Tag / Great White

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

iTunes Top 100: #58 – 69

itunes_imageMy 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, it is now time to look at digital music with the Top 100 songs that I’ve listened to as of 6/2/2013, according to iTunes. Today we look at the 12 songs tied for #58 with 18 overall plays.

#58: AC/DC – Back In Black

Written as a tribute to former lead singer Bon Scott, who had died during the songwriting for the album.

iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 7/14/2012

#58: The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour

The only theme song to a Beatles film to not be released as a single.

iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 5/15/2013

#58: The Beatles – Getting Better

The initial idea for the song’s title came from a phrase often spoken by Jimmie Nicol, the group’s stand-in drummer for the Australian leg of a 1964 tour.

iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 3/23/2013

#58: Bell Biv DeVoe – Do Me!

This followup hit from the former members of New Edition also appeared on Tape 1 of my mix tapes, and has been listened to three times since then.

iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 3/29/2013

#58: Cher with Beavis and Butthead – I Got You Babe

This remake featuring the cartoon duo also appeared on Volume 12 of my mix tapes, and has been listened to once since then.

iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 7/9/2012

#58: Eminem – Bitch Please II

The first song to feature both Eminem and Snoop Dogg.

iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 4/17/2013

#58: Garbage – Only Happy When It Rains (live)

A live version of the hit from their debut album that appeared as a B-side on the Shut Your Mouth single.

iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 3/29/2013

#58: Great White – Once Bitten Twice Shy

This one big hit from the band best known for a fire also appeared on Volume 4 of my mix tapes, and has been listened to twice since then.

iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 9/6/2012

#58: Me First and the Gimme Gimmes – Rainbow Connection

A punk cover of the quintessential Muppets hit.

iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 11/23/2011

#58: Mexican Cheerleader – Chickyn

From the second album by the local punk band.

iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 9/28/2012

#58: Tegan and Sara – Umbrella (Rihanna Cover)

The Canadian darlings cover the Rihanna hit live in concert.

iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 12/18/2012

#58: 2Pac and Dr. Dre – California Love

2Pac got out of jail and teamed up with Dr. Dre when he joined Death Row Records.

iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 1/28/2013

by admin

Mix Tape Monday – Hair Bands

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 occassional 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 rock music of the 1980s that was defined more by the amount of hair spray and spandex employed by the bands than by their musicianship or talent.  I now bring you Hair Bands, volume 1.

Alice Cooper – Poison

While Alice Cooper is mostly thought of as an artist of the 70s, he did have a comeback with this song in 1989, which became his biggest US hit.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 6/12/2012

Damn Yankees – High Enough

The supergroup, featuring Tommy Shaw of Styx, Jack Blades of Night Ranger, and Ted Nugent, formed in 1989 and hit big thanks to this ballad.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 5/30/2012

Danzig – Mother

Glenn Danzig’s band recorded this song for their first album in 1988, but it didn’t become a hit until 1993.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 4/23/2012

Firehouse – Love Of A Lifetime

At the 1992 American Music Awards, FireHouse beat out Nirvana and Alice In Chains for Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock New Artist.

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

Great White – Once Bitten, Twice Shy

A cover of the minor Ian Hunter hit turned into gold for Great White, peaking at No.5 on the Billboard Hot 100.

iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 9/6/2012

Lita Ford – Kiss Me Deadly

After several commercial failures following her break from The Runaways, Ford recorded a more radio-friendly album in 1988 and hit it big.  VH1 named this song as the 76th greatest hard rock song of all time.

iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 12/11/2012

Living Colour – Cult Of Personality

The first single from their debut album, it reached #13 on the Billboard Hot 100 andwon the Grammy award for Best Hard Rock Performance in 1989.

iTunes stats: 12 plays, most recently on 7/14/2012

Motley Crue – Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)

The fourth single from Motley Crue’s fifth album peaked at #19 on the Billboard Hot 100.

iTunes stats: 19 plays, most recently on 6/2/2012

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by admin

Mix Tape Monday Roundup

Between 1989, my sophomore year of high school, and 1995, my fourth year of college, I put together 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. I thought it would be a fun exercise to look back at all 20 volumes and which of my “favorite” songs I still listen to today.

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 just over 5 times each, according to my iTunes stats. Let’s take one final look back at the bands and songs that made up my youth.

Most Played Song

25 – Veruca Salt – Seether

19 – Motley Crue – Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)

18 – The Breeders – Cannonball

18 – Cher with Beavis and Butthead – I’ve Got You Babe

17 – Great White – Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Most Represented Band

11 – Poison

10 – Aerosmith

10 – Pearl Jam

7 – Def Leppard

7 – Guns N’ Roses

Most Played Tape

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by jim

Mix Tape Monday – Volume 4

Between 1989, my sophomore year of high school, and 1995, my fourth year of college, I put together 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. I thought it would be a fun exercise to look back at all 20 volumes and which of my “favorite” songs I still listen to today.

 

Volume 4 places us smack dab in the middle of my junior year of high school, from late 1990 and into 1991, and once again features a healthy dose of hair metal and pop, with a little dance electronica thrown in for good measure.  Judging solely from this tape, you would have no idea that Nirvana’s Nevermind would be released later this year.

 

Side A

Damn Yankees – High Enough

The one big hit from the supergroup featuring Ted Nugent was taped off of the radio, most likely Z95.

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

Sweet Sensation – If Wishes Came True

The pop hit was taped off the radio, courtesy of Shadoe Stevens and American Top 40.

iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 6/21/2011

Poison – Fallen Angel

This out of sequence hit was taped off the cassette, but I’m not sure whose.

iTunes stats: 11 plays, most recently on 8/7/2011

Simpsons – Do The Bart Man

With the Simpsons being the hottest thing in pop culture, the first single from their album was taped off the radio from Z95.

iTunes stats: Never played

Roxette – The Look

The first hit from Roxette was taped off of the cassette.

iTunes stats: 1 play, on 10/3/2009

Poison – I Won’t Forget You

Taped off a mixtape I “borrowed” from my friend Mike’s sister.  I’m pretty sure I gave it back eventually.

iTunes stats: 1 play, on 3/19/2011

Side B

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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 →