Tag / Rihanna

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iTunes Top 200: #60

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 first ten songs tied for 60th place with 46 plays since my stats began in late 2007.

#60: Weird Al Yankovic – White & Nerdy
iTunes stats: 46 plays, most recently on 6/21/2024
Previous ranking: #47

A parody of the song Ridin’ by Chamillionaire and Krayzie Bone, which became Weird Al’s first ever top ten hit.

#60: Dr. John – My Opinionation
iTunes stats: 46 plays, most recently on 11/4/2023
Previous ranking: #36

The theme song to Blossom, the 90s pantheon to weird teenage girls being themselves.

#60: Motley Crue – Don’t Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
iTunes stats: 46 plays, most recently on 12/19/2023
Previous ranking: #125

The fourth single from the band’s fifth studio album, it reached #19 on the Billboard Hot 100.

#60: The Lonely Island – Shy Ronnie 2: Ronnie & Clyde (feat. Rihanna)
iTunes stats: 46 plays, most recently on 6/26/2024
Previous ranking: #68

A track from the comedy group’s second album, it earned them a Creative Arts Emmy Award nomination.

#60: Ice Cube – It Was a Good Day
iTunes stats: 46 plays, most recently on 11/27/2024
Previous ranking: #89

Peaking at #15, it remains the highest-charting single of Ice Cube’s career.

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iTunes Top 200: #113 – 124

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 final batch of songs tied for 124th place with 39 plays apiece and begins the first group of songs scoring 40 plays, tied for 113th place, since my stats began in late 2007.

#124: Crew Cuts – Sh-Boom
iTunes stats: 39 plays, most recently on 3/10/2023
Previous ranking: #125

The hit by the Canadian doo-wop group spent nine weeks at #1 during August and September of 1954 and may have appeared in Clue: The Movie.

#124: Cracker – Get Off This
iTunes stats: 39 plays, most recently on 11/5/2024
Previous ranking: #112

Written as a response to fans who accused the band of selling out for making music that was more mainstream than singer David Lowery’s previous band, Camper Van Beethoven.

#124: Cracker – Low
iTunes stats: 39 plays, most recently on 2/9/2024
Previous ranking: #112

The debut single from the band’s sophomore effort, it reached #3 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart in November 1993 and #5 on the Album Rock Tracks chart in March 1994.

#124: The Cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer – The Parking Ticket
iTunes stats: 39 plays, most recently on 12/15/2024
Previous ranking: #112

Included in the seventh episode of the sixth season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it features vocals from producer Marti Noxon.

#124: Boyz II Men – End of the Road
iTunes stats: 39 plays, most recently on 12/6/2024
Previous ranking: NR

Originally released on the Boomerang soundtrack, the song won two Grammys and set a then-record of thirteen straight weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

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Fifty Years Of Music – 2013

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 2013, the year I celebrated my 39th birthday.  A mere seven of these songs remain familiar to me today, with just three of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#73: Ylvis – The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)
iTunes stats: N/A

A novelty song by a Norwegian comedy duo, it spent three weeks at #3.

#71: Taylor Swift – 22
iTunes stats: 4 plays

The sixth track from her fourth studio album to hit the Top 20, it reached #20.

#55: Psy – Gangham Style
iTunes stats: N/A

Only the second K-Pop song to chart on the Hot 100, it spent seven weeks at #2.

#28: Icona Pop featuring Charli XCX – I Love It
iTunes stats: 143 plays

The first US hit for both artists, it went all the way to #7.

#27: Rihanna – Diamonds
iTunes stats: N/A

The twelfth #1 hit of Rihanna’s career, it spent three weeks atop the Hot 100.

#18: Miley Cyrus – Wrecking Ball
iTunes stats: N/A

Spending three non-consecutive weeks at #1, it became her first chart-topping hit.

#16: Taylor Swift – I Knew You Were Trouble
iTunes stats: 3 plays

The second single from her fourth studio album, it peaked at #2.

#15: Lorde – Royals
iTunes stats: N/A

Spending nine weeks at #1, Lorde became the youngest female artist in 26 years, since Tiffany in 1987, to top the Hot 100.

#11: Bruno Mars – Locked Out of Heaven
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from his sophomore effort, it spent six weeks at #1 across 2012 and 2013.

#10: Katy Perry – Roar
iTunes stats: 2 plays

Nominated for two Grammy awards, it spent two weeks atop the Hot 100.

#2: Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell – Blurred Lines
iTunes stats: N/A

The longest-running #1 single of 2013, it topped the charts for twelve weeks.

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Fifty Years Of Music – 2010

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 2010, the year I celebrated my 36th birthday.  A mere seven of these songs remain familiar to me today, with four of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#87: Kings of Leon – Use Somebody
iTunes stats: 28 plays

The group’s first US hit, it peaked at #4 and remains their lone top ten hit.

