Wrestling: The Kayfabe Countdown - 9/26

#1 The Big Show (29-12-2) (WWE)
As Smackdown makes the move to SyFy, Big Show is among the headlining talents WWE will push to garner audience interest. This has been reflected by a string of victories over former top-champ CM Punk, which culminated last week in a odd-one-out match at the Pay-Per-View, WWE: Night of Champions. His success will no doubt continue as he carries the load of the mid-card, beneath the efforts of Kane and Undertaker, who seem unlikely to end the year at that position. A title shot might be in the future?...

#2 Kofi Kingston (27-19-2) (WWE)
#3 Rey Mysterio (23-11-3) (WWE)
#4 R-Truth (23-16-4) (WWE)
#5 Randy Orton (22-14-4) (WWE) [WWE Champion]
#6 The Miz (22-22-4) (WWE) [Money in the Bank]
#7 Michelle McCool (21-12-0) (WWE) [Womens Champion]
#8 Kane (21-13-3) (WWE) [World Heavyweight Champion]
#9 Drew McIntyre (21-22-3) (WWE) [Tag Team Champion]
#10 AJ Styles (20-9-5) (TNA) [TV Champion]

#1 Tyson Kidd & DH Smith (16-12-0) (WWE)
#2 Robert Roode & James Storm (12-12-2) (TNA)
#3 Layla & Michelle McCool (10-7-0) (WWE)
#4 Alex Shelley & Chris Sabin (9-8-2) (TNA) [Tag Team Champions]
#5 Big Show & The Miz (7-4-1) (WWE)
#6 Velvet Sky & Madison Rayne (6-1-0) (TNA)
#7 Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov (6-2-0) (WWE)
#8 Curt Hawkins & Vance Archer (6-4-0) (WWE)
#9 Drew McIntyre & Cody Rhodes (5-0-0) (WWE) [Tag Team Champions]
#10 Hernandez & Matt Morgan (5-2-1) (TNA)

Superstar Spotlight:
#102 Batista (4-11-6) (Not Signed)
With a WWE championship reign under his belt before he departed, you couldn't say the win/loss record of Dave Batista is in any way an accurate measure of his success. Before leaving to pursue other endeavours (such as acting, apparently), "The Animal" set about offending the sensibilities of every man, woman and child in the arena, by turning his nose up and walking away from competition. It was part of a persona that made him Smackdown's uber-heel, leading to a shady deal that ended John Cena's title reign at Elimination Chamber after mere minutes, when Mr. McMahon granted Batista a title shot straight after the titular match. It was his count out defeats and silent disdain for the audience that really elevated his final months to the plane of art, though.

It's been a bit of a game, since his May exit, to see how long Batista could remain in the top 100. The fall finally came at the end of last week, when Bryan Danielson captured his fifth WWE win and the US title belt at Night of Champions. Surpassed by Taylor Wilde after her successful tag title defense on Impact this week; it seems Batista is destined to tumble ever downward.

Special Note: Reports have revealed that Amazing Red (#116) has defeated Jay Lethal (#58) at a House Show on the 23rd to claim the TNA X-Division championship. The Kayfabe Countdown only acknowledges televised win/loss records, but will note the surprise belt change. Additional: Reports from a 25th House Show claim Jay regained the X-Division title! The match may be incorporated into the next Impact.

The Kayfabe Countdown is based on the cumulative tally of wrestler win/loss records, based on televised matches from WWE and TNA 2010 broadcasts. At present, they includes TNA: Impact!, WWE: RAW, WWE: NXT, WWE: Superstars, WWE: Smackdown, and monthly Pay-Per-View events.

Secret Sounds: Night by Night

Chromeo - Night by Night (Live on The Late Show/2010)

New music that really grabs me is so rare these days, I tend to become somewhat obsessed by any track that tickles my fancy. Such has been the case since seeing Montreal based electrofunk double-act, Chromeo, who appeared recently on The Late Show with David Letterman performing their single, Night by Night. The eighties-infused track comes from their new album, Business Casual, and is my first really conscious introduction to them.

One of my largest quibbles with the pop music scene right now is it's insincere and shallow plundering of the pop eighties. The machine of the music industry has never felt colder in it's soulless appropriation of the past, despite the fact that we're on the other-end of nineties boy bands, and that it was the eighties that gave us this manufcatured pop in the first place.

In the nineties, I actually dared to miss the synth sound of the decade before, regularly wondering why it hadn't been kept alive adjacent to the movements relevant to that period. I suppose it's that fondness that has kept me open-minded enough to be receptive to the likes of Chromeo, whose sound feels honest, warm, and sincere.

Bounce back to 2004 and Chromeo's debut album, She's In Control, and you can see where that sincerity comes from. Drum machines and retro hip hop breakbeats were there ahead of the curve, blending into a sound just referencially post to the same distance as they were to the funkier side of acts like 2001's Daft Punk (Discovery).
Night by Night, for my money, strikes a more memorable pop chord, swelling with the production of 2010 to be the electro soundtrack to a hundred summer nights.

The only real complaint I have about this song is the fact that I've heard their live take on Letterman! It doesn't happen often, but the live version is just a bit better than the album, which slides through it's chorus with a little too much polish in the mix! Check out the vid and see what you think!

