Tag / Boyz II Men

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iTunes Top 200 Artists: #41-50

Music.  It is a powerful thing that brings people together, creates memories, and evokes emotions.  It is the universal language that speaks to the soul.  It forms the soundtrack of our lives.

It has now been five years since we last counted down the Top 200 artists in my iTunes library, featuring the songs I have listened to the most since 2007.  It is time to do so again, seeing which performers still resonate and if any newer ones have joined the fray.  So, without further ado, here are my most listened to artists, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2026.

We enter our final quarter of the list today with our next batch of ten artists, featuring a wide array of musical genres.

#50: Smashing Pumpkins
iTunes stats: 210 plays
Previous ranking: #58

65 new listens over the past five years enables the Chicago-based alternative band, led by that twat Billy Corgan, to move up eight spots in the rankings.

#49: Weird Al Yankovic
iTunes stats: 213 plays
Previous ranking: #50

The parody hit maker added 37 listens to the seven tracks in my collection over these past five years.

#48: The Cranberries
iTunes stats: 226 plays
Previous ranking: #53

Despite the untimely death of singer Dolores O’Riordan in 2018, the group scored a 68-listen increase, moving up five spots.

#47: John Morris
iTunes stats: 231 plays
Previous ranking: #46

The composer of the score from the best movie ever made, Clue: The Movie picked up 49 new plays.

#46: Boyz II Men
iTunes stats: 235 plays
Previous ranking: #48

The stars of my first concert added 58 new listens from their nine tunes in my collection, inching them up two spots in the rankings.

#45: Snoop Dogg
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by admin

iTunes Top 200: #113 – 124

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 final batch of songs tied for 124th place with 39 plays apiece and begins the first group of songs scoring 40 plays, tied for 113th place, since my stats began in late 2007.

#124: Crew Cuts – Sh-Boom
iTunes stats: 39 plays, most recently on 3/10/2023
Previous ranking: #125

The hit by the Canadian doo-wop group spent nine weeks at #1 during August and September of 1954 and may have appeared in Clue: The Movie.

#124: Cracker – Get Off This
iTunes stats: 39 plays, most recently on 11/5/2024
Previous ranking: #112

Written as a response to fans who accused the band of selling out for making music that was more mainstream than singer David Lowery’s previous band, Camper Van Beethoven.

#124: Cracker – Low
iTunes stats: 39 plays, most recently on 2/9/2024
Previous ranking: #112

The debut single from the band’s sophomore effort, it reached #3 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in November 1993 and #5 on the Album Rock Tracks chart in March 1994.

#124: The Cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer – The Parking Ticket
iTunes stats: 39 plays, most recently on 12/15/2024
Previous ranking: #112

Included in the seventh episode of the sixth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it features vocals from producer Marti Noxon.

#124: Boyz II Men – End of the Road
iTunes stats: 39 plays, most recently on 12/6/2024
Previous ranking: NR

Originally released on the Boomerang soundtrack, the song won two Grammys and set a then-record of thirteen straight weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 1995

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 1995, the year I finished my third year of college, started working at the bank during the summer, returned to West Lafayette for my fourth year of college, and celebrated my 21st birthday.  This is also the year that my CD player boombox, that I got for Christmas back in 1991, started to die.  Despite numerous attempts to repair the cassette heads, nothing seemed to work.  With 44 songs that remain familiar to me today, we have fallen below 50% for the first time since 1987.  29 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#100: Van Halen – Can’t Stop Lovin’ You
iTunes stats: 0 plays

The final Van Halen track to crack the Top 40, it peaked at #30.

#99: Soul Asylum – Misery
iTunes stats: 21 plays

Reaching #20 on the Hot 100, it sat atop the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

#95: The Pretenders – I’ll Stand By You
iTunes stats: 14 plays

The second single from the group’s sixth studio album, it went to #16 on the Hot 100.

#93: Rednex – Cotton Eye Joe
iTunes stats: N/A

Based on a traditional country song, it topped out at #25.

#90: Melissa Etheridge – If I Wanted To
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #16 in March, the song was the final single from Etheridge’s breakthrough fourth studio album.

#85: Better Than Ezra – Good
iTunes stats: 17 plays

Written in late 1990/early 1991, this lead single from the group’s major label debut reached #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, #3 on the Album Rock Tracks chart, and #30 on the Billboard Hot 100.

