My Top 10 Most-Played iTunes Songs for 2009 and 2010
A couple years ago, I posted a list of the Top 10 songs I listened to most in 2008. I meant to create such a list as an annual tradition, but forgot in 2009. So now that we’re in 2011, I’m back with lists for 2009 and 2010.
The lists were created via a Smart Playlist in iTunes, based on play count, rating (only songs with 3-5 stars), and part of my “Music” playlist, which excludes podcasts, audio books, and anything related to Disney. In other words, they’re lists of “good” to “great” songs that are part of everyday listening.
This is how the original 2008 Smart Playlist was set up:
One more note: For both years, I had to also exclude the Nine Inch Nails album, Ghosts I-IV. It’s an instrumental album I often play while working on projects and its songs dominated both lists to the point of making them uninteresting. So technically, that is my most-listened to album of both years.
So here we go…
My Top 10 Most-Listened-To Songs in 2009
1. “A Day In The Life” by The Beatles from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
2. “A Different City” by Modest Mouse from The Moon And Antarctica
3. “#1 Crush” by Garbage from Romeo + Juliet
4. “Ikons” by KMFDM from Xtort
5. “Tourette’s” by Nirvana from In Utero
6. “A Night Like This” by Smashing Pumpkins from The Aeroplane Flies High
7. “Change” by Blind Melon from Blind Melon
8. “Deserted” by Blind Melon from Blind Melon
9. “Priceless” by Boxelder from Seed
10. “everything zen” by Bush from Sixteen Stone
It looks like 2009 was an odd year for me in iTunes music selection. The top 2 songs on this list are unfamiliar to me, which means iTunes must have randomly chosen to play them more often than any other. The rest is an assortment of tracks I enjoy, but would never have suspected they’d be the most played for the year. But I suppose it’s good to have a variety of music year-to-year.
My Top 10 Most-Listened-To Songs in 2010
1. “A Boy’s Best Friend” by The White Stripes from De Stijl
2. “Any Colour You Like” by Pink Floyd from Dark Side Of The Moon
3. “Queer” by Garbage from Garbage
4. “Miss World” by Hole from Live Through This
5. “About a Girl” by Nirvana from Unplugged in New York
6. “Time” by Pink Floyd from Dark Side Of The Moon
7. “In the Flesh?” by Pink Floyd from The Wall
8. “Disarm” by Smashing Pumpkins from Siamese Dream
9. “Birdhouse In Your Soul” by They Might Be Giants from Flood
10. “DLMD” by 311 from 311
The 2010 list is a complete contrast to the 2009 list. Apparently I listened to more singles in the past year than in years prior. I like that KMFDM and They Might Be Giants each made one of the two lists, as both are bands I thoroughly enjoy but don’t listen to nearly enough (or at least… I didn’t think I did). I’m not sure how The White Stripes topped the list, as I almost never listen to them. It must have been another iTunes anomaly.
But it’s clear from both lists that my musical tastes are still firmly planted in the 1990s, with many tracks from Nirvana, Hole, Garbage, Smashing Pumpkins, 311, and more bands from that era.
What were your most-listened to songs in the past year? Launch iTunes, recreate the Smart Playlist above, and post your Top 10 for 2008 in the comments below!
I like the Pink Floyd songs… were these perhaps a result of the Roger Waters concert?
Nah. I always listen to Pink Floyd. :)
Have to wait until I get home to make my list. BUT if I do it the way it’s done above if trying to songs from a previous year (say 2009) I think there would be an issue.
If the song was played at all in 2010 wouldn’t those above rules exclude it from the timeline? Or even if I played it at all in the last week wouldn’t it exclude it from 2010? If it was last played between Jan 1 of year XXXX, and Dec 31 of year XXXX any song that was played during that year, but I’ve listened to after would be excluded correct?
In any event I remember the list from 2008, posted my 2009 list on Facebook (will look it up) and will get my 2010 list done later today (I don’t think I’ve synced my iPhone yet this year so in theory my above exception should not apply).
Yeah, I suppose you’re right. I haven’t listened to anything in iTunes in 2011 yet, so the 2010 list still works. But… I guess the 2009 list is not correct since it excludes anything played in 2010.
Not sure there’s a way around that.
Oh and another rule I realized is that unless you clear your play counts on a yearly basis, this will include counts that happened before the year you’re looking at. So basically some of those songs that seem weird in your 2009 list are there solely because they’re the 10 songs you’ve listened to most in iTunes that you haven’t listened to at all in the past year. I know I cleared my playcounts last year after I made my list, looks like I will do it this year as well to keep the lists accurate.
Ok so here’s my 2009 (as I dug up on Facebook) and my 2010. LIke you did in 2008 I excluded all Disney. I had a few ties so I numbed them as such. It’s really a top 12 because of a 4 way tie for 9.
1. Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’
1. Papa Roach – Lifeline
3. Blue Oyster Cult – Don’t Fear the Reaper
4. Adelitas Way – Invincible
4. Lit – My Own Worst Enemy
4. Sick Puppies – Street Fighter (War)
7. The Offspring – You’re Gonna Go Far Kid
7. Warrant – Cherry Pie
9. Boston – More Than a Feeling
9. Disturbed – Stricken
9. Hinder – Get Stoned
9. The Offspring – All I Want.
Now for 2010 the list looks like. This year there’s 11 (again due to ties) although I blame the ties mostly on a playlist I made for work of “safer” songs since it was being played over speakers in a small store. Five of these eleven songs were on the playlist slightly effecting the results.
1. Burn Halo – Our House
2. Journey – Don’t Stop Believin’
3. Downstrait – I Came To Play
4. Papa Roach – Lifeline
5. Adelitas Way – Invincible
5. The Ataris – The Boys Of Summer
5. Shinedown – Devour
8. blink-182 – Always
8. Europe – The Final Countdown
8. Kid Rock – All Summer Long
9. Rev Theory – Hell Yeah
And I made a small typo in my numbers. Rev Theory was tied for 8 this year.
Thanks for posting your lists! I haven’t heard of a few of those groups, so I’ll have to check them out.
And now I’ll go reset my play counts too… for next year!
Here is the link to an iTunes playlist with my top 10 new songs from 2010.
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewIMix?id=412754168&s=143441