Love the (trademark) keyboard legs, and bonus points to Dave 1 for trading geek for chic in the live show with designer stubble and sunglasses at night! If you don't have this running through your head by the weekend, you can have your money back!

Repost: Night of Champions Predictions

Feels like a curious blend of the best and worst as WWE rolls out all the major titles, merging the women's belts in a long overdue move amidst rumors that the same plan might be in the future of the WWE and World Heavyweight titles.

Six-Pack Elimination WWE Championship match
Sheamus (c) vs Wade Barrett vs Edge vs Randy Orton vs John Cena vs Chris Jericho
The Nexus fizzled out at Summerslam, but it's still cool to see them finally pulling the trigger on Wade Barrett in the best way possible. Five other seasoned wrestlers should be able to carry the weight for any of his failings, making him a great insertion into a previously lagging WWE title hunt. His rise hasn't meant an escape from the Orton/Cena shadow, but just as numbers balance out Barrett, the effect of old hat is lessened. Orton is disturbingly close to some sort of push, but with any luck, it'll stay on Sheamus. Who knows what's going on with Chris Jericho and his on-again-off-again contract status. Hope he stays, but I can't see him picking the belt up, as pleasant a turn around as that would be. Guy just can't seem to get a legit hold on that main event mode! Edge has issues with the mystery General Manager, he might be the dark horse.
Prediction: Sheamus

No Holds Barred World Heavyweight Championship match
The Undertaker vs Kane (c)
The Undertaker has long been one of my favourite wrestlers, so it's hard not to be a little bit excited about a return to one of his most embellished feuds. Kane is a pale shadow of the former-self that started this feud in 1997, but it's hard to imagine them passing up the opportunity to continue it to next month's Hell in a Cell Pay-Per-View, fulfilling the desire that was never realised in their heyday. If a HIAC match is on the horizon, then you'd reason it'll be one more month before Undertaker reaps his vengeance on his dastardly half-brother and World Champion.
Prediction: Kane

United States Championship match
Daniel Bryan vs The Miz (c)
Before his firing several months ago, Daniel Bryan had revealed his name to the "WWE Universe".
I don't know why he hasn't reverted to Bryan Danielson upon his return, but by any name he does remain one of the most interesting acquisitions WWE have made in recent years. Despite my relative disdain for The Miz, this is probably the match I'm most looking forward to. Denying Bryan the gold would be a downright travesty, but I can't help but feel that's exactly what lies ahead.
Prediction: The Miz

The Big Show vs CM Punk
Not really sure why this feud is being dragged out, especially with the Straight-Edge Society seemingly disintegrating, but whatever. I don't have any great problem with this being part of the undercard. Should be a decent match. Punk probably needs a win more, but I don't know...
Prediction: Big Show

Tag Team Championship match
The Hart Dynasty (c) vs Mystery Opponents
Not quite sure why there'd be unnamed opponents for this match. After a defeat on Smackdown, I would think Drew McIntyre & Cody Rhodes might have a shot, but your guess is as good as mine. The Usos are still lurking, and anybody watching the win/loss records will know that Santino & Kozlov have racked up an unlikely 6-0 win streak, which makes them one of the most successful WWE tag teams of the year. I'm not sure any of these teams deserve to take the belts from the Harts, but after charging toward the belts with intense momentum, WWE's tag team vaccuum has sapped their strength.
Prediction: Mystery Opponents

DQ Title Change Intercontinental Championship match
Kofi Kingston vs Dolph Ziggler (c)
I still can't believe Ziggler has the belt. It seemed inevitable he'd get there eventually, but I was ready to count that wait in years rather than months. As has been the case with a long line of rapidfire IC champs, it'd be adding injury to insult to rip the belt off him now. Kofi's had a couple of successive reigns already. Let's try to get some credibility back into this once great championship!
Prediction: Dolph Ziggler

Lumberjill Divas/Womens Championship Unification match
Michelle McCool (c) vs Melina (c)
Don't know, don't care. Merging the belts is long overdue!
Prediction: Michelle McCool

The Kayfabe Countdown: WWE Top Ten
Cumulative tally based on the win/loss records of televised matches.

#1 The Big Show [+1]
#2 Kofi Kingston [+1]
#3 Rey Mysterio [-2]
#4 R-Truth [+1]
#5 The Miz (United States Champion) [-1]
#6 Randy Orton [+4]
#7 Michelle McCool [+1]
#8 Christian [+1]
#9 Kane (World Heavyweight Champion) [new]
#10 Dolph Ziggler (Intercontinental Champion( [RE]

#1 DH Smith & Tyson Kidd (Tag Team Champions) [--]
#2 Layla & Michelle McCool [--]
#3 Big Show & The Miz [--]
#4 Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov [new]
#5 Curt Hawkins & Vance Archer [-1]

Originally posted: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9053844

Mortal Kombat: The Lost Kingdom of Aqua

I've recently been writing about and collecting information regarding a supposedly elusive unlockable Mortal Kombat character called Aqua.

MK is noted for it's secrets and wacky sense of humor, but this character seems to be the work of whichever studio handled the PlayStation port for Mortal Kombat Trilogy, specifically a late version, the Greatest Hits or Platinum Edition. Two magazine articles include screenshots, one from the Official UK PlayStation Magazine Beat 'em Up Special of 1999, and another from an Official Australian 2000 Collector's Edition: 100 Best PlayStation Games counterpart special by the same magazine. This might also suggest it was a PAL region exclusive.


