Tag / Bon Jovi

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Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 8

20 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would become a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD.  We last looked back at all 20 volumes three years ago to see which of my “favorite” songs still resonated in today’s digital world.  Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how, or if, things have changed in the past 3 years.

Volume 8 covers the winter and spring of 1993 and the second semester of my freshman year of college. The alternative influence starts to become more noticable, as both Pearl Jam and Nirvana make their belated first appearances alongside old mainstays like Poison, Bon Jovi, and Def Leppard. Besides that, we are treated to a lot of hip-hop and hair metal, with a small sampling of pop, as always.

Side A

Bell Biv Devoe – Gangsta

The intended first single from the second Bell Biv Devoe record, which flopped, it was dropped from the album and now is lost to history.

Pearl Jam – Jeremy

The belated first appearance on these tapes by Pearl Jam, the song, which VH1 ranked as the 11th greatest song of the 90s, saw a modest 3 listen increase over the past 3 years, with nothing for nearly 2 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
6 plays 9 plays 12 plays, most recently on 4/21/2017 

Wreckx-N-Effect – Rump Shaker

Charting as the 9th biggest hit of 1993, the biggest song for butts since Sir Mix-A-Lot had a healthy 15 play increase.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
3 plays 8 plays 23 plays, most recently on 8/6/2018 

Boyz II Men – In The Still Of The Night

The cover of the old doo-wop classic, recorded for the miniseries The Jacksons: An American Dream, added 5 plays in the last 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
4 plays 9 plays 14 plays, most recently on 12/4/2018 

Arrested Development – People Everyday

Peaking at #8 on the Billboard charts, the second single for the Atlanta-based group added an additional 7 plays over the past 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
7 plays 14 plays 21 plays, most recently on 10/18/2018 

Nirvana – In Bloom

The belated first appearance of Nirvana on these tapes, the song, winner of the Best Alternative Video VMA in 1993. picked up a mere 5 new plays in the last 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
6 plays 13 plays 18 plays, most recently on 4/30/2018 

TLC – What About Your Friends

The third straight top 10 hit from TLC’s debut album added 11 new listens to its total over the past 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
3 plays 6 plays 17 plays, most recently on 11/30/2018 

Side B

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Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 7

20 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would become a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD.  We last looked back at all 20 volumes three years ago to see which of my “favorite” songs still resonated in today’s digital world.  Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how, or if, things have changed in the past 3 years.

Volume 7 covers the fall of 1992 and the end of the first semester of my freshman year of college.  We are treated to the last gasps of hair metal and pop, with a little dance, alternative and hip-hop thrown in for good measure.

Side A

Guns N’ Roses – November Rain

The longest song ever to crack to top 10 on the Billboard charts, peaking at #3, the opus, which checks in at 3 seconds shy of 9 minutes, picked up 7 new plays in the last 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
3 plays 5 plays 12 plays, most recently on 11/14/2018 

Def Leppard – Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad

The 86th biggest hit of 1992 picked up a mere 2 listens since 2015 and only 4 since 2012.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
4 plays 6 plays 8 plays, most recently on 12/5/2018 

Toad The Wet Sprocket – All I Want

Topping out at #15 on the Billboard charts, the first hit from Toad the Wet Sprocket only picked up 4 new listens over the past 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
10 plays 17 plays 21 plays, most recently on 12/9/2018 

Tesla – Signs

The live track, which I once owned on CD before trading it in for LL Cool J’s Mama Said Knock You Out, gained a mere 4 new listens, with the last one coming only 2 weeks after I bought the band’s namesake car.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
4 plays 5 plays 9 plays, most recently on 7/13/2017 

Soup Dragons – Divine Thing

The alternative dance single that became a moderate hit in the US gained 9 additional listens.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
9 plays 14 plays 20 plays, most recently on 9/23/2018

Ugly Kid Joe – Neighbor

Ugly Kid Joe, who debuted much too late for their 80s hairband style, saw a five-fold increase in the amount of plays this first single from their first full length album.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
1 plays 2 plays 10 plays, most recently on 11/12/2018 

The Heights – How Do You Talk To An Angel

The theme song from the short-lived FOX show The Heights, nominated for the 1993 Outstanding Individual Achievement in Music and Lyrics Emmy, picked up 6 new plays.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
4 plays 8 plays 14 plays, most recently on 7/14/2018 

Side B

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Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 1

20 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would become a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD.  We last looked back at all 20 volumes three years ago to see which of my “favorite” songs still resonated in today’s digital world.  Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how, or if, things have changed in the past 3 years.

