iTunes Top 200 Artists: #129-138

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

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

We continue today with our next batch of ten artists, covering a large mix of genres and decades, from pop to punk, hip hop to new jack swing, and everything in between.

#138: Hootie & the Blowfish
iTunes stats: 80 plays
Previous ranking: #154

The group, formed in Columbia, South Carolina in 1986, saw a 25-play increase spread across the five songs in my collection.

#138: Katy Perry
iTunes stats: 80 plays
Previous ranking: #143

Five tracks from the pop singer, who embarrassed herself last year following a Blue Origin flight into “space,” accounted for 21 new listens.

#138: Ramones
iTunes stats: 80 plays
Previous ranking: #131

The New York-based punk rock pioneers increased their total by 27% thanks to 17 new plays over the past five years.

#134: The Police
iTunes stats: 81 plays
Previous ranking: #133

The English band, led by Sting until their 1984 breakup, added 19 new plays.

#134: Color Me Badd
Continue reading →

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.

Continue reading →

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 →

Fifty Years Of Music – 1985

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 1985, the year I wrapped up fifth grade, moved to sixth grade, did the Super Bowl Shuffle, and turned 11.  31 songs of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with only fifteen of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#97: Don Henley – All She Wants to Do Is Dance
iTunes stats: N/A

The sixth solo single from the Eagles drummer peaked at #9 on the Hot 100.

#92: Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Ranked as the 275th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone, the track broke the top ten, hitting #9 in January of 1985.

#88: David Lee Roth – California Girls
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Roth’s first solo single after leaving Van Halen, this version matched the original by the Beach Boys, topping out at #3.

#75: Katrina and the Waves – Walking on Sunshine
iTunes stats: 14 plays

Hitting #9 on the Hot 100 in 1985, the song was briefly banned in the southern US after Hurrican Katrina in 2005.

#74: Bryan Adams – Summer of ’69
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #5 on the charts, the song was ranked at #70 on Blender’s list “The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born” in 2005

#67: Bruce Springsteen – Glory Days
iTunes stats: 14 plays

The fifth of a record-tying seven singles from the Born in the USA album to hit the top five, it stalled out at #5 in the summer of 1985.

#61: Harold Faltermeyer – Axel F
iTunes stats: 18 plays

The instrumental theme to Beverly Hills Cop, the track reached #3 on the Hot 100.

#58: Madonna – Material Girl
iTunes stats: N/A

Spending two weeks at #2, the second single from Like a Virgin gave Madonna two simultaneous top five hits.

#57: Tina Turner – We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)
iTunes stats: N/A

Turner peaked at #2 with this hit from the soundtrack to Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, which also earned her a Golden Globe and Oscar nominations.

#56: Animotion – Obsession
iTunes stats: 16 plays

The band’s first single reached #6 on the Hot 100.

#53: Don Henley – The Boys of Summer
iTunes stats: N/A

The track, which earned Henley a Grammy in 1986, hit #5 on the Hot 100 and topped the Top Rock Tracks chart for five weeks.

#51: Prince & the Revolution – Raspberry Beret
iTunes stats: 5 plays

Peaking at #2 in 1985, the song re-entered the Hot 100 at #33 in 2016 following Prince’s death.

Continue reading →

Fifty Years Of Music – 1984

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.

Today, we enter my second decade on the planet and look back at the music of my lifetime with 1984.  I am starting to become more familiar with the songs of the day, either from that time period or from later exposure.  38 of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with fourteen of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#89: Billy Joel – The Longest Time
iTunes stats: N/A

Written and recorded as a tribute to the music the influenced Joel as a child, the track peaked at #14 on the Hot 100.

#87: Ratt – Round and Round
iTunes stats: 25 plays

Reaching #12, the song is the band’s biggest hit and was ranked as the 20th greatest heavy metal song of all time by Rolling Stone in 2023.

#86: John Cougar Mellencamp – Pink Houses
iTunes stats: N/A

Inspired by a trip Mellencamp took from the airport in Indianapolis to his home in the godforsaken town of Bloomington, the song cracked the top ten, reaching #8 in early 1984.