With help, I was able to rip video of the character's ending sequence from a ROM, but haven't yet been able to unlock the character. I'm told it involves holding select whilst choosing Rain, but there must be some additional method to unlocking the character. Not surprising, given the lengths we've had to go to reach other characters in previous MK's, such as Meat and Noob in MK4, or Jade and Noob in MKII.


The only other video to emerge, so far, is amateur footage of the same ending sequence filmed (poorly) on a television. Not much of an addition, but we might as well start to pool all references in the one place. If you've stumbled upon this page, and you have additional info, please post it in the comments!


Edit July 2, 2011: Apparently a thumbnail screenshot has emerged from the darkened recesses of the web, which may have been partial inspiration for MUGEN creations based on the character. Edit November 6, 2011: Over on MKO, JiminyCroquet has identified the watermark as coming from a pre-Gamespot videogames.com, which explains the V. If anyone has the original fullsize image, contact me!!!

MK Aqua aka; Aquilluxborg Hydroxybot links:
- Mortal Kombat: They Don't Talk About HIM Anymore... [1up.com article]
- Mortal Kombat Trilogy Aqua is Real!!! [Angefire site]
- Mortal Kombat Trilogy: Super Unlockable Aqua Ending [YouTube video]
- Amateur MKT Treasures Ending TV Footage [Yfrog video]
- Aqua Wins [Soundbyte] [YouTube video]
- Official UK PlayStation Magazine 1999 Article [ImageShack jpeg]
- Aqua Gameplay Screenshot Thumbnail [ImageShack jpeg]
- Mortal Kombat Trilogy [Wikipedia article]
- Secret character [MK Wikia]
- Rumored Mortal Kombat Characters [Compendium]
- Os lutadores "secretos" de Mortal Kombat [Portuguese Blog]
- Unlocking Aqua? [GameSpot Forums]
- You know who should really be in this game? [GameSpot Forums]
- Aquilluxborg Hydroxybot ending [GameSpot Forums]
- Unlocking Aqua? [GameFAQs Forums]
- Aquilluxborg Hydroxybot for Mortal Kombat 2011!! [Forum Post]
- Rumored Mortal Kombat Characters [Forum Post]
- Aqua in Trilogy [MKO Forums]
- When do yous think these characters will ever be offical? [MKO Forums]
- Rumor for MK10 [MK Wikia Blog]

Trying to keep up with Aqua info/references I'm finding. Thought it would be fun to try to keep track of tweets about him, too. Hit me up @TheMicker if you want, so I can add your tweet to the list.


Edit November 6, 2011: Still trying to keep up with any and all Aqua news/developments [tweet me if you've got something]! RoboMelvana has a video up with a quick preview of his MUGEN Aqua [1:47-2:48], which is pretty cool. It's a good start with some tweaks to come. Not quite 100% accurate, but you know how demanding us Aqua fanboys can be. Hope to see more like it!

Apparently a fan-art project is going to include Aqua in their drawn catalogue of characters, but not until some time next year, so I'll try to keep my eye out for that when it happens. If you weren't around earlier in the year, you might also like to find the Aqua reference in MKO's April Fools joke.

MK Aqua Fakes/Tributes
- Top Fighter 2011 II: World Battle [MUGEN]
- Top Fighter 2011 II: World Battle [MUGEN]
- sucky preview of top fighter 2000 mkviii 2: world battle [MUGEN]
- MKA KAF: Aquilluxborg Hydroxybot 1 [YouTube Video]
- MKA KAF: Aquilluxborg Hydroxybot 2 [YouTube Video]
- Mortal Kombat Aqua [DeviantART]
- Mortal Kombat Armageddon : Kreate a fighter [Forum Post]

MK Aqua on Twitter
- http://twitter.com/TRMK/status/38106471589883904
- http://twitter.com/#!/Clastichead/status/77758725640822784
- http://twitter.com/#!/Clastichead/status/88442936265687042
- http://twitter.com/#!/TravisColenutt/status/75771268691013632

