Tag / Hootie & The Blowfish

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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
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Fifty Years Of Music – 1996

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 1996, the year I should have graduated from college had I settled on a major earlier, went back to the bank for a second summer, returned to Purdue for my fifth and final year of college (at least for now), and turned 22.  Only 33 songs on the Hot 100 are familiar to me today, with 24 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#99: Hootie & The Blowfish – Only Wanna Be with You
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Returning for its second straight year-end chart, the track peaked at #2 on the Album Rock Tracks chart and #6 on the Hot 100.

#98: Los del Rio – Macarena
iTunes stats: N/A

The original Spanish language version of the tune, it reached #23.

#94: Ace of Base – Beautiful Life
iTunes stats: 28 plays

Topping out at #15, it was the lead single from the group’s second album in Europe and the second single in the US.

#92: Metallica – Until It Sleeps
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The band’s lone top ten hit, it went to #10.

#81: Toni Braxton – Un-Break My Heart
iTunes stats: N/A

Spending eleven total weeks atop the Hot 100, it ruled the charts from December of 1996 through mid-February of 1997.

#76: Sophie B. Hawkins – As I Lay Me Down
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Hitting the year-end chart for the second time, it peaked at #6.

#75: Sheryl Crow – If It Makes You Happy
iTunes stats: 14 plays

The lead single from Crow’s sophomore album, it reached #10 and remains her most recent top ten solo release.

#68: No Doubt – Just a Girl
iTunes stats: 38 plays

The band’s first charting single in the US, it spent 29 weeks on the Hot 100, topping out at #23.

#67: BoDeans – Closer to Free
iTunes stats: 23 plays

Hitting #16 and becoming the band’s biggest hit, it was used as the theme song for Party of Five.

#66: Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen – Theme from Mission: Impossible
iTunes stats: N/A

Recorded for the first Tom Cruise Mission: Impossible film, it peaked at #7.

#56: Oasis – Wonderwall
iTunes stats: 25 plays

The fourth single from the group’s second studio album, it spent a then-unprecedented ten weeks atop the Modern Rock Tracks chart and reached #8 on the Hot 100 in March, becoming their lone top-ten hit.

#50: Hootie & The Blowfish – Time
iTunes stats: 14 plays

The fourth single from the group’s breakout debut, it topped out at #14.

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Fifty Years Of Music – 1995

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 1995, the year I finished my third year of college, started working at the bank during the summer, returned to West Lafayette for my fourth year of college, and celebrated my 21st birthday.  This is also the year that my CD player boombox, that I got for Christmas back in 1991, started to die.  Despite numerous attempts to repair the cassette heads, nothing seemed to work.  With 44 songs that remain familiar to me today, we have fallen below 50% for the first time since 1987.  29 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#100: Van Halen – Can’t Stop Lovin’ You
iTunes stats: 0 plays

The final Van Halen track to crack the Top 40, it peaked at #30.

#99: Soul Asylum – Misery
iTunes stats: 21 plays

Reaching #20 on the Hot 100, it sat atop the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

#95: The Pretenders – I’ll Stand By You
iTunes stats: 14 plays

The second single from the group’s sixth studio album, it went to #16 on the Hot 100.

#93: Rednex – Cotton Eye Joe
iTunes stats: N/A

Based on a traditional country song, it topped out at #25.

#90: Melissa Etheridge – If I Wanted To
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #16 in March, the song was the final single from Etheridge’s breakthrough fourth studio album.

#85: Better Than Ezra – Good
iTunes stats: 17 plays

Written in late 1990/early 1991, this lead single from the group’s major label debut reached #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, #3 on the Album Rock Tracks chart, and #30 on the Billboard Hot 100.

#82: Crystal Waters – 100% Pure Love
iTunes stats: N/A

Appearing on the year end chart for the second straight year, it was one of the longest charting singles in history at the time of its release.

#81: U2 – Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Featured on the Batman Forever soundtrack, it went to #16 and received two Grammy nominations.

#78: Annie Lennox – No More I Love You’s
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from her sophomore solo effort, it topped out at #23 and was used in the first episode of The Sopranos.

#70: Bon Jovi – This Ain’t a Love Song
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #14, the ballad was the lead single from the group’s sixth studio album.

#67: Sheryl Crow – All I Wanna Do
iTunes stats: 24 plays

Ranked by Billboard as the 405th best pop song of all time, it charts for the second straight year.

#63: 69 Boyz – Tootsee Roll
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Topping out at #8 in January of 1995, it makes the year-end list for the second straight year.

#61: Tom Petty – You Don’t Know How It Feels
iTunes stats: N/A

The final Top 40 hit of Petty’s career, it reached #1 on the Album Rock Tracks chart and #13 on the Hot 100.

