Tag / Madonna

by jim

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.

Continue reading →

by admin

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 →

by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 1986

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 today with 1986, the year I finished grammar school, moved on to junior high and the seventh grade, and turned 12.  I am starting to become more familiar with the songs of the day, although there are quite a few here, even in the top ten, which did not stand the test of time.  38 of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with 18 of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#89: Run-D.M.C. featuring Aerosmith – Walk This Way
iTunes stats: 55 plays

Charting higher than the original did in the 70s, it became the first hip-hop single reach the top five, peaking at #4.  It became Run-D.M.C.’s biggest hit and helped Aerosmith revitalize their career.

#76: Madonna – True Blue
iTunes stats: N/A

The title track from Madonna’s third album, it spent three weeks at #3.

#74: Mike + The Mechanics – All I Need Is a Miracle
iTunes stats: 7 plays

Nominated for the Best Pop Performance By a Duo or Group Grammy, it topped out at #5 on the Hot 100.

#72: John Cougar Mellencamp – Small Town
iTunes stats: N/A

Reaching #6, Mellencamp wrote the song to detail his experiences growing up in small-town Indiana.

#69: Van Halen – Why Can’t This Be Love
iTunes stats: 13 plays

The group’s first single with new singer Sammy Hagar, it shot to #3 on the Hot 100.

#68: Cameo – Word Up
iTunes stats: 10 plays

The lead single from the group’s thirteenth studio album, it became their first Top 40 hit, topping out at #6.

#67: El DeBarge – Who’s Johnny
iTunes stats: 23 plays

Featured in Short Circuit, the debut solo single from DeBarge peaked at #3.

#66: John Cougar Mellencamp – R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A.
iTunes stats: N/A

The third single from Mellencamp’s Scarecrow, it reached #2 on the Hot 100.

#65: James Brown – Living in America
iTunes stats: 27 plays

Featured prominently on the Rocky IV soundtrack, the tune, which reached #4, earned Brown a Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance.

#62: The Outfield – Your Love
iTunes stats: 101 plays

Peaking at #6, the song became a popular sports anthem and was used locally as the walkup music for former White Sox infielder Gordon Beckham.

#59: Eddie Money – Take Me Home Tonight
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Featuring Ronnie Spector in the chorus, the single topped out at #4 in November.

#58: Janet Jackson – Nasty
iTunes stats: N/A

Reaching #3 on the Hot 100, the song ranked at #11 on Rolling Stone’s 200 Best Songs of the 1980s.

#56: INXS – What You Need
iTunes stats: N/A

The band’s first top ten hit in the US, it peaked at #5 on the Hot 100.

#54: Genesis – Invisible Touch
iTunes stats: N/A

The first of five consecutive top five singles, it was their first and, to date, only #1 single in the United States.

#53: OMD – If You Leave
iTunes stats: 24 plays

Recorded for the Pretty in Pink soundtrack, the song topped out at #4, becoming the group’s highest-charting single.

#51: Stacey Q – Two of Hearts
iTunes stats: 19 plays

The first single my sister owned, which took her years to realize she was playing on the wrong speed, it peaked at #3 in the fall of 1986. Continue reading →

by admin

Book 13 (of 52) – 60 Songs That Explain The ’90s

60 Songs That Explain The ’90s = Rpb Harvilla

On January 1, 1990, I was 15 years old, a high school sophomore ready and willing, if not quite able, to take over the world.  The music of the next decade is, primarily, the soundtrack of my life, even to this day.  In his book 60 Songs That Explain The ’90s, Rob Harvilla dives into, not necessarily the most successful songs of the decade, but certainly some of the most impactful, across the pop, rock, and hip-hop genres.  He doesn’t go into the nitty gritty behind the crafting or recording of each song, but where it fell in the cultural zeitgeist and how they impacted the world, the scene, or maybe just his life.  Songs like Doll Parts by Hole, Vogue by Madonna, It Was a Good Day by Ice Cube, and Metallica’s Enter Sandman.  Fiona Apple’s Criminal, with its suggestive video, to Wonderwall by Oasis, whose Gallagher brothers remain at odds to this day.  And, of course, Smells Like Teen Spirit, Nirvana’s seminal hit that killed hair metal overnight and ushered in grunge and the so-called “alternative revolution” that ruled rock radio for much of the decade.

These are the songs that got me through high school, college, and my earliest days in the real world.  The songs I danced to at prom, rocked out to in the car after my friends and I got our licenses, and listened to on my way to and from work.

by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 1985

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 1985, the year I wrapped up fifth grade, moved to sixth grade, did the Super Bowl Shuffle, and turned 11.  31 songs of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with only fifteen of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#97: Don Henley – All She Wants to Do Is Dance
iTunes stats: N/A

The sixth solo single from the Eagles drummer peaked at #9 on the Hot 100.