iChart 100: 2010 Continues

#1 [554] Way Out West - Pulse of Life (+3)
#2 [540] William Ørbit - Cavalleria Rusticana (-1)
#3 [535] William Ørbit - Ogive Number I (-1)
#4 [528] William Ørbit - In A Landscape (-1)
#5 [510] William Ørbit - Piece in the Old Style 3 (--)
#6 [508] 菅野よう子 [Yoko Kanno] - Bad Dog (--)
#7 [505] Thom Yorke - Analyse (--)
#8 [503] CocoRosie - Rainbowarriors (--)
#9 [500] William Ørbit - L'Inverno (--)
#10 [475] William Ørbit - Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte (+2)
#11 [474] William Ørbit - Triple Concerto (--)
#12 [472] William Ørbit - Xerxes (-2)
#13 [447] Björk - Mouths Cradle (--)
#14 [438] CoLD SToRAGE - Body In Motion (+2)
#15 [437] Underworld - Two Months Off (Radio Edit) (-1)
#16 [435] William Ørbit - Piece in the Old Style I (-1)
#17 [425] William Ørbit - Opus I32 (--)
#18 [421] Vangelis - Love Theme from Bladerunner (--)
#19 [408] William Ørbit - Adagio for Strings (+3)
#20 [404] Moby - My Weakness (+1)
#21 [400] Björk - Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right) (-2)
#22 [394] Bodyrox feat. Luciana - Yeah Yeah (D. Ramierz Radio Edit) (-2)
#23 [370] CoLD SToRAGE - Cold Comfort (--)
#24 [367] Björk - Submarine (--)
#25 [349] Madonna - Frozen (+1)
#26 [347] Gustav - Genua (-1)
#27 [340] Hot Chip - Over and Over (+2)
#28 [338] CoLD SToRAGE - Cairodrome (+5)
#29 [335] Intermix - Mantra (-2)
#30 [331] PNAU - Journey Agent (-2)
#31 [329] UNKLE - Lonely Soul (-1)
#32 [324] Björk - Visur Vatnsenda-Rósu (-1)
#33 [323] Stardust - Music Sounds Better Than You (Radio Edit) (-1)
#34 [322] Sasha - Wavy Gravy (+9)
#35 [322] William Ørbit - Barber's Adagio for Strings (Ferry Corsten Remix) (--)
#36 [320] Groove Terminator - Losing Ground (+5)
#37 [317] Radiohead - Videotape (-3)
#38 [315] Pendulum - Coma (-1)
#39 [314] Einsturzende Neubauten - Blume (-1)
#40 [310] Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out (+2)
#41 [308] The Future Sound of London - Papua New Guinea (-5)
#42 [305] Groove Zone - Eisbaer (Extended Mix) (-3)
#43 [305] Björk - Desired Constellation (-3)
#44 [302] Cassius - Toop Toop (+4)
#45 [296] Console - 14 Zero Zero (+4)
#46 [264] Luke Slater - Stars and Heroes (+4)
#47 [292] Moby - Porcelain (Clubbed to Death Version by Rob Dougan) (-3)
#48 [290] Rob Dougan - Clubbed to Death (Kurayamino Variation) (-2)
#49 [290] DJ Krush - Dig This Vibe (-4)
#50 [287] Björk - Pleasure is all Mine (-3)
#51 [283] b(if)tek feat. Julee Cruise - Wired for Sound (--)
#52 [278] Moby - Bodyrock (Hybrid's Bodyshock Remix) (+2)
#53 [277] Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks (+2)
#54 [271] Björk - Vokuro (-2)
#55 [269] UNKLE - Rabbit in your Headlights (+1)
#56 [269] Supreme Beings of Leisure - Strangelove Addiction (-3)
#57 [265] The Chemical Brothers - Let Forever Be (+1)
#58 [264] Hot Chip - Grubbs (+2)
#59 [264] Madonna - Drowned World/Substitute for Love (-2)
#60 [260] Moby - Natural Blues (+6)
#61 [260] Pet Shop Boys - Miracles (Radio Edit) (-2)
#62 [258] Pet Shop Boys - I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give it Anymore (+3)
#63 [252] Faithless - We Come 1 (+9)
#64 [251] William Ørbit - Water from a Vine Leaf (-3)
#65 [249] Moby - ARP (+5)
#66 [249] CoLD SToRAGE - Onyx (-4)
#67 [248] Moby - Memory Gospel (-4)
#68 [247] Björk - Triumph of a Heart (-4)
#69 [242] The Beta Band - Space Beatle (-2)
#70 [240] Ratty - Sunrise (Here I Am) (Radio Edit) (-2)
#71 [240] Nine Inch Nails - Just Like You Imagined (-2)
#72 [239] Björk - Oceania (+2)
#73 [239] Orbital - Petrol (-2)
#74 [235] Moby - Flying Foxes (-1)
#75 [231] ana voog - Telepathic You (+4)
#76 [231] Faithless - Drifting Away (Paradiso Mix) (-1)
#77 [225] Cassius - Toop Toop (Olivier Koletski Mix) (-1)
#78 [222] CoLD SToRAGE - Messij Received (-1)
#79 [220] Daft Punk - Around the World (+2)
#80 [220] Hot Chip - Boy From School (-2)
#81 [219] Gerling - Enter Spacecapsule (Radio Disko Remix) (+12)
#82 [218] CoLD SToRAGE - Messij XTND (new)
#83 [218] b(if)tek - 3 Seconds of Her (-3)
#84 [217] Faithless - Salva Mea (Way Out West Remix) (+12)
#85 [216] Kenji Kawai - Making of a Cyborg (-1)
#86 [216] Rui Da Silva feat. Cassandra - Touch Me (--)
#87 [215] DJ Shadow - Six Days (-5)
#88 [214] 808 State - Pacific (808:98) (+4)
#89 [213] Pet Shop Boys - Paninaro '95 (-6)
#90 [211] 菅野よう子 [Yoko Kanno] - Pulse (-5)
#91 [210] Raven Maize - The Real Life (Fatboy Slim Mix) (-4)
#92 [210] Björk - Who Is It (Vitalic Mix) (-4)
#93 [208] Luke Slater - Grace (-4)
#94 [207] Sash! - Chill Out No. 1 (-4)
#95 [207] Groove Armada - Dusk, You & Me (-4)
#96 [206] Hybrid - If I Survive (+4)
#97 [205] Hybrid - Finished Symphony (+2)
#98 [205] Radiohead - 15 Step (-4)
#99 [203] Pet Shop Boys - Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) (-1)
#100 [203] UNKLE - Unreal (-5)