#60: Natalie Merchant – Carnival
iTunes stats: 30 plays

The lead single from Merchant’s solo debut, it topped out at #10 and remains her highest charting solo single.

#58: Skee-Lo – I Wish
iTunes stats: 14 plays

The first and last charting single from the rapper, his debut track went to #13 and earned a Grammy nomination.

#56: Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson – Scream
iTunes stats: N/A

The first single in the history of the Hot 100 to debut at #5, which ended up as the highpoint for the duet between the Jackson siblings.

#55: Del Amitri – Roll to Me
iTunes stats: 18 plays

The highest charting single from the Scottish band in the US, it peaked at #10.

#54: Corona – The Rhythm of the Night
iTunes stats: N/A

Released in 1993 as the group’s debut single in their home country of Italy, it eventually reached #11 in the US.

#53: Dr. Dre – Keep Their Heads Ringin’
iTunes stats: 39 plays

The lone single released from the Friday soundtrack, the song topped the Hot Rap Tracks chart and cracked the top ten at #10 on the Hot 100.

#52: Jamie Walters – Hold On
iTunes stats: 15 plays

His solo debut following the cancellation of The Heights, it topped out at #16 and was his one and only charting single.

#50: Boyz II Men – I’ll Make Love to You
iTunes stats: 21 plays

Having spent fourteen weeks at #1 in the fall of 1994, it spends its second year on the year-end chart.

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Yet Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 20

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.

At some point during the 1995-1996 school year, I noticed a slowdown in the tape players on my boombox.  It bothered me enough that I brought it in for repair multiple times, getting new heads installed, but nothing seemed to work.  Or, at least nothing made me feel like they worked and I, at least, still heard a lag.  On the plus side, I did manage to come home with a Blizzard of Oz cassette, which one of the techs must have used for testing it and left in the compartment when it was returned to me.  But, my frustration with the ongoing effort led to end for this series of tapes, with the last volume just barely stretching on to Side B.

We wrap up our look back with Volume 20, which stretches over late 1995 and the fall semester of the first of my two senior years of college, while I was living in Hilltop Apartments.

Side A

Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings
iTunes stats: 22 plays, most recently on 7/13/2022

Winner of the 1997 Grammy award for Best Hard Rock Performance, the first single from the Pumpkins double album opus picked up only five new listens over the past four years.

Melissa Etheridge – Your Little Secret

The first single from Melissa Etheridge’s under-performing follow-up to her smash hit album continues to be missing from my collection.

Lisa Loeb – Do You Sleep
iTunes stats: 23 plays, most recently on 2/11/2020

The third single from Lisa Loeb’s major label debut, which peaked at #18 on the Billboard charts, was last heard prior to the global shutdown in March of 2020.

Goo Goo Dolls – Name
iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 8/24/2022

A mere eleven play increase over the past decade for this breakthrough hit, which reached #5 on the Billboard charts.

Collective Soul – The World I Know
iTunes stats: 14 plays, most recently on 9/12/2022

The band’s highest charting single in Canada, it has picked up only five listens since mid-2018.

Edwyn Collins – A Girl Like You
iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 7/8/2021

Featured on the Empire Records soundtrack, the song went years without being heard, but managed to pick up an additional five plays in the last four years.

Garbage – Queer
iTunes stats: 28 plays, most recently on 5/14/2021

Originally recorded off of Q101, the breakthrough hit, which led to nine concerts over the past 20 years added just five listens since 2019.

Side B

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Yet Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 19

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.

I’ve done some crazy things over the years in an attempt to impress a girl that I liked.  One of the earliest was to buy tickets for a concert I really had no interest in attending just because my crush at the time liked the band’s one hit.  I had a couple things working against me: 1) she already had a boyfriend and 2) they were going to an earlier show on the tour and thus she saw the band the week before.  This is the story of I how I ended up at the Metro on the day after my 21st birthday watching Tripping Daisy with a couple hundred of my closest friends.

One of the upsides of a global pandemic and my subsequent move to remote work is that I don’t come across people  and thus no longer have any crushes to try and impress.  Saves me both time and money.

Volume 19 stretches from late summer 1995 and into the fall semester of the first of my two senior years of college.  Again, it mostly features what was considered alternative music, with Coolio interjecting some street flavor for good measure.

Side A

Tripping Daisy – I Got A Girl
iTunes stats: 14 plays, most recently on 12/10/2021

The one hit for Tripping Daisy, who I saw in concert the day after my 21st birthday, managed to make its way into my rotation a mere three times over the last four years.

Foo Fighters – This Is A Call
iTunes stats: 37 plays, most recently on 6/4/2021

Written a few months after the death of Kurt Cobain, the debut for Dave Grohl’s new venture earned eleven additional plays over these past four years.

