iTunes Top 200 Wrap-Up

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 had been five years since we last counted down the Top 200 songs in my iTunes library.  Last week, we finished our journey through the latest list of my most listened to songs since late 2007.  Now it’s time to take a final look at those 210 songs and the artists that made them.  The average number of listens was just over 52, with the median number being 41.  There were 35 new entries, and, overall, there was an average increase of just a tad over nine listens per song.

Most Represented Band

15 – Foo Fighters
9 – The Beatles
8 – The Cast of Buffy the Vampire Slayer
7 – Garbage
6 – The Lonely Island

Largest Increase

74 – Harry Caray – Take Me Out To The Ballgame
71 – Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers –Let’s Go-Go-Go White Sox
69 – Steam – Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
68 – AC/DC – Thunderstruck
64 – Blues Brothers – Sweet Home Chicago

Smallest Increase

0 – The Beatles – Can’t Buy Me Love
0 – The Crystal Method – Bones Theme
2 – Dr. John – My Opinionation
2 – Chance The Rapper – Stand Up Part 2
2 – The Lonely Island – Natalie’s Rap (ft. Natalie Portman & Chris Parnell)
2 – P.O.D. – Boom

Most Recently Played

12/27/2024 7:51 PM – Mott the Hoople – All the Young Dudes
12/18/2024 5:26 PM – Foo Fighters – Everlong
12/18/2024 4:48 PM – Jay Z – Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)
12/18/2024 11:59 AM – Steam – Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye
12/18/2024 4:27 PM – The Beatles – Eight Days a Week

Least Recently Played

9/30/2019 5:13 PM – The Beates – Can’t Buy Me Love
11/27/2019 6:02 PM – The Crystal Method – Bones Theme
10/11/2021 12:09 AM – Guns N’ Roses – Sweet Child o’ Mine
10/29/2021 11:32 PM – The Wonders – That Thing You Do
1/4/2022 12:16 PM – Aerosmith – Janie’s Got a Gun

iTunes Top 200: #145 – 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 final batch of songs tied for 158th place with 37 plays apiece and move on to the first group of songs with 38 plays since my stats began in late 2007, good for 145th place.

#158: The Beatles – Help!
iTunes stats: 37 plays, most recently on 3/31/2024
Previous ranking: #98

A mere three new plays in the last five years for this title track from both the 1965 film and its soundtrack album.

#158: Aerosmith – Janie’s Got a Gun
iTunes stats: 37 plays, most recently on 1/4/2022
Previous ranking: #170

This Grammy winner for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal in 1990 has somehow picked up seven new listens despite having gone unheard in over three years.

#158: Aerosmith – Dude (Looks Like a Lady)
iTunes stats: 37 plays, most recently on 10/28/2024
Previous ranking: #170

The 1987 hit, which earned the band their first VMA nominations, for Best Group Video and Best Stage Performance, picked up seven new plays in the last five years.

#145: The Wonders – That Thing You Do
iTunes stats: 38 plays, most recently on 10/29/2021
Previous ranking: #98

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, has somehow not been heard in over three years.

#145: No Doubt – Just A Girl
iTunes stats: 38 plays, most recently on 11/13/2023
Previous ranking: NR

The band’s first charting single in the US, which spent 29 weeks on the Hot 100, topping out at #23, added 36 plays since I upgraded to the iPhone 5S in September of 2013.

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Fifty Years Of Music – 2003

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 2003, the year I celebrated the completion of my 28th trip around the sun.  A mere 22 songs remain familiar to me today, with just 15 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#98: Eminem – Superman
iTunes stats: 12 plays

Peaking at #15, it was the third single from his fourth studio album.

#89: Eminem – Sing for the Moment
iTunes stats: 12 plays

Sampling Aerosmith’s Dream On, it reached #14 on the Hot 100.

#79: Christina Aguilera – Fighter
iTunes stats: 13 plays

Inspired by November Rain by Guns N’ Roses, it topped out at #20.

