Tag / Nirvana

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

iTunes Top 100: #21 – 29

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 9 songs from #21 through #29.

#21: The Crystal Method – Bones Theme

The theme song to the FOX staple.

iTunes stats: 30 plays, most recently on 3/29/2013

#21: Foo Fighters – My Hero

A live version from their concert in London’s Hyde Park.

iTunes stats: 30 plays, most recently on 3/23/2013

#23: Foo Fighters – Everlong

A live version from their concert in London’s Hyde Park.

iTunes stats: 28 plays, most recently on 8/22/2012

#24: Barenaked Ladies – If I Had $1,000,000

Recorded live at Chicago’s Metro theater.

iTunes stats: 27 plays, most recently on 4/25/2013

#24: Katy Perry – I Kissed A Girl

Ranked #66 for the decade of the 2000s by Billboard magazine.

iTunes stats: 27 plays, most recently on 4/17/2013

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by admin

Mix Tape Monday – Live Tracks 4

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 fourth 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 the final disc in this collection: Live Music, volume 4.

Foo Fighters – Everlong

iTunes stats: Never played

No Doubt – Just A Girl

Recorded live on a German radio station and released as a bonus track on the Rock Steady album.

iTunes stats: 8 plays, most recently on 5/3/2012

The Bangles – Hazy Shade Of Winter

From their 10/02/2000 concert at the House of Blues in New York.

iTunes stats: Never played

Avril Lavigne – Sk8r Boi

iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 6/7/2011

Aerosmith – Dream On

iTunes stats: Never played

Garbage – Androgyny

Broadcast live on WXRT from an in-store appearance at Virgin Megastore in Chicago.

iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 8/22/2012

Soul Asylum – Runaway Train

iTunes stats: Never played

Stone Temple Pilots – Plush

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 5/20/2013

The Bangles – Manic Monday

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 11/19/2012

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by admin

Mix Tape Monday – Live Tracks 3

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 third 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 3.

Garbage – Wild Horses

Recorded for Re:Covered, a BBC Choice music show where contemporary artists performed their new single and an old classic.

iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 8/9/2012

No Doubt – Obladi, Oblada

Recorded at The Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim in Anaheim, California on May 31, and June 1, 1997 and released on video on November 11, 1997.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 2/15/2013

Soundgarden – Helter Skelter

Likely recorded during their 1996 West Coast tour, where they played the song often.

iTunes stats: Never played

Jewel – Somewhere Over The Rainbow

Jewel eventually covered the Wizard of Oz classic for her Lullaby album.

iTunes stats: Never played

REM – I Am Superman

Potentially recorded live in Holland in 1987.

iTunes stats: Never played

Alice Cooper – School’s Out

From his 1995 best of compilation from his association with Epic records.

iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 1/9/2013

Aerosmith – What It Takes

From their Little South Of Sanity live album, recorded between 1993 and 1998.

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

Nirvana – About A Girl

iTunes stats: Never played

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by admin

Mix Tape Monday – Live Tracks 2

After my tape deck crapped out in 1997, I was stuck listening to either the radio or full albums in whatever order the artist intended. That all changed in 2001, when the new-fangled MP3 technology got combined with my new CD burner.

In addition to the occasional series of CDs I had burned in order to keep abreast of new music, I had created a bunch of genre-specific mixes that could be used both in the car and at the gym. This week we will take a look at the second disc covering the world of live music.  If one were to judge my enjoyment of these discs based on how often I listen to the same songs today, this would likely go down as my least favorite disc.  That probably says more about the audio quality of some of these bootlegs than the musical quality. So, without further ado, I bring you Live Music, volume 2.

Garbage – Vow

I have 6 different live versions of this song on MP3, so I’m not exactly sure which version this is.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 9/1/2011

Van Halen – You Really Got Me

I am led to believe that this version was from the early days of the band, before they had become the huge superstars they were destined to be.

iTunes stats: Never played

Aerosmith – Dream On

Performed live with an orchestra for MTV’s 10th anniversary special.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 8/31/2011

No Doubt – Don’t Speak

In 1997, the song was ranked at number 495 on Blender magazine’s “The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born”.

iTunes stats: Never played

Veruca Salt – Volcano Girls

The last hit featuring Nina Gordon as a member of the band.

iTunes stats: Never played

Mazzy Star – Fade Into You

Pitchfork Media placed the song at number 19 on their Top 200 Tracks of the 90s.

iTunes stats: Never played

The Beatles – I Saw Her Standing There

In 2004, it was ranked #139 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

iTunes stats: Never played

Liz Phair – Polyester Bride

Recorded live at the Vic.

iTunes stats: Never played

Alanis Morissette – Uninvited

I have 2 live versions of this, one from MTV Unplugged and one from VH1 Storytellers.

iTunes stats: 1 play,  on 10/2/2008

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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 – December 2002

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.

Christmas time has come in the year 2002, and for some reason I celebrated by slapping 6 Run-DMC and Kool Moe Dee songs to the end of this CD, which also featured new songs by Nirvana, Foo Fighters, and Eminem.