Pearl Jam – Whipping
iTunes stats: 14 plays, most recently on 11/10/2022

Six new listens for the final appearance of Pearl Jam on these collections, which received plenty of airplay on Q101 despite not being officially released as a single.

Hootie and the Blowfish – Only Wanna Be With You
iTunes stats: 15 plays, most recently on 3/23/2022

Hootie’s ode to, among other things, the Miami Dolphins added seven new listens in the past four years.

Elastica – Stutter
iTunes stats: 12 plays, most recently on 5/20/2022

Originally released in November 1993, it was re-released the following year, made its way to radio in 1995, and doubled its listens over the past four years.

Cranberries – Ridiculous Thoughts
iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 11/19/2019

Four listens for the latest from the Cranberries, though none since the world stopped thanks to COVID.

Green Day – J.A.R.
iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 7/9/2022

Green Day’s contribution to the Angus soundtrack picked up a mere four listens over the past four years.

Alanis Morissette – Hand In My Pocket
iTunes stats: 21 plays, most recently on 11/20/2021

Hitting #4 on the Billboard charts, the second release from the juggernaut that was Jagged Little Pill added seven listens in the past four years.

Side B

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iTunes Top 200 Artists: #148-154

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 7 tied for 154th place, 2 tied for 152nd, and the first of 4 tied for 148th.  We only have 3 bands and/or performers that are newcomers to the list this week.

#154: The Mamas & The Papas
iTunes stats: 55 plays
Previous ranking: #159

Together for only 4 years in the mid-to-late 60s, the influential vocal group, inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1998, rises 4 slots while adding 26 new plays for the 3 songs in my collection.

#154: The B-52’s
iTunes stats: 55 plays
Previous ranking: #179

The Georgia-based new wave band more than doubled the listens to the 3 songs they have in my collection.

#154: B.J. Thomas
iTunes stats: 55 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

A 34 play increase for the American singer gives him an impressive debut on the chart.

#154: Tag Team
iTunes stats: 55 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

Thank to their inclusion on my Cubs victory playlist, the one hit wonders increased their listens by 250% to make a strong debut.

#154: Hootie & The Blowfish
iTunes stats: 55 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

A third straight debut, thanks in part to 34 new listens for the 5 songs Hootie has placed in my collection.

#154: Belinda Carlisle
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Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 20

20 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would 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. We last looked back at all 20 volumes three years ago to see which of my “favorite” songs still resonated in today’s digital world. Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how, or if, things have changed in the past 3 years.

We wrap up our look back with Volume 20, which stretches over late 1995 and the fall semester of the first of my two senior years of college.  At some point, I noticed that the tape players on my boom box were slowing down and, despite multiple attempts, apparently could not be repaired, which spelled the end for these collections.

Side A

Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings

Winner of the 1997 Grammy award for Best Hard Rock Performance, the first single from the Pumpkins double album opus picked up a measly 3 new listens over the past 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
6 plays 13 plays 17 plays, most recently on 1/3/2019

Melissa Etheridge – Your Little Secret

The first single from Melissa Etheridge’s under-performing followup to her smash hit album is still missing from my collection.

Lisa Loeb – Do You Sleep

The third single from Lisa Loeb’s major label debut, which peaked at #18 on the Billboard charts, nearly doubled its plays in the last 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
5 plays 10 plays 19 plays, most recently on 11/27/2018 

Goo Goo Dolls – Name

A mere 4 play increase over the past 3 years for this breakthrough hit, which reached #5 on the Billboard charts.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
2 plays 5 plays 9 plays, most recently on 8/5/2018 

Collective Soul – The World I Know

The band’s highest charting single in Canada, it has picked up only 5 listens since my 40th birthday in 2014.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
3 plays 4 plays 9 plays, most recently on 8/20/2018 

Edwyn Collins – A Girl Like You

Featured on the Empire Records soundtrack, the song went years without being heard, but managed to pick up 5 plays in the last 3+ years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
0 plays 0 plays 5 plays, most recently on 2/12/2018 

Garbage – Queer

Originally recorded off of Q101, the breakthrough hit that led to 7 concerts over the past 16 years nearly doubled its listens over the last 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
8 plays 12 plays 23 plays, most recently on 10/25/2018 

Side B

Continue reading →

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Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 19

20 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would 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. We last looked back at all 20 volumes three years ago to see which of my “favorite” songs still resonated in today’s digital world. Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how, or if, things have changed in the past 3 years.

Volume 19 stretches from late summer 1995 and into the fall semester of the first of my two senior years of college.  Again, it mostly features what was considered alternative music, with Coolio interjecting some street flavor for good measure.