#76: Chingy featuring Ludacris and Snoop Dogg – Holidae In
iTunes stats: 11 plays

The second single from the rapper’s debut album, it went to #3 on the Hot 100.

#73: Jewel – Intuition
iTunes stats: 0 plays

Starting a shift to a more pop sound, the lead single from her fifth studio album peaked at #20.

#70: Puddle of Mudd – She Hates Me
iTunes stats: 21 plays

Originally written in 1993, it became the fourth and final single released from the band’s debut album, reaching #13.

#59: No Doubt featuring Lady Saw – Underneath It All
iTunes stats: 12 plays

Spending two weeks at #3, the song remains their highest charting single.

#55: Jennifer Lopez – Jenny from the Block
iTunes stats: N/A

Topping out at #3, it was the lead single from the actress/singer’s third studio album.

#51: Ludacris featuring Shawnna – Stand Up
iTunes stats: 33 plays

Spending a single week atop the Hot 100 in December of 2003, it spent 28 total weeks on the chart.

#36: Missy Elliot – Work it
iTunes stats: 21 plays

The rapper’s most successful single, it spent ten weeks at #2.

#35: Dixie Chicks – Landslide
iTunes stats: N/A

A cover of the Fleetwood Mac song, it went to #7 on the Hot 100 before its run was cut short by singer Natalie Maines’ criticisms of President George W. Bush triggered a boycott.

#30: Justin Timberlake – Cry Me a River
iTunes stats: N/A

Inspired by his relationship with Britney Spears, it peaked at #3.

#28: Eminem – Lose Yourself
iTunes stats: 55 plays

Spending 16 weeks in the top ten, it spent twelve of those weeks at #1 to wrap up 2002 and start 2003.

#18: Avril Lavigne – I’m with You
iTunes stats: 11 plays

Reaching #4, the singer’s third single was inspired by her feelings of loneliness over being single.

#16: Christina Aguilera – Beautiful
iTunes stats: 18 plays

Written and produced by Linda Perry, the song became Aguilera’s longest-charting solo hit, spending 27 weeks on the Hot 100 topping out at #2.

#13: Nelly, P. Diddy, and Murphy Lee – Shake Ya Tailfeather
iTunes stats: N/A

Featured on the Bad Boys II soundtrack, it spent four weeks atop the Hot 100 in the fall of 2003.

#11: Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz featuring Ying Yang Twins – Get Low
iTunes stats: N/A

The debut single from Lil Jon and friends went to #2.

#10: Evanescence featuring Paul McCoy – Bring Me To Life
iTunes stats: 32 plays

The lead single from the group’s debut album, it topped the Modern Rock chard and reached #5 on the Hot 100.

#7: Chngy – Right Thurr
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The rapper’s debut single, it spent five non-consecutive weeks at #2.

#4: Beyonce featuring Jay-Z – Crazy in Love
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from Beyonce’s solo debut, it spent eight weeks at #1.

#2: R. Kelly – Ignition
iTunes stats: N/A

Parodied by Dave Chappelle on his Comedy Central show, it spent five weeks at #2.

#1: 50 Cent – In da Club
iTunes stats: 12 plays

The lead single from his debut album, it spent nine weeks atop the Hot 100.

No Longer Have What It Takes

Aerosmith formed in Boston in 1970, scoring their first hit, Dream On, in 1973.  After running into hard times in the early 80s, the band received a second life after Run-D.M.C. covered one of their hits in 1986.  Last week, the band announced they’d come to the end of the road, as singer Steven Tyler was unable to recover from a fractured larynx.

The band announced a farewell tour in May of 2023, scheduled to kick off that September.  Tyler suffered the injury just three dates into that tour, on September 9th at Elmont, New York.  The remainder of the tour was postponed to allow Tyler time to recover, but it was all for nought.  Those 40 postponed dates have no officially been cancelled.  While guitarist Joe Perry says he is not closing the door to recording new music in the future, the band has not released a new album since 2012.