Wrestling: Kayfabe Countdown Mid-Year Review

Professional wrestling: equal parts theatre and sport, it is performance art for the unwashed masses. Wrestling has come a long way in the last thirty years. The course of matches is predetermined to a result, but this curtain revealing fact has never truly been a hinderance for a fan's enjoyment. Appreciating and understanding wrestling is as much about in-ring execution and evocative storytelling as it is any notion of sporting competition. The skill of battling an opponent without crippling them for life is a feat to be admired, as is the time honored language that communicates the highs and lows of vivid characters, who each wield vastly different motivations and fighting styles.

Win/loss records have never been especially important to the life and career of a professional wrestler. Championship belts are an important indication of a wrestler's standing, but on any given card, motivations are just as likely to be personal, focused, and governed by the wisdom of conventional storyarcs, rather than competition rankings. Because of this, it's rare that a promoter or organization would place any emphasis on raw data beyond the occasional undefeated streak, or an important contender match. That said, the sports connection held in wrestling means that the language of competitive ranking is inherent to the way in which fans measure and compare their favourite body slamming superstars.

At the beginning of 2010, I decided to combine my love of statistical rankings and pro wrestling by compiling a list of win/loss records taken from television and pay-per-view matches featured in WWE and TNA programming. The value of this pursuit is highly suspect, but if nothing else, it's added a new perspective for the back-end of my monthly look at each company's special events. Through these deviations into interest-based commentary, I've been able to connect with some of the gamers who were nurtured by the explosion of late nineties wrestling games, and the Monday Night Wars that fuelled the cross-media Attitude Era.

The following list is a mid-year account of some of the rankings as they currently stand [prior to the June 28 episode of WWE RAW] based on pure win/loss data, accompanied by the usual brand of hyperbole that goes with these things. Typically I include the top ten for either WWE or TNA in the comments section of my PPV forecast write-ups. Here is the first opportunity to see how wrestlers from each of the two major companys rate against each other, keeping in mind that WWE has considerably more programming for it's wrestlers to appear on. Results are pulled from WWE RAW, WWE NXT, WWE Superstars, WWE Smackdown, TNA Impact, and monthly Pay-Per-View events, the most recent of which were WWE: Fatal 4-Way and TNA: Slammiversary VIII.

#1 Kofi Kingston (Intercontinental Champion)
(WWE: Smackdown) [20-10-0]
It seems to be a given that the most successful wrestler at any given moment will rarely be the top talent. This stems from a variety of different factors, not the least of which is the fact that a great hero needs to overcome adversity. As a promising upper mid-card wrestler with a lot of energy and potential, it stands to reason that Kofi Kingston would appear high on the list. I'm still somewhat surprised by his recent rise to the top of the rankings, making him the first man in either of the top promotions to gain twenty wins in a single year. Win/loss records don't mean a lot in wrestling, but to enjoy that much success on any level is a significant statement about the faith behind them.

Kingston's feud with Randy Orton heading in to Wrestlemania really seemed like the turning point for an otherwise slightly non-descript mid-carder. When that opportunity fell apart, bludgeoning the less seasoned Kingston with it's debris, it seemed like the Ghanese wrestler was doomed to dwell in the lower rankings. A move to Smackdown has turned those fortunes back to the better. After Drew McIntyre's exhausting reign as IC champ, Kingston is a refreshing change of pace, but it remains to be seen if his rise in the rankings will be worth it's weight in gold. I love his energy and some of the wacky moves he brings into a sometimes colourless squared circle, but his execution could do with some practise.

#2 The Big Show
(WWE: Smackdown) [19-10-1]
Formerly The Giant of WCW fame; Big Show is said to have been the subject of scowling envy in the mid-nineties when Vince McMahon claimed his opposition didn't know how to do a giant, and he would do better. It's fair to say he made good on his claims when first acquiring Big Show for WWF in 1999, but over the years, the "world's largest athlete" has teetered between dancing monkey and legitimate super-sized monster. These days he loiters somewhere in between, lending his size to the exploits of smaller wrestlers, Chris Jericho and The Miz, in Tag Team championship reigns that reinvigorated that dying division.

Big Show's trade to Smackdown has put him back in the hunt for the top singles title, defaulted there by virtue of a lack of headliners. I'm okay with that, but it brings back the old issue of dealing with the balance of keeping Big Show's indomitable reputation intact without decimating potential up and comers that make up the rest of the roster. Couldn't say Big Show's spot at the top isn't deserved, but I wonder if it will be sustained.

#3 Rey Mysterio (World Heavyweight Champion)
(WWE: Smackdown) [18-7-2]
Rumor has it WWE's premiere luchadore was hoping for some time off, which bought him a second reign as World Heavyweight champion at the end of this month's Fatal 4-Way PPV. I'm not inclined to be quite so cynical, even if there's truth to the rumor, remembering how impressive Mysterio's six months of wrestling have been as justification for his standing. As if Rey Mysterio Jr ever needed to be justified at this stage of his career. After extracting genius from Batista in the earliest months of 2010, Mysterio went on to enter into a long running feud with CM Punk, providing the most logical main event name to a battle that spawned the Straight Edge Society around Punk.

