Tag / Aerosmith

by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 1990

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 1990, the year I finished my sophomore year of high school, started my junior year, turned 16 and got my driver’s license, and, oh yeah, found myself with my first girlfriend.  These songs formed the soundtrack of my high school years and continue to be some of my favorites.  A full 70 of the Hot 100 are still familiar to me now, with a whopping 50 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#99: Mellow Man Ace – Mentirosa
iTunes stats: 17 plays

The lone single from the Cuban rapper, it spent 24 weeks on the chart, peaking at #14.

#96: Mötley Crüe – Without You
iTunes stats: 24 plays

Reaching #8 on the Hot 100, the song is said to be about drummer Tommy Lee’s relationship with Heather Locklear.

#94: Biz Markie – Just A Friend
iTunes stats: 39 plays

Markie’s highest charting single, it topped out at #9.

#91: Aerosmith – What It Takes
iTunes stats: 18 plays

Written with Desmond Child, it peaked at #9.

#88: Michael Bolton – When I’m Back on My Feet Again
iTunes stats: N/A

Reaching #7 in August, the song was Bolton’s third top ten hit.

#86: Paula Abdul – (It’s Just) The Way That You Love Me
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Originally released as the second single from Abdul’s debut album in 1988 to little success, it was re-released in the fall of 1989 and rose to #3.

#85: D Mob with Cathy Dennis – C’mon and Get My Love
iTunes stats: 21 plays

The song that introduced Cathy Dennis to the public, it just cracked the top ten.

#82: Billy Joel – I Go to Extremes
iTunes stats: N/A

The second single from Joel’s eleventh studio album, the song just missed the top five, peaking at #6

#81: Black Box – Everybody Everybody
iTunes stats: N/A

Featuring uncredited vocals by Martha Wash, the song reached #8 on the Hot 100.

#78: The B-52’s – Love Shack
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Making the year-end charts for the second consecutive year, the 47th biggest hit of 1989 spent 27 total weeks on the chart.

#76: Mariah Carey – Love Takes Time
iTunes stats: N/A

Spending three weeks at #1 in November, the second single from Carey was her second straight chart topper.

#75: Faith No More – Epic
iTunes stats: 26 plays

Ranked as the 30th greatest metal song of all time by VH1, it was the band’s breakthrough hit, reaching #9.

#73: Technotronic featuring Ya Kid K – Get Up! (Before the Night Is Over)
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Released in January of 1990, it rose to #7.

#72: Skid Row – I Remember You
iTunes stats: 19 plays

The New Jersey band’s second and final top ten hits, peaking at #6.

#70: Go West – King of Wishful Thinking
iTunes stats: 17 plays

Featured on the Pretty Woman soundtrack, the track reached #8 on the Hot 100.

#66: Depeche Mode – Enjoy the Silence
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Released in February, the song became the group’s highest charting single in the US, topping out at #8 in July.

#64: Tom Petty – Free Fallin’
iTunes stats: 34 plays

The highest and longest charting hit of Petty’s career, it peaked at #7, becoming his third and final top ten hit.

#63: Taylor Dayne – I’ll Be Your Shelter
iTunes stats: 6 plays

Reaching #4 on the Hot 100, the song, released in March, was written by Diane Warren and remains Dayne’s final top ten hit.

#62: Digital Underground – The Humpty Dance
iTunes stats: 43 plays

The group’s first Top 40 hit, it topped out at #11.

#61: Aerosmith – Janie’s Got a Gun
iTunes stats: 37 plays

Hitting #4 on the Hot 100, the song earned the group a Grammy award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

#59: Janet Jackson – Black Cat
iTunes stats: 12 plays

The sixth single from Jackson’s fourth studio album spent a single week atop the Hot 100 at the end of October.

#56: Phil Collins – I Wish It Would Rain Down
iTunes stats: N/A

Featuring guitar work from Eric Clapton, Collins reached #3 on the Hot 100 with this track.

