Tag / Guns N’ Roses

by admin

iTunes Top 200 Wrap-Up

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 had been five years since we last counted down the Top 200 songs in my iTunes library.  Last week, we finished our journey through the latest list of my most listened to songs since late 2007.  Now it’s time to take a final look at those 210 songs and the artists that made them.  The average number of listens was just over 52, with the median number being 41.  There were 35 new entries, and, overall, there was an average increase of just a tad over nine listens per song.

Most Represented Band

15 – Foo Fighters
9 – The Beatles
8 – The Cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
7 – Garbage
6 – The Lonely Island

Largest Increase

74 – Harry Caray – Take Me Out To The Ballgame
71 – Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers –Let’s Go-Go-Go White Sox
69 – Steam – Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
68 – AC/DC – Thunderstruck
64 – Blues Brothers – Sweet Home Chicago

Smallest Increase

0 – The Beatles – Can’t Buy Me Love
0 – The Crystal Method – Bones Theme
2 – Dr. John – My Opinionation
2 – Chance The Rapper – Stand Up Part 2
2 – The Lonely Island – Natalie’s Rap (ft. Natalie Portman & Chris Parnell)
2 – P.O.D. – Boom

Most Recently Played

12/27/2024 7:51 PM – Mott the Hoople – All the Young Dudes
12/18/2024 5:26 PM – Foo Fighters – Everlong
12/18/2024 4:48 PM – Jay Z – Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)
12/18/2024 11:59 AM – Steam – Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
12/18/2024 4:27 PM – The Beatles – Eight Days a Week

Least Recently Played

9/30/2019 5:13 PM – The Beates – Can’t Buy Me Love
11/27/2019 6:02 PM – The Crystal Method – Bones Theme
10/11/2021 12:09 AM – Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child o’ Mine
10/29/2021 11:32 PM – The Wonders – That Thing You Do
1/4/2022 12:16 PM – Aerosmith – Janie’s Got a Gun

by admin

iTunes Top 200: #77 – 89

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 two remaining songs tied for 89th place with 42 plays and begin the first batch of tunes with 43 plays apiece, good enough for 77th place since my stats began in late 2007.

#89: Cracker – Teen Angst (What The World Needs Now)
iTunes stats: 42 plays, most recently on 12/17/2024
Previous ranking: #68

This entry, which charted at #1 on the US Modern Rock Tracks, arguably broke Cracker into the mainstream.

#89: Concrete Blonde – Joey
iTunes stats: 42 plays, most recently on 3/31/2024
Previous ranking: #68

The band’s biggest hit, which spent four weeks atop the Modern Rock Tracks chart and hit #19 on the Billboard Hot 100.

#77: TLC – Creep
iTunes stats: 43 plays, most recently on 1/5/2024
Previous ranking: #98

The lead single from the band’s second album, the group’s first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

#77: Mott the Hoople – All the Young Dudes
iTunes stats: 43 plays, most recently on 12/27/2024
Previous ranking: #79

Written by the David Bowie, the song was rated #253 in the list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone.

#77: The Lonely Islands – Dick in a Box (ft. Justin Timberlake)
iTunes stats: 43 plays, most recently on 11/12/2024
Previous ranking: #68

The SNL Digital Short premiered on December 16, 2006 and became a viral hit when the uncensored version was posted online the following day.

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by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 2003

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 2003, the year I celebrated the completion of my 28th trip around the sun.  A mere 22 songs remain familiar to me today, with just 15 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#98: Eminem – Superman
iTunes stats: 12 plays

Peaking at #15, it was the third single from his fourth studio album.

#89: Eminem – Sing for the Moment
iTunes stats: 12 plays

Sampling Aerosmith’s Dream On, it reached #14 on the Hot 100.

#79: Christina Aguilera – Fighter
iTunes stats: 13 plays

Inspired by November Rain by Guns N’ Roses, it topped out at #20.

#76: Chingy featuring Ludacris and Snoop Dogg – Holidae In
iTunes stats: 11 plays

The second single from the rapper’s debut album, it went to #3 on the Hot 100.

#73: Jewel – Intuition
iTunes stats: 0 plays

Starting a shift to a more pop sound, the lead single from her fifth studio album peaked at #20.

