Katherine Lynch.org

As a matter of curiousity, I took a look at my iTunes "Top 25 Most Played" playlist.  I've had the same iTunes library for about a year, so the dataset is pretty comprehensive, with the most played song at 69 full rotations, and #25 coming in with 37 plays.  However, the list is kind of...unbelievable.  Bear in mind, I most often listen to iTunes when I'm coding. 

By the way, I issue a challenge to anyone else out there to go into their music player, find their top 25 most played songs, and post their list on their own site/blog and/or Facebook, no matter how embarrassing.  :)  May you learn as much about yourself as I did about myself. :)  Plus I just listened to My Hero for what is the 43rd time on this player.

Here's the spread:

(most-played at the top)

1. Foo Fighters - In Your Honor
   (OK, this is understandable, it's my programming-victory song)
2. The Killers - Human (Ferry Corsten Dub)
3. Styx - Love is the Ritual
4. Foreigner - Jukebox Hero
   (seriously...this is at number 4?)
5. Senses Fail - All the Best Cowboys Have Daddy Issues
6. Paramore - Misery Business
7. The Offspring - Original Prankster
8. Rush - Tom Sawyer
   (*groan*)
9. The National - Mistaken for Strangers
   (undeniably a great song)
10. Styx - Renegade
11. Foo Fighters - Best of You
12. The National - Fake Empire
    (they closed with this at their end of May show at the Electric Factory in Philly)
13. Foo Fighters - All My Life
14. The Offspring - You're Gonna Go Far, Kid
15. Styx - Mr. Roboto
    (Three!  Three Styx songs now!)
16. Foo Fighters - My Hero
    (this should be #1)
17. The Offspring - Stuff is Messed Up
18. Senses Fail - Bonecrusher
19. The National - Gospel
20. Styx - Come Sail Away
    (You know what, I'm just gonna say it; Styx is good coding music)
21. The National - Racing Like a Pro
    (So is The National)
22. The National - Start a War
23. The Offspring - Half-Truism
24. The National - All the Wine
25. The Magnetic Fields - With Whom To Dance?

So that's it.  Apparently I have a shocking affection for Senses Fail, Foo Fighters, The Offspring, The National, and classic rock.  To be fair, I most often listen to iTunes when I'm coding, and some of this is stuff that (for whatever reason) seems to help the coding.  Maybe Styx puts you into some sort of semicolon trance; I don't know.

As a matter of interest, I actually did make a "good" playlist a while back to listen to while coding, which shows maybe a little more diversity.  Not brand-new music, but rather tried-and-true good stuff:

1. Editors - Smokers Outside the Hospital
2. The War on Drugs - Taking the Farm
3. Seven Nations - The Factory Song
4. Modest Mouse - Styrofoam Boots (It's All Nice)
5. Why? - These Few Presidents
6. Susumu Hirasawa - The Girl in Byakkoya
7. The Mountain Goats - Sax Rohmer #1
8. Anathallo - All the First Pages
9. Heathers - Remember When
10. White Lies - Death
11. A. C. Newman - Miracle Drug
12. Frightened Rabbit - Head Rolls Off
13. Silver Jews - Candy Jail
14. Supertramp - Logical Song
15. Faded Paper Figures - Speeches
16. Snow Patrol - Take Back the City
17. Atmosphere - Guarantees
18. Beck - Timebomb
19. Nirvana - Heart-shaped Box
20. Los Campesinos! - We Are All Accelerated Readers
21. The Shanghai Restoration Project - Miss Shanghai
22. Timbaland - Throw It On Me (featuring The Hives)
23. The Age of Rockets - Avada Kedavra
24. Tokyo Police Club - Be Good
25. Kemo the Blaxican - La Recete
26. Electric President - Ten Thousand Lines
27. Recursion Emerge - Anxiety
28. The Blood of Cu Chulainn - Mychael Danna & Jeff Danna
29. The Magnetic Fields - I'm Sorry I Love You
30. The National - Apartment Story