iTunes Top 200 Artists: #150-159

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, covering the genres of pop, alternative rock, and rap, plus some Saturday morning cartoon symmetry to round things out.

#159: B.J. Thomas
iTunes stats: 71 plays
Previous ranking: #154

A 16-play increase for the Oklahoma-born pop singer, who passed away in 2021.

#159: Poe
iTunes stats: 71 plays
Previous ranking: #152

The trippy singer, who became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2014, scores with four different songs to add fifteen listens over these past five years.

#157: KC & The Sunshine Band
iTunes stats: 72 plays
Previous ranking: #171

The disco stalwarts, founded in 1973 in Florida, added 21 new plays to the four songs they have in my collection.

#157: 2Pac
iTunes stats: 72 plays
Previous ranking: #140

The slain rapper, whose murder remains unsolved nearly 30 years later, picked up twelve new listens while dropping 17 spots in the rankings.

#154: Lita Ford
iTunes stats: 73 plays
Previous ranking: #176

The former Runaways guitarist moves up the list with thirteen new plays, driven mostly by her 1989 duet with Ozzy Osbourne, who passed last year.

#154: Lily Allen
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iTunes Top 200 Artists: #140-148

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 are a quarter of the way through the countdown and continue today with our next batch of 10 artists, the remaining 3 tied for 148th place, the single artist in 147th, the 4 tied for 143rd, and the first 2 holding down the 140th spot.  For the first time, we have no newcomers making their debut this week.

#148: The Dandy Warhols
iTunes stats: 57 plays
Previous ranking: #105

A big 43 spot drop, thanks to only 14 new listens, for the band responsible for the original Veronica Mars theme song.

#148: Lisa Loeb
iTunes stats: 57 plays
Previous ranking: #185

The first artist to ever hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 without a recording contract, Loeb adds a track and 32 new listens to power her 37 slot jump.

#148: The Doors
iTunes stats: 57 plays
Previous ranking: #164

A 29 play increase for the 3 tracks in my collection from the seminal LA rock group fronted by Jim Morrison.

#147: Alice Cooper
iTunes stats: 58 plays
Previous ranking: #167

The so-called Godfather of Shock Rock rises 20 spots on the chart thanks to 31 additional plays spread across 3 different tracks.

#143: Katy Perry
iTunes stats: 59 plays
Previous ranking: #108

Despite adding 2 new tracks to my collection, although 2 tracks which never made it to my phone, the pop singer suffers a 35 spot drop after adding a mere 17 new listens spread across 3 songs.

#143: Cher
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iTunes Top 200 Artists: #159-167

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 on today with the remaining 4 acts tied for 167th, the 3 tied for 164th, and the first 3 tied for 159th, spanning the 1960s through the 2010s.

#167: Cee Lo Green
iTunes stats: 27 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

Tied with his own collaboration effort with DJ Danger Mouse, Cee Lo Green makes it as a solo artist thanks to his one megahit.

#167: Bad Religion
iTunes stats: 27 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

2 hits from the band, who I saw open for Pearl Jam at Soldier Field in 1995, make up this total.

#167: Belly
iTunes stats: 27 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The band, formed by former Throwing Muses member Tanya Donelly, uses contributions from 2 songs to make the list.

#167: Alice Cooper
iTunes stats: 27 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The so-called Godfather of Shock Rock hits the chart thanks to contributions from 3 different tracks.

#164: The Doors
iTunes stats: 28 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

3 tracks make up the total from the seminal LA rock group fronted by Jim Morrison.

#164: Poe
iTunes stats: 28 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

The trippy singer scores with 4 different songs to make up her total.

#164: Frente!
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