#55: MC Hammer – U Can’t Touch This
iTunes stats: 18 plays

The first rap song to be nominated for Record of the Year at the Grammys, it peaked at #8 on the Hot 100.

#52: Michael Bolton – How Can We Be Lovers
iTunes stats: N/A

Reaching #3, Bolton co-wrote this tune with both Diane Warren and Desmond Child.

Continue reading →

by jim

Fifty Years Of Music – 1989

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 1989, the year I finished my freshman year of high school and started my sophomore year.  Z95 and B96 continued to be the hit stations in Chicago and provided the majority of the soundtrack of that year.  At 68 songs, we are nearing 70% of the Hot 100 that remain familiar to me today, with 44 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#99 Don Henley – The End of the Innocence
iTunes stats: N/A

The Eagles drummer and sometimes singer reached #8 with the title track from his third solo album.

#93 Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal
iTunes stats: N/A

The sixth top-ten single from Jackson’s Bad album, this track peaked at #7.

#91 Alice Cooper – Poison
iTunes stats: 18 plays

Hitting #7, it was Cooper’s fist top ten hit in a dozen years.

#88 Rick Astley – She Wants to Dance with Me
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from Astley’s sophomore effort, it became his fourth consecutive top ten hit, peaking at #6.

#87 Samantha Fox – I Wanna Have Some Fun
iTunes stats: 24 plays

Reaching #8, the title track for the former Page 3 model was her third, and final, US top ten hit.

#86 Guns N’ Roses – Paradise City
iTunes stats: 14 plays

Ranked by VH1 as the 21st greatest metal song of all time, the final single from the group’s debut album rose to #5 on the Hot 100.

#84: Edie Brickell & New Bohemians – What I Am
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The group’s only Top 40 hit, it reached #7.

#82: Bon Jovi – Lay Your Hands on Me
iTunes stats: 11 plays

The fourth and final top ten hit from New Jersey, it peaked #7.

#81: Aerosmith – Love in an Elevator
iTunes stats: 18 plays

The band reached #5 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart with their lead single from Pump, their tenth studio album.

#77: Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne – Close My Eyes Forever
iTunes stats: 25 plays

The highest-charting solo single for both Ford and Osbourne, it peaked at #8.

#76: REM – Stand
iTunes stats: 33 plays

The future theme song of the Chris Elliot vehicle Get a Life, the song hit #6, giving the band their second top ten hit.

#74: Guns N’ Roses – Welcome to the Jungle
iTunes stats: 17 plays

Named the second greatest metal song by VH1 in 2008, it peaked at #7 on the Hot 100.

#71: Guns N’ Roses – Patience
iTunes stats: 26 plays

Reaching #4, the song is thought to be about the troubled relationship between singer Axl Rose and his ex-wife.

#68: The Cure – Lovesong
iTunes stats: N/A

The group’s only top ten hit on the Hot 100, it rose to #2 In October of 1989.

#66: Bangles – In Your Room
iTunes stats: 19 plays

The lead single from the band’s third album, it peaked at #5 in January of 1989.

#65: Tone Loc – Funky Cold Medina
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The second and final Top 40 hit for the rapper and producer, it reached #3 and became just the second ever platinum-certified rap single.

#61: Skid Row – 18 and Life
iTunes stats: 8 plays

The band’s biggest hit, it reached #4 on the Hot 100 and #11 on the Album Rock Tracks chart.

#60: White Lion – When the Children Cry
iTunes stats: 18 plays

Written by the group’s lead singer about his childhood with a single mother, it made it to #3 on the Hot 100.

#59: Madonna – Cherish
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #2, it gave Madonna the record for the most consecutive top-five singles with 16.

#58: Tears For Fears – Sowing the Seeds of Love
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from the group’s third studio album, it reached #2, becoming their fourth and final top ten hit.

#57: Donny Osmond – Soldier of Love
iTunes stats: N/A

Originally unreleased in the US since Osmond didn’t have a record deal, it eventually topped out at #2, becoming Osmond’s sixth and last top ten hit.

