6 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 and expanded the count down to the Top 200.. It’s been 3 years, so I figured it was time to take yet another look at my Top 200 artists, based on the number of plays from late 2007 through January 1, 2021.
Today, we break in to the top five and surpass four digits in the number of plays for the first time. Born out of the death of Kurt Cobain in 1994, our next entry is the Dave Grohl solo project turned band known as Foo Fighters.
#5: Foo Fighters
iTunes stats: 1026 plays
Previous ranking: #3
Adding an additional 2 songs, up to 48 songs, helped the Foo Fighters raise their total by 54%, which caused them to drop 2 spots on the charts. Their most popular song, a live version of My Hero from a concert in London’s Hyde Park in 2006, clocks in with 60 listens, while 6 different tracks bring up the rear with a single play.
I’ve managed to see the band in concert twice: first in 2005 and again in 2015. The first show was an indoor affair at the Allstate Arena, where they were touring with Weezer, who got things started by mixing a cover of Big Me into their set. Once the Foo Fighters came out, they mixed in old hits with selections from their new album for a fun, 16-song set. They also managed to break down some of their hits with elongated guitar solos that gave the audience an opportunity to thrash themselves as much as humanly possible.
10 years later, I saw them for the second time at Wrigley Field. Having broken his leg over two months earlier, Dave Grohl spent the show sitting in an electric throne that could bring him out in to the crowd thanks to an extended stage. The band wasted no time in getting things started, blowing out Everlong and Monkey Wrench straight out of the gate. 2 and a half hours and 21 songs later, they closed down the joint with a rousing rendition of Best Of You. In between, they put on a hell of a show, featuring their own hits along with some snippets of hits from Van Halen, Yes, and Alice Cooper.