#82: Crystal Waters – 100% Pure Love
iTunes stats: N/A

Appearing on the year end chart for the second straight year, it was one of the longest charting singles in history at the time of its release.

#81: U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Featured on the Batman Forever soundtrack, it went to #16 and received two Grammy nominations.

#78: Annie Lennox – No More I Love You’s
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from her sophomore solo effort, it topped out at #23 and was used in the first episode of The Sopranos.

#70: Bon Jovi – This Ain’t a Love Song
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #14, the ballad was the lead single from the group’s sixth studio album.

#67: Sheryl Crow – All I Wanna Do
iTunes stats: 24 plays

Ranked by Billboard as the 405th best pop song of all time, it charts for the second straight year.

#63: 69 Boyz – Tootsee Roll
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Topping out at #8 in January of 1995, it makes the year-end list for the second straight year.

#61: Tom Petty – You Don’t Know How It Feels
iTunes stats: N/A

The final Top 40 hit of Petty’s career, it reached #1 on the Album Rock Tracks chart and #13 on the Hot 100.

#60: Natalie Merchant – Carnival
iTunes stats: 30 plays

The lead single from Merchant’s solo debut, it topped out at #10 and remains her highest charting solo single.

#58: Skee-Lo – I Wish
iTunes stats: 14 plays

The first and last charting single from the rapper, his debut track went to #13 and earned a Grammy nomination.

#56: Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson – Scream
iTunes stats: N/A

The first single in the history of the Hot 100 to debut at #5, which ended up as the highpoint for the duet between the Jackson siblings.

#55: Del Amitri – Roll to Me
iTunes stats: 18 plays

The highest charting single from the Scottish band in the US, it peaked at #10.

#54: Corona – The Rhythm of the Night
iTunes stats: N/A

Released in 1993 as the group’s debut single in their home country of Italy, it eventually reached #11 in the US.

#53: Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin’
iTunes stats: 39 plays

The lone single released from the Friday soundtrack, the song topped the Hot Rap Tracks chart and cracked the top ten at #10 on the Hot 100.

#52: Jamie Walters – Hold On
iTunes stats: 15 plays

His solo debut following the cancellation of The Heights, it topped out at #16 and was his one and only charting single.

#50: Boyz II Men – I’ll Make Love to You
iTunes stats: 21 plays

Having spent fourteen weeks at #1 in the fall of 1994, it spends its second year on the year-end chart.

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by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 1994

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 1994, the year I settled on a major, finished my second year of college, started my third year, and turned 20.   Only 57 songs on the Hot 100 remain familiar to me today, with 42 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#97: Haddaway – What Is Love
iTunes stats: N/A

The debut single from the singer managed to make the year-end charts two years running despite peaking at #11 in the fall of 1993.

#95: General Public – I’ll Take You There
iTunes stats: N/A

Featured in the film Threesome, this cover of the classic by The Staple Singers reached #22 on the Hot 100.

#92: Melissa Etheridge – I’m the Only One
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The lead single from Etheridge’s fourth studio album, it was re-released following the success of Come to My Window and managed to surpass it, hitting #8.

#91: Bon Jovi – Always
iTunes stats: 2 plays

The requisite new song added to the greatest hits album, it became the band’s eleventh, and final, top ten hit, topping out at #4.

#89: The Four Seasons – December, 1963 (Oh What a Night)
iTunes stats: 27 plays

This remix spent 27 weeks on the chart, matching its original run across 1975 and 1976, and peaked at #14.

#85: Ini Kamoze – Here Comes the Hotstepper
iTunes stats: N/A

Spending two weeks at #1 in December of 1994, it was the only single from the Jamaican artist to break into the Top 40.

#82: Queen Latifah – U.N.I.T.Y.
iTunes stats: 21 plays

Confronting the disrespect of women in society and slurs against women in hip-hop culture, the song remains Latifah’s biggest pop hit, reaching #23.

#77: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Mary Jane’s Last Dance
iTunes stats: 32 plays

Petty’s first Top 20 hit since 1989, it topped out at #13 on the Hot 100 and topped the Album Rock Tracks chart for two weeks.