#55: Madonna – Express Yourself
iTunes stats: 17 plays

Accompanied by a music video directed by David Fincher, it peaked at #2.

#54: Richard Marx – Satisfied
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from his second album, it became the second of three consecutive #1 singles for Marx.

#53: Def Leppard – Armageddon It
iTunes stats: 29 plays

The sixth single released off of Hysteria, it went to #3, becoming the band’s third top ten hit.

#52: New Kids on the Block – You Got It (The Right Stuff)
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #3 in March, it was the second single released from the group’s second album.

#51: Love and Rockets – So Alive
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Easily the band’s biggest US hit, it reached #3 on the Hot 100 and spent five weeks at #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Continue reading →

by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 1988

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 1988, the year I graduated from junior high, first really became interested in pop music, and moved on to high school.  Z95 and B96 were the hit stations in Chicago at the time and would provide the soundtrack of that year.  At 62 songs, over 60% of the Hot 100 remain familiar to me now, with 29 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#99: White Lion – Wait
iTunes stats: 21 plays

Released in June of 1987, it didn’t crack the charts until February of 1988 before eventually cracking the top ten and peaking at #8 in May.

#98: Poison – Nothin’ but a Good Time
iTunes stats: 28 plays

The lead single from the band’s second album, it reached #6 on the Hot 100.

#89: Whitney Houston – One Moment in Time
iTunes stats: N/A

Hitting #5, the song was produced for the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea.

#85: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts – I Hate Myself for Loving You
iTunes stats: 27 plays

Jett’s third and final top ten single, it peaked at #8 and spent 26 weeks on the chart.

#82: Van Halen – When It’s Love
iTunes stats: 9 plays

The group’s third and final top ten single, it topped out at #5 on the Hot 100 and reached the top of the Mainstream Rock chart.

#79: Bobby Brown – Don’t Be Cruel
iTunes stats: N/A

Topping the R&B chart for two weeks, the single from Brown’s second solo album hit #8 in October.

#76: Tracy Chapman – Fast Car
iTunes stats: 3 plays

Nominated for three Grammys and winning one, Chapman’s biggest pop hit peaked at #6.

#75: Natalie Cole – Pink Cadillac
iTunes stats: N/A

This cover of a Bruce Springsteen song reached #5 on the Hot 100, giving Cole her first top ten hit since 1978.

#71: Elton John – Candle in the Wind
iTunes stats: N/A

Originally written in honor of Marilyn Monroe in 1973, this live version hit #6.

#70: Cheap Trick – Don’t Be Cruel
iTunes stats: 31 plays

The Rockford band spent two weeks at #4 In October of 1988 with this cover of the old Elvis hit.

#66: Pretty Poison – Catch Me (I’m Falling)
iTunes stats: N/A

The lone hit from the group, it reached #8 late in 1987.

#65: INXS – New Sensation
iTunes stats: 18 plays

Peaking at #3, this was the third single from the Australian group’s sixth studio album.

#63: Pebbles – Mercedes Boy
iTunes stats: 17 plays

The second, and biggest, single from her debut album, the track went all the way to #2 on the Hot 100.

#62: Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine – 1-2-3
iTunes stats: N/A

The seventh and final top ten hit for the group, it reached #3 in July of 1988.

#61: Michael Jackson – Dirty Diana
iTunes stats: N/A

Jackson returned to the top of the charts with the fifth single from his Bad album.

#57: Belinda Carlisle – I Get Weak
iTunes stats: N/A

Carlisle hit #2 with this second single from her second solo album, written by Diane Warren.

#56: U2 – Desire
iTunes stats: N/A

The first single from the band’s Rattle and Hum album, it peaked at #3 on the Hot 100 while winning a Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

#54: Debbie Gibson – Out of the Blue
iTunes stats: N/A

The title track from Gibson’s debut album, it reached #3, becoming Gibson’s highest charting single at the time.

