Tag / Superman

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iTunes Top 200 Artists: #61-70

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 our next batch of ten artists, including two I have seen perform live.

#70: Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
iTunes stats: 162 plays
Previous ranking: #67

The inspiration for the musical Jersey Boys drops three spots after gaining 33 new plays.

#67: Toad the Wet Sprocket
iTunes stats: 168 plays
Previous ranking: #62

A five-spot drop thanks to a 23% increase in listens for the 90s alternative band from Santa Barbara, California.

#67: Oblivion
iTunes stats: 168 plays
Previous ranking: #73

The local punk band, fronted by a former co-worker, added 47 new listens to the ten tracks from their final album to make up this total.

#67: John Williams
iTunes stats: 168 plays
Previous ranking: #68

The composer of some of the most popular and recognizable film scores in cinematic history, including the Star Wars and Superman series, picks up 41 new listens over the last five years.

#64: The Bangles
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2025: The Year In Movies

The return of my annual long December vacation helped push up a weak first eleven months of the year, giving me my lowest total since last year.  I managed to watch 55 movies last year, my fifth consecutive year under 100, despite being home all day and not needing to bother with pesky things like a commute.  Or exercise.  Reading 66 books and watching game shows all day probably didn’t help either.

Here’s a look back at the first 50 movies I watched last year and what recollection, if any, I have of them. The films are listed in the order I saw them.

Queenpins (2021)
A pair of housewives create a $40 million coupon scam.

Blackwater Lane (2024)
A woman believes she will be the next victim of a serial killer.

MaXXXine (2024)
Mia Goth returns in this prequel to X.

Mothers’ Instinct (2024)
The friendship between two women is tested when one loses her son.

Blitz (2024)
A group of Londoners tries to survive during the German bombing during World War II.

Poor Things (2023)
Emma Stone plays a woman who has the brain of a baby transplanted into her head.

The Idea of You (2024)
A 40-year-old single mom begins an unexpected romance with the lead singer of the hottest boy band on the planet.

Back in Action (2025)
Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz star as retired CIA agents forced to come out of retirement to save their family.

Kinds of Kindness (2024)
Emma Stone reteams with writer/director Yorgos Lanthimos.

Y2K (2024)
Machines go nuts as the clock strikes midnight and the world enters the year 2000.

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iTunes Top 200: #158

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 next batch of songs tied for 158th place with 37 plays apiece since my stats began in late 2007.

#158: Temple of the Dog – Hunger Strike
iTunes stats: 37 plays, most recently on 11/7/2024
Previous ranking: NR

Following the death of Andrew Wood, Chris Cornell joined forces with the former members of Mother Love Bone and Eddie Vedder, who was about to join their new band, to record a tribute album.

#158: The Muffs – Kids in America
iTunes stats: 37 plays, most recently on 7/24/2024
Previous ranking: NR

The cover of the Kim Wilde song, recorded for the Clueless soundtrack, picked up nine new listens over the past nine years.

#158: Mexican Cheerleader – Do the Stanley
iTunes stats: 37 plays, most recently on 12/5/2024
Previous ranking: #144

Six new plays for the track from the local punk band fronted by a former co-worker.

#158: Ludacris – Get Back
iTunes stats: 37 plays, most recently on 12/9/2024
Previous ranking: #170

The lead single from his fifth studio album, it added an additional seven plays over the past five years.

#158: LOST Soundtrack – Main Title
iTunes stats: 37 plays, most recently on 8/14/2024
Previous ranking: NR

A healthy debut for the theme song from the 2000s hit television show, which lasts a whole 17 seconds.

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You Ought To Be In (13) Pictures

Many years ago, using the weekly TV guide that came with the Sunday Chicago Tribune, I started keeping track of all of the movies I had seen over the course of my lifetime.  The guide would list the two main stars for each movie, and that is a tradition that I’ve carried on in my database ever since.  Given those guidelines, it is time once again to look at the now 107 actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1.

We continue today with the six actors that have starred in exactly 13 movies that I have seen, even from 3 years ago.

Gene Hackman

The retired Hackman, who is now 93 years old, first entered my movie consciousness when I saw the original Christopher Reeve Superman.  My most recent experience with his work remains 1971’s The French Connection, which I saw in 2018.

Woody Harrelson

In 1992, I headed to the theaters to see White Men Can’t Jump, where I first encountered Woody Harrelson in film.  That was followed by six more films between 1994 and 2000, after which there was a long lull.  Harrelson came back in to my world in 2008, then added two more in 2010.  His most recent appearance came in 2022, when I saw the previous year’s Venom: Let There Be Carnage.

Katherine Heigl

Katherine Heigl first burst on to the scene in 1994’s My Father, The Hero, which I took in the following year.  After achieving television stardom, she leaped back to the big screen in a big way in the mid-2000s, including four films in three years between 2006 and 2008.  She last showed up on my screen in 2018, with the ironically titled Unforgettable.

