Tag / Run DMC

by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 1977

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 1977, the year of my third birthday.  I still have no knowledge of these songs from their original release, given my age at the time.  Only twelve of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with only six of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#99: London Symphony Orchestra – Star Wars (Main Title)
iTunes stats: 26 plays

Led by John Williams, the London Symphony Orchestra performed one of the best-known movie themes of all time.

#94: Fleetwood Mac – Go Your Own Way
iTunes stats: N/A

The group’s first top-ten hit in the United States, it was ranked as the 120th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone in 2010.

#90: Aerosmith – Walk This Way
iTunes stats: 26 plays

First discovered by my generation thanks to the 80s remake with Run-DMC, the original peaked at #10 in early 1977.

#58: Kansas – Carry On Wayward Son
iTunes stats: N/A

Written by guitarist Kerry Livgren, the song became the band’s first Top 40 hit, reaching No. 11 in early 1977, and has remained a staple of classic rock radio.

#53: Heart – Barracuda
iTunes stats: N/A

The song, which peaked at #11 in 1977, was named the 34th-best hard rock song of all time by VH1.

#52: Fleetwood Mac – Don’t Stop
iTunes stats: N/A

Used by Bill Clinton as the theme for his presidential campaign in 1992, the third single from the band’s Rumours album reached #3 in October 1977. 

#33: Commodores – Easy
iTunes stats: N/A

Written by group member Lionel Richie and released in March of 1977, the crossover hit topped the Hot Soul Singles chart in July and peaked at #4 on the Hot 100.

#28: Steve Miller Band – Fly Like an Eagle
iTunes stats: N/A

First performed in 1973, the song was finally released in December of 1976 and went to #2 Hot 100 in March.

#21: Bill Conti – Gonna Fly Now
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song, the theme from Rocky hit #1 in 1977.

#19: Eagles – Hotel California
iTunes stats: 28 plays

Winner of the 1978 Grammy for Record of the Year, the song first entered the charts in late February of 1977 and reached the top for one week in May, becoming the band’s fourth #1 hit.

#14: Jimmy Buffet – Margaritaville
iTunes stats: 21 plays

Buffet’s highest charting single, the tune reached #8 on the Hot 100 char, #13 on the Hot Country Songs chart, and #1 on the Easy Listening chart.  It re-entered the charts in September of 2023 following Buffett’s death on September 1.

#12: ABBA – Dancing Queen
iTunes stats: 11 plays

ABBA’s only number one hit in the United States, the song also topped the charts in 17 other countries.

 

by admin

Top 200 Albums: #171 – 177

itunes_imageWe last counted down the Top 200 albums in my iTunes library four years ago. Since that time, the world has literally changed, and my commute has decreased from 1+ hours each way to 25 steps. So, despite the decrease in potential listening time, I figured it was time to take another look, based on number of plays from late 2007 through the morning of January 1, 2022.

We continue today with the next batch of ten albums that I have listened to the most over the last 15 years, including two compilations, one greatest hits package, two remastered albums from one of the greatest bands of all time, and nine entries from the 90s.

#177: The Beatles – Rubber Soul
iTunes stats: 72 plays
Previous Ranking: NR

Released in 1965, this sixth studio album from the Beatles, behind four of the 14 tracks, makes its debut after adding 33 additional listens over the past four years.

#177: Red Hot Chili Peppers – Blood Sugar Sex Magik
iTunes stats: 72 plays
Previous Ranking: NR

The Chili Peppers climb on to the chart thanks to four singles from their 1991 breakthrough release, which increased its listens by more than 85%.

#177: Various Artists – Rock ‘n’ Roll Era: 1962
iTunes stats: 72 plays
Previous Ranking: 196

This entry in the Time Life series, featuring tracks by Dion & The Belmonts, The Beach Boys, and The Drifters, among others, added 32 additional plays to jump up 19 slots.

#177: Run DMC – Ultimate Run DMC
iTunes stats: 72 plays
Previous Ranking: 192

Four tracks from this collection of the seminal rap group’s greatest hits saw 31 new listens over the past four years.

#175: The Beatles – Beatles For Sale
iTunes stats: 73 plays
Previous Ranking: 179

Only three of the fourteen tunes from this remastered version of the Beatles fourth studio album make up this total, which would be higher if I hadn’t deleted the original versions outright.

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by admin

iTunes Top 200: #170

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.

We kick things off today with the first ten songs tied for 170th place with 30 plays apiece since my stats began in late 2007.

#170: 10,000 Maniacs – Because The Night
iTunes stats: 30 plays, most recently on 10/22/2018
Previous ranking: #65

A precipitous drop for this cover of the Patti Smith classic from the band’s MTV Unplugged appearance, which garnered a mere 8 new listens over the past 4 years.  It also appears on Volume 12 of my mix tapes.