#53: Taylor Dayne – Tell It to My Heart
iTunes stats: N/A

Taylor’s debut single, the song spent 25 weeks in the Hot 100, peaking at #7, and earned Dayne a Grammy nomination.

#52: Information Society – What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy)
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Featuring vocal samples of Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley from episodes of Star Trek, the group’s sole hit reached #3 in October of 1988.

Continue reading →

by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 1986

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 today with 1986, the year I finished grammar school, moved on to junior high and the seventh grade, and turned 12.  I am starting to become more familiar with the songs of the day, although there are quite a few here, even in the top ten, which did not stand the test of time.  38 of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with 18 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#89: Run-D.M.C. featuring Aerosmith – Walk This Way
iTunes stats: 55 plays

Charting higher than the original did in the 70s, it became the first hip-hop single reach the top five, peaking at #4.  It became Run-D.M.C.’s biggest hit and helped Aerosmith revitalize their career.

#76: Madonna – True Blue
iTunes stats: N/A

The title track from Madonna’s third album, it spent three weeks at #3.

#74: Mike + The Mechanics – All I Need Is a Miracle
iTunes stats: 7 plays

Nominated for the Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group Grammy, it topped out at #5 on the Hot 100.

#72: John Cougar Mellencamp – Small Town
iTunes stats: N/A

Reaching #6, Mellencamp wrote the song to detail his experiences growing up in small-town Indiana.

#69: Van Halen – Why Can’t This Be Love
iTunes stats: 13 plays

The group’s first single with new singer Sammy Hagar, it shot to #3 on the Hot 100.

#68: Cameo – Word Up
iTunes stats: 10 plays

The lead single from the group’s thirteenth studio album, it became their first Top 40 hit, topping out at #6.

#67: El DeBarge – Who’s Johnny
iTunes stats: 23 plays

Featured in Short Circuit, the debut solo single from DeBarge peaked at #3.

#66: John Cougar Mellencamp – R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.
iTunes stats: N/A

The third single from Mellencamp’s Scarecrow, it reached #2 on the Hot 100.

#65: James Brown – Living in America
iTunes stats: 27 plays

Featured prominently on the Rocky IV soundtrack, the tune, which reached #4, earned Brown a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

#62: The Outfield – Your Love
iTunes stats: 101 plays

Peaking at #6, the song became a popular sports anthem and was used locally as the walkup music for former White Sox infielder Gordon Beckham.

#59: Eddie Money – Take Me Home Tonight
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Featuring Ronnie Spector in the chorus, the single topped out at #4 in November.

#58: Janet Jackson – Nasty
iTunes stats: N/A

Reaching #3 on the Hot 100, the song ranked at #11 on Rolling Stone’s 200 Best Songs of the 1980s.

#56: INXS – What You Need
iTunes stats: N/A

The band’s first top ten hit in the US, it peaked at #5 on the Hot 100.

#54: Genesis – Invisible Touch
iTunes stats: N/A

The first of five consecutive top five singles, it was their first and, to date, only #1 single in the United States.

#53: OMD – If You Leave
iTunes stats: 24 plays

Recorded for the Pretty in Pink soundtrack, the song topped out at #4, becoming the group’s highest-charting single.

#51: Stacey Q – Two of Hearts
iTunes stats: 19 plays

The first single my sister owned, which took her years to realize she was playing on the wrong speed, it peaked at #3 in the fall of 1986. Continue reading →

by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 1977

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 1977, the year of my third birthday.  I still have no knowledge of these songs from their original release, given my age at the time.  Only twelve of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with only six of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#99: London Symphony Orchestra – Star Wars (Main Title)
iTunes stats: 26 plays

Led by John Williams, the London Symphony Orchestra performed one of the best-known movie themes of all time.

#94: Fleetwood Mac – Go Your Own Way
iTunes stats: N/A

The group’s first top-ten hit in the United States, it was ranked as the 120th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone in 2010.