#70: Puddle of Mudd – She Hates Me
iTunes stats: 21 plays

Originally written in 1993, it became the fourth and final single released from the band’s debut album, reaching #13.

#59: No Doubt featuring Lady Saw – Underneath It All
iTunes stats: 12 plays

Spending two weeks at #3, the song remains their highest charting single.

#55: Jennifer Lopez – Jenny from the Block
iTunes stats: N/A

Topping out at #3, it was the lead single from the actress/singer’s third studio album.

#51: Ludacris featuring Shawnna – Stand Up
iTunes stats: 33 plays

Spending a single week atop the Hot 100 in December of 2003, it spent 28 total weeks on the chart.

#36: Missy Elliot – Work it
iTunes stats: 21 plays

The rapper’s most successful single, it spent ten weeks at #2.

#35: Dixie Chicks – Landslide
iTunes stats: N/A

A cover of the Fleetwood Mac song, it went to #7 on the Hot 100 before its run was cut short by singer Natalie Maines’ criticisms of President George W. Bush triggered a boycott.

#30: Justin Timberlake – Cry Me a River
iTunes stats: N/A

Inspired by his relationship with Britney Spears, it peaked at #3.

#28: Eminem – Lose Yourself
iTunes stats: 55 plays

Spending 16 weeks in the top ten, it spent twelve of those weeks at #1 to wrap up 2002 and start 2003.

#18: Avril Lavigne – I’m with You
iTunes stats: 11 plays

Reaching #4, the singer’s third single was inspired by her feelings of loneliness over being single.

#16: Christina Aguilera – Beautiful
iTunes stats: 18 plays

Written and produced by Linda Perry, the song became Aguilera’s longest-charting solo hit, spending 27 weeks on the Hot 100 topping out at #2.

#13: Nelly, P. Diddy, and Murphy Lee – Shake Ya Tailfeather
iTunes stats: N/A

Featured on the Bad Boys II soundtrack, it spent four weeks atop the Hot 100 in the fall of 2003.

#11: Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz featuring Ying Yang Twins – Get Low
iTunes stats: N/A

The debut single from Lil Jon and friends went to #2.

#10: Evanescence featuring Paul McCoy – Bring Me To Life
iTunes stats: 32 plays

The lead single from the group’s debut album, it topped the Modern Rock chard and reached #5 on the Hot 100.

#7: Chngy – Right Thurr
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The rapper’s debut single, it spent five non-consecutive weeks at #2.

#4: Beyonce featuring Jay-Z – Crazy in Love
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from Beyonce’s solo debut, it spent eight weeks at #1.

#2: R. Kelly – Ignition
iTunes stats: N/A

Parodied by Dave Chappelle on his Comedy Central show, it spent five weeks at #2.

#1: 50 Cent – In da Club
iTunes stats: 12 plays

The lead single from his debut album, it spent nine weeks atop the Hot 100.

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 jim

Fifty Years Of Music – 1989

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 1989, the year I finished my freshman year of high school and started my sophomore year.  Z95 and B96 continued to be the hit stations in Chicago and provided the majority of the soundtrack of that year.  At 68 songs, we are nearing 70% of the Hot 100 that remain familiar to me today, with 44 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#99 Don Henley – The End of the Innocence
iTunes stats: N/A

The Eagles drummer and sometimes singer reached #8 with the title track from his third solo album.

#93 Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal
iTunes stats: N/A

The sixth top-ten single from Jackson’s Bad album, this track peaked at #7.

#91 Alice Cooper – Poison
iTunes stats: 18 plays

Hitting #7, it was Cooper’s fist top ten hit in a dozen years.

#88 Rick Astley – She Wants to Dance with Me
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from Astley’s sophomore effort, it became his fourth consecutive top ten hit, peaking at #6.

#87 Samantha Fox – I Wanna Have Some Fun
iTunes stats: 24 plays

Reaching #8, the title track for the former Page 3 model was her third, and final, US top ten hit.

#86 Guns N’ Roses – Paradise City
iTunes stats: 14 plays

Ranked by VH1 as the 21st greatest metal song of all time, the final single from the group’s debut album rose to #5 on the Hot 100.

#84: Edie Brickell & New Bohemians – What I Am
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The group’s only Top 40 hit, it reached #7.

