Tag / Axl Rose

by admin

iTunes Top 200 Artists: #9

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.

Formed in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, this band released their first album in 1975 and have been rocking the world ever since, selling more than 200 million records worldwide.  At #9, we have the powerhouse group known as AC/DC.

#9: AC/DC
iTunes stats: 748 plays
Previous ranking: #10

The Australian hard rockers move up one slot from their previous ranking thanks to 20 songs, from seven different albums, which increased by 34%.  The most popular song, Thunderstruck, has a tremendous amount of plays due to the White Sox use of it when running out on to the field and its inclusion on my various victory playlists.  Another entry, Back In Black, has also made an appearance or two over the years, most recently thanks to former catcher James McCann’s use as his walkup song.

In 2015, I saw the band in concert in Toronto, at Downsview Park.  I’d be lying if I said that seeing AC/DC was at the top of my to-do list musically speaking.  In fact, they were playing Wrigley Field the following week, and I had passed on the chance to get tickets.  But, as a wise man once said, you only live once, and, seeing as this is potentially their last go-around, I guess you can say that I’m glad to have seen them.  After missing the opening act thanks to traffic, we got to the show just as AC/DC were starting.  The show itself was both good and bad.  The songs are what you expect, but there was no real flow, probably due to the band’s conditioning, or lack thereof.  After each song, the lights went down and there was a brief break before the next song would begin.  The net result of this was a disjointed experience, where each song stood on its own without there being any coherence in the set.  This ended up being their last tour with Brian Johnson before the unfortunate Axl Rose experiment, so I guess I’m glad I saw them when I did.

by admin

iTunes Top 200 Artists: #21-29

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 the next batch of ten artists, half of which I have seen perform live at least once.

#29: Guns N’ Roses
iTunes stats: 360 plays
Previous ranking: #29

Axl Rose and his sometimes friends add 96 new listens to the now 21 songs in my collection, enabling them to remain at the same position in the rankings.

#29: Avril Lavigne
iTunes stats: 360 plays
Previous ranking: #27

The eight-time Grammy nominee, who somehow has 25 tracks that I’ve listened to in my collection, added just 63 new plays, which moved her down two spots on the charts.

#28: The Monkees
iTunes stats: 371 plays
Previous ranking: #28

The made-for-TV band, who are down to two living members following the death of Peter Tork in 2019, had a 33% increase in their listens, keeping them even in the rankings.

#27: Veruca Salt
iTunes stats: 373 plays
Previous ranking: #26

The girls from Chicago, who I saw live in Champaign back in the day, used fourteen songs to increase their plays by 73, allowing them to drop just a single slot.

#26: Weezer
iTunes stats: 400 plays
Previous ranking: #25

The 19 songs in my collection picked up 98 new listens, helping the band drop a spot in the rankings. 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

iTunes Top 200 Artists: #10

It’s been 4 years since we last counted down the Top 200 artists in my iTunes library.  Since my iTunes stats are still intact, across multiple PCs, iPods, iPads, and iPhones, I figured it was time to take another look at the artists that have entertained me the most based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2021.

Today, we break into the top 10 and slow down the pace a bit, taking one act at a time.  Formed in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young, this band released their first album in 1975 and have been rocking the world ever since, selling more than 200 million records worldwide.  At #10, we have the powerhouse group known as AC/DC.#10: AC/DC
iTunes stats: 558 plays
Previous ranking: #10

The Australian hard rockers stay even with their previous ranking to kick off the top ten.  20 songs, from 7 different albums, make up their play total, which increased 63%.  The most popular song, Thunderstruck, has a tremendous amount of plays due to the White Sox use of it when running out on to the field and its inclusion on my various victory playlists.  Another entry, Back In Black, has also made an appearance or two over the years, most recently thanks to former catcher James McCann’s use as his walkup song.

In 2015, I saw the band in concert in Toronto, at Downsview Park.  I’d be lying if I said that seeing AC/DC was at the top of my to-do list musically speaking.  In fact, they were playing Wrigley Field the following week and I had passed on the chance to get tickets.  But, as a wise man once said, you only live once, and, seeing as this is likely their last go-around, I guess you can say that I’m glad to have seen them.  After missing the opening act thanks to traffic, we got in to the show just as AC/DC were starting.  The show itself was both good and bad.  The songs are what you expect, but there was no real flow to the show, probably due to the band’s conditioning, or lack thereof.  After each song, the lights went down and there was a brief break before the next song would begin.  The net result of this was a disjointed experience, where each song stood on its own without there being any coherence in the set.  This ended up being their last tour with Brian Johnson before the unfortunate Axl Rose experiment, so I guess I’m glad I saw them when I did.

by admin

iTunes Top 200 Artists: #21-30

It’s been 4 years since we last counted down the Top 200 artists in my iTunes library.  Since my iTunes stats are still intact, across multiple PCs, iPods, iPads, and iPhones, I figured it was time to take another look at the artists that have entertained me the most based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2021.

We continue today with the next batch of 10 artists, zooming into the 300 listen territory with reckless abandon.

#30: Metallica
iTunes stats: 263 plays
Previous ranking: #35

The one-time masters of metal manage to go up 5 spots in the rankings thanks to 115 new listens, despite dropping off my myriad White Sox victory playlists.

#29: Guns N’ Roses
iTunes stats: 264 plays
Previous ranking: #33

Axl Rose and his sometimes friends add 115 new listens to the now 21 songs in my collection to enable them to move up 4 positions in the rankings.

