Tag / Cardigans

by admin

iTunes Top 200 Artists: #161-170

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

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

We continue today with our next batch of ten artists, covering the genres of pop and rock, with an actor and a stadium organist for good measure.  We have a single group making their debut on the list this week.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#165: Belinda Carlisle
Continue reading →

by admin

iTunes Top 200 Artists: #178-188

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 remaining 3 tied for 188th place, 2 tied for 186th, 4 tied for 182nd, and the first tied for 178th.  5 of these bands and/or performers are newcomers to this list.

#188: Scorpions
iTunes stats: 46 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The German rockers added 25 new listens to their 3 songs in my collection to power their way on to the countdown.

#188: Sixpence None The Richer
iTunes stats: 46 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

Named after a passage from a CS Lewis book, the Christian alternative rock band makes their debut on the back of 40 songs, which picked up 23 new plays.

#188: Will Smith
iTunes stats: 46 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

Appearing much higher on the charts as part of a duo, the solo work of the rapper/actor makes its debut thanks to 24 additional listens over the past 4 years.

#186: The Rembrandts
iTunes stats: 47 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

Adding in an additional song to the collection has helped the performers of the theme song from Friends to debut on the countdown.

#186: Robin Sparkles
iTunes stats: 47 plays
Previous ranking: #152

A 34 spot drop for the alter ego of Cobie Smulders’ character from How I Met Your Mother, who combines only 17 new listens to her 2 Canadian pop hits.

#182: Cardigans
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by admin

iTunes Top 200 Artists: #179-185

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 remaining 6 bands tied for 185th with 25 plays apiece before starting with the first 4 bands tied for 179th, with 26.  Again, these are all new entries to the list from the original 2013 edition.

#179: PJ Harvey
iTunes stats: 26 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The 90s indie darling has a completely even split between 2 songs to make up this total.

#179: Soundgarden
iTunes stats: 26 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

5 different tracks from the bastions of Seattle’s alternative scene place them pretty low on the list.

#179: The B-52’s
iTunes stats: 26 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The Georgia-based band has 3 songs that make up this total.

#179: The Wonders
iTunes stats: 26 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The imaginary band from the hit 1996 film That Thing You Do! uses their one hit to make their way on to the chart.

#185: Cardigans
iTunes stats: 25 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The Swedish band, who I saw live in 2004, make the list thanks to 3 tunes.

#185: Darling Violetta
iTunes stats: 25 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The outfit responsible for the theme song to Angel rides that track to this spot on the chart.

#185: Firehouse
Continue reading →

by admin

Goodbye, iPhone 4S – Music Edition

A little more than a week ago, I upgraded my phone from the iPhone 4S to the newly released iPhone 5S.  The biggest difference, aside from a slightly bigger screen, is the jump from 3G (or 4G, if you believe AT&T’s hype) to LTE.  I had the 4S for a little under 2 years, and in that time, we traveled the world together (well, at least going back to the UK) and have listened to a lot of podcasts and music. Here is every song (all 2079 of them) I’ve listened to on the phone, with some (ok, very little) bonus commentary.  Godspeed.

 

Let’s Go-Go-Go White Sox Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers 33
He’s a Pirate Klaus Badelt Pirates of the Caribbean (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) 32
Take Me Out To The Ballgame Harry Caray 31
Thunderstruck AC/DC The Razors Edge 31
Gordon Beckham Intro 29
Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye Steam Billboard’s Top Rock ‘n’ Roll Hits: 1969 29
Don’t Stop Believin’ Journey Journey’s Greatest Hits 27
sox05_montage 27
We Are The Champions Queen Queen: Greatest Hits I & II 27
Your Love The Outfield Play Deep 27
2008 White Sox Central Division Champs Montage Chris Tannehill WSCR 670 The Score 25
Take Me Out To The Ballgame Nancy Faust 25
Harvester Of Sorrow Metallica …And Justice For All 20

You would hope that these numbers would have been higher, but this past season’s miserable performance by the White Sox has put the songs on their playlist out of mind more often than not.

