Tag / Styx

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iTunes Top 200: #46 – 56

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.

We reach the 3/4ths mark today, looking at the remaining songs tied for 56th with 23 listens and starting the songs tied for 46th with 24 listens.

#56: Darling Violetta – Angel Main Theme
iTunes stats: 23 plays, most recently on 12/11/2015
Previous ranking: #76

The band performed 2 songs in a third season episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer before being tasked to perform the theme to the spin-off.

#56: Coolio f/ L.V. – Gangsta’s Paradise
iTunes stats: 23 plays, most recently on 11/15/2015
Previous ranking: #96

This 1995 hit from the Dangerous Minds soundtrack also appeared on Volume 19 of my mix tapes.

#56: The Cast Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer – Where Do We Go From Here?
iTunes stats: 23 plays, most recently on 9/22/2015
Previous ranking: #41

The last tune from the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer following the defeat of the dancing demon Sweet.

#56: The Beatles – Magical Mystery Tour
iTunes stats: 23 plays, most recently on 9/21/2015
Previous ranking: #58

The only theme song to a Beatles film to not be released as a single.

#56: The Beatles – Helter Skelter
iTunes stats: 23 plays, most recently on 6/13/2014
Previous ranking: #54

Considered by music historians as a key influence in the development of heavy metal.

#46: Weird Al Yankovic – White & Nerdy 
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by admin

iTunes Top 200: #167 Part The Third

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.

After a brief hiatus, we continue today with the third grouping of 10 songs tied for 167th place with 17 plays apiece since late 2007, 2 more than what would have qualified for the top 100 3 years ago.

#167: The Donnas – Take It Off
iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 8/16/2015
Previous ranking: Unranked

The lead single from the band’s major label debut.

#167: Elton John – Tiny Dancer
iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 8/4/2015
Previous ranking: Unranked

Peaking at #41 on the Billboard charts in 1972, the song experienced a renaissance after being featured in Almost Famous.

#167: Eric Cartman – Come Sail Away
iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 11/7/2015
Previous ranking: Unranked

This cover of the classic Styx hit was featured in a second season episode of South Park.

#167: Fiona Apple – Shadowboxer
iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 8/3/2015
Previous ranking: Unranked

Apple’s debut single, it spent 6 weeks on Billboard’s Alternative Songs chart, peaking at #34.

FooFighters#167: Foo Fighters – Times Like These
iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 9/10/2015
Previous ranking: Unranked

A live version of the 2003 hit from the band’s 2006 concert in London’s Hyde Park.

#167: Garbage – Breaking Up The Girl
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by admin

Top 200 Albums – #186 – 196

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 continue with the bottom of the list and look at the 11 albums tied for 186th with 22 listens.

#186: Various Artists – TV Themes Of The 80’s
iTunes stats: 22 plays
5 different theme songs from some of the most popular TV shows of the 1980s contributed to the total for this collection.

#186: Robin Sparkles – Make It Sparkle!
iTunes stats: 22 plays
The 2 faux-Canadian hits from the How I Met Your Mother character make up the total for this “album”.

#186: 2Pac – All Eyez On Me
iTunes stats: 22 plays
2Pac’s collaboration with Dr. Dre is the one song from this album that I have listened to.

#186: Rancid – …And Out Come The Wolves
iTunes stats: 22 plays
The two hits from this album split the total number of listens nearly down the middle.

#186: Belly – Star
iTunes stats: 22 plays
The debut album from the offshoot band of Throwing Muses had 2 songs contibute to this total.

#186: Gnarls Barkley – St. Elsewhere
iTunes stats: 22 plays
The collaboration between mashup DJ Danger Mouse and singer CeeLo Green used 2 songs to make this list.

#186: Warrant – Cherry Pie
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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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Mix Tape Monday – Cool Tracks

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 first disc covering the world of 60s and 70s rock music. This CD was kind of a counterpart to the ballads disc we covered a few weeks back, with most of the songs coming from the same era but with a decidedly harder bent.  So, without further ado, I bring you Cool Tracks, volume 1.