Adding to the amazement of Mysterio's feats is the length of time he has remained in competition, despite reports of surgery that was supposed to sideline him before or after March's Wrestlemania. Assuming they're true, it's further testament to a wrestler who isn't always the immediate top title contender he deserves to be. As WWE's only televised masked luchadore, he's an invaluable source of differentiation in a company filled with white guys in dark trunks. Breaking Undertaker's face on return with a usually routine splash was a strange footenote for Mysterio's year, but otherwise, he's been one of the best. A worthy contender for top spot come year's end.

#4 R-Truth
(WWE: RAW) [17-14-2]
Like Kofi Kingston; the recently short-held US champion is a novel talent with a lot of in-ring energy and promise. For me, there are a couple of inescapable sticking points when it comes to Ron "R-Truth" Killings, however. I remain slightly frustrated that we have to pretend his career as "K-Kwik" never happened (circa 2000), rendering his previous reigns as Hardcore champion inadmissable. The other point, also relating to championships, is the fact that he's a former two-time NWA Heavyweight champion via his career with early TNA. I realise that WWE, and a good many fans, don't rate TNA all that high, but I wish that those accolades could count for something more than three months as US champ after a few years. A few years that began with a hot arrival and ripe opportunity against recently departed WWE talent (and then-US champ), Shelton Benjamin.

At times, a lot of innuendo and hyperbole surrounds WWE's treatment of "coloured" athletes. The success of R-Truth and Kingston goes some length to disproving any of the negatives, but it remains to be seen if these are longterm investments. Truth, moved to the perceived A-show of RAW, has managed to escape a fate of being devoured by the bland headlining talent that have dominated the show for the majority of the brand split years. Admittedly, despite wanting his past achievements to hold greater weight, I'm not entirely sure how his character and twisting wrestling style factor in to the upper levels of a WWE card, but hope we get a chance to see. A recent groin strain might hamper his success in the middle part of the year, but let's hope it doesn't worsen.

#5 Tyson Kidd // #6 David Hart-Smith
(Tag Team Champion) (WWE: RAW)[16-7-1]
(Tag Team Champion) (WWE: RAW) [16-8-1]
This time last year, the WWE Tag Team championships were just about a write-off! It wasn't so long ago the belts were locked in constant rematches between The Colons (Carlito & Primo) and Miz & John Morrison. It didn't help that there were two sets of belts for RAW and Smackdown both, a set-up borne of a time when men like Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and Rey Mysterio were injecting the Smackdown tag roster with a rare intensity that demanded new belts be added. The slack was picked up by Chris Jericho and Big Show, who quite simply earned back the credibility of the belts by dispensing with tandem challengers month to month in solid matches.

After a few changeovers, the arrival of The Hart Dynasty seems like the first shot at giving the tag titles back to traditional tag team wrestling. So far, it hasn't been the greatest decision. I've enjoyed seeing the expected arrival of Tyson Kidd & DH Smith as a top contending tag team, but after being clamorous for a Wrestlemania push against "DX" Triple H & Shawn Michaels, I'm starting to have reservations about contemporary WWE's ability to make use of a conventional tag team. The Hart Dynasty won the belts fair and square, but have been somewhat adrift, washing afoul the Samoan legacy team of The Usos in recent weeks with less than convincing results.

Conventional wisdom doesn't seem to apply to WWE as much, these days, but I like to think they know that there's a right way to build convincing champs. It'll take more than an impressive win/loss rate to establish The Hart Dynasty at the level they've entered, but if booking can insert established talent after quickly disposing of The Usos (who themselves might benefit from earning their place), then the Hart legacy has every opportunity to establish itself as WWE's premiere classic tag team.

#7 Christian
(WWE: Smackdown) [16-14-1]
Christian's story seems destined to be one of mixed fortunes. After headlining WWE's version of the ECW brand, he was cheated the opportunity to be the final ECW champion on record when that honor was passed off to short-lived and currently injured, Ezekiel Jackson. He's enjoyed unlikely success on both the RAW and Smackdown brands, always a bouyant personality, if destined to come off second-best against any superstar with a claim to the top spot. Sheamus comes to mind as a prime example of someone he probably deserved to beat, but never stood a chance against.

Like Ron Killings; Christian had far greater championship success during his tenure with TNA, but alas, fame and fortune seems to lure Christian back despite the limits of his promotion prospects. They say Vince McMahon just doesn't buy a guy with that face and that physique as champ. The proof of that is in the pudding of his career, but I guess for a guy the boss supposedly hates, he's doing pretty well for himself!

On Smackdown, his agile style makes a lot more sense, thanks to the steady perspective of in-ring technique that typified the Smackdown brand since the split. It hasn't earned him any higher than a missed opportunity to take the IC championship, but at least he's getting a look in. Or was, before a traded Hornswoggle dragged him into what threatened to be an unflattering spotlight. I like Christian a lot, but I can never shake the thought that he was better off staying in TNA. I certainly got a lot more out of him there, and so did he, presumably, given the value of his still lukewarm stock upon returning to WWE. Stock that took him to an unrivalled win percentage earlier in the year, but as you can see, seems unlikely to finish on top come the end of 2010.