Volume 1, again, was started in 1989 when I was a sophomore and stretches to early 1990.  It features a steady stream of hair metal, with a smattering of pop, rap and dance, with a morning zoo radio bit thrown in for good measure.

Side A

Warrant – Heaven

The biggest hit from Warrant, which I most likely originally recorded from Z95, peaked at #2 on the Billboard charts.  It has more than doubled its number of plays over the last 3 years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
3 plays 6 plays 13 plays, most recently on 12/4/2018 

Young MC – Bust A Move

One of the first tunes I bought on cassingle, this one hit wonder won the Grammy for Best Rap Performance in 1990.  It had another impressive increase, gaining 6 plays since 2015.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
13 plays 20 plays 26 plays, most recently on 9/17/2018 

New Kids Got Run Over By A Reindeer

Thanks to YouTube, I just finally tracked down this parody song that I originally heard on the Welch & Woody morning show on Z95.  I may even listen to it next Christmas.

Bon Jovi – You Give Love A Bad Name

Originally written by Desmond Child for Bonnie Tyler, the song was rewritten and became the first single from Bon Jovi’s third album in 1986.  After a dry spell between 2012 and 2015, it has more than doubled in the 3 years since.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
5 plays 6 plays 14 plays, most recently on 12/11/2018 

B-52s –  Love Shack

I’m still hoping to acquire the full version of the song on MP3, which I had originally taped off the radio.   In spite of that, I’ve more than tripled the number of listens over the last three years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
2 plays 3 plays 13 plays, most recently on 10/2/2018 

Paula Abdul – The Way That You Love Me

After stalling out on the Billboard charts on its original release in 1988, the song, along with a video by future Academy Award nominee David Fincher, was re-released the following year, making it up to #3.  Despite barely hearing the song for years, it’s added 7 new plays in the past three years.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
0 plays 1 play 8 plays, most recently on 11/6/2018 

Richard Marx – Right Here Waiting

The #1 hit, the third consecutive for Marx, was the second single from his second album.  After a dry spell between 2012 and 2015, it has more than tripled in the 3 years since.

iTunes Stats
2012 2015 2019
1 play 3 plays 10 plays, most recently on 12/12/2018 

Side B

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Top 200 Albums – #60 – 70

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 with the next batch of 10 albums ranked between #60 and 70, including 3 studio recordings, 2 compilations, 2 comedy albums, 1 greatest hits collection, 1 soundtrack, and 1 live performance.

#70: Foo Fighters – The Colour And The Shape
iTunes stats: 92 plays
Previous Ranking: 54

Many years ago, a few years after the album had been released, I picked this up for $5 at Best Buy on Black Friday. Since that time, 4 tracks have made up this total.

#68: The Beatles – Magic Mystery Tour
iTunes stats: 95 plays
Previous Ranking: 42

6 tracks make up the total for this remastered album.

#68: Sam Kinison – Have You Seen Me Lately
iTunes stats: 95 plays
Previous Ranking: 120

The seminal comedy album from Sam Kinison uses his standup routine and a twisted remake of Wild Thing to chart this high.

#66: Various Artists – Millennium Hip-Hop Party Vol. 2
iTunes stats: 98 plays
Previous Ranking: 65

7 tracks, from artists like Coolio, Naughty By Nature, and Paperboy, make up the total for this turn-of-the-century compilation.

#66: Snoop Dogg – Doggystyle
iTunes stats: 98 plays
Previous Ranking: 50

Snoop Dogg’s debut album uses 5 songs to make up this total.

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Top 200 Albums – #151 – 158

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 #151 and 158, including 7 studio recordings, 2 soundtracks, and 1 live performance.

#158: Icona Pop – This Is… Icona Pop
iTunes stats: 50 plays
Previous Ranking: N/A

A single entry, used as part of my White Sox playlist, allows this album to make its debut.

#158: R.E.M. – Automatic For The People
iTunes stats: 50 plays
Previous Ranking: 141

5 songs, led by the first single Drive, make up this total for the Athens, Georgia based group.