Fifty Years Of Music – 2001

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 2001, the year the world changed on a Tuesday morning in September, I celebrated my 27th birthday, and Danny joined the family.  22 of these songs remain familiar to me today, with just nine of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#99: Enrique Iglesias – Hero
iTunes stats: N/A

Released less than two weeks before 9/11, it peaked at #3

#75: U2 – Beautiful Day
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from the group’s tenth studio album, it reached #21 on the Hot 100.

#47: Aerosmith – Jaded
iTunes stats: 26 plays

Topping out at #7, the song made Aerosmith the first act to have an actively charting single when they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

#44: 3 Doors Down – Kryptonite
iTunes stats: N/A

The group’s debut single, it spent nine weeks atop the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, eleven weeks on top of the Modern Rock Tracks chart, and went to #3 on the Hot 100.

#43: Nelly Furtado – I’m Like a Bird
iTunes stats: 22 plays

The debut single from the Canadian singer-songwriter, it became her first top ten hit, peaking at #9.

#39: Creed – With Arms Wide Open
iTunes stats: N/A

Spending a single week atop the Hot 100, it remains the group’s sole #1 hit.

#35: Missy Elliot – Get Ur Freak On
iTunes stats: 20 plays

Reaching #7, the track was the lead single from her third studio album.

#33: Moby featuring Gwen Stefani – South Side
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Spending 32 weeks on the Hot 100, it topped out at #14 in May.

#29: Crazy Town – Butterfly
iTunes stats: N/A

The group’s third single, it spent two non-consecutive weeks at #1 in the spring.

#27: Faith Hill – The Way You Love Me
iTunes stats: N/A

The song spent four weeks atop the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart in May, becoming her eighth #1 hit on that chart, while later peaking at #6 on the Hot 100 in December.

#26: Jennifer Lopez – Love Don’t Cost a Thing
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from her sophomore effort, it reached #3 for two weeks.

#25: Outkast – Ms. Jackson
iTunes stats: 25 plays

The Grammy winner for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, it spent a single week at #1 in February.

#24: Christina Aguilera, Lil’ Kim, Mya, and Pink – Lady Marmalade
iTunes stats: 26 plays

Recorded for the soundtrack to Moulin Rouge!, it spent five weeks atop the Hot 100, making it just the ninth song to hit #1 when recorded by different artists.

#23: Destiny’s Child – Survivor
iTunes stats: N/A

Inspired by a joke that compared the group, who had already lost three members, to the reality show Survivor. it went to #2 on the Hot 100.

#19: Uncle Kracker – Follow Me
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #5, it was the debut single for the former Kid Rock hanger-on.

#18: Nelly featuring City Spud – Ride wit Me
iTunes stats: 14 plays

The third single from his debut studio album, it reached #3.

#17: Shaggy featuring Rayvon – Angel
iTunes stats: N/A

His second straight chart-topper, it spent a single week at #1 in March.

#14: Staind – It’s Been Awhile
iTunes stats: N/A

The group’s sole top ten hit, it went to #5.

#12: Shaggy featuring Rikrok – It Wasn’t Me
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from his fifth studio album, it spent two weeks atop the Hot 100 in February.

#8: Dido – Thank You
iTunes stats: 17 plays

Sampled for Eminem’s hit Stan, it spent three weeks at #3, her first and only top ten hit to date.

#7: Eve featuring Gwen Stefani – Let Me Blow Ya Mind
iTunes stats: 31 plays

Eve’s highest charting single, it peaked at #2 in August.

#4: Train – Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me)
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from the group’s sophomore album, it reached #5.

Fifty Years Of Music – 1998

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 1998, the year I turned 24.  The chart formula for the Hot 100 changed again in December, allowing songs to chart based on airplay alone if there was no commercial single released.  Thanks to my newly acquired hour plus commute, you’d think I’d have picked up more of the music of the day, but the numbers keep going down.  A mere 21 songs remain familiar to me today, with just twelve of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#87: Jewel – You Were Meant for Me
iTunes stats: 37 plays

Jewel hits the year-end chart for the second straight year thanks to a total of 65 weeks in the Hot 100.

