Tag / Def Leppard

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Top 200 Albums – #84 – 91

itunes_imageMy latest desktop computer arrived in late 2007, at which point I transitioned all of my music off of my laptop. 2 iPods, 3 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 200 albums whose songs I’ve listened to as of September 2014, according to iTunes. Today, we get closer to the top of the list and crack the 80s by looking at the 3 albums tied for 84th with 40 listens and the 5 albums tied for 87th with 39 listens.

#84: Rolling Stones – Forty Licks
iTunes stats: 40 plays
This all-encompassing, double CD hits package has 13 different tracks to make up its total.

#84: Tegan and Sara – If It Was You
iTunes stats: 40 plays
8 tracks from Tegan and Sara’s second album, and the one that introduced them to me, makes up its total.

#84: Purdue University Marching Band – Back Home In Indiana
iTunes stats: 40 plays
A version of the fight song for my alma mater makes up this entire total all by its lonesome.

#87: Nirvana – MTV Unplugged in New York
iTunes stats: 39 plays
7 songs from Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged performance, the first Nirvana album released following the death of Kurt Cobain, put it on this list.

#87: Def Leppard – Hysteria
iTunes stats: 39 plays
The first album that I fell in love with back in junior high makes this list on the back of 7 different tracks.

#87: Dr. Dre – 2001
iTunes stats: 39 plays
3 tracks from Dr. Dre’s second, and, to date, last, solo album make up this total.

#87: Gin Blossoms – New Miserable Experience
iTunes stats: 39 plays
The debut album for the alt rock band lands on this chart thanks to 4 different tunes.

#87: Various Artists – Austin Powers
iTunes stats: 39 plays
The soundtrack to the original Austin Powers film, featuring the work of artists like Strawberry Alarm Clock and Divinyls, makes this list thanks to 4 songs.

by admin

Top 200 Albums – #100 – 111

itunes_imageMy latest desktop computer arrived in late 2007, at which point I transitioned all of my music off of my laptop. 2 iPods, 3 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 200 albums whose songs I’ve listened to as of September 2014, according to iTunes. Today we hit the midway point, looking at the 5 albums tied for 107th with 36 listens and the 7 albums tied for 100th with 37 listens.

#100: The Beatles – Abbey Road [2009 Stereo Remaster]
iTunes stats: 37 plays
7 songs make up this total for the remastered version of the last Beatles album ever recorded.

#100: Mazzy Star – So Tonight That I Might See
iTunes stats: 37 plays
Only 2 songs make up this total for the so-called dream pop band.

#100: Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons – Very Best Of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
iTunes stats: 37 plays
The second straight week with an appearance of a greatest hits package from Frankie Valli and company, this one uses 4 tracks to make up its total.

#100: Garbage – Shut Your Mouth EP
iTunes stats: 37 plays
Live versions of Wild Horses and Only Happy When It Rains make up the total from the CD single for Shut Your Mouth.

#100: Offspring – Smash
iTunes stats: 37 plays
4 tunes from this debut album from the California punk band make up this total.

#100: Various Artists – OST – Veronica Mars
iTunes stats: 37 plays
2 different tracks, from The Dandy Warhols and Tegan & Sara, make up the total for the soundtrack from the cult television show.

#100: The Beatles – A Hard Day’s Night [2009 Stereo Remaster]
iTunes stats: 37 plays
Only 2 tracks from the remastered version of the album released along with the movie make up this total.

#107: The Beatles – Revolver [2009 Stereo Remaster]
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by admin

Top 200 Albums – #139 – 148

itunes_imageMy latest desktop computer arrived in late 2007, at which point I transitioned all of my music off of my laptop. 2 iPods, 3 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 200 albums whose songs I’ve listened to as of September 2014, according to iTunes. Today we continue climbing up the list, looking at the 8 albums tied for 141st with 29 listens and the 2 albums tied for 139th with 30 listens.

#139: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince: Greatest Hits
iTunes stats: 30 plays
The greatest hits compilation for the one-time Philly based duo used 6 songs to comprise this total.

#139: Various Artists – On The Edge
iTunes stats: 30 plays
This compilation, featuring 80s alternative hits from the likes of The Smiths, Love & Rockets, and Michael Penn, had 5 different tunes make up its total.

#141: Katy Perry – One Of The Boys
iTunes stats: 29 plays
Katy Perry’s debut single, I Kissed A Girl, makes up this entire total all by itself.