#158: Various Artists – OST – Veronica Mars
iTunes stats: 50 plays
Previous Ranking: 100

2 different tracks, from The Dandy Warhols and Tegan & Sara, make up the total for the soundtrack from the cult television show, which suffered a huge drop.

#151: Bon Jovi – VH1 Storytellers
iTunes stats: 51 plays
Previous Ranking: N/A

A strong debut for this live offering from the boys from New Jersey, thanks to 8 different tracks.

#151: The Strokes – Is This It?
iTunes stats: 51 plays
Previous Ranking: 127

One of the 4 songs making up this total, New York City Cops, was dropped from the American version of the album, released weeks after the 9/11 attacks.

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iTunes Top 200 Artists: #11-20

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.

In our penultimate trip through the chart, we crack the top 20 and hit some of the more popular bands and musicians on my phone..

#20: Nirvana
iTunes stats: 211 plays
Previous ranking: #20

97 new listens to the same 19 songs from the grunge masters enable them to stay even at #20.

#19: Bon Jovi
iTunes stats: 214 plays
Previous ranking: #21

The boys from New Jersey have racked up 101 new listens, including 5 new songs, to raise 2 slots in the rankings.

#18: Eminem
iTunes stats: 215 plays
Previous ranking: #14

The same 16 tunes provided only 79 new listens, causing the Detroit rapper to fall 4 slots from 3 years ago.

#17: Elvis Presley
iTunes stats: 226 plays
Previous ranking: #27

One additional song, plus a trip to Graceland, helped the King of Rock & Roll more than double his total from 3 years ago and leap 10 spots in the rankings.

#16: Poison
iTunes stats: 243 plays
Previous ranking: #13

30 tracks, 2 more than 3 years ago, accounted for their 99 additional listens, causing the quintessential glam rock band to drop 3 slots.

#15: Def Leppard
iTunes stats: 255 plays
Previous ranking: #15

The troubled band from Sheffield used 36 songs to increase their total by 122, enabling them to retain their ranking from 3 years ago.

#14: The Lonely Island
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Historical iTunes Top 10 Albums

itunes_imageI recently came across an iTunes Music Library XML file from an old computer that covered some time frame between 2003 and 2007.  I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the 785 songs I had listened to in that timeframe and, eventually, incorporate some of those numbers into my current library.

Today, we will look at the top 10 albums, in terms of total listens, from this iTunes library.  My initial observations are, again, that these totals are completely out of whack.  When I last looked at the album totals for my current library, Bon Jovi’s greatest hits collection came in at #60, with only 6 more plays than they have here, where they are by far the leaders.  So, without further ado:

#1: Bon Jovi – Cross Road
iTunes stats: 48 plays
An abnormally large total for the first greatest hits package from the boys from New Jersey

#2: The Cast of Buffy The Vampire Slayer – Once More, With Feeling
iTunes stats: 39 plays
The soundtrack album to the musical episode of Buffy The Vampire Slayer, which took home the top spot last year in my current library, has a strong showing here.

#3: The Cast of Sesame Street – Sesame Street Platinum: All-Time Favorites
iTunes stats: 35 plays
The best tunes from Sesame Street got a lot of plays back when Angelina and Danny were younger, enough to take the third slot here.

#4: Bon Jovi – VH1 Storytellers
iTunes stats: 25 plays
A bootleg album of the band’s performance on the afore-mentioned VH1 Storytellers.

#5: Various Artists – Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Album
iTunes stats: 18 plays
The soundtrack album to Buffy The Vampire Slayer proper makes the top 5 after finishing tied for 34th in my current library.

#6: Avril Lavigne – Avril Live: Try To Shut Me Up
iTunes stats: 15 plays
Live versions of Avril’s hits, including a cover of Green Day’s Basket Case, place her in the top 10.

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Historical iTunes Top 16 Artists

itunes_imageI recently came across an iTunes Music Library XML file from an old computer that covered some time frame between 2003 and 2007.  I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the 785 songs I had listened to in that timeframe and, eventually, incorporate some of those numbers into my current library.

Today, we will look at the top 16 artists, in terms of total listens, from this iTunes library.  My initial observations are that these totals are completely out of whack.  When I last looked at the artist totals for my current library, Bon Jovi came in at #21, with only 10 more plays than they have here, where they are the leaders.