#67: Miley Cyrus – Party in the U.S.A.
iTunes stats: N/A

Debuting at #2, it was the highest debut by a female artist since 2005.

#57: Taylor Swift – You Belong with Me
iTunes stats: 2 plays

Debuting at #12, it gave Swift her Top 20 debut of the year, a record she shares with the Jonas Brothers.

#29: Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling
iTunes stats: 33 plays

The group’s longest charting single, it spent 56 weeks on the Hot 100, 17 of which topped the chart.

#21: Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind
iTunes stats: N/A

The final #1 single of the 2000s, it was the first chart-topper to reference New York in the title.

#7: Eminem featuring Rihanna – Love the Way You Lie
iTunes stats: 31 plays

Spending seven weeks at #1, it was Eminem’s fourth chart topping hit and Rihanna’s seventh.

#3: Train – Hey, Soul Sister
iTunes stats: N/A

The group’s second top then hit, it peaked at #3 in April.

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Fifty Years Of Music – 2008

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 2008, the year I celebrated my 34th birthday.  A mere seven of these songs remain familiar to me today, with just three of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#85: Kid Rock – All Summer Long
iTunes stats: N/A

The biggest solo hit of his career, it peaked at #23.

#81: Taylor Swift – Love Story
iTunes stats: 1 play

The lead single from her sophomore effort, it reached #4 and spent 49 weeks on the charts.

#36: Katy Perry – Hot n Cold
iTunes stats: 0 plays

The second single from her second album, it became her second straight top five hit, going to #3.

#17: Rihanna – Don’t Stop the Music
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #3, it was her fourth single to land in the top three.

#14: Katy Perry – I Kissed a Girl
iTunes stats: 52 plays

Perry’s debut single, it spent seven weeks atop the Hot 100, becoming the 1000th #1 song of the rock era.

#13: Coldplay – Viva la Vida
iTunes stats: N/A

Winner of the Grammy Award for Song of the Year in 2009, it spent one week atop the Hot 100.

#1: Flo Rida – Low
iTunes stats: N/A

The most downloaded single of the decade, it spent ten weeks at #1.

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Fifty Years Of Music – 2007

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 2007, the year I celebrated my 33rd birthday.  Only five of these songs remain familiar to me today, with just four of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#74: Amy Winehouse – Rehab
iTunes stats: 24 plays

Peaking at #9, it was Winehouse’s sole US top ten hit prior to her untimely demise.

#27: Kanye West – Stronger
iTunes stats: 32 plays

Spending a single week atop the Hot 100, it was West’s third #1 hit.

#12: Avril Lavigne – Girllfriend
iTunes stats: 33 plays

Lavigne’s first #1 hit, it spent one week atop the chart in May.

#7: Plain White T’s – Hey There Delilah
iTunes stats: N/A

Nominated for two Grammy awards, it spent two weeks at #1 in the summer of 2007.

#2: Rihanna featuring Jay-Z – Umbrella
iTunes stats: 30 plays

The lead single from her third studio album, it spent seven weeks at #1 in the summer of 2007.

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And The Nominees Are

side_oscarThe 95th Academy Awards are going down Sunday night and, after a year break, my woeful predictions are back.  I don’t know that I’ve heard of many of these movies let alone seen them, so, with less basis in fact than most years, here’s my uneducated predictions for the non-acting awards.

Best Original Screenplay

Martin McDonagh, The Banshees of Inisherin
Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Steven Spielberg and Tony Kusher, The Fablemans
Todd Field, Tár
Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness

I’ve seen none of these films, but Everything Everywhere All at Once seems to be the hot property, so I’m going to go with that.

Best Adapted Screenplay

Edward Berger, Lesley Paterson, and Ian Stokell, All Quiet on the Western Front
Rian Johnson, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
Kazuo Ishiguro, Living
Screenplay by Ehren Kruger, Eric Warren Singer, and Christopher McQuarrie; Story by Peter Craig and Justin Marks, Top Gun: Maverick
Sarah Polley, Women Talking

Who doesn’t love a good war movie?

Best Animated Feature

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio 
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
The Sea Beast
Turning Red

My best guess, having seen none of these fine films, is that Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio wins the day.

Best Cinematography

James Friend, All Quiet on the Western Front
Darius Khondji, Bardo, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths
Mandy Walker, Elvis
Roger Deakins, Empire of Light
Florian Hoffmeister, Tár

Seems like I’m going all in with the war movie.