Tommy Lee Jones

Tommy Lee Jones first showed up on my screen back in 1993 in The Fugitive.   My big Tommy Lee Jones years were 1997 and 2000, when I saw him in two films per year.  After a few years away, my most recent experience with him was in 2020, in 2019’s Ad Astra.

Mila Kunis

After years on That ’70s Show, Mila Kunis first moved to my movie screen in 2003, with the unfortunate American Psycho II: All American Girl.  After a six-year break, she came back with a vengeance, appearing in seven films I saw between 2009 and 2011.  I last saw her work earlier this year, thanks to 2022’s Luckiest Girl Alive.

Al Pacino

My first experience with Al Pacino was in 1997, when I saw him in City Hall.  I splurged on his films in 2000 and 2001, when I took in five, including The Godfather and The Godfather II.  After a twelve-year absence, Pacino returned to my screen twice in 2020, in 2017’s horrible Hangman and 2008’s Righteous Kill.

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Travelling The 50 States – Illinois

Over my 47 years, I’ve done my fair share of travelling across these United States.  I thought it would be an interesting experiment go look back at those trips to each of the 31 states I have visited (62% isn’t bad, is it?) and see if, and when, I may be returning.  Working in alphabetical order, we continue today with the 21st state to be added to the Union: Illinois.

State: Illinois
Joined the Union: 1818
Visits: 16,000+

How do you track how often you’ve been in the state you’ve lived in your entire life, save for your time away at college?  My first “visit” came nearly 48 years ago on the day I was born at Mercy Hospital on the south side of Chicago.

I’ve managed to do 18 of the Bicentennial Bucket List: 200 Things To Do In Illinois, published by the Chicago Tribune in 2018 to celebrate the best the state has to offer in history, food, architecture, culture, sports, nature, drink, and oddities.  Among the places I visited were Water Tower, Morton Arboretum, Route 66, United Center, Skydeck at Willis Tower, the former Arlington International Racecourse, Rialto Square Theatre, Lake Michigan, The Second City, Chicago Sports Museum, and the Superman statue in downstate Metropolis.

I’ve seen baseball games at Wrigley Field, Comiskey Park, and Guaranteed Rate Field.  I’ve seen football games at Soldier Field, Memorial Stadium, Ryan Field, and Wrigley Field.  I’ve seen basketball games at the United Center, Welsh-Ryan Arena, State Farm Center, and Allstate Arena.  I’ve seen hockey games at the United Center.  I’ve seen both the White Sox and the Cubs win the World Series.  I’ve seen the Bears win a Super Bowl.  I’ve seen the Bulls win 6 NBA Championships.  I’ve even seen the Blackhawks win a Stanley Cup or two.

I’ve seen concerts at Wrigley Field, City Winery, Ravinia, the Riviera Theatre, Abbey Pub, Metro, the Chicago Theatre, United Center, Charter One Pavilion, Allstate Arena, The Vic Theatre, House of Blues, World Music Theatre, Soldier Field, and Mabel’s,

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iTunes Top 200 Artists: #61-69

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, with the 2 tied for 69th place followed by the single artists at 68th through 61st.

#69: Black Eyed Peas
iTunes stats: 126 plays
Previous ranking: #74

The six-time Grammy Award winners see a 110% increase in plays over the past 4 years, moving up 5 spots.

#69: Sheryl Crow
iTunes stats: 126 plays
Previous ranking: #81

The one-time backup singer for Michael Jackson jumps 12 spots after adding 69 additional listens to the 8 songs I’ve listened to in my collection.

#68: John Williams
iTunes stats: 127 plays
Previous ranking: #66

The composer of some of the most popular and recognizable film scores in cinematic history, including the Star Wars and Superman series, picks up 62 new listens over the last 4 years.

#67: Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
iTunes stats: 129 plays
Previous ranking: #57

The inspiration for the musical Jersey Boys drops 10 spots after gaining a mere 46 new plays.

#66: Red Hot Chili Peppers
iTunes stats: 130 plays
Previous ranking: #74

The California-based rockers, who I saw briefly at Lollapalooza back in 2016, increase their plays by 117% over the last 4 years.

#65: Warrant
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You Ought To Be In (13) Pictures

Movie_Reel_22

Many years ago, using the weekly TV guide that came with the Sunday Chicago Tribune, I started keeping track of all of the movies I had seen over the course of my lifetime.  The guide would list the two main stars for each movie, and that is a tradition that I’ve carried on in my database ever since.  So, given those guidelines, and thanks to a corona virus inspired uptick to my movie watching this year, it is time to look at the 100 actors that have starred in at least 10 films that I have seen, as of July 1.