#28: The Monkees
iTunes stats: 279 plays
Previous ranking: #33

The made-for-TV band, who lost Peter Tork in 2019, had an 87% increase in their listens, moving them up 5 spots in the rankings.

#27: Avril Lavigne
iTunes stats: 297 plays
Previous ranking: #32

The 8 time Grammy nominee, who somehow has 25 tracks that I’ve listened to in my collection, added 145 new plays, which moved her up 5 spots on the charts.

#26: Veruca Salt
iTunes stats: 300 plays
Previous ranking: #26

The girls from Chicago, who I saw live in Champaign back in the day, used 14 songs to increase their plays by 125, allowing them to stay in the exact same slot.

#25: Weezer
Continue reading →

by admin

iTunes Top 200 Artists: #31-40

3 years ago, we first counted down the then Top 100 artists in my iTunes library.  Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact.  So, I figured it was time to take another look, expanding out the field to the top 200 artists, based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2017.

Today we look at the next batch of artists, numbers 31-40, which includes a nice mix of musical genres.

#40: Tori Amos
iTunes stats: 128 plays
Previous ranking: #40

56 new listens for the same 11 songs over the past 3 years enable the singer/songwriter, who I was supposed to see live back in 1998 but missed due to a friend’s wedding, retain her position at #40.

#39: Harry Caray
iTunes stats: 129 plays
Previous ranking: #44

The legendary broadcaster moves up 5 spots in the rankings due to his 2 versions of Take Me Out To The Ballgame, one for the White Sox and one for the Cubs.

#38: Purdue All-American Marching Band
iTunes stats: 135 plays
Previous ranking: #34

The marching band for my alma mater drops 4 spots in the rankings due to only 49 new listens.

#37: No Doubt
iTunes stats: 136 plays
Previous ranking: #42

Thanks to 3 new songs and 65 new listens, the ska band I saw back in college before they hit it big jumps 5 spots in the rankings.

#35: Queen
iTunes stats: 148 plays
Previous ranking: #22

A big 13 spot drop for the band from England due mostly to their dropping off the White Sox victory playlist now more than 10 years removed from their 2005 World Series title.

#35: Metallica
iTunes stats: 148 plays
Previous ranking: #38

The one-time masters of metal manage to go up 3 spots in the rankings thanks to 69 new listens, despite Paul Konerko dropping them as his at bat music shortly before retiring.

#33: The Monkees
Continue reading →

by jim

iTunes Top 100 Artists: #31-40

itunes_image

My latest desktop computer arrived in late 2007, at which point I transitioned all of my music off of my laptop. 2 iPods, 2 iPhones, and an iPad later, that computer is still my main repository of music, with iTunes updating its stats every time I listen to something.

Having already gone through cassette tapes and CDs, and digital music, it’s time to roll everything up with the Top 100 artists that I’ve listened to as of 8/21/2013, according to iTunes. Today we look at the the the next batch, numbers 31-40, which includes a nice mix of musical genres.

#31: R.E.M. 95

iTunes stats: 95 plays

The boys from Athens, GA tie Avril Lavigne with 23 songs to make up their total.

#31: The Monkees

iTunes stats: 95 plays

The made for TV band used 17 songs to make up their total.

#33: Guns N’ Roses

iTunes stats: 91 plays

Axl Rose and friends use 19 different songs to make their way on to the list.

#34: Purdue “All-American” Marching Band

iTunes stats: 86 plays

3 songs, including 2 versions of the fight song, puts the Purdue Marching Band on the list.

#35: Stone Temple Pilots

iTunes stats: 83 plays

17 songs make up the total for the California-based alternative rockers.

Continue reading →

by admin

Mix Tape Monday – Live Tracks 3

After my tape deck crapped out in 1997, I was stuck listening to either the radio or full albums in whatever order the artist intended. That all changed in 2001, when the new-fangled MP3 technology got combined with my new CD burner.

In addition to the occasional series of CDs I had burned in order to keep abreast of new music, I had created a bunch of genre-specific mixes that could be used both in the car and at the gym. This week we will take a look at the third disc covering the world of live music. One of the best things about the confluence of music and the internet in the early 21st century was the availability of bootleg live performances that, at one time, would have been available only to serious collectors or the lucky few to attend the concerts. In fact, there was so much of it that this was the only collection to go beyond 2 discs. So, without further ado, I bring you Live Music, volume 3.

Garbage – Wild Horses

Recorded for Re:Covered, a BBC Choice music show where contemporary artists performed their new single and an old classic.

iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 8/9/2012

No Doubt – Obladi, Oblada

Recorded at The Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim in Anaheim, California on May 31, and June 1, 1997 and released on video on November 11, 1997.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 2/15/2013

Soundgarden – Helter Skelter

Likely recorded during their 1996 West Coast tour, where they played the song often.

iTunes stats: Never played

Jewel – Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Jewel eventually covered the Wizard of Oz classic for her Lullaby album.

iTunes stats: Never played

REM – I Am Superman

Potentially recorded live in Holland in 1987.

iTunes stats: Never played

Alice Cooper – School’s Out

From his 1995 best of compilation from his association with Epic records.

iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 1/9/2013

Aerosmith – What It Takes

From their Little South Of Sanity live album, recorded between 1993 and 1998.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 4/8/2011

Nirvana – About A Girl

iTunes stats: Never played

Continue reading →