#141: REM – Automatic For The People
iTunes stats: 29 plays
5 songs, led by the first single Drive, make up this total for the Athens, Georgia based group.

#141: Smashing Pumpkins – Siamese Dream
iTunes stats: 29 plays
The smash second album from the Chicago alternative royalty used only 3 songs to make up this total.

#141: The Beatles – Beatles For Sale [2009 Stereo Remaster]
iTunes stats: 29 plays
Only 3 tunes make up this abbreviated total for the remastered version of the Beatles fourth studio album.

#141: Various Artists – Reality Bites
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by admin

Top 200 Albums – #149 – 157

itunes_imageMy latest desktop computer arrived in late 2007, at which point I transitioned all of my music off of my laptop. 2 iPods, 3 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 200 albums whose songs I’ve listened to as of September 2014, according to iTunes. Today we continue climbing up the list, looking at the 6 albums tied for 152nd with 27 listens and the 3 albums tied for 149th with 28 listens.

#149: Def Leppard – Vault: Def Leppard’s Greatest Hits
iTunes stats: 28 plays
This collection of the Sheffield band’s greatest hits used 4 tunes to score this high on the list.

#149: Various Artists – Friends-Music From The T.V. Series
iTunes stats: 28 plays
This soundtrack compilation, released following the smash first season of the television show, has 7 songs, from the likes of Joni Mitchell, The Pretenders, and, of course, The Rembrandts, to make up its total.

#149: Various Artists – Monster Ballads, Vol. 2
iTunes stats: 28 plays
5 songs from this collection of ballads, performed by rock bands like Warrant and Cinderella, place it on the chart.

#152: George Carlin – Life Is Worth Losing
iTunes stats: 27 plays
Another comedy album by George Carlin takes its place on this list.

#152: Cracker – Cracker
iTunes stats: 27 plays
Only 2 songs from Cracker’s debut album make up this total.

#152: Various Artists – Rock N’ Roll Era: 1961
iTunes stats: 27 plays
7 tunes, from artists like Del Shannon, Dion & The Belmonts, and Ben E. King, are part of this Time Life compilation.

#152: Various Artists – Mallrats
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by admin

Wasting The Summer Away

For reasons any right-thinking person could not possibly understand, traffic this summer has been particularly brutal.  No matter what time I leave work, it will take at least 2 hours to get home.  One example of this was this past Thursday, when I took off around 3:40 and pulled into my garage just after 5:46.  Because of this, I’ve been able to listen to a lot of music.  Here is Thursday’s playlist, which kept from killing people in the cars around me.

Cult Of Personality Living Colour Monsters Of Rock [Disc 2 Of 2] 6/26/2014 3:46
Dreams The Cranberries Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can’t We? 6/26/2014 3:51
Only You Garfunkel and Oates Music Songs 6/26/2014 3:53
I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) The Proclaimers Living In The 90’s (Disc 2) 6/26/2014 3:56
I Won’t Forget You Poison Poison’s Greatest Hits 1986-1996 6/26/2014 4:00
Sk8er Boi Avril Lavigne Let Go 6/26/2014 4:03
Jane Says Jane’s Addiction Nothing’s Shocking 6/26/2014 4:08
The Tra La La Song (One Banana, Two Banana) Banana Splits Here Come The Banana Splits 6/26/2014 4:10
I Saw Red Warrant Cherry Pie 6/26/2014 4:14
What The World Needs Now Is Love Jackie De Shannon Forrest Gump (Disc 1) 6/26/2014 4:17
Smells Like Teen Spirit Continue reading →
by admin

Concert Flashback: Def Leppard

93defleppardA mere month after the Bon Jovi show, the group got back together and headed to the World Music Theatre to see Def Leppard and Ugly Kid Joe.  While I don’t remember anything about this, school would have been back in session, so Scott and I would have had to drive up from college for the weekend in order to attend this show.  While Def Leppard was certainly the draw, I would be lying if I said seeing Ugly Kid Joe wasn’t an added bonus.  Sadly, lead singer Whitfield Crane had other plans and managed to get himself arrested the night before in Columbus, Ohio after allegedly encouraging the crowd to attack the security guards.  Of course, we were not aware of this until we showed up to the World.

So, two members of local band Enuff Z’nuff were recruited to open the show with what I remember being an acoustic set.  To this day, I can’t name an Enuff Z’nuff song, so I can’t say that they made much of an impression.  The Internet tells me that they may have done a cover of the Beatles Revolution.