Today, we continue with the 6 actors that have starred in 13 movies that I have seen, an decrease of 2 at this level from 3 years ago.

Amy Adams

Nothing new from Adams since 2017, when I saw 2016’s Arrival.

Jamie Lee Curtis

My first experience with the former teenage scream queen was likely in the first Halloween, the franchise that is responsible for nearly 40% of the films on this list.  The frequency of my watching her films has slowed down significantly in the 21st century, though, and, after a 7 year lull, my last experience with her was in 2018’s reboot/continuation of Halloween.

Gene Hackman

Gene Hackman first entered my movie consciousness when I saw the original Christopher Reeve Superman.  My biggest Hackman years were 2000 and 2003, when I saw 2 of his films.  Hackman has pretty much retired from acting, so his older roles, like 1971’s The French Connection, which I saw in 2018, will have to propel him up this list.

Katherine Heigl

Katherine Heigl burst on to the scene in 1994’s My Father, The Hero, which I took in the following year.  She dropped off my radar, went through puberty, and came back in 1999.  After achieving television stardom, she leaped back to the big screen in a big way in the mid-2000s, including 4 films in 3 years between 2006 and 2008.  After a six year drought, she returned to my screen in 2017 and 2018, with the last film I saw of hers being the ironically titled Unforgettable.

Tommy Lee Jones

Tommy Lee Jones first showed up on my screen back in 1993 in The Fugitive.   My big Tommy Lee Jones years were 1997 and 2000, when I saw him in 2 films per year.  After a few years away, my most recent experience with him was earlier this year, in 2019’s Ad Astra.

Ryan Reynolds

Ryan Reynolds first appeared on my movie radar in 2006, when I saw him in both The Amityville Horror and Just Friends, which started a streak of 5 films in 4 years.  He had double shots in 2006, 2011, 2017, and 2019, where I last saw him in both The Captive and Deadpool 2.

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200 Things To Do In Illinois – Superman

Illinois celebrated its bicentennial as a state in December of 2018.  To celebrate, the Chicago Tribune published the Bicentennial Bucket List: 200 Things To Do In Illinois, celebrating the best the state has to offer in history, food, architecture, culture, sports, nature, drink, and oddities.  With the state shutting down tonight due to the corona virus outbreak, I figured this was the second-best time to look through this collection and cover the ones I’ve done/eaten/seen.

We kick things off with one of the entries from the Oddities category: Superman, from Metropolis, IL.

DC Comics proclaimed this small town with a big statue the official home of Superman in 1972, and Metropolis isn’t about to let you forget it.  A 15-foot-tall bronze Man of Steel overlooks Superman Square, where you’ll also find the Super Museum packed with toys and props, amassed by Superman super fan Jim Hambrick.  This town on the banks of the Ohio River – from here, you can practically throw a chunk of Kryptonite into Kentucky – hosts an annual four-day Superman Celebration.

My one trip to Metropolis occurred in 2015, as part of a Mother’s Day Elvis trip.  On our way home from Tupelo, Mississippi, we decided to make a detour towards Metropolis, IL to see the symbolic home of Superman and, at least according to the travel guide we picked up at a rest station along the way, the world’s largest Dippin’ Dots store.  Sadly, the Dippin’ Dots store had closed and was replaced by a gift shop filled with DC merchandise and a cooler in the corner that did supply said Dippin’ Dots.  In the center of town, we found the giant Superman statue and posed for pictures.  We decided against going through the museum, which was probably the correct call.

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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 Artists: #61-70

3 years ago, we first counted down the then Top 100 artists 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 artists, based on number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2017.

We continue the long slog towards the top with today’s entry, which includes:

#70: The Muffs
iTunes stats: 62 plays
Previous ranking: #67

A slight 3 spot drop for the band most well known for a Fruitopia commercial back in the day.

#69: Bush
iTunes stats: 63 plays
Previous ranking: #68

The British band rode the alternative wave of the early to mid 90s to have 6 songs make up their total, with 28 additional listens in the past 3 years.

#68: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
iTunes stats: 64 plays
Previous ranking: #80

An impressive 12 spot jump for the rap duo, who added 1 new track and 34 new listens over the past 3 years.

#66: Mazzy Star
iTunes stats: 65 plays
Previous ranking: #59

Only 25 new listens contributed to the 7 spot drop for the tippy band.

#66: John Williams
iTunes stats: 65 plays
Previous ranking: #98

The composer of some of the most popular and recognizable film scores in cinematic history, including the Star Wars and Superman series, has a nice 32 spot jump thanks to 42 new listens over the last 3 years.

#65: Warrant
iTunes stats: 66 plays
Previous ranking: #74

The favorite of strip clubs everywhere, and the Adam Carolla Show, added 34 new listens, good enough for a 9 spot jump.

#64: TLC
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