#92: Bruce Springsteen – Born in the USA
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Ranked as the 275th greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone, the track broke the top ten, hitting #9 in January of 1985.

#88: David Lee Roth – California Girls
iTunes stats: 22 plays

Roth’s first solo single after leaving Van Halen, this version matched the original by the Beach Boys, topping out at #3.

#75: Katrina and the Waves – Walking on Sunshine
iTunes stats: 14 plays

Hitting #9 on the Hot 100 in 1985, the song was briefly banned in the southern US after Hurrican Katrina in 2005.

#74: Bryan Adams – Summer of ’69
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #5 on the charts, the song was ranked at #70 on Blender’s list “The 500 Greatest Songs Since You Were Born” in 2005

#67: Bruce Springsteen – Glory Days
iTunes stats: 14 plays

The fifth of a record-tying seven singles from the Born in the USA album to hit the top five, it stalled out at #5 in the summer of 1985.

#61: Harold Faltermeyer – Axel F
iTunes stats: 18 plays

The instrumental theme to Beverly Hills Cop, the track reached #3 on the Hot 100.

#58: Madonna – Material Girl
iTunes stats: N/A

Spending two weeks at #2, the second single from Like a Virgin gave Madonna two simultaneous top five hits.

#57: Tina Turner – We Don’t Need Another Hero (Thunderdome)
iTunes stats: N/A

Turner peaked at #2 with this hit from the soundtrack to Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, which also earned her a Golden Globe and Oscar nominations.

#56: Animotion – Obsession
iTunes stats: 16 plays

The band’s first single reached #6 on the Hot 100.

#53: Don Henley – The Boys of Summer
iTunes stats: N/A

The track, which earned Henley a Grammy in 1986, hit #5 on the Hot 100 and topped the Top Rock Tracks chart for five weeks.

#51: Prince & the Revolution – Raspberry Beret
iTunes stats: 5 plays

Peaking at #2 in 1985, the song re-entered the Hot 100 at #33 in 2016 following Prince’s death.

Continue reading →

by admin

Fifty Years Of Music – 1984

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.

Today, we enter my second decade on the planet and look back at the music of my lifetime with 1984.  I am starting to become more familiar with the songs of the day, either from that time period or from later exposure.  38 of the Hot 100 are familiar to me now, with fourteen of them appearing in my collection in one way or another.

#89: Billy Joel – The Longest Time
iTunes stats: N/A

Written and recorded as a tribute to the music the influenced Joel as a child, the track peaked at #14 on the Hot 100.

#87: Ratt – Round and Round
iTunes stats: 25 plays

Reaching #12, the song is the band’s biggest hit and was ranked as the 20th greatest heavy metal song of all time by Rolling Stone in 2023.

#86: John Cougar Mellencamp – Pink Houses
iTunes stats: N/A

Inspired by a trip Mellencamp took from the airport in Indianapolis to his home in the godforsaken town of Bloomington, the song cracked the top ten, reaching #8 in early 1984.

#79: Madonna – Holiday
iTunes stats: N/A

Entering the Hot 100 in October of 1983, Madonna’s first big hit rose to #16, spending a total of 21 weeks on the charts.

#78: Michael Jackson – Thriller
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #4 in 1984, the track re-enters the charts regularly around Halloween, giving Jackson a top 20 hit in seven straight decades.

#76: The Pointer Sisters – I’m So Excited
iTunes stats: N/A

Originally stalling out at #30 in 1982, this re-mix re-released in 1984 cracked the top ten, reaching #9.

#74: Wang Chung – Dance Hall Days
iTunes stats: 21 plays

A #1 smash on the Dance Club Songs chart, it hit #16 on the Hot 100.

#73: Bananarama – Cruel Summer
iTunes stats: N/A

Featured in The Karate Kid, the second most popular song with this name peaked at #9 in 1984.

#68: Quiet Riot – Cum on Feel the Noize
iTunes stats: 15 plays

Helping to bring national attention to LA’s burgeoning metal scene, this cover of an old Slade tune became the band’s biggest hit, reaching #5.

#66: Madonna – Lucky Star
iTunes stats: N/A

Madonna’s first top five hit, it peaked at #4 in the fall of 1984.

#64: Huey Lewis and the News – If This Is It
iTunes stats: N/A

The group’s fifth top ten hit, this throwback to the doo-wop of the 50s hit #6.

#60: ZZ Top – Legs
iTunes stats: N/A

Cracking the top ten and reaching #8, it remains the band’s highest charting single.

#55: Huey Lewis and the News – I Want a New Drug
iTunes stats: N/A

Peaking at #6, the song earned Lewis a second payday when he sued Ray Parker Jr. for plagiarizing it for his theme to Ghostbusters.