Paul McCartney & Wings – Live And Let Die

Became the first James Bond theme song to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 3/19/2013

Blood Sweat & Tears – Spinning Wheel

Nominated for three Grammy Awards at the 1970 ceremony, it won for Best Instrumental Arrangement.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 3/22/2013

Warren Zevon – Werewolves Of London

BBC Radio 2 listeners rated it as having the best opening line in a song.

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

Chicago – 25 Or 6 To 4

The song was released as a single in June of 1970, climbing to number 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

iTunes stats: 1 play, on 6/17/2010

The Jimi Hendrix Experience – Purple Haze

Rolling Stone magazine placed the song at number 17 in their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time and also at number 2 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time.

iTunes stats: 1 play, on 5/29/2009

Jefferson Airplane – Somebody To Love

Originally recorded by 1960s folk rock band The Great Society, featuring Grace Slick’s brother-in-law.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 7/6/2011

Patti Smith – Because The Night

Originally recorded by Bruce Springsteen during sessions for his Darkness on the Edge of Town album, he was not satisfied with it so the song was passed to the Patti Smith Group, who were working in the studio next door.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 11/9/2012

Ohio Players – Love Rollercoaster

Urban legend says that the scream heard in the background belonged to a woman being murdered at the studio.

iTunes stats: 2 plays, most recently on 3/24/2011

Five Man Electrical Band – Signs

The song was released during an era of social and political change, and its lyrics carry themes of intolerance and exclusion.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 3/11/2013

Janis Joplin – Piece Of My Heart

Originally recorded by Erma Franklin in 1967 as a romantic love song.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 12/27/2012

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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 – January 2001

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.

The first CD I burned, in January of 2001, had multiple versions, and this is the one I kept for myself.  It contains a mix of current and old hits, along with some radio bits.  Of course, my song selection was limited at the time to the CDs and few MP3s I had on hand.

Offspring – Original Prankster

The latest hit from the Offspring kicked things off for this disc.

iTunes stats: 7 plays, most recently on 4/25/2011

Soul Coughing – Super Bon Bon

A minor hit from 1996 for the band from New York.

iTunes stats: 3 plays, most recently on 9/24/2012

Mexican Cheerleader – Our Party

This tune was included to introduce my friend Scott to some local punk music.  I don’t think it did much for him.

iTunes stats: 13 plays, most recently on 9/17/2011

Howard Stern Show Parody – Dancing In Their Sheets

There was a song parody contest on the Howard Stern Show in 2000 and this ode to racism was one of the finalists.

Crew Cuts – Sh-Boom

Seeing as how I just bought this song from the iTunes store last week, I have no idea where I had gotten it from nearly 12 years ago.

iTunes stats: 1 play, on 11/5/2012

Faith Hill – Breathe

Country’s cross-over into pop was big early in the century, and this was one of the bigger hits.

iTunes stats: 4 plays, most recently on 5/26/2012

The Corrs – Breathless

The lasses from Ireland had their first big American pop hit at the time.

iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 11/9/2012

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Goodbye, iPhone 3G – Music Edition

As I wait for tomorrow’s delivery of my new iPhone 4S, it is time to say goodbye to the 3G that has been my trusty companion for nearly the past 3 1/2 years.  We’ve traveled the world together (well, at least Canada and the UK) and have listened to a lot of music.  Here is every song (all 1597 of them) I’ve listened to on the phone, with some (ok, very little) bonus commentary!

He’s a Pirate Klaus Badelt Pirates of the Caribbean (Soundtrack from the Motion Picture) 100
Gordon Beckham Intro 91
Let’s Go-Go-Go White Sox Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers 87
Thunderstruck AC/DC The Razors Edge 84
Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye Steam Billboard’s Top Rock ‘n’ Roll Hits: 1969 83
sox05_montage 75
We Are The Champions Queen Queen: Greatest Hits I & II 73
Boom P.O.D. Satellite 70
Don’t Stop Believin’ Journey Journey’s Greatest Hits 69
2008 White Sox Central Division Champs Montage Chris Tannehill WSCR 670 The Score 65

No surprise that the top 10 are all part of (or were part of) my White Sox victory playlist.  This gets played on the way home from every White Sox winner, plus the occassional ride to a game.  Continue reading →