#81: Spice Girls – Spice Up Your Life
iTunes stats: 9 plays

The lead single from the group’s sophomore album, it peaked at #18 on the Hot 100 in just its fourth week on the chart.

#79: The Verve – Bittersweet Symphony
iTunes stats: N/A

Considered one of the defining songs of the Britpop era, it reached #12.

#74: Edwin McCain – I’ll Be
iTunes stats: 16 plays

McCain’s second charting single, it went to #5, becoming his first and only top ten hit.

#58: Lisa Loeb – I Do
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Peaking at #17, it became Loeb’s second-highest charting single, following her debut single.

#57: Third Eye Blind – Semi-Charmed Life
iTunes stats: 18 plays

The highest charting single about a crystal meth addiction, it reached #4 and spent a total of 43 weeks on the chart.

#51: Barenaked Ladies – One Week
iTunes stats: 17 plays

True to its name, it spent a single week atop the Hot 100 in October.

Continue reading →

Fifty Years Of Music – 1994

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 1994, the year I settled on a major, finished my second year of college, started my third year, and turned 20.   Only 57 songs on the Hot 100 remain familiar to me today, with 42 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#97: Haddaway – What Is Love
iTunes stats: N/A

The debut single from the singer managed to make the year-end charts two years running despite peaking at #11 in the fall of 1993.

#95: General Public – I’ll Take You There
iTunes stats: N/A

Featured in the film Threesome, this cover of the classic by The Staple Singers reached #22 on the Hot 100.

#92: Melissa Etheridge – I’m the Only One
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The lead single from Etheridge’s fourth studio album, it was re-released following the success of Come to My Window and managed to surpass it, hitting #8.

#91: Bon Jovi – Always
iTunes stats: 2 plays

The requisite new song added to the greatest hits album, it became the band’s eleventh, and final, top ten hit, topping out at #4.

#89: The Four Seasons – December, 1963 (Oh What a Night)
iTunes stats: 27 plays

This remix spent 27 weeks on the chart, matching its original run across 1975 and 1976, and peaked at #14.

#85: Ini Kamoze – Here Comes the Hotstepper
iTunes stats: N/A

Spending two weeks at #1 in December of 1994, it was the only single from the Jamaican artist to break into the Top 40.

#82: Queen Latifah – U.N.I.T.Y.
iTunes stats: 21 plays

Confronting the disrespect of women in society and slurs against women in hip-hop culture, the song remains Latifah’s biggest pop hit, reaching #23.

#77: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers – Mary Jane’s Last Dance
iTunes stats: 32 plays

Petty’s first Top 20 hit since 1989, it topped out at #13 on the Hot 100 and topped the Album Rock Tracks chart for two weeks.

#76: Culture Beat – Mr. Vain
iTunes stats: 13 plays

The German group’s only single to chart in the US, it went to #17.

#72: Aerosmith – Amazing
iTunes stats: 17 plays

Featuring backing vocals from Don Henley, the track peaked at #3 on the Album Rock Tracks chart and #24 on the Hot 100.

#68: Aerosmith – Crazy
iTunes stats: 28 plays

Accompanied by a video featuring Alicia Silverstone and Liv Tyler, this last single from Get a Grip reached #17.

#65: 69 Boyz – Tootsee Roll
iTunes stats: 19 plays

The group’s debut single, it became the only one to crack the Top 30, topping out at #8.

#63: Real McCoy – Another Night
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The German group’s first single to chart in the US, it went all the way to #3, where it spent a record-setting eleven non-consecutive weeks.

#62: Snoop Doggy Dogg – What’s My Name?
iTunes stats: 57 plays

The first solo outing from the west coast rapper, it peaked at #8

#61: 2Pac – Keep Ya Head Up
iTunes stats: 19 plays

Focusing on black womanhood, the rap track reached #12.