#51: Billy Ocean – Caribbean Queen (No More Love on the Run)
iTunes stats: 13 plays

Ocean took home the 1985 Grammy award for Best Male R&B Vocal performance for this track, making him the first British artist to win in that category.

Continue reading →

by admin

Yet Another Mix Tape Monday Roundup

33 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would eventually 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.  Today, we revisit those mix tapes for the fourth time and see how, or if, the soundtrack of my youth still resonates in today’s digital world and how much has changed over the past 3 years.

Last week, we finished up the last of the 20 volumes.  The 287 songs from 144 different bands or performers have been played an average of more than 22 times each, according to my iTunes stats, up from just under sixteen times four years ago. The lack of a commute over most of these four years has certainly made an impact, as the gains are considerably lower than they’ve been in the past.  Let’s take one final look back at the bands and songs that made up my youth.

Most Played Song

62 – Boyz II Men – It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye
62 – Tag Team – Whoomp! (There It Is)
54 – Snoop Dogg – What’s My Name?
51 – Veruca Salt – Seether
47 – Snoop Dogg – Gin And Juice
47 – Bell Biv Devoe – Poison

Least Played Song

7 – Bon Jovi – 99 In The Shade
8 – TLC – Get It Up
9 – Silk – Freak Me
9 – Shanice – Saving Forever For You
10 – Saigon Kick – Love Is On The Way
10 – Madonna – Vogue
10 – Def Leppard – Miss You In A Heartbeat
10 – Bon Jovi – Lay Your Hands On Me
10 – Edwyn Collins – A Girl Like You
10 – Warren G – Do You See

Most Played Song – Largest Total Increase

19 – Tag Team – Whoomp! (There It Is)
15 – Snoop Dogg – What’s My Name?
15 – Stone Temple Pilots – Creep
14 – Cranberries – Zombie
14 – Boyz II Men – It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye

Least Played Song – Smallest Total Increase

0 – Offspring – What Happened To You?
1 – Nelson – Love And Affection
1 – Bon Jovi – 99 In The Shade
2 – Ugly Kid Joe – Everything About You
2 – Soup Dragons – Divine Thing
2 – Weezer – Say It Ain’t So
2 – Bon Jovi – You Give Love A Bad Name
2 – Ugly Kid Joe – Busy Bee
2 – Genesis – I Can’t Dance
2 – Poison – Every Rose Has It’s Thorn
2 – Silk – Freak Me

Most Played Song – Largest Percentage Increase

175% – Liz Phair – Whip-Smart
166.67% – 4 Non Blondes – Spaceman
150% – Warren G – Do You See
137.5% – Aerosmith – Living On The Edge
133.33% – Radiohead – Stop Whispering

Least Played Song – Smallest Percentage Increase

0% – Offspring – What Happened To You?
9.09% – Nelson – Love And Affection
9.09% – Ugly Kid Joe – Everything About You
9.67% – Warrant – Cherry Pie
10% – Soup Dragons – Divine Thing

Most Represented Band

11 – Poison
10 – Aerosmith
10 – Pearl Jam
7 – Def Leppard
7 – Guns N’ Roses

Most Played Tape

Continue reading →

by admin

Yet Another Mix Tape Monday – Volume 2

33 years ago, during my sophomore year of high school, I put together the first of what would eventually 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.  Today, we revisit those mix tapes for the fourth time and see how, or if, the soundtrack of my youth still resonates in today’s digital world and how much has changed over the past four years.

Once again, some older songs are mixed in with the hits of the day: Rag Doll and Dude (Looks Like A Lady) from Aerosmith’s 1987 album Permanent Vacation.  I had managed to borrow the cassette from my friend Scott and for some reason felt the need to add those two tracks, but only those two tracks, to my Favorites collection at the same time that more current hits from the band’s latest album, Pump, were on the charts. While I’m sure I returned the cassette to Scott at some point, I do currently have possession of it, sitting in a box in my closet alongside all of my other cassettes, including this homemade collection.

Volume 2 picks up in early 1990 and takes us through early summer, book-ended by Roxette hits and featuring another steady stream of hair metal and pop, with a little rap and R&B thrown in for flavor.

Side A

Roxette – Dangerous
iTunes stats: 23 plays, most recently on 5/14/2021

Originally recorded from American Top 40, the fifth and final single from Roxette’s second album added six listens to its play total over these past four years.

Skid Row – Youth Gone Wild
iTunes stats: 25 plays, most recently on 12/6/2022

The first release from Skid Row, which peaked at #99 on the Billboard charts, nearly doubled its numbers of plays over the past four years.