 

Artist Play Count
Bon Jovi 103
Garbage 60
Liz Phair 39
The Cast Of Buffy The Vampire Slayer 39
Avril Lavigne 31
No Doubt 21
AC/DC 18
Elvis Presley 17
Foo Fighters 15
Aerosmith 13
Def Leppard 11
Pearl Jam 11
Alanis Morissette 11
Tee Vee Toons 10
Gin Blossoms 10
Christophe Beck 10
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Historical iTunes – Top 24

itunes_imageI recently came across an iTunes Music Library XML file from an old computer that covered some time frame between 2003 and 2007.  I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the 785 songs I had listened to in that timeframe and, eventually, incorporate some of those numbers into my current library.

Today, we will look at the top 24 songs, in terms of total listens, from this iTunes library.  My initial observations are that all of these songs were either ripped from CDs or bought from the iTunes store.  Any MP3s don’t seem to be well represented in this library.

 

Close Your Eyes (Buffy/Angel Love Theme) Christophe Beck Buffy The Vampire Slayer: The Album 10 11/23/2006 10:53 AM
Sk8er Boi (Live) Avril Lavigne Avril Live – Try to Shut Me Up 9 2/28/2006 3:26 PM
Why Can’t I? (Live) Liz Phair Why Can’t I? (Sessions@AOL) – Single 7 8/5/2004 10:12 PM
Living In Sin Bon Jovi New Jersey 7 8/28/2005 11:10 AM
In These Arms Bon Jovi Keep The Faith 7 8/28/2005 12:59 PM
Livin’ On A Prayer Bon Jovi Cross Road 7 10/2/2005 10:38 AM
Keep The Faith Bon Jovi Cross Road 7 10/2/2005 10:44 AM
Connecticut’s For F*cking Jesus H Christ and The Four Hornsmen of the Apocalypse Jesus H Christ and The Four Hornsmen Of The Apocalypse 7 11/17/2006 11:45 AM
C Is For Cookie Cookie Monster Sesame Street Platinum: All-Time Favorites 7 12/8/2006 9:06 PM
Basketcase (Live) Avril Lavigne Avril Live – Try to Shut Me Up 6 1/25/2004 4:07 PM
Supernova Liz Phair Live from the Chicago Store – EP 6 10/8/2004 8:15 PM
Never Say Goodbye Bon Jovi Slippery When Wet 6 8/28/2005 12:26 PM
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Mix Tape Monday Revisited – Volume 9

Between 1989, my sophomore year of high school, and 1995, my fourth year of college, I put together a nearly 20 volume collection of mix tapes, containing my favorite songs that I had gathered either from the radio, a cassette tape, or (eventually) CD.  Three years ago, we looked back at all 20 volumes and which of my “favorite” songs I still listened to.  Today, we revisit those mix tapes and see how things have changed in the last 3 years.

Volume 9 places us squarely in the early months of 1993, overlapping with the second semester of my freshman year of college.  The hip hop and pop are rounded out with some alternative and what passes for hair metal in the post-grunge era.

Side A

Dan Baird – I Love You Period

Despite not knowing if this song ever got radio play in the state of Illinois, I’ve somehow more than quadrupled its listens over the past 3 years..

2012 iTunes stats: 2 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 9 plays, most recently on 3/9/2015

Ugly Kid Joe – Cats In The Cradle

Only 2 additional listens for this cover of the Harry Chapin hit.

2012 iTunes stats: 4 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 6 plays, most recently on 5/21/2013

Arrested Development – Mr. Wendal

The story of a wise homeless man managed to more than double its number of plays over the past 3 years.

2012 iTunes stats: 5 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 12 plays, most recently on 10/14/2014

Naughty By Nature – Hip Hop Hooray

A slight increase for the hip hop anthem.

2012 iTunes stats: 8 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 12 plays, most recently on 4/15/2015

Positive K – I Got A Man

The one hit for Positive K garnered a slight increase in the last 3 years.

2012 iTunes stats: 6 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 10 plays, most recently on 8/14/2014

REM – Man On The Moon

A slight increase for this tribute to Andy Kaufman.

2012iTunes stats: 2 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 4/1/2015

Aerosmith – Livin’ On The Edge

The first hit from the first CD I bought at a midnight release, at the Musicland that would eventually become Kazoo’s, managed a slight increase over the past 3 years.

2012 iTunes stats: 2 plays

2015 iTunes stats: 5 plays, most recently on 8/4/2014

Side B

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