My main memory of the Def Leppard portion of the show is lead singer Joe Elliot trying to curry favor with the crowd by wearing a Chicago Bulls t-shirt.  Judging by the setlist posted on the Interwebs, it was a pretty solid show, with all of their big hits being covered, including their latest from the Last Action Hero soundtrack.  Given my fandom for the band at the time, I’m glad I got the chance to see them live.  And, all these years later, I would rather have the story of Ugly Kid Joe missing the show than having actually seen them.

by jim

iTunes Top 100 Artists: #11-20

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 11-20, which includes a nice mix of musical genres and comedy.

#11: Garfunkel and Oates

iTunes stats: 156 plays

31 songs have put the two funny girls on the list in less than a year.  They will likely be higher the next time I do this, as I’ve listened to them a lot since their concert 2 1/2 weeks ago.

#12: David Cross

iTunes stats: 153 plays

39 tracks from 3 albums puts the funny man on the list.

#13: Poison

iTunes stats: 144 plays

The quintessential glam metal band used 28 songs to get to this total.

#14: Eminem

iTunes stats: 136 plays

Only 16 tunes from the white rapper gets him to this mark.

#15: Def Leppard

iTunes stats: 133 plays

35 songs for the troubled band from Sheffield give them such a high total.

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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
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by admin

Mix Tape Monday – Live Tracks

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 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 1.

Tesla – Signs

Tesla’s biggest hit was this acoustic cover of the Five Man Electrical Band hit from 1971.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 5/4/2011

Juliana Hatfield – Say It Ain’t So

This bootleg track has the indie darling covering the hit from Weezer’s debut album.

iTunes stats: Never played

Pearl Jam – My Way

This quirky cover of the Frank Sinatra standard came from a concert in (where else) Las Vegas.

iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 9/6/2011

Veruca Salt – Seether

A live version of Veruca Salt’s biggest hit.

iTunes stats: Never played

Travis – Baby One More Time

The Scottish band, who I likely would have never heard from otherwise, covered the Britney Spears hit during a concert at The Bay Tavern in Robin Hood’s Bay, North Yorkshire, England.

iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 11/27/2012

Def Leppard – Two Steps Behind

From a foreign version of their greatest hits package, recorded live in Sheffield on June 6, 1993.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 5/1/2011

K’s Choice – Not An Addict

Recorded live at the 2001 Rock am Ring festival at the Nürburgring racetrack in Germany.

iTunes stats: Never played

Garbage – When I Grow Up

I’m assuming the live version on this disc is from the 2005 show at Metro that I attended.  The only reason I’m not sure is that I have so many Garbage bootlegs, it’s hard to be sure.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 1/6/2011

Stone Temple Pilots – Dancing Days

An acoustic version of their Led Zepplin cover, which I think may be from the Howard Stern show.

iTunes stats: Never played

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by jim

Mix Tape Monday – May 2005

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.

This was the last CD of psudeo-new music that I burned.  Fall of 2005 was consumed with other activities and that Christmas, I got a Sirius satellite radio, at which point I pretty much stopped using the CD player in the car.  In fact, the CDs that were in the 5 disc changer at the time stayed there untouched for so long that, when I tried to put in something different, the new discs wouldn’t work.

Tom Petty – I Won’t Back Down

I just now realized that this was from Tom Petty’s solo album and was not a Heartbreakers track.

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

Foo Fighters – Best Of You

The latest from the Foo Fighters was the first single from In Your Honor.

iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 3/29/2012

Black Eyed Peas – Don’t Phunk With My Heart

The less successful follow up to the monster hit Let’s Get It Started.

iTunes stats: Never played

Def Leppard – No Matter What

A cover of the old Badfinger song done as a bonus track for their latest best-of release.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 9/28/2012

DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Summertime

The Grammy winner for Best Rap single of 1991.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 6/26/2012

Ramones – Blitzkreig Bop

The debut single for the seminal American punk band.

iTunes stats: 1 plays, on 7/30/2012

Terror Squad – Lean Back

Spent three weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 charts in August of 2004.

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

Weezer – Beverly Hills

The latest single from Weezer was the first from their fifth album.

iTunes stats: 8 plays, most recently on 10/11/2012

The McCoys – Hang On Sloopy

This is the official rock song of the state of Ohio.

iTunes stats: 12 plays, most recently on 11/19/2012

Usher – Yeah!

Usher’s monster hit spent 12 weeks stop the Billboard Hot 100 in 2004 and was the #1 song of the year.

iTunes stats: 12 plays, most recently on 10/23/2012

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