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.

Fifty Years Of Music – 1988

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 1988, the year I graduated from junior high, first really became interested in pop music, and moved on to high school.  Z95 and B96 were the hit stations in Chicago at the time and would provide the soundtrack of that year.  At 62 songs, over 60% of the Hot 100 remain familiar to me now, with 29 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#99: White Lion – Wait
iTunes stats: 21 plays

Released in June of 1987, it didn’t crack the charts until February of 1988 before eventually cracking the top ten and peaking at #8 in May.

#98: Poison – Nothin’ but a Good Time
iTunes stats: 28 plays

The lead single from the band’s second album, it reached #6 on the Hot 100.

#89: Whitney Houston – One Moment in Time
iTunes stats: N/A

Hitting #5, the song was produced for the 1988 Summer Olympics held in Seoul, South Korea.

#85: Joan Jett and the Blackhearts – I Hate Myself for Loving You
iTunes stats: 27 plays

Jett’s third and final top ten single, it peaked at #8 and spent 26 weeks on the chart.

#82: Van Halen – When It’s Love
iTunes stats: 9 plays

The group’s third and final top ten single, it topped out at #5 on the Hot 100 and reached the top of the Mainstream Rock chart.

#79: Bobby Brown – Don’t Be Cruel
iTunes stats: N/A

Topping the R&B chart for two weeks, the single from Brown’s second solo album hit #8 in October.

#76: Tracy Chapman – Fast Car
iTunes stats: 3 plays

Nominated for three Grammys and winning one, Chapman’s biggest pop hit peaked at #6.

#75: Natalie Cole – Pink Cadillac
iTunes stats: N/A

This cover of a Bruce Springsteen song reached #5 on the Hot 100, giving Cole her first top ten hit since 1978.

#71: Elton John – Candle in the Wind
iTunes stats: N/A

Originally written in honor of Marilyn Monroe in 1973, this live version hit #6.

#70: Cheap Trick – Don’t Be Cruel
iTunes stats: 31 plays

The Rockford band spent two weeks at #4 In October of 1988 with this cover of the old Elvis hit.

#66: Pretty Poison – Catch Me (I’m Falling)
iTunes stats: N/A

The lone hit from the group, it reached #8 late in 1987.

#65: INXS – New Sensation
iTunes stats: 18 plays

Peaking at #3, this was the third single from the Australian group’s sixth studio album.

#63: Pebbles – Mercedes Boy
iTunes stats: 17 plays

The second, and biggest, single from her debut album, the track went all the way to #2 on the Hot 100.

#62: Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine – 1-2-3
iTunes stats: N/A

The seventh and final top ten hit for the group, it reached #3 in July of 1988.

#61: Michael Jackson – Dirty Diana
iTunes stats: N/A

Jackson returned to the top of the charts with the fifth single from his Bad album.

#57: Belinda Carlisle – I Get Weak
iTunes stats: N/A

Carlisle hit #2 with this second single from her second solo album, written by Diane Warren.

#56: U2 – Desire
iTunes stats: N/A

The first single from the band’s Rattle and Hum album, it peaked at #3 on the Hot 100 while winning a Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

#54: Debbie Gibson – Out of the Blue
iTunes stats: N/A

The title track from Gibson’s debut album, it reached #3, becoming Gibson’s highest charting single at the time.

#53: Taylor Dayne – Tell It to My Heart
iTunes stats: N/A

Taylor’s debut single, the song spent 25 weeks in the Hot 100, peaking at #7, and earned Dayne a Grammy nomination.

#52: Information Society – What’s On Your Mind (Pure Energy)
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Featuring vocal samples of Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley from episodes of Star Trek, the group’s sole hit reached #3 in October of 1988.

Continue reading →

Fifty Years Of Music – 1987

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 1987, the year I wrapped up seventh grade, moved to eighth grade, and turned 13.  I started to have some awareness of the pop music of the day, but still have many blind spots, even to this day.  35 of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with only 13 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#98: Beastie Boys – (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Named one of the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it peaked at #7 the first week of March in 1987.

#93: Huey Lewis and the News – Doing It All for My Baby
iTunes stats: N/A

The song of choice for my eighth-grade music class critic report, it reached #6, making the band the first group to have five top ten singles from one album.

#74: Bon Jovi – Wanted Dead or Alive
iTunes stats: 29 plays

Hitting #7 on the Hot 100 and #13 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, it made Slippery When Wet the first glam metal album to have three top ten hits.

#72: Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine – Rhythm Is Gonna Get You
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from the group’s tenth studio album, it topped out at #5.