#79: Madonna – Holiday
iTunes stats: N/A

Entering the Hot 100 in October of 1983, Madonna’s first big hit rose to #16, spending a total of 21 weeks on the charts.

#78: Michael Jackson – Thriller
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #4 in 1984, the track re-enters the charts regularly around Halloween, giving Jackson a top 20 hit in seven straight decades.

#76: The Pointer Sisters – I’m So Excited
iTunes stats: N/A

Originally stalling out at #30 in 1982, this re-mix re-released in 1984 cracked the top ten, reaching #9.

#74: Wang Chung – Dance Hall Days
iTunes stats: 21 plays

A #1 smash on the Dance Club Songs chart, it hit #16 on the Hot 100.

#73: Bananarama – Cruel Summer
iTunes stats: N/A

Featured in The Karate Kid, the second most popular song with this name peaked at #9 in 1984.

#68: Quiet Riot – Cum on Feel the Noize
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Helping to bring national attention to LA’s burgeoning metal scene, this cover of an old Slade tune became the band’s biggest hit, reaching #5.

#66: Madonna – Lucky Star
iTunes stats: N/A

Madonna’s first top five hit, it peaked at #4 in the fall of 1984.

#64: Huey Lewis and the News – If This Is It
iTunes stats: N/A

The group’s fifth top ten hit, this throwback to the doo-wop of the 50s hit #6.

#60: ZZ Top – Legs
iTunes stats: N/A

Cracking the top ten and reaching #8, it remains the band’s highest charting single.

#55: Huey Lewis and the News – I Want a New Drug
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #6, the song earned Lewis a second payday when he sued Ray Parker Jr. for plagiarizing it for his theme to Ghostbusters.

#51: Billy Ocean – Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)
iTunes stats: 13 plays

Ocean took home the 1985 Grammy award for Best Male R&B Vocal performance for this track, making him the first British artist to win in that category.

Continue reading →

Fifty Years Of Music – 1978

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 1978, the year I turned four.  I still have no knowledge of these songs from their original release, but, because of the heavy influence of movie soundtracks, these include some of my earliest musical memories.  Only 19 of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with only eight of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#74: Barry Manilow – Copacabana
iTunes stats: 19 plays

The third single from Manilow’s fifth studio album, the song was inspired by a visit to the Copacabana Hotel in Rio.

#72: Patti Smith Group – Because the Night
iTunes stats: 27 plays

Written by Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith, the song, which first became known to me thanks to the 90s cover by 10,000 Maniacs, peaked at #13 on the charts.

#71: Crystal Gayle – Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue
iTunes stats: N/A

Released in June of 1977, Gayle won the Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance the following year.

#69: John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John – Summer Nights
iTunes stats: 24 plays

A duet from the film Grease, it was released in August 1978 as the fourth single from the movie’s soundtrack and reached #5 on the Hot 100.

#56: Styx – Come Sail Away
iTunes stats: 39 plays

The tune, which peaked at #8 in January of 1978, was used as the walk-in music for former White Sox pitcher Chris Sale.

#54: The Trammps – Disco Inferno
iTunes stats: N/A

Originally released at the tail end of 1976, it reached the top of the Dance Club Songs charts in early 1977 but had limited mainstream success until it was re-released in 1978, after being included on Saturday Night Fever soundtrack.

#39: Kansas – Dust in the Wind
iTunes stats: N/A

The band’s only single to enter the top ten in the US, the song peaked at #6 in late April of 1978.

#36: Foreigner – Hot Blooded
iTunes stats: N/A

Certified Platinum by the RIAA, the song reached #3 on the Hot 100 chart in September of 1978.

#35: Olivia Newton-John – Hopelessly Devoted to You
iTunes stats: N/A

Nominated for the Best Original Song Oscar, the single from the Grease soundtrack reached #3 on the Hot 100, #7 on the Adult Contemporary chart, and #20 on the country chart.

#32: ABBA – Take a Chance on Me
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The track reached #3 on the charts and was certified Gold by RIAA.