#82: Bon Jovi – Lay Your Hands on Me
iTunes stats: 11 plays

The fourth and final top ten hit from New Jersey, it peaked #7.

#81: Aerosmith – Love in an Elevator
iTunes stats: 18 plays

The band reached #5 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart with their lead single from Pump, their tenth studio album.

#77: Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne – Close My Eyes Forever
iTunes stats: 25 plays

The highest-charting solo single for both Ford and Osbourne, it peaked at #8.

#76: REM – Stand
iTunes stats: 33 plays

The future theme song of the Chris Elliot vehicle Get a Life, the song hit #6, giving the band their second top ten hit.

#74: Guns N’ Roses – Welcome to the Jungle
iTunes stats: 17 plays

Named the second greatest metal song by VH1 in 2008, it peaked at #7 on the Hot 100.

#71: Guns N’ Roses – Patience
iTunes stats: 26 plays

Reaching #4, the song is thought to be about the troubled relationship between singer Axl Rose and his ex-wife.

#68: The Cure – Lovesong
iTunes stats: N/A

The group’s only top ten hit on the Hot 100, it rose to #2 In October of 1989.

#66: Bangles – In Your Room
iTunes stats: 19 plays

The lead single from the band’s third album, it peaked at #5 in January of 1989.

#65: Tone Loc – Funky Cold Medina
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The second and final Top 40 hit for the rapper and producer, it reached #3 and became just the second ever platinum-certified rap single.

#61: Skid Row – 18 and Life
iTunes stats: 8 plays

The band’s biggest hit, it reached #4 on the Hot 100 and #11 on the Album Rock Tracks chart.

#60: White Lion – When the Children Cry
iTunes stats: 18 plays

Written by the group’s lead singer about his childhood with a single mother, it made it to #3 on the Hot 100.

#59: Madonna – Cherish
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #2, it gave Madonna the record for the most consecutive top-five singles with 16.

#58: Tears For Fears – Sowing the Seeds of Love
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from the group’s third studio album, it reached #2, becoming their fourth and final top ten hit.

#57: Donny Osmond – Soldier of Love
iTunes stats: N/A

Originally unreleased in the US since Osmond didn’t have a record deal, it eventually topped out at #2, becoming Osmond’s sixth and last top ten hit.

#55: Madonna – Express Yourself
iTunes stats: 17 plays

Accompanied by a music video directed by David Fincher, it peaked at #2.

#54: Richard Marx – Satisfied
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from his second album, it became the second of three consecutive #1 singles for Marx.

#53: Def Leppard – Armageddon It
iTunes stats: 29 plays

The sixth single released off of Hysteria, it went to #3, becoming the band’s third top ten hit.

#52: New Kids on the Block – You Got It (The Right Stuff)
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #3 in March, it was the second single released from the group’s second album.

#51: Love and Rockets – So Alive
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Easily the band’s biggest US hit, it reached #3 on the Hot 100 and spent five weeks at #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

Continue reading →

by admin

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 →

by admin

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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by admin

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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by admin

Yet Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 9

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.

Once upon a time, people had to leave their homes to get music.  One of the stores you could go to get the latest music was Musicland, a mostly mall-based company that thrived in the 80s and early 90s.  One of the free-standing outposts of Musicland was located in West Lafayette, a mere stone’s throw away from the Purdue campus.

I found myself in that particular Musicland on the night of April 19, 1993.  Aerosmith’s eleventh studio album, Get A Grip, was going on sale the next day and they were going to start selling copies at midnight.  I remember things being kind of loose, with a lot of people browsing, but I managed to grab my copy and then head home for the night.  Did I listen to the album that night?  No, I don’t think so.  Did I need to go out in the middle of the night to buy a CD?  No.  But hey, it was better than sitting in my dorm room all night.

That was kind of the last hurrah for that Musicland location.  Within the year, it would be converted into a bar called Kazoo’s.

Volume 9 places us squarely in the early months of 1993, overlapping with the second semester of my freshman year of college.  The hip hop and pop are rounded out with some alternative and what passes for hair metal in the post-grunge era.