#60: Jodeci – Cry for You
iTunes stats: 19 plays

Topping out at #15 on the Hot 100, the lead single from the group’s sophomore album sat atop both the R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart and the Billboard Mainstream R&B/Hip-Hop airplay chart.

#59: Warren G – This D.J.
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The second single from the rapper’s debut album, it was his second straight top ten hit, going to #9.

#55: Domino – Getto Jam
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The rapper’s debut single became his one and only top ten hit, peaking at #7.

#54: Bruce Springsteen – Streets of Philadelphia
iTunes stats: N/A

Recorded for the soundtrack to Philadelphia, it reached #9, becoming Springsteen’s twelfth and final top ten hit.

#52: Snoop Doggy Dogg – Gin and Juice
iTunes stats: 49 plays

Nominated for a Grammy, the second solo single from Snoop went to #8.

#51: Gin Blossoms – Found Out About You
iTunes stats: 23 plays

Originally written in the mid-80s by the band’s former guitarist, it peaked at #25.

#50: Beck – Loser
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Beck’s first single to chart on any major chart, it reached #10 in April and was named one of the 500 best pop songs of all time by Billboard magazine.

Continue reading →

Fifty Years Of Music – 1993

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 1993, the year I completed my first year of college, started my second year of college, moved out of my childhood home, and turned 19, in that order.  My musical landscape was continuing to change, as I navigated the different music I was exposed to between the middle of Indiana and the Chicagoland area.  A whopping 86 of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with 51 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#100: Def Leppard – Two Steps Behind
iTunes stats: 24 plays

Featured on the soundtrack to Last Action Hero, the acoustic ballad peaked at #12 on the Hot 100.

#97: Tony! Toni! Toné! – Anniversary
iTunes stats: N/A

Reaching #10, it was the second single from the group’s third studio album.

#96: Sting – If I Ever Lost My Faith in You
iTunes stats: N/A

Topping out at #17, the track earned Sting a Grammy in 1994.

#95: Gin Blossoms – Hey Jealousy
iTunes stats: 28 plays

Written by the band’s former guitarist, who was fired before their breakthrough album was released, it went to #25 on the Hot 100.

#94: Aerosmith – Livin’ on the Edge
iTunes stats: 21 plays

The lead single from the group’s eleventh album, which I bought in a midnight release at the Musicland that would eventually become a bar off of Purdue’s campus, it peaked at #18

#93: Green Jelly – Three Little Pigs
iTunes stats: 27 plays

Spending 20 weeks on the chart, the sole hit from the band, originally called Green Jellö before a lawsuit forced them to change their name, reached #17 in June.

#92: Joey Lawrence – Nothing My Love Can’t Fix
iTunes stats: N/A

The first, and most successful, single from the Blossom star, it topped out at #19.

#91: Tears for Fears – Break It Down Again
iTunes stats: 23 plays

The group’s first hit since 1989, it peaked at #25 and became their final track to enter the Top 40.

#90: Rod Stewart – Reason to Believe
iTunes stats: N/A

Originally released by Stewart in 1971, this live version, from his Unplugged appearance, reached #18.

#87: Sting – Fields of Gold
iTunes stats: N/A

Released in June, it hit #23 on the Hot 100.

#83: Michael Bolton – To Love Somebody
iTunes stats: N/A

Originally released by the Bee Gees in 1967, Michael Bolton took his version to #11.

#82: Haddaway – What is Love
iTunes stats: N/A

The sole hit from the Trinidadian-German singer, it topped out at #11.

#81: Digable Planets – Rebirth of Slick (Cool Like Dat)
iTunes stats: 25 plays

Peaking at #15 in March, it remains the group’s lone Top 40 single.