Cannonball The Breeders The First 1000 Years- Rock 19
Man Or Muppet Jason Segel The Muppets 15
It’s Time For Our Song Miss Piggy The Muppets 14
Get Out There And Help Those Guys Jason Segel The Muppets 13
Main Title LOST Soundtrack LOST Soundtrack 13
Are You A Man Or A Muppet? Amy Adams The Muppets 12
How Charming, A Finale Uncle Deadly The Muppets 12
I’m On A Boat (ft. T-Pain) The Lonely Island Incredibad 12
Down At The Ole Barbershop Kermit The Muppets 11
Me and Drugs David Cross Bigger and Blackerer 11
The Antichrist Howard Stern Private Parts: The Album 11
Continue reading →
by admin

Mix Tape Monday – Female Alt Rock 2

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 second disc covering the world of alternative music created by females, or at least female fronted bands.  The 1990s were a great time for alternative music on the radio, especially that created by women.  As the decade came to an end, so did the welcoming arms of radio, as the trends moved towards nu-metal and its ilk.  So, without further ado, I bring you Female Alt Rock, volume 2.

Dido – Here With Me

Dido leads things off with the theme song from Roswell.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 4/29/2013

Tori Amos – Spark

Amos wrote the song after suffering a miscarriage.

iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 3/12/2013

Veruca Salt – Born Entertainer

The first single from Veruca Salt’s third album, presumed to be about the departure of founding member Nina Gordon.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 9/2/2011

Jill Sobule – Supermodel

The second hit from Jill Sobule was from the Clueless soundtrack.

iTunes stats: 8 plays, most recently on 12/12/2012

Letters To Cleo – I Want You To Want Me

The cover of the Cheap Trick hit is from the 10 Things I Hate About You soundtrack.

iTunes stats: 11 plays, most recently on 1/22/2013

Tracy Bonham – Mother Mother

The one hit from Bonham reached the top of Billboard magazine’s Modern Rock Tracks chart.

iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 4/22/2013

Concrete Blonde – Joey

Became the group’s biggest hit, spending four weeks atop the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and crossing over to pop radio, reaching #19 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

iTunes stats: 9 plays, most recently on 2/16/2011

Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories – Stay

The song, from the Reality Bites soundtrack, earned Loeb the distinction of being the first artist to top the U.S. chart before being signed to any record label.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 4/13/2013

Belly – Gepetto

Though this follow-up did not match the success of “Feed The Tree” it charted on the Billboard Bubbling Under The Hot 100 Singles for 5 weeks in the late fall/winter of 1993.

iTunes stats: 9 plays, most recently on 5/1/2013

PJ Harvey – Down By The Water

Extensive MTV rotation and college radio airplay gave Harvey her biggest radio hit to date, reaching #2 on Billboard’s Modern Rock chart.

iTunes stats: 8 plays, most recently on 3/14/2013

Continue reading →

by admin

Mix Tape Mon…er, Tuesday – Female Alt Rock

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 first disc covering the world of alternative music created by females, or at least female fronted bands.  The 1990s were a great time for alternative music on the radio, especially that created by women.  As the decade came to an end, so did the welcoming arms of radio, as the trends moved towards nu-metal and its ilk.  So, without further ado, I bring you Female Alt Rock, volume 1.

Belly – Feed The Tree

The song ranked #24 on VH1’s 40 Greatest One-Hit Wonders of the 90s, much to the chagrin of their follow-up single Gepetto.

iTunes stats: 11 plays, most recently on 9/7/2011

Republica – Ready To Go

4 different versions of this song were released and charted in the UK from 1996 to 2010.

iTunes stats: 9 plays, most recently on 4/1/2013

Garbage – #1 Crush

Originally the B-side to the Vow single, the song was re-mixed for the William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet soundtrack and spent 4 weeks atop the Billboard Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 8/15/2011

Goops – Build Me Up Buttercup

After being featured on the soundtrack to Mallrats, the video features Jay and Silent Bob.

iTunes stats: 16 plays, most recently on 7/30/2012

Frente! – Labour Of Love

The Australian alt-folk group peaked at #9 on the Modern Rock charts with their second, and final, US hit.

iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 4/20/2012

10,000 Maniacs – Because The Night

This cover of the Patti Smith hit from the groups MTV Unplugged appearance gave them their first Top 40 hit, reaching #11.

iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 3/26/2013

K’s Choice – Not An Addict

The third single from the Belgian band’s second album.

iTunes stats: 11 plays, most recently on 3/31/2012

Garbage – Alien Sex Fiend

This song was the B-side to Stupid Girl.

iTunes stats: Never played

Veruca Salt – My Sharona

This cover of The Knacks greatest hit was the B-side to the Victrola single.

iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 9/23/2012

Continue reading →

by admin

Mix Tape Monday – March 2003

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.

