Tag / Peter Tork

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iTunes Top 200 Artists: #21-29

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 the next batch of ten artists, half of which I have seen perform live at least once.

#29: Guns N’ Roses
iTunes stats: 360 plays
Previous ranking: #29

Axl Rose and his sometimes friends add 96 new listens to the now 21 songs in my collection, enabling them to remain at the same position in the rankings.

#29: Avril Lavigne
iTunes stats: 360 plays
Previous ranking: #27

The eight-time Grammy nominee, who somehow has 25 tracks that I’ve listened to in my collection, added just 63 new plays, which moved her down two spots on the charts.

#28: The Monkees
iTunes stats: 371 plays
Previous ranking: #28

The made-for-TV band, who are down to two living members following the death of Peter Tork in 2019, had a 33% increase in their listens, keeping them even in the rankings.

#27: Veruca Salt
iTunes stats: 373 plays
Previous ranking: #26

The girls from Chicago, who I saw live in Champaign back in the day, used fourteen songs to increase their plays by 73, allowing them to drop just a single slot.

#26: Weezer
iTunes stats: 400 plays
Previous ranking: #25

The 19 songs in my collection picked up 98 new listens, helping the band drop a spot in the rankings. Continue reading →

by admin

iTunes Top 200 Artists: #21-30

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 the next batch of 10 artists, zooming into the 300 listen territory with reckless abandon.

#30: Metallica
iTunes stats: 263 plays
Previous ranking: #35

The one-time masters of metal manage to go up 5 spots in the rankings thanks to 115 new listens, despite dropping off my myriad White Sox victory playlists.

#29: Guns N’ Roses
iTunes stats: 264 plays
Previous ranking: #33

Axl Rose and his sometimes friends add 115 new listens to the now 21 songs in my collection to enable them to move up 4 positions in the rankings.

#28: The Monkees
iTunes stats: 279 plays
Previous ranking: #33

The made-for-TV band, who lost Peter Tork in 2019, had an 87% increase in their listens, moving them up 5 spots in the rankings.

#27: Avril Lavigne
iTunes stats: 297 plays
Previous ranking: #32

The 8 time Grammy nominee, who somehow has 25 tracks that I’ve listened to in my collection, added 145 new plays, which moved her up 5 spots on the charts.

#26: Veruca Salt
iTunes stats: 300 plays
Previous ranking: #26

The girls from Chicago, who I saw live in Champaign back in the day, used 14 songs to increase their plays by 125, allowing them to stay in the exact same slot.

#25: Weezer
Continue reading →

by admin

Concert Flashback: The Monkees

01monkeesFollowing a resurgence in customer interest after their appearances on VH1’s Behind The Music and the E! True Hollywood Story, Mickey Dolenz, Davy Jones, and Peter Tork decided to regroup (sans Michael Nesmith) and go on their first tour since 1997 as the Monkees.  Their Chicagoland appearance was a Sunday afternoon at the Star Plaza Theatre in beautiful Merrillville, Indiana.

To say this was unlike any other show I had been to would be a bit of an understatement.  For one thing, it was a Sunday afternoon.  Also, the average age of the crowd was about 75, give or take a decade.  Which meant that everyone stayed in their seats for the entire show.  Thirdly, there was no opening act.  Instead, the supporting act, the never heard of before or since group known as Natural, came out in the middle of the show to give the old timers a bit of a break.

According to the Interwebs, the trio hit all of the bands biggest hits, even those originally fronted by Nesmith.  I suppose a good time was had by all in attendance.