#76: Culture Beat – Mr. Vain
iTunes stats: 13 plays

The German group’s only single to chart in the US, it went to #17.

#72: Aerosmith – Amazing
iTunes stats: 17 plays

Featuring backing vocals from Don Henley, the track peaked at #3 on the Album Rock Tracks chart and #24 on the Hot 100.

#68: Aerosmith – Crazy
iTunes stats: 28 plays

Accompanied by a video featuring Alicia Silverstone and Liv Tyler, this last single from Get a Grip reached #17.

#65: 69 Boyz – Tootsee Roll
iTunes stats: 19 plays

The group’s debut single, it became the only one to crack the Top 30, topping out at #8.

#63: Real McCoy – Another Night
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The German group’s first single to chart in the US, it went all the way to #3, where it spent a record-setting eleven non-consecutive weeks.

#62: Snoop Doggy Dogg – What’s My Name?
iTunes stats: 57 plays

The first solo outing from the west coast rapper, it peaked at #8

#61: 2Pac – Keep Ya Head Up
iTunes stats: 19 plays

Focusing on black womanhood, the rap track reached #12.

#60: Jodeci – Cry for You
iTunes stats: 19 plays

Topping out at #15 on the Hot 100, the lead single from the group’s sophomore album sat atop both the R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart and the Billboard Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop airplay chart.

#59: Warren G – This D.J.
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The second single from the rapper’s debut album, it was his second straight top ten hit, going to #9.

#55: Domino – Getto Jam
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The rapper’s debut single became his one and only top ten hit, peaking at #7.

#54: Bruce Springsteen – Streets of Philadelphia
iTunes stats: N/A

Recorded for the soundtrack to Philadelphia, it reached #9, becoming Springsteen’s twelfth and final top ten hit.

#52: Snoop Doggy Dogg – Gin and Juice
iTunes stats: 49 plays

Nominated for a Grammy, the second solo single from Snoop went to #8.

#51: Gin Blossoms – Found Out About You
iTunes stats: 23 plays

Originally written in the mid-80s by the band’s former guitarist, it peaked at #25.

#50: Beck – Loser
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Beck’s first single to chart on any major chart, it reached #10 in April and was named one of the 500 best pop songs of all time by Billboard magazine.

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by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 1993

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 1993, the year I completed my first year of college, started my second year of college, moved out of my childhood home, and turned 19, in that order.  My musical landscape was continuing to change, as I navigated the different music I was exposed to between the middle of Indiana and the Chicagoland area.  A whopping 86 of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with 51 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#100: Def Leppard – Two Steps Behind
iTunes stats: 24 plays

Featured on the soundtrack to Last Action Hero, the acoustic ballad peaked at #12 on the Hot 100.

#97: Tony! Toni! Toné! – Anniversary
iTunes stats: N/A

Reaching #10, it was the second single from the group’s third studio album.

#96: Sting – If I Ever Lost My Faith in You
iTunes stats: N/A

Topping out at #17, the track earned Sting a Grammy in 1994.

#95: Gin Blossoms – Hey Jealousy
iTunes stats: 28 plays

Written by the band’s former guitarist, who was fired before their breakthrough album was released, it went to #25 on the Hot 100.

#94: Aerosmith – Livin’ on the Edge
iTunes stats: 21 plays

The lead single from the group’s eleventh album, which I bought in a midnight release at the Musicland that would eventually become a bar off of Purdue’s campus, it peaked at #18

#93: Green Jelly – Three Little Pigs
iTunes stats: 27 plays

Spending 20 weeks on the chart, the sole hit from the band, originally called Green Jellö before a lawsuit forced them to change their name, reached #17 in June.

#92: Joey Lawrence – Nothing My Love Can’t Fix
iTunes stats: N/A

The first, and most successful, single from the Blossom star, it topped out at #19.

#91: Tears for Fears – Break It Down Again
iTunes stats: 23 plays

The group’s first hit since 1989, it peaked at #25 and became their final track to enter the Top 40.

#90: Rod Stewart – Reason to Believe
iTunes stats: N/A

Originally released by Stewart in 1971, this live version, from his Unplugged appearance, reached #18.

#87: Sting – Fields of Gold
iTunes stats: N/A

Released in June, it hit #23 on the Hot 100.