#80: The Heights – How Do You Talk to an Angel
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Spending the two weeks at the top of the charts between the record-breaking runs of Boyz II Men and Whitney Houston, it also finished at #59 in 1992’s year-end chart.

#78: Ice Cube – It Was a Good Day
iTunes stats: 43 plays

Ice Cube’s highest charting single, it peaked at #15 on the Hot 100.

#77: Inner Circle – Sweat (A La La La La Long)
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Released in July of 1992, it eventually worked its way up to #16.

#76: Restless Heart – When She Cries
iTunes stats: N/A

A crossover hit for the country band, it reached #9 on the Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and #11 on the Hot 100.

#75: DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince – Boom! Shake the Room
iTunes stats: 24 plays

The final Top 40 hit before the duo split, it peaked at #13.

#74: Janet Jackson – Again
iTunes stats: N/A

Included in her film Poetic Justice, this third single from Jackson’s fifth studio album topped the charts for two weeks in December of 1993.

#69: Inner Circle – Bad Boys
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The theme song to the television show Cops, it was first recorded in 1987 and finally released as a single in 1993, reaching #8 and giving the group their only top ten hit.

#68: Jeremy Jordan – The Right Kind of Love
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from the Beverly Hills 90210 soundtrack, it topped out at #14.

#67: Madonna – Rain
iTunes stats: 18 plays

Released in July, it hit #14 on the Hot 100.

#65: Cypress Hill – Insane in the Brain
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The lead single from the group’s sophomore album, it topped the Rap charts while peaking at #19 on the Hot 100.

#64: Zhané – Hey Mr. D.J.
iTunes stats: N/A

The debut single from the group became their first top ten hit, reaching #6.

#63: Positive K – I Got a Man
iTunes stats: 22 plays

The lone Top 40 hit of the rapper’s career, it hit #14 in March.

#62: TLC – What About Your Friends
iTunes stats: 27 plays

The third straight top ten single from their debut album, it topped out at #7.

#61: Ugly Kid Joe – Cats in the Cradle
iTunes stats: 16 plays

The highest charting single of the band’s career, this cover of the Harry Chapin classic peaked at #6.

#60: Aerosmith – Cryin’
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Released in June, the first single of their Alicia Silverstone trilogy reached #12.

#58: Mary J. Blige – Real Love
iTunes stats: N/A

The first top ten hit for the singer, it topped out at #7 on the Hot 100.

#57: Bon Jovi – Bed of Roses
iTunes stats: 20 plays

Hitting #10 on the Hot 100, the single was released in January.

#53: Dr. Dre – Dre Day
iTunes stats: 31 plays

The second single from Dr. Dre’s debut solo album, this Eazy-E diss track peaked at #8 in June.

#52: Prince and the New Power Generation – 7
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Released in late 1992, the song reached, of course, #7.

#51: Ace of Base – All That She Wants
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The first single released from their North American debut; it went all the way to #2.

#50: 4 Non Blondes – What’s Up?
iTunes stats: 28 plays

The band’s lone single to crack the Hot 100, it hit #14.

Continue reading →

Fifty Years Of Music – 1990

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 1990, the year I finished my sophomore year of high school, started my junior year, turned 16 and got my driver’s license, and, oh yeah, found myself with my first girlfriend.  These songs formed the soundtrack of my high school years and continue to be some of my favorites.  A full 70 of the Hot 100 are still familiar to me now, with a whopping 50 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#99: Mellow Man Ace – Mentirosa
iTunes stats: 17 plays

The lone single from the Cuban rapper, it spent 24 weeks on the chart, peaking at #14.

#96: Mötley Crüe – Without You
iTunes stats: 24 plays

Reaching #8 on the Hot 100, the song is said to be about drummer Tommy Lee’s relationship with Heather Locklear.

#94: Biz Markie – Just A Friend
iTunes stats: 39 plays

Markie’s highest charting single, it topped out at #9.

#91: Aerosmith – What It Takes
iTunes stats: 18 plays

Written with Desmond Child, it peaked at #9.