#90: Aerosmith – Walk This Way
iTunes stats: 26 plays

First discovered by my generation thanks to the 80s remake with Run-DMC, the original peaked at #10 in early 1977.

#58: Kansas – Carry On Wayward Son
iTunes stats: N/A

Written by guitarist Kerry Livgren, the song became the band’s first Top 40 hit, reaching No. 11 in early 1977, and has remained a staple of classic rock radio.

#53: Heart – Barracuda
iTunes stats: N/A

The song, which peaked at #11 in 1977, was named the 34th-best hard rock song of all time by VH1.

#52: Fleetwood Mac – Don’t Stop
iTunes stats: N/A

Used by Bill Clinton as the theme for his presidential campaign in 1992, the third single from the band’s Rumours album reached #3 in October 1977. 

#33: Commodores – Easy
iTunes stats: N/A

Written by group member Lionel Richie and released in March of 1977, the crossover hit topped the Hot Soul Singles chart in July and peaked at #4 on the Hot 100.

#28: Steve Miller Band – Fly Like an Eagle
iTunes stats: N/A

First performed in 1973, the song was finally released in December of 1976 and went to #2 Hot 100 in March.

#21: Bill Conti – Gonna Fly Now
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the theme from Rocky hit #1 in 1977.

#19: Eagles – Hotel California
iTunes stats: 28 plays

Winner of the 1978 Grammy for Record of the Year, the song first entered the charts in late February of 1977 and reached the top for one week in May, becoming the band’s fourth #1 hit.

#14: Jimmy Buffet – Margaritaville
iTunes stats: 21 plays

Buffet’s highest charting single, the tune reached #8 on the Hot 100 char, #13 on the Hot Country Songs chart, and #1 on the Easy Listening chart.  It re-entered the charts in September of 2023 following Buffett’s death on September 1.

#12: ABBA – Dancing Queen
iTunes stats: 11 plays

ABBA’s only number one hit in the United States, the song also topped the charts in 17 other countries.

 

by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 1976

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 1976, the year I turned two and featuring the birth of my sister.  Given my young age, I have no knowledge of these songs from their original release.  Only 17 of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with only seven of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#97: Rick Dees & His Cast of Idiots – Disco Duck
iTunes stats: N/A

Disc jockey Dees, who was working in Memphis at the time, wrote and recorded this novelty song that spent ten weeks in the top ten and peaked at #1 for one week in October of 1976.

#96: Kiss – Rock and Roll All Nite (Live)
iTunes stats: 19 plays

This live version of the band’s 1975 tune peaked at #12 in early 1976 and became the first of six of the band’s songs to crack the Top 20 during the decade.

#89: Peter Frampton – Baby, I Love Your Way (Live)
iTunes stats: N/A

The live version, released as a single from the massive hit Frampton Comes Alive!, topped out at #12.

#87: Thin Lizzy – The Boys Are Back in Town
iTunes stats: N/A

The 272nd best song of all time, per Rolling Stone’s 2021 edition of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, the tune reached #12 in the spring of 1976.

#85: Foghat – Slow Ride
iTunes stats: 20 plays

Named the 45th Best Hard Rock song of all time by VH1 in 2009, Foghat’s highest charting single peaked at #20 in the winter of 1976.

#64: Bay City Rollers – Saturday Night
iTunes stats: N/A

The song became the band’s only #1 hit in the US and the first Billboard #1 of the Bicentennial.

#58: John Sebastian – Welcome Back
iTunes stats: 37 plays

The theme song to Welcome Back, Kotter rocketed to #1 after just five weeks on the chart.

#51: Aerosmith – Dream On
iTunes stats: 21 plays

First released as a single in 1973, the album version was re-released in late 1975, joining the Hot 100 in January of 1976 and finally hitting #6 in April.

#45: KC and the Sunshine Band – That’s The Way (I Like It)
iTunes stats: 17 plays

The band’s second #1 hit, it spent two non-consecutive weeks at the top of the charts at the end of 1975.