#83: Michael Bolton – To Love Somebody
iTunes stats: N/A

Originally released by the Bee Gees in 1967, Michael Bolton took his version to #11.

#82: Haddaway – What is Love
iTunes stats: N/A

The sole hit from the Trinidadian-German singer, it topped out at #11.

#81: Digable Planets – Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)
iTunes stats: 25 plays

Peaking at #15 in March, it remains the group’s lone Top 40 single.

#80: The Heights – How Do You Talk to an Angel
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Spending the two weeks at the top of the charts between the record-breaking runs of Boyz II Men and Whitney Houston, it also finished at #59 in 1992’s year-end chart.

#78: Ice Cube – It Was a Good Day
iTunes stats: 43 plays

Ice Cube’s highest charting single, it peaked at #15 on the Hot 100.

#77: Inner Circle – Sweat (A La La La La Long)
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Released in July of 1992, it eventually worked its way up to #16.

#76: Restless Heart – When She Cries
iTunes stats: N/A

A crossover hit for the country band, it reached #9 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and #11 on the Hot 100.

#75: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Boom! Shake the Room
iTunes stats: 24 plays

The final Top 40 hit before the duo split, it peaked at #13.

#74: Janet Jackson – Again
iTunes stats: N/A

Included in her film Poetic Justice, this third single from Jackson’s fifth studio album topped the charts for two weeks in December of 1993.

#69: Inner Circle – Bad Boys
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The theme song to the television show Cops, it was first recorded in 1987 and finally released as a single in 1993, reaching #8 and giving the group their only top ten hit.

#68: Jeremy Jordan – The Right Kind of Love
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from the Beverly Hills 90210 soundtrack, it topped out at #14.

#67: Madonna – Rain
iTunes stats: 18 plays

Released in July, it hit #14 on the Hot 100.

#65: Cypress Hill – Insane in the Brain
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The lead single from the group’s sophomore album, it topped the Rap charts while peaking at #19 on the Hot 100.

#64: Zhané – Hey Mr. D.J.
iTunes stats: N/A

The debut single from the group became their first top ten hit, reaching #6.

#63: Positive K – I Got a Man
iTunes stats: 22 plays

The lone Top 40 hit of the rapper’s career, it hit #14 in March.

#62: TLC – What About Your Friends
iTunes stats: 27 plays

The third straight top ten single from their debut album, it topped out at #7.

#61: Ugly Kid Joe – Cats in the Cradle
iTunes stats: 16 plays

The highest charting single of the band’s career, this cover of the Harry Chapin classic peaked at #6.

#60: Aerosmith – Cryin’
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Released in June, the first single of their Alicia Silverstone trilogy reached #12.

#58: Mary J. Blige – Real Love
iTunes stats: N/A

The first top ten hit for the singer, it topped out at #7 on the Hot 100.

#57: Bon Jovi – Bed of Roses
iTunes stats: 20 plays

Hitting #10 on the Hot 100, the single was released in January.

#53: Dr. Dre – Dre Day
iTunes stats: 31 plays

The second single from Dr. Dre’s debut solo album, this Eazy-E diss track peaked at #8 in June.

#52: Prince and the New Power Generation – 7
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Released in late 1992, the song reached, of course, #7.

#51: Ace of Base – All That She Wants
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The first single released from their North American debut; it went all the way to #2.

#50: 4 Non Blondes – What’s Up?
iTunes stats: 28 plays

The band’s lone single to crack the Hot 100, it hit #14.

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by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 1992

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 1992, the year I graduated high school, went away to college, and turned 18, in that order.  My musical landscape was changing, as I had gotten my first CD player for Christmas in 1991 and my tastes were moving somewhat away from pop music and toward alternative rock thanks in part to Q101, who switched formats during the year.  I also spent part of the year in the middle of Indiana, which didn’t always feature the same types of artists that I was exposed to back home in the Chicagoland area.  At the same time, Billboard’s was changing as well, with the Hot 100 switched to electronic sales and radio airplay metrics rather than written reports at the end of November in 1991.  A whopping 70 of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with 50 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#98: Def Leppard – Let’s Get Rocked
iTunes stats: 34 plays

The band’s first release after the death of guitarist Steve Clark, the first single from their first album in over four years hit #15 on the Hot 100 and topped the Album Rock Tracks chart.