#88: Michael Bolton – When I’m Back on My Feet Again
iTunes stats: N/A

Reaching #7 in August, the song was Bolton’s third top ten hit.

#86: Paula Abdul – (It’s Just) The Way That You Love Me
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Originally released as the second single from Abdul’s debut album in 1988 to little success, it was re-released in the fall of 1989 and rose to #3.

#85: D Mob with Cathy Dennis – C’mon and Get My Love
iTunes stats: 21 plays

The song that introduced Cathy Dennis to the public, it just cracked the top ten.

#82: Billy Joel – I Go to Extremes
iTunes stats: N/A

The second single from Joel’s eleventh studio album, the song just missed the top five, peaking at #6

#81: Black Box – Everybody Everybody
iTunes stats: N/A

Featuring uncredited vocals by Martha Wash, the song reached #8 on the Hot 100.

#78: The B-52’s – Love Shack
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Making the year-end charts for the second consecutive year, the 47th biggest hit of 1989 spent 27 total weeks on the chart.

#76: Mariah Carey – Love Takes Time
iTunes stats: N/A

Spending three weeks at #1 in November, the second single from Carey was her second straight chart topper.

#75: Faith No More – Epic
iTunes stats: 26 plays

Ranked as the 30th greatest metal song of all time by VH1, it was the band’s breakthrough hit, reaching #9.

#73: Technotronic featuring Ya Kid K – Get Up! (Before the Night Is Over)
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Released in January of 1990, it rose to #7.

#72: Skid Row – I Remember You
iTunes stats: 19 plays

The New Jersey band’s second and final top ten hits, peaking at #6.

#70: Go West – King of Wishful Thinking
iTunes stats: 17 plays

Featured on the Pretty Woman soundtrack, the track reached #8 on the Hot 100.

#66: Depeche Mode – Enjoy the Silence
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Released in February, the song became the group’s highest charting single in the US, topping out at #8 in July.

#64: Tom Petty – Free Fallin’
iTunes stats: 34 plays

The highest and longest charting hit of Petty’s career, it peaked at #7, becoming his third and final top ten hit.

#63: Taylor Dayne – I’ll Be Your Shelter
iTunes stats: 6 plays

Reaching #4 on the Hot 100, the song, released in March, was written by Diane Warren and remains Dayne’s final top ten hit.

#62: Digital Underground – The Humpty Dance
iTunes stats: 43 plays

The group’s first Top 40 hit, it topped out at #11.

#61: Aerosmith – Janie’s Got a Gun
iTunes stats: 37 plays

Hitting #4 on the Hot 100, the song earned the group a Grammy award for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.

#59: Janet Jackson – Black Cat
iTunes stats: 12 plays

The sixth single from Jackson’s fourth studio album spent a single week atop the Hot 100 at the end of October.

#56: Phil Collins – I Wish It Would Rain Down
iTunes stats: N/A

Featuring guitar work from Eric Clapton, Collins reached #3 on the Hot 100 with this track.

#55: MC Hammer – U Can’t Touch This
iTunes stats: 18 plays

The first rap song to be nominated for Record of the Year at the Grammys, it peaked at #8 on the Hot 100.

#52: Michael Bolton – How Can We Be Lovers
iTunes stats: N/A

Reaching #3, Bolton co-wrote this tune with both Diane Warren and Desmond Child.

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Fifty Years Of Music – 1989

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 1989, the year I finished my freshman year of high school and started my sophomore year.  Z95 and B96 continued to be the hit stations in Chicago and provided the majority of the soundtrack of that year.  At 68 songs, we are nearing 70% of the Hot 100 that remain familiar to me today, with 44 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#99 Don Henley – The End of the Innocence
iTunes stats: N/A

The Eagles drummer and sometimes singer reached #8 with the title track from his third solo album.

#93 Michael Jackson – Smooth Criminal
iTunes stats: N/A

The sixth top-ten single from Jackson’s Bad album, this track peaked at #7.