#8 Michelle McCool
(WWE: Smackdown)[15-9-0]
Typically, wrestlers compete in segmented divisions defined by their standing in the heirarchy.
Women are generally far fewer in number, so it stands to reason that a few dominant female wrestlers will rise to the top of any rankings system, regardless of their significance or ability. Unfortunately, significant is not one of the words I would use to describe today's incarnation of women's wrestling in WWE. It's never really been a great draw, but in years gone by, three-or-so women made-up a slightly more convincing division of grapplers that occupied much less time. These days, Barbie doll cheerleaders and strippers seem to be the order of the day, usually without any regard for in-ring technique.

Michelle McCool deserves recognition for at least looking something like a wrestler when she's in the ring. I have to admit that a bias against the bulk of these bouts means I don't always get to see what they're capable of, but of McCool, there is some plausible justification for success. The former Women's champion currently claims to co-hold the Diva's title with her LayCool tag team partner, Layla, but is not officially a reigning champ. I wondered if this might be part of an attempt to replicate TNA's glimmer of success with a women's tag division, given that they already have a second women's [Diva's] title that has little or no purpose. It seems more likely now that it's fodder for a break-up feud down the line between LayCool over the belt, but we'll have to wait and see.

#9 The Miz (United States Champion)
(WWE: RAW) [14-17-1]
If you believe the hype, he's The Miz and he is awesome. Personally, I'm not so convinced.
The Miz has enjoyed a surprising rise through the ranks that included, just a couple of months ago, joint ownership of the United States and Tag Team championships. He's entered into his second reign as US champ after reclaiming his lost belt from R-Truth in under thirty days. All of this, and he was the NXT mentor for former Ring of Honor Heavyweight champion, Bryan Danielson. Not bad for a guy who was supposedly banned from the lockerroom for eating chicken.

There has to be room for personalities in professional wrestling, so I reluctantly submit that perhaps a guy like this really does deserve a spot on the card. He certainly showed how that could work when departing from obnoxious-kid long enough to play the voice of a good portion of fans, myself included, who think John Cena kinda sucks. A brief partnership with Big Show also wasn't entirely fruitless, and his feud with Bryan Danielson turned out to be one of the missed opportunities of the year, resulting in only a match on RAW, rather than what could've been a strong grudge match on PPV. A legit battle like that could've gone a long way to establishing credibility that would elevate the flagging US title. It's hard to imagine this guy going any higher than he already is.

#10 Rob Van Dam (World Heavyweight Champion)
(TNA) [13-1-0]
I hate to say it, but there's something very tired about the in-ring style of "The Whole F'n Show," Rob Van Dam. It's been a long time since the highs of ECW in the mid-to-late nineties, but that's not to disqualify everything a guy like RVD did to earn his place among the stars of wrestling that dominated the nineties boom period. The rolling and leaping that once set crowds alight seems slightly pre-programmed as Van Dam takes to the top rope these days, but there's something to be said for the classics. I was definitely one of the fans keen to see him hit TNA when rumors first broke of a possible return to wrestling, and his reign as Heavyweight champion seems like a debt the industry should've paid a decade ago. Sure, he had that WWE reign and was ECW champ, but that was a pretty wishy-washy period.

Having just dispatched Sting in the main event of TNA's annual Slammiversary, RVD makes a strong case as the man on top of TNA, but the only way is down for a guy with such an unblemished record. You would have to think the near future promises an encounter with Kurt Angle, who is working his way through TNA's ranking system for a chance meeting with the champ. It's a bout that might promise defeat for Mr. Pay-Per-View, but if you ask me, it's been a good and genuine run! I'm not sure I'd like to see him go two-time, but I appreciate the return.