#96: Amy Grant – I Will Remember You
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #20, it became the first single from Grant’s ninth studio album to not break the top ten.

#93: En Vogue – Free Your Mind
iTunes stats: N/A

After spending 16 weeks in the Top 40, topping out at #8, the song garnered two Grammy nominations in 1993, for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and Best Music Video, Short Form.

#91: Amy Grant – That’s What Love Is For
iTunes stats: N/A

The only song from Grant’s ninth studio album to be released to both pop and Christian radio, it reached #7 on the Hot 100.

#88: TLC – What About Your Friends
iTunes stats:27 plays

The third single from the group’s debut album, it peaked at #7 on the charts.

#86: The KLF – Justified and Ancient
iTunes stats: 13 plays

Released in late 1991, the song became an international hit, reaching #2 on the US dance chart while stalling out at #11 on the Hot 100.

#85: Mary J. Blige – Real Love
iTunes stats: N/A

The first top ten hit for Blige, it reached #7 as the second single from her debut album.

#84: Boyz II Men – Uhh Ahh
iTunes stats: 12 pays

The first single from the group to not crack the top ten, it peaked at #16.

#82: Firehouse – When I Look into Your Eyes
iTunes stats: 14 plays

The group’s second, and final, top ten hit, it reached #8 in October.

#80: Def Leppard – Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad
iTunes stats: 17 plays

The highest charting single from the band’s fifth studio album, it stalled out at #12 on the Hot 100.

#77: Michael Bolton – Missing You Know
iTunes stats: N/A

Thanks in part to a video featuring Teri Hatcher and a sax solo from Kenny G, it peaked at #12 in March.

#76: Hammer – Addams Groove
iTunes stats: 29 plays

Featured on the soundtrack to The Addams Family, it was the fifth and final top ten hit for the rapper, reaching #7.

#75: Snap! – Rhythm is a Dancer
iTunes stats: 11 plays

The final single from the German troupe to chart in the US, it topped out at #5 and spent 39 weeks on the Hot 100.

#74: Bryan Adams – Thought I’d Died and Gone to Heaven
iTunes stats: N/A

Topping the charts in his native Canada, Adams peaked at #13 in the US with this track from his sixth studio album.

#73: Paula Abdul – Blowing Kisses in the Wind
iTunes stats: N/A

The final top ten hit of Abdul’s career, it spent three weeks stuck at #6, becoming just the second of her singles to enter the top ten and not hit #1.

#72: Ugly Kid Joe – Everything About You
iTunes stats: 25 plays

The band reached #9 with their debut single, which was featured in the Wayne’s World movie.

#71: The Cure – Friday I’m In Love
iTunes stats: 30 plays

The first song played on Q101 after transitioning to alternative rock, it topped the Modern Rock Tracks chart and made it to #18 on the Hot 100.

#70: Bryan Adams – Do I Have to Say the Words?
iTunes stats: N/A

The sixth single from his sixth studio album, it peaked at #11

#69: Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch – Wildside
iTunes stats: N/A

The second single from Mark Wahlberg and company, it borrows heavily from Lou Reed’s Walk on the Wild Side and topped out at #10, the group’s final top ten hit.

#68: Genesis – No Son of Mine
iTunes stats: 1 play

The band’s first single to not enter the top ten since 1984, it peaked at #12 on the Hot 100.

#67: Arrested Development – People Everyday
iTunes stats: 28 plays

The second single from the group’s debut album, it topped the Hot Rap Singles chart while reaching #8 on the Hot 100.

#65: Kris Kross – Warm It Up
iTunes stats: 31 plays

Used as the walkup music by Kris Bryant during his tenure with the Cubs, it topped out at #13.

#64: Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson – Beauty and the Beast
iTunes stats: N/A

Performed by Angela Landsbury in the film of the same name, this version for pop audiences reached #9, the first Disney song to reach the charts in 30 years.

#60: U2 – One
iTunes stats: 21 plays

Peaking at #10, proceeds from the single were donated towards AIDS research.

#59: The Heights – How Do You Talk to an Angel
iTunes stats: 22 plays

The theme song to the FOX television program The Heights, it spent two weeks at #1 in November, and the show was cancelled the following week.