Side A

Dan Baird – I Love You Period
iTunes stats: 20 plays, most recently on 3/12/2022

Despite never having heard this song, which peaked at #26 on the Billboard charts, on the radio in the state of Illinois, I’ve somehow managed to add six new listens over the past four years.

Ugly Kid Joe – Cats In The Cradle
iTunes stats: 16 plays, most recently on 11/30/2022

The cover of the Harry Chapin hit, which gave the band their highest charting hit of their career, picked up a mere six new plays since 2018.

Arrested Development – Mr. Wendal
iTunes stats: 24 plays, most recently on 3/3/2021

The story of a wise homeless man, which hit #6 on the Billboard charts, managed to pick up five plays over the past four years.

Naughty By Nature – Hip Hop Hooray
iTunes stats: 30 plays, most recently on 9/27/2022

Seven new plays over these past four years for the 45th biggest hit of 1993.

Positive K – I Got A Man
iTunes stats: 20 plays, most recently on 12/10/2021

The rappers only top 40 hit, peaking at #14, garnered a slight six play increase in the last four years.

R.E.M.def l – Man On The Moon
iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 2/27/2022

The tribute to comedian Andy Kaufman, which peaked at #2 on the Alternative Songs chart, picked up a mere four new listens over the past four years.

Aerosmith – Livin’ On The Edge
iTunes stats: 19 plays, most recently on 8/4/2022

Spending nine weeks atop the Album Rock Tracks chart, the first single from the band’s eleventh studio album more than doubled its previous play total over the past four years.

Side B

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by admin

Yet Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 7

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.

Back in the day, the acquisition of music was a much more tactile experience than it is today.  Going out to a store, physically touching the racks of CDs or cassettes while looking for the right one… it could create a memory just as vivid as those tied to the music itself.

I remember clear as day, just over thirty years later, going to the record store after my last final of first semester and coming out of JL Records with both Guns N’ Roses’ Use Your Illusion I and AC/DC’s Live.  Something to celebrate the end of that first go-around in school before heading home for winter break.  I remember going to Orland Square Mall and coming home with Toad The Wet Sprocket’s Fear and TLC’s Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip.  I remember picking up a used copy of Tesla’s Five Man Acoustical Jam at Discount Den and then trading it for LL Cool J’s Mama Said Knock You Out at the record store in Purdue West whose name is escaping me at the moment.

Compare that to today.  Do I have any particular memory of downloading, say, Taylor Swift’s 1984 on MP3?  Or buying Strange Little Birds by Garbage off of Amazon?  Of course not.  It’s even worse for streaming.  So, while music is more available and ubiquitous than it ever has been before, we do lose a little something in the trade.

Volume 7, containing songs from those long-remembered CDs, covers the fall of 1992 and the end of the first semester of my freshman year of college.  We are treated to the last gasps of hair metal and pop, with a little dance, alternative and hip-hop thrown in for good measure.

Side A

Guns N’ Roses – November Rain
iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 11/11/2021

The longest song ever to crack the top 10 on the Billboard charts, peaking at #3, the opus, which checks in at 3 seconds shy of 9 minutes, picked up just six new plays in the last four years.

Def Leppard – Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad
iTunes stats: 16 plays, most recently on 11/10/2022

The 86th biggest hit of 1992 managed to double its plays since 2019.

Toad The Wet Sprocket – All I Want
iTunes stats: 25 plays, most recently on 11/20/2021

Topping out at #15 on the Billboard charts, the first hit from Toad the Wet Sprocket only picked up four new listens over the past four years.

Tesla – Signs
iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 9/27/2021

Reaching #8 on the Billboard Hot 100, the live track, recorded in 1990, has gained a mere nine listens since 2012.

Soup Dragons – Divine Thing
iTunes stats: 22 plays, most recently on 6/14/2021

The alternative dance single that became a moderate alternative hit in the US gained just two additional listens, with the latest coming over two and a half years ago.

Ugly Kid Joe – Neighbor
iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 12/8/2022

The lead single from Ugly Kid Joe’s major label debut, this track added five plays since 2019.

The Heights – How Do You Talk To An Angel
iTunes stats: 20 plays, most recently on 11/29/2021

The theme song from the short-lived FOX show The Heights, nominated for the 1993 Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music and Lyrics Emmy, picked up six new plays.

Side B

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