#40: Eric Carmen – All By Myself
iTunes stats: 12 plays

The first single from Carmen’s debut solo album, it peaked at #2 and was certified gold in April of 1976.

#37: Gary Wright – Dream Weaver
iTunes stats: N/A Continue reading →

by admin

Yet Another Mix Tape Monday Roundup

33 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would eventually become a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD.  Today, we revisit those mix tapes for the fourth time and see how, or if, the soundtrack of my youth still resonates in today’s digital world and how much has changed over the past 3 years.

Last week, we finished up the last of the 20 volumes.  The 287 songs from 144 different bands or performers have been played an average of more than 22 times each, according to my iTunes stats, up from just under sixteen times four years ago. The lack of a commute over most of these four years has certainly made an impact, as the gains are considerably lower than they’ve been in the past.  Let’s take one final look back at the bands and songs that made up my youth.

Most Played Song

62 – Boyz II Men – It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye
62 – Tag Team – Whoomp! (There It Is)
54 – Snoop Dogg – What’s My Name?
51 – Veruca Salt – Seether
47 – Snoop Dogg – Gin And Juice
47 – Bell Biv Devoe – Poison

Least Played Song

7 – Bon Jovi – 99 In The Shade
8 – TLC – Get It Up
9 – Silk – Freak Me
9 – Shanice – Saving Forever For You
10 – Saigon Kick – Love Is On The Way
10 – Madonna – Vogue
10 – Def Leppard – Miss You In A Heartbeat
10 – Bon Jovi – Lay Your Hands On Me
10 – Edwyn Collins – A Girl Like You
10 – Warren G – Do You See

Most Played Song – Largest Total Increase

19 – Tag Team – Whoomp! (There It Is)
15 – Snoop Dogg – What’s My Name?
15 – Stone Temple Pilots – Creep
14 – Cranberries – Zombie
14 – Boyz II Men – It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye

Least Played Song – Smallest Total Increase

0 – Offspring – What Happened To You?
1 – Nelson – Love And Affection
1 – Bon Jovi – 99 In The Shade
2 – Ugly Kid Joe – Everything About You
2 – Soup Dragons – Divine Thing
2 – Weezer – Say It Ain’t So
2 – Bon Jovi – You Give Love A Bad Name
2 – Ugly Kid Joe – Busy Bee
2 – Genesis – I Can’t Dance
2 – Poison – Every Rose Has It’s Thorn
2 – Silk – Freak Me

Most Played Song – Largest Percentage Increase

175% – Liz Phair – Whip-Smart
166.67% – 4 Non Blondes – Spaceman
150% – Warren G – Do You See
137.5% – Aerosmith – Living On The Edge
133.33% – Radiohead – Stop Whispering

Least Played Song – Smallest Percentage Increase

0% – Offspring – What Happened To You?
9.09% – Nelson – Love And Affection
9.09% – Ugly Kid Joe – Everything About You
9.67% – Warrant – Cherry Pie
10% – Soup Dragons – Divine Thing

Most Represented Band

11 – Poison
10 – Aerosmith
10 – Pearl Jam
7 – Def Leppard
7 – Guns N’ Roses

Most Played Tape

Continue reading →

by admin

Yet Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 16

33 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would eventually become a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD.  Today, we revisit those mix tapes for the fourth time and see how, or if, the soundtrack of my youth still resonates in today’s digital world and how much has changed over the past four years.

On October 14, 1994, I hopped in the car with some friends, crossed the Wabash River into Lafayette, and pulled into the local movie theater.  I hadn’t heard of the movie before, but I was up for an entertaining time.  Over the next 154 minutes, a tour de force was unleashed upon the screen, thanks to John Travolta, Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis, Tim Roth, Ving Rhames, and Uma Thurman, among others.  That’s right, I had somehow managed to see Pulp Fiction on its opening night.