Best Costume Design

Mary Zophres, Babylon
Ruth Carter, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Catherine Martin, Elvis
Shirley Kurata, Everything Everywhere All at Once
Jenny Beavan, Mrs. Hamm Goes to Paris

Well, I’ve seen one of these films, so let’s go with that one.

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iTunes Top 200: #68 – 79

itunes_image4 years ago, we last counted down the Top 200 songs 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 my most listened to songs, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2020.

Today, we wrap up the final two songs with 36 plays and move on to the first group of songs with 37 plays, according to my iTunes stats dating back to late 2007.

#79: The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour
iTunes stats: 36 plays, most recently on 10/7/2019
Previous ranking: #56

A slight decrease for the only theme song to a Beatles film to not be released as a single.

#79: The Beatles – Can’t Buy Me Love
iTunes stats: 36 plays, most recently on 9/30/2019
Previous ranking: #46

This 1964 hit had the biggest jump to number one (from #27) until Billboard began using SoundScan for their charts.

#68: The Office Theme
iTunes stats: 37 plays, most recently on 6/25/2019
Previous ranking: #41

A slight decrease for the theme song from the long-running NBC comedy.

#68: Mexican Cheerleader – American Nice
iTunes stats: 37 plays, most recently on 10/25/2019
Previous ranking: #79

The song that serves as a ringtone for the band’s singer on my phone.

#68: The Lonely Island – Shy Ronnie 2: Ronnie & Clyde (feat. Rihanna)
iTunes stats: 37 plays, most recently on 12/9/2019
Previous ranking: Unranked

A strong debut for the comedic tune featuring Rihanna.

#68: The Lonely Island – Dick In A Box (ft. Justin Timberlake)
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iTunes Top 200: #98

itunes_image4 years ago, we last counted down the Top 200 songs 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 my most listened to songs, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2020.

Today, we wrap up the first half of our countdown, leading up to the top 100 with the next batch of songs tied with 34 plays dating back to late 2007, according to my iTunes stats.

#98: The Wonders – That Thing You Do
iTunes stats: 34 plays, most recently on 8/26/2019
Previous ranking: #65

The theme song from the 1996 movie of the same name, about a band that hits it big in the 60s before disintegrating before they can record a follow up.

#98: TLC – Creep
iTunes stats: 34 plays, most recently on 11/13/2019
Previous ranking: Unranked

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

#98: Tegan and Sara – Umbrella (Rihanna Cover)
iTunes stats: 34 plays, most recently on 8/21/2019
Previous ranking: #65

A live, bootleg version of the Rihanna hit covered by the Canadian darlings.

#98: Motley Crue – Kickstart My Heart
iTunes stats: 34 plays, most recently on 11/27/2019
Previous ranking: Unranked

Written by bassist Nikki Six about an overdose where he was declared clinically dead before 2 adrenaline shots to the heart brought him back to life.

#98: Me First And The Gimme Gimmes – Rainbow Connection
iTunes stats: 34 plays, most recently on 11/9/2019
Previous ranking: #79

A punk cover of the quintessential Muppets hit.

#98: John Williams – Prelude And Main Title March
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iTunes Top 200: #65 – 79

itunes_image3 years ago, we first counted down the then Top 100 songs in my iTunes library. Since that time, I’ve successfully managed to migrate my music collection to a new PC with the stats intact. So, I figured it was time to take another look, expanding out the field to the top 200 songs, based on number of plays as of January 1, 2016.

Today, we finish off the remaining songs tied for 79th with 21 listens and start the group of songs tied for 65th with 22 listens since 2007.

#79: The Cast Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer – Under Your Spell
iTunes stats: 21 plays, most recently on 12/11/2015
Previous ranking: #76

Amber Benson performs the song which writer Joss Whedon called “pornography” and “probably the dirtiest lyric I’ve ever written, but also very, very beautiful”.

#79: The Beatles – Eight Days A Week
iTunes stats: 21 plays, most recently on 7/21/2015
Previous ranking: #76

Although it was a huge hit in America, the group did not think highly of the song and they never performed it live.

#65: 10,000 Maniacs – Because The Night
iTunes stats: 22 plays, most recently on 8/4/2015
Previous ranking: #76

This cover of the Patti Smith classic from the band’s MTV Unplugged appearance also appeared on Volume 12 of my mix tapes.

#65: The Wonders – That Thing You Do
iTunes stats: 22 plays, most recently on 7/9/2015
Previous ranking: #96

The theme song from the 1996 movie of the same name, about a band that hits it big in the 60s before disintegrating before they can record a follow up.

#65: Weezer – Dope Nose
iTunes stats: 22 plays, most recently on 10/5/2015
Previous ranking: #41

The first single from the band’s 4th studio album.

#65: Toad The Wet Sprocket – Walk On The Ocean
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