#170: Young MC – Bust A Move
iTunes stats: 30 plays, most recently on 10/27/2019
Previous ranking: #96

Another big drop, thanks to a mere 10 listens over the past 4 years, for this Grammy winning hit, which also appeared on Volume 1 of my mix tapes.

#170: Weezer – Buddy Holly
iTunes stats: 30 plays, most recently on 11/12/2019
Previous ranking: Unranked

Released on what would have been Buddy Holly’s 58th birthday, the big breakthrough hit for Weezer, which scored 4 MTV Video Music Awards in 1995, pushes the 25 year old song into the Top 200.

#170: Terror Squad Ft. Fat Joe (Aka Joey Crack) & Remy – Lean Back
iTunes stats: 30 plays, most recently on 8/19/2019
Previous ranking: Unranked

A strong debut for the one hit wonders who spent three weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100 charts in August of 2004.

#170: Tegan and Sara – Speak Slow
iTunes stats: 30 plays, most recently on 7/8/2019
Previous ranking: #79

The live version of the song, from the 5 Songs Live from the Phoenix EP, drops nearly 100 slots.

#170: Stone Temple Pilots – Dancing Days
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by admin

Top 200 Albums – #190 – 196

itunes_imageNearly 4 years ago, we first counted down the Top 200 albums 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, based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2018.

We start things off with the 11 albums (thanks to ties) that rank between #190 and 196, including 5 studio recording, 3 compilations, 1 greatest hits package, 1 live recording, and 1 comedy record.

#196: George Carlin – Back In Town
iTunes stats: 40 plays
Previous Ranking: N/A

The 15th comedy album from George Carlin was released in 1996 and uses all of it’s tracks to make its debut on the chart.

#196: Katy Perry – One Of The Boys
iTunes stats: 40 plays
Previous Ranking: 141

Katy Perry’s debut single, I Kissed A Girl, makes up this entire total all by itself, which accounts for a 55 spot drop in the rankings.

#196: Toad The Wet Sprocket – Dulcinea
iTunes stats: 40 plays
Previous Ranking: 152

Only 2 songs from Toad the Wet Sprocket’s fourth studio album contributed to this total, an increase of 13 plays since our last look.

#196: TLC – Ooooooohhh…On The TLC Tip
iTunes stats: 40 plays
Previous Ranking: 158

3 songs make up this total for TLC’s debut album, which I remember getting at Musicland along with Toad the Wet Sprocket’s Fear.

#196: Various Artists – The Runaways: Music from the Motion Picture
iTunes stats: 40 plays
Previous Ranking: N/A

2 tracks from the soundtrack to The Runaway’s biopic allows it to make its debut on the list.

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by admin

Top 200 Albums – #172 – 180

itunes_imageMy latest desktop computer arrived in late 2007, at which point I transitioned all of my music off of my laptop. 2 iPods, 3 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 200 albums whose songs I’ve listened to as of September 2014, according to iTunes. Today we keep moving up the list and look at the 9 albums tied for 172nd with 24 listens.

#172: Tori Amos – Under The Pink
iTunes stats: 24 plays
Tori places her second album on this chart with her second solo album, thanks to its 2 hits.

#172: The Muppets – The Muppet Movie
iTunes stats: 24 plays
2 tracks from this soundtrack put in on the list.

#172: Warren G – Regulate…G Funk Era
iTunes stats: 24 plays
Warren G’s debut album places this high thanks to his biggest hit and the 2 follow ups that nobody probably remembers.

#172: Bangles – Bangles: Greatest Hits
iTunes stats: 24 plays
5 of the Bangles biggest hits contribute to this total for their greatest hits album.

#172: Run DMC – Ultimate Run DMC
iTunes stats: 24 plays
This greatest hits collection makes the chart thanks to 3 of Run DMC’s biggest hits.

#172: Mexican Cheerleader – Mexican Mystery Tour
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by admin

Concert Flashback: Aerosmith

94aerosmithWith summer winding down and just a few weeks before it was time to head back down to college, Aerosmith and Jackyl rolled in to the World Music Theatre.  I don’t really remember who came along to this show, but my guess is that the usual band of suspects were there,  I’m going to be completely honest and say I don’t remember much of anything about this show at all.

Jackyl opened up the show and, based on their setlist, it wouldn’t have been too exciting.  Of their 8 song set, I’ve only heard of 2 of the songs, and only really liked 1 of them.

Looking back at Aerosmith’s setlist from the night in question, I’m struck more by the songs they didn’t play than the ones they did.  They managed to get 8 songs from their latest album into the show, which meant there was no room for older favorites like What It Takes, Angel, and Back In The Saddle, to name a few.  Beyond those 8, it was a pretty good mix of songs from their initial 70s heyday and their post-Run DMC resurrection.

by jim

iTunes Top 100 Artists: #51-60

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 51-60, which includes a nice mix of musical genres.