#26: Gerry Rafferty – Baker Street
iTunes stats: N/A

Known for its saxophone riff, the song first came to my attention thanks to its song parody from the Howard Stern Show.

#25: Queen – We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions
iTunes stats: 22 plays/135 plays

The A and B sides to the 1977 single, the two songs, usually played together both on the radio and in concert, peaked at #4.

#17: Billy Joel – Just the Way You Are
iTunes stats: N/A

Released in early November of 1977, the track, which earned Joel two Grammy awards, topped out at #3, becoming his first US Top 10 hit.

#13: John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John – You’re the One That I Want
iTunes stats: 16 plays

The second single from the Grease soundtrack, the song reached the top of the charts and remains one of the best-selling singles of all time.

#11: Frankie Valli – Grease
iTunes stats: 18 plays

The theme from the Grease soundtrack, the song is one of four written specifically for the film and did not come from the stage production.

#10: Commodores – Three Times a Lady
iTunes stats: N/A

Often played before one of my high school religion classes, the song, written by Lionel Richie, became the group’s first #1 hit.

#4: Bee Gess – Stayin’ Alive
iTunes stats: N/A

The second single from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, the track spent four weeks atop the Hot 100 chart in February of 1978.

#3: Debby Boone – You Light Up My Life
iTunes stats: N/A

Recorded over a pre-existing instrumental track, the song became the biggest single of the decade, setting a new record with ten weeks at #1.

#2: Bee Gees – Night Fever
iTunes stats: N/A

Another track from the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, it spent eight weeks atop the charts and thirteen weeks overall in the top 10.

 

 

Yet Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 12

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.

Both Def Leppard and Guns ‘N Roses make their final appearance on this entry.  By 1993, alternative music had taken over the rock world and these two stalwarts from the 80s were holding on in similar ways: both had released long-awaited albums during my senior year of high school and both followed those up quickly with either an album of covers (GnR) or a compilation of B-sides (Def Leppard).  Both made their first appearance, back to back, on Volume 5 and each ended up with seven tracks overall on these tapes.

From this point on, there are no more entries from 80s rock bands.  No more Poison.  No more Bon Jovi.  No more Slaughter or Great White.  And no more Def Leppard or Guns ‘N Roses.  Following volume 12, which covers the summer of 1993 and into the fall and my sophomore year of college, my tastes turned towards the alternative, with hip hop and the occasional pure pop song still making an appearance.

Side A

10,000 Maniacs – Because The Night
iTunes stats: 34 plays, most recently on 7/5/2022

The Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith written hit, from the group’s MTV Unplugged appearance which was Natalie Merchant’s swan song with the group, picked up just four plays over the past four years.

Cracker – Low
iTunes stats: 38 plays, most recently on 2/26/2022

The first single from Kerosene Hat, which reached #3 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, picked up six listens in the last four years.

Def Leppard – Miss You In A Heartbeat
iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 3/1/2022

Just four new plays for the final US top 40 hit for the band, which peaked at #39 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Cher w/ Beavis & Butthead – I Got You Babe
iTunes stats: 38 plays, most recently on 7/9/2022

Cher’s threesome with the animated duo, from the hit film Beavis & Butthead Do America, earned a small four play increase over these past four years.

Guns N’ Roses – Estranged
iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 9/8/2022

The nearly 9 1/2 minute opus, which hit #16 on the Mainstream Rock chart, picked up five new listens over the past four years.

Lemonheads – Into Your Arms
iTunes stats: 29 plays, most recently on 12/23/2021

The only Lemonheads track to appear on the Billboard chart, peaking at #67, the tune added ten additional plays over the last four years.

Side B

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iTunes Top 200 Artists: #110-120

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 our next batch of 10 artists, the second tied for 120th place, 3 tied for 127th, the single artist at 116th and 115th, 3 tied for 112nd, and the first of 2 tied for 110th.  We have our final newcomer making their debut this week.

#120: Bruce Springsteen
iTunes stats: 68 plays
Previous ranking: #119

The Boss adds 32 new listens while dropping one spot on the list thanks to the 4 tunes in my collection.