Puddle Of Mudd – She Hates Me

This song became Puddle of Mudd’s second single to sell over 500,000 copies in the United States.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 9/30/2011

Soul Asylum – Somebody To Shove

The debut single from Grave Dancer’s Union.

iTunes stats: 14 plays, most recently on 5/25/2012

The Breeders – Divine Hammer

The second hit for the Deal sisters.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 12/18/2012

Nirvana – You Know You’re Right

The final song recorded by Nirvana.  Courtney Love fought for years to block its release.

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

Foo Fighters – All My Life

Meanwhile, Dave Grohl has this side project he’s been working on…

iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 9/26/2012

Primitive Radio Gods – Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand

The hit from the Cable Guy soundtrack featured a sample of B.B. King.

iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 5/25/2012

Urge Overkill – Girl, You’ll Be A Woman Soon

The cover of the Neil Diamond hit was featured in Pulp Fiction.

iTunes stats: 9 plays, most recently on 10/16/2012

The Wonders – That Thing You Do

The big hit for the faux-60s rockers from That Thing You Do.

iTunes stats: 14 plays, most recently on 7/25/2012

PJ Harvey – This Is Love

The song, featured on the Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back soundtrack, earned Polly Jean a Grammy nomination.

iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 5/26/2012

Christina Aguilera – Dirrty

Christina Aguilera returns to prove she’s no longer the squeaky clean teen pop-star from her debut album.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 11/29/2012

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by admin

Mix Tape Monday – September 2002

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 CD was likely the first one I burned here in the (then) new house, which is now just the house.  It includes the latest from Eminem, Pink, and Avril Lavigne.

Eminem – Cleaning Out My Closet

Eminem’s latest is another ode to all of the bad things that happened to him growing up.

iTunes stats: 14 plays, most recently on 10/23/2012

Whale – Hobo Humpin Slobo Babe

The first single from the Swedish pop group reached #24 on the US Modern Rock charts.

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

Pink – Just Like A Pill

The third single from Missundaztood was Pink’s first number 1 single in the UK.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 5/14/2012

Bjork – Big Time Sensuality

The fourth single from Bjork’s first post-Sugarcubes solo album.

iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 11/19/2012

Avril Lavigne – Sk8r Boi

The second single from the debut album from the Canadian pop punk princess.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 11/9/2012

Weezer – Keep Fishin

The video for this remix featured the Muppets.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 9/27/2012

Me First And The Gimmee Gimmees – The Rainbow Connection

Speaking of the Muppets, this punk cover of Kermit’s big hit is from the group’s second album.

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

The Hives – Hate To Say I Told You So

Originally released in 2000, this signature hit for the Swedish garage band was re-released in 2002 and became a hit.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 7/30/2012

Sponge – Plowed

Rotting Pinata first charted on the Billboard 200 nearly a year after its release thanks to this song.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 9/27/2012

Nirvana – Verse Chorus Verse

A hidden track from the AIDS-benefit compilation No Alternative that apparently should have been called “Sappy.”

iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 10/16/2012

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by admin

Mix Tape Monday – Tape #1

Earlier this year, we looked at the 20 volumes of mix tapes that I had made between 1989 and 1995, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD.  In addition to those, I had 2 tapes that consisted of songs that I liked, but, for differing reasons, did not make it to the main set.  I thought it would be fun to take another look back at those two cassettes, how much I listen to those songs now, and why they did not qualify for the main set of mix tapes.

 

Side A

Red Hot Chili Peppers – Soul To Squeeze

This song was from the Coneheads soundtrack, released in 1993.  I’m not sure what held the song back, as it ranks high today in my list of favorite Chili Pepper songs.

iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 8/29/2011

Aerosmith – Sweet Emotion

At some point, I stopped putting old songs on the main series of mix tapes and shunted them off to this collection.  This Aerosmith hit, originally released in the 70s, was re-released as the single from the Pandora’s Box boxset.

iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 6/17/2012

EMF – Unforgettable

The one hit from EMF certainly should have made it to the main series of tapes.  Maybe I just never got it recorded until it was too late?

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 9/1/2011

REM – Drive (Live)

This live version of the debut single from Automatic For The People was recorded for Greenpeace.

Stone Temple Pilots – Plush

One thing I did notice was that for bands I ended up reallly liking, like Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and STP, their first breakthrough hit did not make it on to my favorites tapes.

iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 10/13/2010

Motley Crue – Kickstart My Heart

Again, not sure why this wouldn’t have made it to the main tapes, unless it came out before those tapes started.  The timing would have been close.

iTunes stats: 9 plays, most recently on 6/17/2012

REM – Stand

The title song from the Chris Elliot show Get A Life would have pre-dated the other collection of favorite songs.

iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 7/13/2012

Guns N’ Roses – Patience

With the overwhelming success of Appetite For Destruction, a quickie EP was released with previously released material and this song, which would have come out right around the time the other series of tapes was starting off.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 8/15/2011

Van Halen – Jump

Since this song came out in 1984, it was relegated to this backup tape as opposed to the main stream.

iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 10/2/2012

Def Leppard – Bringin’ On The Heartbreak

This Def Leppard song easily pre-dates my collection of favorite songs, as it came out in the early 1980s.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 5/25/2012

Side B

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