#57: U2 – Mysterious Ways
iTunes stats: 21 plays

The second single from Achtung Baby, it topped the Modern Rock Tracks and Album Rock Tracks charts while hitting #9 on the Hot 100.

#55: Genesis – I Can’t Dance
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Hitting #7, the song earned the band a Grammy nom for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals.

#54: Michael Bolton – When a Man Loves a Woman
iTunes stats: N/A

Originally hitting #1 in 1966 when performed by Percy Sledge, this cover spent a week atop the charts in November of 1991, the final #1 under the old reporting system.

#53: Toad the Wet Sprocket – All I Want
iTunes stats: 27 plays

The first single from the band to chart, it reached #15.

#51: P.M. Dawn – I’d Die Without You
iTunes stats: 28 plays

Featured on the Boomerang soundtrack, it peaked at #3 on the Hot 100.

#50: Hi-Five – She’s Playing Hard to Get
iTunes stats: 10 plays

The lead single from the group’s sophomore effort, it reached #5, becoming their final top ten hit.

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by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 1991

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 1991, the year I broke up with my first girlfriend, finished my junior year of high school, started my senior year, and got my first job.  Z95 flipped to Hot 94.7 before going away altogether and a new rock station, 103.5 The Blaze, entered the Chicago radio scene, providing the majority of the soundtrack of that year.  At 82 songs, we have broken past 80% of the Hot 100 that remain familiar to me today for the first time, with 62 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#100: R.E.M. – Shiny Happy People
iTunes stats: 28 plays

Teaming up with Kate Pierson of the B-52’s, the group notched their fourth and final top ten hit, peaking at #10.

#98: Salt-N-Pepa – Do You Want Me
iTunes stats: 19 plays

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

#96: Warrant – I Saw Red
iTunes stats: 11 plays

Peaking at #10, it was the band’s final Top 40 hit.

#95: George Michael – Freedom! ’90
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Thanks in part to a video directed by David Fincher and featuring, among others, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, and Cindy Crawford, reaching #8 and spending twelve weeks in the Top 40 across 1990 and 1991.

#94: Naughty by Nature – O.P.P.
iTunes stats: 24 plays

Ranked in 2023 as the 96th best pop song of all time by Billboard, it hit #6 on the Hot 100.

#91: Deee-Lite – Groove is in the Heart
iTunes stats: N/A

The debut single from the dance group, it peaked at #4, becoming their lone Top 40 hit.

#90: INXS – Disappear
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The Australian band’s seventh and final top ten hit, it reached #8 on the Hot 100.

#89: Gerardo – Rico Suave
iTunes stats: 12 plays

Ranked as the ninth greatest one-hit wonder of all time by VH1 and the 37th worst song ever by Blender, it topped out at #7.

#88: Black Box – Strike It Up
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Hitting #8, the group once again used un-credited vocals from Martha Wash, leading to an out-of-court settlement.

#87: Cathy Dennis – Just Another Dream
iTunes stats: 21 plays

First released in the UK in 1989 to little fanfare, a remixed version hit the Hot 100 in January of 1991, peaking at #9 the following month.

#86: Aaron Neville – Everybody Plays the Fool
iTunes stats: N/A

First recorded by The Main Ingredient in 1972, this cover spent 20 weeks on the charts, topping out at #8.

#84: Tara Kemp – Piece of My Heart
iTunes stats: N/A

Her second consecutive top ten hit, it reached #7 and was her final Top 40 single.

#82: Queensrÿche – Silent Lucidity
iTunes stats: 22 plays

The band’s only charting single in the US, it peaked at #9.

#81: Tevin Campbell – Round and Round
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Featured on the Graffiti Bridge soundtrack and produced by Prince, the solo debut from the teen singer reached #12 on the Hot 100.

#79: Chris Isaak – Wicked Game
iTunes stats: 12 plays

Originally released in July of 1989, it became a top ten hit after being featured in Wild at Heart, eventually hitting #6.

#78: Poison – Something to Believe In
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The final top ten hit from the band, it peaked at #4

#75: Seal – Crazy
iTunes stats: 16 plays

The first big hit for the English singer-songwriter, it spent 19 weeks on the Hot 100, topping out at #7.