#67: Ben E. King – Stand by Me
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Originally peaking at #4 in 1961, the song was re-released alongside the film of the same name in 1987, reaching #9 and giving King a top ten hit, either as part of a group or as a solo artist, in four decades.

#59: Michael Jackson – Bad
iTunes stats: N/A

Originally intended to be a duet with Prince, the song spent two weeks atop the Hot 100 and was Jackson’s eighth #1 hit.

#58: Madonna – La Isla Bonita
iTunes stats: N/A

The fifth and final single from the True Blue album, it peaked at #4, giving Madonna her eleventh top five single, trailing only Elvis Presley and the Beatles at the time.

#52: Suzanne Vega – Luka
iTunes stats: N/A

Vega’s highest charting US hit, it reached #3 and earned Vega multiple Grammy nominations in 1988. Continue reading →

Top 200 Albums: #107 – 119

We 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, breaking the triple digit total play plateau with three compilations, and music from the 60s, 80s, 90s, and beyond.

#119: Bangles – Bangles: Greatest Hits
iTunes stats: 103 plays
Previous Ranking: 143

Five of the Bangles biggest hits, which notched 49 additional listens over the past four years, contribute to this total for their greatest hits album.

#119: Florence + The Machine – Between Two Lungs
iTunes stats: 103 plays
Previous Ranking: N/A

A very strong introduction to this chart for the debut album from the English indie rock band, thanks to a 186% increase in listens.

#116: Florence + The Machine – Ceremonials
iTunes stats: 105 plays
Previous Ranking: 171

A 123% increase in plays over the past four years led to this 65-spot jump for the second album from Florence + The Machine, which featured prominently in my Road Trip playlist for the 2016 drive to Florida with Jeff and Val.

#116: Green Day – Dookie
iTunes stats: 105 plays
Previous Ranking: 109

The breakthrough major label debut for the California punks added 40 new plays to the five tracks from the label in my collection.

#116: Various Artists – More Music From Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion
iTunes stats: 105 plays
Previous Ranking: 136

The second soundtrack album to the hit Lisa Kudrow/Mira Sorvino film takes six 80s hits, from the likes of Tiffany and Rick Astley, and raises their play total by 87.5%.

Continue reading →

Top 200 Albums – #129 – 140

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 continue things with the next batch of 10 albums that rank between #129 and 140, including 7 studio recordings and 3 soundtracks.

#140: Tegan and Sara – Sainthood
iTunes stats: 55 plays
Previous Ranking: 67

A big drop here, despite 11 of the 13 tracks on this album make up the total.

#136: Various Artists – Friends – Music From The T.V. Series
iTunes stats: 56 plays
Previous Ranking: 149

This soundtrack compilation, released following the smash first season of the television show, has 7 songs, from the likes of Joni Mitchell, The Pretenders, and, of course, The Rembrandts, to make up its total.

#136: Pearl Jam – Vitalogy
iTunes stats: 56 plays
Previous Ranking: 131

The 3rd studio album from the Seattle grunge band, and the last that I purchased, uses the totals from 4 different tracks.

#136: Various Artists – More Music From Romy And Michelle’s High School Reunion
iTunes stats: 56 plays
Previous Ranking: N/A

A strong debut, thanks to 6 80s hits from the likes of Tiffany and Rick Astley, for the second soundtrack album from the semi-hit film.

#136: Various Artists – Reality Bites
iTunes stats: 56 plays
Previous Ranking: 141

The soundtrack to the early 90s alternative movie hit uses 3 songs to make up this total.

Continue reading →

iTunes Top 200 Artists: #185-194

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.

Today, we begin with the 10 songs tied for 194th place, along with the first 3 tied for 185th.  These 13 bands and performers are all newcomers to his list, thanks to its expansion to 200 artists since the last time we did this.

#185: The Juliana Hatfield Three
iTunes stats: 25 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

Juliana Hatfield’s band after breaking up with the Blake Babies makes the list thanks to 2 tracks, including one from the Reality Bites soundtrack.

#185: Tony! Toni! Toné!
iTunes stats: 25 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The soul and R&B group split their total between 2 songs.

#185: Travis
iTunes stats: 25 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The Scottish band rode only 1 song, a live cover version of Britney Spears’ …Baby One More Time, to this lofty position.

#194: 4 Non Blondes
iTunes stats: 24 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The one hit wonders have 2 songs contributing to their total.

#194: Dakota Fanning
iTunes stats: 24 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The actress covered a song while playing Cherie Currie in The Runaways.

#194: Great White
iTunes stats: 24 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The band probably more famous now for their role in a 2003 club fire that killed 100 people make the list thanks to only 1 song.

#194: Jill Sobule
Continue reading →

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
Continue reading →

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 →