#117: P.M. Dawn
iTunes stats: 69 plays
Previous ranking: #150

The trip-hop duo jumps 33 spots thanks to 38 new plays for 3 of their hit singles.

#117: John Travolta
iTunes stats: 69 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The actors combines his contributions to two movie soundtracks, Grease and Pulp Fiction, to make the highest ranking debut.

#117: Color Me Badd
iTunes stats: 69 plays
Previous ranking: #109

The early 90s boy band drops 8 places, with 28 new listens, now one of their three tracks in my collection is no longer being used as the walkup music for former White Sox catcher Tyler Flowers.

#116: Skid Row
iTunes stats: 70 plays
Previous ranking: #119

The New Jersey band added 34 additional listens to the 5 songs that are in my collection.

#115: Oasis
Continue reading →

2020: The Year In Movies Part 2

Movie_Reel_22272 different people starred in the 154 movies I saw last year (starring in being the first two named stars, a tradition dating back to the old Chicago Tribune TV guide which populated the early days of my database), and 28 of them starred in more than 1 film. Those 28 thespians are:

Films Per Actor Per Year
Actor Name Films
Charles Bronson 4
Harrison Ford 4
Katie Holmes 3
Keanu Reeves 3
Bruce Willis 3
Renee Zellwegger 3
Chadwick Boseman 2
Alison Brie 2
Jessica Chastain 2
Adam Driver 2
Jesse Eisenberg 2
Karen Gillan 2
Carla Gugino 2
Tom Hanks 2
Anna Hutchison 2
Samuel L. Jackson 2
Gillian Jacobs 2
Felicity Jones 2
Ewan McGregor 2
Kumail Nanjiani 2
Al Pacino 2
Brad Pitt 2
Issa Rae 2
Arnold Schwarzenegger 2
Will Smith 2
Kristen Stewart 2
Charlize Theron 2
Jessie T. Usher 2

Now let’s take a look at the next batch of movies that I saw in 2020, following up on last Wednesday’s post.

The Prodigy (2019)
The soul of a serial killer takes over a young boy’s body, much to his mother’s chagrin.

Alex & The List (2017)
A dog trainer is given a list of things to change about himself by his fiancé before she’ll marry him.

Hide (2011)
A Boston detective investigates the mummified remains of six women.

Pretty Little Stalker (2018)
A writer takes in a troubled girl and sees her family disintegrate.

Road To Perdition (2002)
Tom Hanks and Paul Newman star in this adaptation of the graphic novel by Max Allan Collins and Richard Piers Rayner.

Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
The kids head back into the game, this time dragging along Dannys DeVito and Glover.

Are You In The House Alone? (1978)
A supposed horror movie that turned out to be a made-for-tv movie.

My Soul To Take (2010)
A serial killer returns to his hometown to stalk the seven children born on the day he was allegedly put to rest.

Bridget Jones: The Edge Of Reason (2004)
The second installment in the series starring Renee Zellwegger.

Good People (2014)
A couple finds themselves in a pickle after discovering, and keeping, cash in their dead tenants apartment. Continue reading →

iTunes Top 200 Artists: #109-119

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.

We continue today with another wide variety of musical styles, including a couple of actors who appeared in a certain musical movie together.

#119: Bruce Springsteen
iTunes stats: 36 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The Boss debuts on the list thanks to 4 tunes, 3 of which are from his smash Born In The USA album.

#119: Blur
iTunes stats: 36 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The English band uses 2 tracks to make up their total.

#117: INXS
iTunes stats: 37 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

5 tracks from the Australian group combined to make up this total.

#117: Bloodhound Gang
iTunes stats: 37 plays
Previous ranking: #91

A slight increase of 11 plays for the two songs from the band known for humorous and off-beat, satirical lyrics.

#116: The Lemonheads
iTunes stats: 38 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

Evan Dando and crew make their debut on the list thanks to 3 tracks from their 90s heyday.

#113: Styx
iTunes stats: 39 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The local outfit used a surge in one of their tunes, thanks to the recently departed Chris Sale, to make the list.

#113: Rancid
Continue reading →