Biz Markie – Just A Friend
iTunes stats: 37 plays, most recently on 10/28/2022

Ranked #81 on VH1s list of Greatest One Hit Wonders, Biz Markie’s smash added a dozen more listens over the past four years, partially in tribute following his 2021 death,

Mötley Crüe – Without You
iTunes stats: 24 plays, most recently on 6/16/2021

Peaking at #8 on the Billboard charts, the ballad, said to be about drummer Tommy Lee’s relationship with Heather Locklear, picked up seven additional spins since 2019.

Aerosmith – What It Takes
iTunes stats: 18 plays, most recently on 6/20/2019

The third single from Aerosmith’s Pump album, which peaked at #9 on the Billboard charts, picked up a mere three plays over the last four years and none since mid-2019.

MC Hammer – U Can’t Touch This
iTunes stats: 16 plays, most recently on 6/6/2021

The first rap song to be nominated for the Record of the Year Grammy, MC Hammer’s signature tune fizzled over the past four years with only three new listens.

Aerosmith – Rag Doll
iTunes stats: 17 plays, most recently on 4/20/2020

Released back in 1988, the final single from Aerosmith’s Permanent Vacation album, which peaked at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100, added has not been heard since the earliest days of the pandemic.

Side B

Continue reading →

by admin

iTunes Top 200 Artists: #120-128

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 continue today with our next batch of 10 artists, the 3 tied for 128th place, 3 tied for 125th, 3 tied for 122nd, and the first of 2 tied for 120th.  We have a single newcomer making their debut this week, who kicks things off.

#128: Madonna
iTunes stats: 64 plays
Previous ranking: N/A

Certified as the best-selling female recording artist of all time by Guinness World Records, Madonna makes an impressive debut after adding 43 new listens, the highest total to date.

#128: Lenny Kravitz
iTunes stats: 64 plays
Previous ranking: #152

The son of TV’s Roxie Roker more than doubles his previous total for the 4 tracks in my collection.

#128: The Presidents Of The United States Of America
iTunes stats: 64 plays
Previous ranking: #145

Three songs from the band’s debut album doubled their listens to move 17 spots up the chart.

#125: The Lemonheads
iTunes stats: 66 plays
Previous ranking: #116

Evan Dando and crew add 28 additional plays to the 3 tracks in my collection from their 90s heyday.

#125: Rancid
iTunes stats: 66 plays
Previous ranking: #113

The punk band drops 12 slots after picking up a 69% increase in plays over the last 4 years.

#125: Me First And The Gimme Gimmes
Continue reading →

by admin

Another Mix Tape Monday Roundup

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.

Last week, we finished up the last of the 20 volumes.  The 287 songs from 144 different bands or performers have been played an average of nearly 16 times each, according to my iTunes stats, up from just over 8.5 times 3 years ago. Let’s take one final look back at the bands and songs that made up my youth.

Most Played Song

48 – Boyz II Men – It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye

43 – Tag Team – Whoomp! (There It Is)

42 – Veruca Salt – Seether

39 – Snoop Dogg – What’s My Name?

38 – Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back

Least Played Song

4 – TLC – Get It Up

4 – Warren G – Do You See

4 – Liz Phair – Whip-Smart

5 – Edwyn Collins – A Girl Like You

5 – Bon Jovi – Lay Your Hands On Me

5 – Shanice – Saving Forever For You

5 – Ace of Base – The Sign

Most Played Song – Largest Total Increase

30 – Tag Team – Whoomp! (There It Is)

24 – Snoop Dogg – What’s My Name?

24 – Sir Mix-A-Lot – Baby Got Back

23 – Color Me Badd – All 4 Love

20 – Stone Temple Pilots – Creep

20 – Boyz II Men – It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye

Least Played Song – Smallest Total Increase

0 – Liz Phair – Whip-Smart

1 – Warren G – Do You See

1 – Gin Blossoms – Mrs. Rita

1 – Bon Jovi – In These Arms

1 – Frente! – Labour of Love

Most Played Song – Largest Percentage Increase

2000% – Stone Temple Pilots – Creep

1200% – Ugly Kid Joe – Busy Bee

700% – Paula Abdul – The Way That You Love Me

700% – The Simpsons – Do The Bartman

500% – Bell Biv Devoe – Something In Your Eyes

500% – Jodeci – Cry For You

500% – The Cranberries – Twenty One

Least Played Song – Smallest Percentage Increase

0% – Liz Phair – Whip-Smart

6.25% – Frente! – Labour of Love

9.09% – Bon Jovi – In These Arms

13.33% – Alanis Morissette – All I Really Want

16% – Mazzy Star – Fade Into You

Most Represented Band

11 – Poison

10 – Aerosmith

10 – Pearl Jam

7 – Def Leppard

7 – Guns N’ Roses

Most Played Tape

Continue reading →