Stern on his flagship station while working through traffic.  Eventually, we arrived at Shea Stadium, where the newly acquired Tom Glavine, a future Hall of Famer, was on the mound for the Mets.  He made it through 2 pitches before the crowd turned on him.  Things quickly turned south for the Mets as the Cubs scored 4 runs in the top of the first on their way to a 15-2 victory, behind two home runs from Corey Patterson.

Following the game, it was time for the long drive home.  Unfortunately, we were stuck in Queens and had to work our way west again with the afternoon’s traffic at its peak.  We passed through the Bronx and Yankee Stadium as the hosts on sports radio WFAN were discussing the new YES network and the attempts to get picked up by cable networks in New York before the Yankees opened their season the next day.  Eventually, we made it out of New York and were on our way back to Illinois.

My second trip to the state of New York came in 2015 as part of my vacation to Toronto.  After a morning jaunt along Niagra Falls, my travelling companion and I headed back to the good old US of A, towards Cooperstown, NY, where the Baseball Hall of Fame beckoned.  After heading to the center of town and parking at fabled Doubleday Field, we entered the museum.  There aren’t enough words to describe all that was seen at the Hall of Fame.  All of the baseball history you could shake a stick at, except for the portion covering the 70s through the current day, which had closed down for renovations that very day.  Finally, we entered the Hall of Fame Gallery, housing the plaques honoring each player voted into the Hall.  My first destination, after the centrally located first class, was the previous year’s electees, where I found both Frank Thomas and Greg Maddux. Continue reading →

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Top 200 Albums: #31 – 40

We last counted down the Top 200 albums in my iTunes library four years ago. Since that time, the world has literally changed, and my commute has decreased from 1+ hours each way to 25 steps. So, despite the decrease in potential listening time, I figured it was time to take another look, based on number of plays from late 2007 through the morning of January 1, 2022.

Today, we continue with the next batch of ten albums that I have listened to the most over the last 15 years, loading up on greatest hits collections, comedy, and 90s alternative rock debuts.

#40: David Cross – Shut Up, You Fucking Baby!
iTunes stats: 206 plays
Previous Ranking: 38

The 2002 double album saw a 58% increase in plays across its 17 tracks.

#38: Various Artists – Monsters of Rap
iTunes stats: 207 plays
Previous Ranking: 51

Ten tracks, from the likes of Onyx, Positive K, and 3rd Bass, added 95 new listens for this compilation album.

#38: Various Artists – Booty Jams
iTunes stats: 207 plays
Previous Ranking: 52

An 86% increase in plays over the past four years for the eight songs, from artists like Tag Team, Tone Loc, and 2 Live Crew, from this compilation of sexy jams.

#37: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers – Greatest Hits
iTunes stats: 208 plays
Previous Ranking: 133

Ten of Tom Petty’s biggest hits, both with The Heartbreakers and solo, gained 69 new listens over the past four years.

#36: Poison – Poison’s Greatest Hits 1986-1996
iTunes stats: 214 plays
Previous Ranking: 43

The first greatest hits package for the glam metal superstars saw a 72% increase in plays across the eleven songs that made their way on to my phone.

Continue reading →

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Top 200 Albums: #161 – 170

itunes_imageWe last counted down the Top 200 albums in my iTunes library four years ago. Since that time, the world has literally changed, and my commute has decreased from 1+ hours each way to 25 steps. So, despite the decrease in potential listening time, I figured it was time to take another look, based on number of plays from late 2007 through the morning of January 1, 2022.

We continue today with the next batch of ten albums that I have listened to the most over the last 15 years, including two live DVD rips, one movie soundtrack, and an appearance by my alma mater’s marching band.

#170: Alanis Morissette – VH1 Storytellers
iTunes stats: 75 plays
Previous Ranking: 192

Ripped from the DVD, six tracks from the live performance first aired in 1999 as the fifth episode of season six of VH1 Storytellers bumped up nearly 83% while jumping 12 spots on the chart.

#165: R.E.M. – Monster
iTunes stats: 76 plays
Previous Ranking: 171

The ninth studio album from R.E.M., released in 1994, takes contributions from five of the twelve tracks to add 29 new listens over the past 4 years.

#165: Purdue “All-American” Marching Band – Back Home in Indiana
iTunes stats: 76 plays
Previous Ranking: 120

A huge 45 spot drop thanks to a small 15 listen increase to this newer version (Boiler Up included) of my alma mater’s fight song.

#165: Boyz II Men – Cooleyhighharmony
iTunes stats: 76 plays
Previous Ranking: 171

Another one of the six CDs that I owned when I left for college, this 1991 debut from Boyz II Men uses 29 new listens to jump up 6 spots on the chart.

#165: Various Artists – Grease (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture)
iTunes stats: 76 plays
Previous Ranking: 165

The soundtrack to the 1978 hit film had five tracks, from film stars John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, and Stockard Channing, among others, contribute its 58% increase.

Continue reading →