Side A

Tripping Daisy – I Got A Girl

The one hit for Tripping Daisy, who I saw in concert the day after my 21st birthday, managed to nearly double its number of plays in the last 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
3 plays 6 plays 11 plays, most recently on 8/13/2018 

Foo Fighters – This Is A Call

Written a few months after the death of Kurt Cobain, the debut for Dave Grohl’s new venture earned 9 additional plays over the past 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
13 plays 17 plays 26 plays, most recently on 12/28/2018 

Pearl Jam – Whipping

The final appearance of Pearl Jam on these collections, which received plenty of airplay on Q101 despite not being officially released as a single, quadrupled its listens in the past 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
0 plays 2 plays 8 plays, most recently on 10/3/2018 

Hootie and the Blowfish – Only Wanna Be With You

Hootie’s ode to, among other things, the Miami Dolphins added 3 new listens in the past 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
2 plays 5 plays 8 plays, most recently on 12/4/2018 

Elastica – Stutter

Originally released in November 1993, it was re-released the following year, made its way to radio in 1995, and tripled its listens over the past 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
0 plays 2 plays 6 plays, most recently on 8/28/2018 

Cranberries – Ridiculous Thoughts

7 listens for the latest from the Cranberries, mostly due to the untimely death of lead singer Dolores O’Riordan in January 2018.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
0 plays 2 plays 9 plays, most recently on 11/30/2018 

Green Day – J.A.R.

Green Day’s contribution to the Angus soundtrack picked up a mere 3 listens over the past 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
7 plays 10 plays 13 plays, most recently on 1/7/2018 

Alanis Morissette – Hand In My Pocket

Hitting #4 on the Billboard charts, the second release from the juggernaut that was Jagged Little Pill added only 5 listens in the past 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
3 plays 9 plays 14 plays, most recently on 6/18/2018 

Side B

Continue reading →

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Mix Tape Monday Revisited 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. Three years ago, we looked back at all 20 volumes and which of my “favorite” songs I still listened to. Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how things have changed in the last 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 just over 8.5 times each, according to my iTunes stats, up from just over 5 times 3 years ago. Let’s take one final look back at the bands and songs that made up my youth.

Most Played Song

30 – Veruca Salt – Seether

28 – Boyz II Men – It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye

25 – Mazzy Star – Fade Into You

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

22 – Coolio – Gangsta’s Paradise

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

22 – Great White – Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Most Played Song – Largest Total Increase

16 – Mazzy Star – Fade Into You

13 – Pearl Jam – Go

12 – 10,000 Maniacs – Because The Night

11 – Boyz II Men – It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye

11 – Coolio – Gangsta’s Paradise

Most Played Song – Largest Percentage Increase

800% – REM – Bang and Blame

700% – Roxette – The Look

500% – Collective Soul – Gel

500% – Green Day – Geek Stink Breath

400% – 6 songs

Most Represented Band

11 – Poison

10 – Aerosmith

10 – Pearl Jam

7 – Def Leppard

7 – Guns N’ Roses

Most Played Tape

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Mix Tape Monday Revisited – Volume 20

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. Three years ago, we looked back at all 20 volumes and which of my “favorite” songs I still listened to. Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how things have changed in the last 3 years.

We wrap up our look back with Volume 20, which stretches over late 1995 and the fall semester of the first of my two senior years of college.  At some point, I noticed that the tape players on my boom box were slowing down and, despite multiple attempts, apparently could not be repaired, which spelled the end for these collections.

Side A

Smashing Pumpkins – Bullet With Butterfly Wings

A healthy doubling plus for the first single from the Pumpkins double album opus.

2012 iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 5/11/2012

2015 iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 6/25/2015

Melissa Etheridge – Your Little Secret

The first single from Melissa Etheridge’s under-performing followup to her smash hit album is still missing from my collection.

Lisa Loeb – Do You Sleep

The first single from Lisa Loeb’s major label debut doubled its plays in the last 3 years.

2012 iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 8/27/2011

2015 iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 7/21/2015

Goo Goo Dolls – Name

A slight 3 play increase over the past part 3 years for the first hit from the Goo Goo Dolls.

2012 iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 5/21/2012

2015 iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 3/3/2015

Collective Soul – The World I Know

The latest middling hit from Collective Soul was only heard once in the past 3 years, on my 40th birthday.

2012 iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 6/2/2012

2015 iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 10/27/2014

Edwyn Collins – A Girl Like You

The hit from the Empire Records soundtrack has yet to be heard.

2012 iTunes stats: Never played

2015 iTunes stats: Never played

Garbage – Queer

The breakthrough hit for Shirley Manson and the boys picked up only 4 new listens over the last 3 years.

2012 iTunes stats: 8 plays, most recently on 5/21/2012

2015 iTunes stats: 12 plays, most recently on 7/24/2015

Side B

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