Over the coming weeks, it was everywhere: quotes flying around campus, songs from the soundtrack on the radio, and its stars all over late-night television.  The movie was inescapable.  Nearly 30 years later, it still is, in some ways.  I can’t tell you the last time I watched it, though I have a special edition DVD sitting on the shelf behind me.  But it has permeated pop-culture so thoroughly that it feels like I’ve just seen it all over again.

Volume 16 takes us from the early fall of 1994 towards the end of the year and the first semester of my junior year of college. The song selection is nearly completely alternative, with just one or two hip-hop and pop hits to go along with it.

Side A

Hole – Doll Parts
iTunes stats: 34 plays, most recently on 11/4/2021

The band’s first release after the death of bassist Kristen Pfaff in June 1994 picked up an additional six listens over the last four years.

Live – I Alone
iTunes stats: 21 plays, most recently on 11/23/2022

Ranked as the 62nd best song of the 90s by VH1, the band’s second single added five listens over the last four years.

Deadeye Dick – New Age Girl
iTunes stats: 16 plays, most recently on 12/31/2022

The one hit wonder, featured on the Dumb and Dumber soundtrack, doubled its listens.

Nirvana – About A Girl
iTunes stats: 31 plays, most recently on 10/10/2022

An additional eight listens for this performance from MTV Unplugged, which reached #1 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Aerosmith – Blind Man
iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 8/21/2020

The extra B-side thrown onto Aerosmith’s then-current greatest hits package picked up five new listens, despite not being heard in over two years.

Real McCoy – Another Night
iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 10/5/2019

Last heard a good four months before anyone had heard of the corona virus, the international dance hit, ranked as both the 63rd best single of 1994 and the sixth best of 1995, added five new plays to its total since last we checked.

Warren G – Do You See
iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 10/4/2021

A 250% increase in plays for this Warren G release, which failed to make the Top 40 in the US and hasn’t been heard over a year.

Urge Overkill – Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon
iTunes stats: 30 plays, most recently on 11/5/2021

The Neil Diamond cover, featured on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack, added seven additional plays over these last four years.

Side B

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Yet Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 14

33 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would eventually become a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD.  Today, we revisit those mix tapes for the fourth time and see how, or if, the soundtrack of my youth still resonates in today’s digital world and how much has changed over the past four years.

Back in February, Soundgarden was announced as a 2023 nominee for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  If they were to make it, they would be the fifth band featured on this cassette to receive the honor.  Aerosmith was elected in 2001, followed by Tthe Pretenders in 2005, Green Day in 2015, and Pearl Jam in 2017.

What does that mean?  Well, nothing, really, aside from some level of durability and commercial success.  I can’t think of anything less rock and roll than the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and trying to rank something as subjective as music.  In fact, I purposely avoided the museum during my trip to Cleveland back in 2019.  But, it seems to mean something to the artists themselves, so I guess, for today at least, we will celebrate the honor.

Volume 14 takes us into the early summer of 1994, following the end of my sophomore year of college.  The song selection continues to be  mostly alternative, with a little G-funk added for flavor.

Side A

Stone Temple Pilots – Big Empty
iTunes stats: 22 plays, most recently on 7/7/2022

This entry from The Crow soundtrack picked up an additional five listens over the past four years.

Aerosmith – Crazy
iTunes stats: 26 plays, most recently on 10/16/2020

Only a three-play increase for the final installment of the Alicia Silverstone video trilogy, now with extra Liv Tyler.

Soundgarden – Black Hole Sun
iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 10/1/2021

Winner of the Best Hard Rock Performance Grammy and nominated for Best Rock Song, the band’s biggest commercial hit picked up just four plays over the past four years.

Green Day – Longview
iTunes stats: 22 plays, most recently on 10/10/2022

The “debut” that pushed Green Day into the mainstream, hitting #1 on the Alternative Songs chart, added eight new listens over these last four years.