#91 Alice Cooper – Poison
iTunes stats: 18 plays

Hitting #7, it was Cooper’s fist top ten hit in a dozen years.

#88 Rick Astley – She Wants to Dance with Me
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from Astley’s sophomore effort, it became his fourth consecutive top ten hit, peaking at #6.

#87 Samantha Fox – I Wanna Have Some Fun
iTunes stats: 24 plays

Reaching #8, the title track for the former Page 3 model was her third, and final, US top ten hit.

#86 Guns N’ Roses – Paradise City
iTunes stats: 14 plays

Ranked by VH1 as the 21st greatest metal song of all time, the final single from the group’s debut album rose to #5 on the Hot 100.

#84: Edie Brickell & New Bohemians – What I Am
iTunes stats: 15 plays

The group’s only Top 40 hit, it reached #7.

#82: Bon Jovi – Lay Your Hands on Me
iTunes stats: 11 plays

The fourth and final top ten hit from New Jersey, it peaked #7.

#81: Aerosmith – Love in an Elevator
iTunes stats: 18 plays

The band reached #5 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart with their lead single from Pump, their tenth studio album.

#77: Lita Ford & Ozzy Osbourne – Close My Eyes Forever
iTunes stats: 25 plays

The highest-charting solo single for both Ford and Osbourne, it peaked at #8.

#76: REM – Stand
iTunes stats: 33 plays

The future theme song of the Chris Elliot vehicle Get a Life, the song hit #6, giving the band their second top ten hit.

#74: Guns N’ Roses – Welcome to the Jungle
iTunes stats: 17 plays

Named the second greatest metal song by VH1 in 2008, it peaked at #7 on the Hot 100.

#71: Guns N’ Roses – Patience
iTunes stats: 26 plays

Reaching #4, the song is thought to be about the troubled relationship between singer Axl Rose and his ex-wife.

#68: The Cure – Lovesong
iTunes stats: N/A

The group’s only top ten hit on the Hot 100, it rose to #2 In October of 1989.

#66: Bangles – In Your Room
iTunes stats: 19 plays

The lead single from the band’s third album, it peaked at #5 in January of 1989.

#65: Tone Loc – Funky Cold Medina
iTunes stats: 20 plays

The second and final Top 40 hit for the rapper and producer, it reached #3 and became just the second ever platinum-certified rap single.

#61: Skid Row – 18 and Life
iTunes stats: 8 plays

The band’s biggest hit, it reached #4 on the Hot 100 and #11 on the Album Rock Tracks chart.

#60: White Lion – When the Children Cry
iTunes stats: 18 plays

Written by the group’s lead singer about his childhood with a single mother, it made it to #3 on the Hot 100.

#59: Madonna – Cherish
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #2, it gave Madonna the record for the most consecutive top-five singles with 16.

#58: Tears For Fears – Sowing the Seeds of Love
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from the group’s third studio album, it reached #2, becoming their fourth and final top ten hit.

#57: Donny Osmond – Soldier of Love
iTunes stats: N/A

Originally unreleased in the US since Osmond didn’t have a record deal, it eventually topped out at #2, becoming Osmond’s sixth and last top ten hit.

#55: Madonna – Express Yourself
iTunes stats: 17 plays

Accompanied by a music video directed by David Fincher, it peaked at #2.

#54: Richard Marx – Satisfied
iTunes stats: N/A

The lead single from his second album, it became the second of three consecutive #1 singles for Marx.

#53: Def Leppard – Armageddon It
iTunes stats: 29 plays

The sixth single released off of Hysteria, it went to #3, becoming the band’s third top ten hit.

#52: New Kids on the Block – You Got It (The Right Stuff)
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #3 in March, it was the second single released from the group’s second album.

#51: Love and Rockets – So Alive
iTunes stats: 16 plays

Easily the band’s biggest US hit, it reached #3 on the Hot 100 and spent five weeks at #1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart.

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