#74: Cathy Dennis – Too Many Walls
iTunes stats: N/A

The fourth and final top ten of Dennis’ recording career, it reached #8 on the Hot 100 and two weeks atop the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart.

#73: Tesla – Signs
iTunes stats: 14 plays

Recorded live for the group’s acoustic album, it hit #8, becoming their second top ten hit.

#72: UB40 – Here I Am (Come and Take Me)
iTunes stats: 23 plays

Peaking at #7, this cover of the 1973 Al Green hit was the second single from the British reggae-pop band’s ninth studio album.

#71: UB40 – The Way You Do the Things You Do
iTunes stats: 16 plays

A hit in four consecutive decades by four different artists, this was the highest charting version, cracking the top ten at #6.

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

The second consecutive year end chart appearance for this tune, which spent three weeks atop the Hot 100 in November of 1990 and ranked as the 76th biggest hit of that year as well.

#68: Styx – Show Me the Way
iTunes stats: 13 plays

Their first top ten hit since 1983, it peaked at #3, becoming the band’s eighth and final top ten single and giving them at least one in three straight decades.

#67: Heavy D and the Boyz – Now That We Found Love
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Originally recorded by the O’Jays, Heavy D and the Boyz reached #11 on the Hot 100.

#66: Prince & the New Power Generation – Cream
iTunes stats: 14 plays

Spending two weeks atop the charts in early November, it became the final #1 single of Prince’s career.

#64: LL Cool J – Around the Way Girl
iTunes stats: 19 plays

The first top ten hit in LL’s career, it topped out at #9.

#63: Enigma – Sadness (Part I)
iTunes stats: N/A

Mixing Gregorian chants with a drum beat, it somehow reached #5 on the Hot 100.

#62: Michael Bolton – Time, Love and Tenderness
iTunes stats: N/A

The title track from Bolton’s seventh studio album, it peaked at #7, giving Bolton his fifth top ten single.

#61: The KLF – 3 a.m. Eternal
iTunes stats: 12 plays

Found on the group’s fourth and final album, it reached #5 on the Hot 100.

#60: Hi-Five – I Can’t Wait Another Minute
iTunes stats: 18 plays

The group’s second consecutive top ten hit, it topped out at #8.

#57: Vanilla Ice – Play That Funky Music
iTunes stats: 9 plays

Originally the first track released by Vanilla Ice, it was reissued with new lyrics following the success of Ice Ice Baby, peaking at #4.

#56: Nelson – After the Rain
iTunes stats: 27 plays

The second release from the grandsons of Ozzie & Harriet, it reached #6, becoming their second and final top ten hit.

#55: Bonnie Raitt – Something to Talk About
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Raitt’s only top ten hit, it topped out at #5 on both the Hot 100 and the Adult Contemporary chart.

#53: DNA featuring Suzanne Vega – Tom’s Diner
iTunes stats: 24 plays

Originally released by Vega in 1984, it was remixed by two British producers and released in 1990, reaching #5 on the Hot 100 and becoming one of the few singles in Billboard history to crack the top ten on both the Modern Rock Tracks chart and the Hot R&B Singles chart.

#52: Divinyls – I Touch Myself
iTunes stats: 40 plays

This ode to female masturbation was the group’s first single to chart in the US, peaking at #2.

#51: C+C Music Factory – Things That Make You Go Hmmm…
iTunes stats: 21 plays

The third single from the group’s debut album, it hit #4 on the Hot 100.

#50: Rod Stewart – Rhythm of My Heart
iTunes stats: N/A

Covered by Stewart for his sixteenth album, it reached #5.

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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

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Yet Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 8

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.

Volume 8 features the first appearances on these cassettes by Nirvana, Pearl Jam, and Metallica.  All three should have shown up much sooner.  Metallica’s self-titled album, known colloquially as the Black Album, was released in August of 1991.  Five singles were released, from July of 1991 through February of 1993.  All of which should have made their way to these collections.  But for whatever reason, only the last one made it.  By that time, it was ok for me to admit that I liked a Metallica song, even though I already owned the CD.

A similar situation occurred with Nevermind, the second album from Nirvana.  Released in September of 1991, it took until the fourth single to make it on to these cassettes, despite the fact I was rocking out to Smells Like Teen Spirit alongside everyone else.  The same thing happened with Pearl Jam’s debut album, Ten, which split the middle, being released in August of 1991.  The first two singles somehow never made it here, despite being listened to more than some of the songs that did.  I don’t really have a good reason as to why I excluded them, or why, with this volume, I decided it was the time to let them all in.