#51: Van Halen

iTunes stats: 56 plays

The multiple incarnations of the southern California band used 10 songs to make up their total.

#52: Patton Oswalt

iTunes stats: 50 plays

One album from the funny man comprises this total.

#53: 10,000 Maniacs

iTunes stats: 49 plays

A pretty impressive total considering it took only 3 songs to get it.

#53: Boyz II Men

iTunes stats: 49 plays

The stars of my first concert have 8 songs which made up this mark.

#55: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers

iTunes stats: 48 plays

Ten different tunes make up the total for the rockers from Florida.

#56: Cheap Trick

iTunes stats: 46 plays

The group, who I saw in 1997 opening for the Stone Temple Pilots at the Elliot Hall of Music, placed 6 songs on the list to get this number.

#57: Nancy Faust

iTunes stats: 43 plays

The longtime White Sox organist makes the list thanks to a recording of her final rendition of Take Me Out To The Ballgame.

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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 – Rap 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 rap and hip hop music, with a very strong focus on the late 80s and early 90s.  So, without further ado, I present Rap, volume 2.

Positive K – I Got A Man

The one hit wonder peaked at #14 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1993.

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

Nelly – Ride Wit Me

This hit from 2001 has not aged particularly well.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 1/10/2009

Eminem – Lose Yourself

Spent 12 weeks at #1, won 2 Grammy awards, and won an Oscar.

iTunes stats: 20 plays, most recently on 2/25/2013

Naughty By Nature – O.P.P.

According to Allmusic, “there was not a bigger, more contagious crossover radio smash in the autumn of 1991.”

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 3/29/2013

Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back

The video was briefly banned by MTV before it became a huge sensation.

iTunes stats: 11 plays, most recently on 2/6/2013

Onyx – Slam

Released on May 11, 1993 it was Onyx’s breakthrough single, making it to #4 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and was the group’s second straight single to make it to #1 on the Rap charts.

iTunes stats: 12 plays, most recently on 2/18/2013

The Fat Boys and Chubby Checker – The Twist

The rap version of Chubby Checker’s hit song reached #2 in the UK, #16 in the US, and #1 in Germany and Switzerland.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 1/7/2011

Run-DMC – Walk This Way

The Aerosmith cover is often credited as helping break rap into mainstream pop music, as it was the first rap song to hit the Top 5 in The Billboard Hot 100,

iTunes stats: 11 plays, most recently on 2/21/2013

Coolio featuring LV – Gangsta’s Paradise

The biggest-selling single of 1995 was featured on the Dangerous Minds soundtrack.

iTunes stats: 14 plays, most recently on 1/28/2013

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by admin

Wednesday’s Commute

Snow finally hit the Chicagoland area this week, but Wednesday was the one day with a break. Here’s the tunes that got me through a pretty decent commute.

Temptation Waits Garbage Version 2.0 2/6/2013 4:48 PM
Teenage Dirtbag Wheatus Wheatus 2/6/2013 4:53 PM
Mama Said Knock You Out LL Cool J Mama Said Knock You Out 2/6/2013 4:59 PM
18 And Life Nina Gordon 2/6/2013 5:04 PM
Pretty Fly (For A White Guy) The Offspring Americana 2/6/2013 5:08 PM
American Nice Mexican Cheerleader Kings And Kings’ Hoots 2/6/2013 5:13 PM
Walk This Way Run-D.M.C. Millennium Hip-Hop Party 2/6/2013 5:17 PM
Pregnant Women Are Smug Garfunkel and Oates All Over Your Face 2/6/2013 5:20 PM
Deuces Are Wild Aerosmith O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits (Disc 2) 2/6/2013 5:24 PM
Unskinny Bop Poison Poison’s Greatest Hits 1986-1996 2/6/2013 5:29 PM
All My Life Foo Fighters Live In Hyde Park 2006 2/6/2013 5:34 PM
No Scrubs TLC Fanmail 2/6/2013 5:38 PM
Fuck You Cee Lo Green The Lady Killer 2/6/2013 5:42 PM
Speak Slow Tegan and Sara So Jealous 2/6/2013 5:45 PM
Unglued Stone Temple Pilots Purple 2/6/2013 5:48 PM
Stupid Girl Garbage Garbage 2/6/2013 5:52 PM
Baby Got Back Sir Mix-A-Lot Millennium Hip-Hop Party 2/6/2013 5:58 PM
That Thing You Do The Wonders That Thing You Do! 2/6/2013 6:02 PM
That Took Stones Mexican Cheerleader Mexican Cheerleader 2/6/2013 6:05 PM