March of 2003 looks to have a lot of cover songs, along with the latest hits from Kelly Osbourne, Christina Aguilera, Avril Lavigne, and the White Stripes.

Mariah Carey – Bringing On The Heartbreak

For a minute there, I thought I could get in to this remake of the old Def Leppard hit.

iTunes stats: Never played

The Donnas – Take It Off

The one big hit for the girl group.

iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 5/30/2012

Foo Fighters – Times Like These

The latest from the Foo Fighters had both an electric and acoustic version.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 1/4/2013

David Lee Roth – California Girls

After leaving Van Halen, David Lee Roth thought becoming a cheesy Vegas lounge act was the way to go.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 3/30/2012

Tatu – All The Things You Said

Nothing says pop music hit like lesbian Russian teenagers.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 8/10/2011

Tegan And Sara – I Hear Noises

My first introduction to Tegan and Sara.  I own all of their albums after this and have since seen them in concert.

iTunes stats: 20 plays, most recently on 9/21/2011

Bif Naked – We’re Not Gonna Take It

A cover of the Twisted Sister hit from the Ready To Rumble soundtrack.

iTunes stats: Never played

Sixpence None The Richer – Don’t Dream It’s Over

A cover of the old Crowded House hit.

iTunes stats: Never played

Johnny Cash – Personal Jesus

A bizarre cover of the Depeche Mode hit by the Man in Black.

iTunes stats: 1 play, on 5/19/2009

Kelly Osbourne – Shut Up

The first release from Kelly’s ill-fated album meant to capitalize on the success of The Osbournes.

iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 5/8/2012

Carl Douglas – Kung Fu Fighting

The 70s ode to martial arts.

iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 3/21/2012

Continue reading →

by admin

Goodbye, iPhone 3G – Music Edition

As I wait for tomorrow’s delivery of my new iPhone 4S, it is time to say goodbye to the 3G that has been my trusty companion for nearly the past 3 1/2 years.  We’ve traveled the world together (well, at least Canada and the UK) and have listened to a lot of music.  Here is every song (all 1597 of them) I’ve listened to on the phone, with some (ok, very little) bonus commentary!

He’s a Pirate Klaus Badelt Pirates of the Caribbean (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) 100
Gordon Beckham Intro 91
Let’s Go-Go-Go White Sox Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers 87
Thunderstruck AC/DC The Razors Edge 84
Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye Steam Billboard’s Top Rock ‘n’ Roll Hits: 1969 83
sox05_montage 75
We Are The Champions Queen Queen: Greatest Hits I & II 73
Boom P.O.D. Satellite 70
Don’t Stop Believin’ Journey Journey’s Greatest Hits 69
2008 White Sox Central Division Champs Montage Chris Tannehill WSCR 670 The Score 65

No surprise that the top 10 are all part of (or were part of) my White Sox victory playlist.  This gets played on the way home from every White Sox winner, plus the occassional ride to a game.  Continue reading →

by jim

Retro Playlist – 2004

I recently came across my old, second generation iPod.  40 gigs of tiny, black and white screened goodness.

Here are the songs I last listened to in 2004.

Spider-Man The Ramones December 1995 2/13/2004 6:18 PM
Fight For Your Right The Beastie Boys Licensed To Ill 2/14/2004 9:05 AM
Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) (Edit) Jay-Z Now That’s What I Call Music! Vol. 2 2/26/2004 5:22 PM
X-Files Theme Mark Snow The X-Files: Songs In The Key Of X 3/6/2004 7:41 AM
My Favourite Game Cardigans Gran Turismo 3/28/2004 11:43 AM
How Soon Is Now? Love Spit Love The Craft 5/9/2004 3:40 PM
Continue reading →