Anyway, here we cover the winter and into the spring of 1993 and the second semester of my freshman year of college. The alternative influence starts to become more noticeable alongside old mainstays like Poison, Bon Jovi, and Def Leppard. Besides that, we are treated to a lot of hip-hop and hair metal, with a small sampling of pop, as always.

Side A

Bell Biv Devoe – Gangsta

The intended first single from the second Bell Biv Devoe record, which flopped so bad it was dropped from the album and now is lost to history.

Pearl Jam – Jeremy
iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 1/4/2022

The belated first appearance on these tapes by Pearl Jam, the song, which VH1 ranked as the 11th greatest song of the 90s, saw a modest 3 listen increase over the past four years.

Wreckx-N-Effect – Rump Shaker
iTunes stats: 31 plays, most recently on 9/8/2022

Charting as the ninth biggest hit of 1993, the biggest song for butts since Sir Mix-A-Lot saw a healthy eight play increase.

Boyz II Men – In The Still Of The Night
iTunes stats: 19 plays, most recently on 12/22/2022

The cover of the old doo-wop classic, recorded for the miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream, added five plays in the last four years.

Arrested Development – People Everyday
iTunes stats: 27 plays, most recently on 11/23/2022

Peaking at #8 on the Billboard charts, the second single for the Atlanta-based group added an additional six plays over the past four years.

Nirvana – In Bloom
iTunes stats: 25 plays, most recently on 12/8/2022

The winner of the Best Alternative Video VMA in 1993 picked up seven new plays since 2019.

TLC – What About Your Friends
iTunes stats: 25 plays, most recently on 7/8/2021

The third straight top 10 hit from TLC’s debut album added eight new listens to its total over the past four years.

Side B

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by admin

Yet Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 6

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.

Volume 6 takes us through the end of high school, through the summer, and into the beginning of my freshman year of college.  That summer, my sister and I made our first trip to Texas to visit our dad.  He had moved at least two years before and I guess thought it would be a good idea to see us.  Since I was trying to get ready to leave for college, I only stayed for one week while my sister stayed for two.  I don’t remember much about my time there.  We went to the old book depository where Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK.  We walked to a comic book store, where I found that some states charge sales tax on back issue purchases.  Aside from that, the trip holds no particular memory.

In the years since, visits have become fewer and farther between.  I last went to Texas in 2005.  His last trip to Illinois for a visit was 2006 and, if you include funerals, he hasn’t been here since 2010.  The last time I saw him was 2018, after he had moved to Arizona and he came to see me while I was in town for spring training.

Sadly, this is not the original version of volume 6, which was lost after being borrowed by my sister for a party.

Side A

Genesis – I Can’t Dance
iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 12/7/2021

The second single from the 14th studio album from Genesis, which received a 1993 Grammy nomination for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group, notched a mere two in the past four years.

Ugly Kid Joe – Everything About You
iTunes stats: 24 plays, most recently on 9/25/2019

Hitting #9 on the Billboard charts, the first hit for the California-based band was last heard before months before the pandemic even started, adding just two spins.

Joe Public – Live and Learn
iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 2/8/2022

Ranked 16th on complex.com’s list of the best new jack swing songs of all time, the tune managed to add five new plays since our last check.

Boyz II Men – Please Don’t Go
iTunes stats: 11 plays, most recently on 7/22/2019

Just three additional plays for the final single from Cooleyhighharmony, which failed to crack the top 40 and hasn’t been heard since nearly eight months prior to COVID lockdowns started.

Def Leppard – Make Love Like A Man
iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 2/27/2022

The second single from Adrenalize, and the first video with new guitarist Vivian Campbell, added four plays over the past four years.

Guns N’ Roses – Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door
iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 3/15/2022

The Bob Dylan cover has picked up eleven new listens since 2015.

Red Hot Chilli Peppers – Under The Bridge
iTunes stats: 20 plays, most recently on 7/22/2022

The first appearance of “alternative” music on these collections, which became the 8th biggest single of 1992, nearly doubled its play total with nine new plays.

Side B

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