Hole – Miss World
iTunes stats: 28 plays, most recently on 3/12/2022

Hitting #13 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, the introduction of Courtney Love to a mainstream audience picked up six additional listens over the past four years.

Pearl Jam – Dissident
iTunes stats: 21 plays, most recently on 11/12/2019

Last heard prior to the pandemic, the song, which peaked at #3 on the Album Rock Tracks chart, saw just four listens over the previous four years.

Sarah McLachlan – Possession
iTunes stats: 14 plays, most recently on 6/7/2022

Inspired by letters written to McLachlan by two deranged fans, the 27th biggest hit of 1994 on the Alternative songs chart doubled its play total over the past four years.

Side B

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by admin

Yet Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 13

33 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would eventually become a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD.  Today, we revisit those mix tapes for the fourth time and see how, or if, the soundtrack of my youth still resonates in today’s digital world and how much has changed over the past four years.

The specter of death hovers over this collection of songs, as it would any music list.  Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain took his own life during the timeframe covered by this cassette.  Alice In Chains leader Layne Stayley od’d in 2002.  Cranberries singer Dolores O’Riordan drowned due to alcohol intoxication in 2018.  Guitarist and chief songwriter Doug Hopkins killed himself after being kicked out of the Gin Blossoms in 1993, just as the band was hitting it big by playing his songs.  Snoop Dogg was charged with (and eventually acquited of) murder after a member of a rival gang was allegedly shot and killed by his bodyguard in 1993.  Soundgarden front man Chris Cornell hung himself in 2017.

Six instances of death just in a collection of sixteen songs.  None of that is out of the ordinary.  Rock and roll has a long history of tortured artists who, when given access to money and drugs and find themselves surrounded by “yes” men who don’t necessarily have their best interests at heart, have imploded and found themselves in an early grave.

Are things any better today?  It’s hard to tell.  Older artists, like Tom Petty and Prince, continue to fall prey to their demons, helped along by the introduction of fentanyl.  Younger artists, from what I can tell, seem to be handling things better, whether due to the changed business model of the music industry or because of society’s greater acknowledgment of mental health needs.

Volume 13 takes us into late spring of 1994 and the end of my sophomore year of college. The song selection is now mostly completely alternative, with just one or two hip-hop hits to go along with it., with a little pop and Aerosmith on the side.

Side A

Alice In Chains – No Excuses
iTunes stats: 24 plays, most recently on 8/12/2022

The first Alice In Chains song to top the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, originally acquired via 93.5 KHY in Lafayette, added eight new plays over the last four years.

Smashing Pumpkins – Disarm
iTunes stats: 19 plays, most recently on 3/13/2020

The third single from the band’s breakthrough release Siamese Dream, which was banned by the BBC because of its lyrical content, picked up just four new listens and none since the corona virus lockdown.

Counting Crows – Mr. Jones
iTunes stats: 24 plays, most recently on 7/6/2022

The debut single from Counting Crows, which hit #2 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, added an impressive seven plays over the past four years.

The Cranberries – Dreams
iTunes stats: 30 plays, most recently on 11/4/2021

The first single from the band, which became a hit after Linger put them on the map, saw an eight-listen increase.

Jodeci – Cry For You
iTunes stats: 16 plays, most recently on 3/10/2022

The 60th biggest hit of 1994 picked up just four listens over these past four years.

Julianna Hatfield Three – Spin The Bottle
iTunes stats: 26 plays, most recently on 5/15/2022

The track, featured on the Reality Bites soundtrack, added five additional plays over the last four years.

Aerosmith – Deuces Are Wild
iTunes stats: 19 plays, most recently on 3/5/2020

Last heard prior to the pandemic, Aerosmith’s contribution to The Beavis and Butt-Head Experience compilation album, originally recorded for Pump, added just five listens.

Gin Blossoms – Mrs. Rita
iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 8/24/2022

The minor Gin Blossoms hit, which peaked at #36 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, managed to more than double its plays over these past four years.

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