#1 Kofi Kingston (20-10-0) (WWE) [Intercontinental]
#2 The Big Show (19-10-0) (WWE) [Tag Team]
#3 Rey Mysterio (18-7-2) (WWE) [World Heavyweight]
#4 R-Truth (17-14-2) (WWE) [United States]
#5 Tyson Kidd (16-7-1) (WWE) [Tag Team]
#6 David Hart Smith (16-8-1) (WWE) [Tag Team]
#7 Christian (16-14-1) (WWE)
#8 Michelle McCool (15-9-0) (WWE)
#9 The Miz (14-17-1) (WWE) [United States; Tag Team]
#10 Rob Van Dam (13-1-0) (TNA) [World Heavyweight]
#11 AJ Styles (13-6-4) (TNA)
#12 John Cena (13-10-4) (WWE) [WWE x2]
#13 Kane (13-13-3) (WWE)
#14 John Morrison (13-17-1) (WWE)
#15 Abyss (12-6-3) (TNA)
#16 Layla (12-9-0) (WWE) [Womens]
#17 Randy Orton (12-10-4) (WWE)
#18 Evan Bourne (12-10-1) (WWE)
#19 Maryse (12-11-0) (WWE) [Divas]
#20 Gail Kim (12-11-0) (WWE)
#21 Dolph Ziggler (12-13-1) (WWE)
#22 MVP (12-15-0) (WWE)
#23 CM Punk (12-16-2) (WWE)
#24 Jack Swagger (12-19-0) (WWE) [World Heavyweight]
#25 Chris Jericho (12-20-1) (WWE) [World Heavyweight]
#26 Velvet Sky (11-1-0) (TNA) [Knockouts Tag]
#27 Sheamus (11-8-2) (WWE) [WWE]
#28 Eve Torres (11-9-0) (WWE) [Divas]
#29 Drew McIntyre (11-17-2) (WWE)
#30 Kurt Angle (10-5-0) (TNA)
#31 Yoshitatsu (10-9-0) (WWE)
#32 Ted Dibiase Jr (10-13-1) (WWE)
#33 Matt Hardy (10-15-1) (WWE)
#34 Madison Rayne (9-4-0) (TNA) [Knockouts; Knockouts Tag]
#35 Matt Morgan (9-5-4) (TNA) [Tag Team]
#36 Wade Barrett (9-7-0) (WWE)
#37 Robert Roode (9-10-2) (TNA)
#38 Rob Terry (8-1-1) (TNA)
#39 Jeff Hardy (8-5-1) (TNA)
#40 Justin Gabriel (8-5-0) (WWE)
#41 Triple H (8-6-2) (WWE)
#42 Frankie Kazarian (8-6-1) (TNA) [X-Division]
#43 Darren Young (8-6-0) (WWE)
#44 Cody Rhodes (8-8-0) (WWE)
#45 Tara (8-9-0) (TNA) [Knockouts]
#46 Beth Phoenix (8-9-0) (WWE) [Womens]
#47 JTG (8-10-2) (WWE)
#48 Ken Anderson (8-11-0) (TNA)
#49 Luke Gallows (8-11-0) (WWE)
#50 James Storm (8-12-2) (TNA)
#51 D'Angelo Dinero (7-5-1) (TNA)
#52 The Great Khali (7-6-0) (WWE)
#53 Edge (7-7-4) (WWE) [Royal Rumble]
#54 Douglas Williams (7-7-0) (TNA) [X-Division x2]
#55 David Otunga (7-8-0) (WWE)
#56 Kelly Kelly (7-10-1) (WWE)
#57 Alicia Fox (7-10-0) (WWE) [Divas]
#58 Zack Ryder (7-14-1) (WWE)
#59 Ezekiel Jackson (6-1-0) (WWE) [ECW]
#60 The Undertaker (6-2-0) (WWE)
#61 Jay Lethal (6-4-1) (TNA)
#62 Shawn Michaels (6-5-1) (WWE)
#63 Kevin Nash (6-5-0) (TNA) [Tag Team]
#64 Hernandez (6-6-2) (TNA) [Tag Team]
#65 Shelton Benjamin (6-6-0) (WWE)
#66 Heath Slater (6-7-0) (WWE)
#67 Mark Henry (6-11-2) (WWE)
#68 Desmond Wolfe (6-14-1) (TNA)
#69 Lacey Von Erich (5-1-1) (TNA)
#70 Mickie James (5-6-0) (WWE) [Womens]
#71 Scott Hall (4-3-0) (TNA) [Tag Team]
#72 Eric Young (4-4-0) (TNA)
#73 Jesse Neal (4-5-1) (TNA)
#74 Vance Archer (4-5-0) (WWE)
#75 Vladimir Kozlov (4-5-0) (WWE)
#76 Brie Bella (4-5-0) (WWE)
#77 Shad Gaspard (4-6-2) (WWE)
#78 Primo Colon (4-6-1) (WWE)
#79 Jeff Jarrett (4-6-1) (TNA)
#80 Shannon Moore (4-7-1) (TNA)
#81 Angelina Love (4-8-1) (TNA) [Knockouts]
#82 Goldust (4-8-0) (WWE)
#83 Batista (4-11-6) (WWE) [WWE]
#84 Brian Knobbs (3-1-0) (TNA)
#85 Jerry Saggs (3-1-0) (TNA)
#86 Curt Hawkins (3-2-0) (WWE)
#87 Orlando Jordan (3-4-1) (TNA)
#88 Samoa Joe (3-4-0) (TNA)
#89 Tiffany (3-5-0) (WWE)
#90 Nikki Bella (3-5-0) (WWE)
#91 Skip Sheffield (3-6-0) (WWE)
#92 Brother Devon (3-7-3) (TNA)
#93 Amazing Red (3-7-0) (TNA)
#94 Brother Ray (3-8-3) (TNA)
#95 Alex Shelley (3-8-2) (TNA)
#96 Chris Sabin (3-8-2) (TNA)
#97 Chris Masters (3-9-0) (WWE)
#98 Brian Kendrick (3-9-0) (WWE)
#99 William Regal (3-15-0) (WWE)
#100 Natalya Neidhart (2-0-1) (WWE)
#101 Bret Hart (2-0-0) (WWE) [United States]
#102 Alex Riley (2-0-0) (WWE)
#103 Michael McGillicutty (2-0-0) (WWE)
#104 Eli Cottonwood (2-0-0) (WWE)
#105 Awesome Kong (2-1-0) (TNA) [Knockouts Tag]
#106 Roxxi (2-1-0) (TNA)
#107 Hornswoggle (2-1-0) (WWE)
#108 Fit Finlay (2-1-0) (WWE)
#109 Vickie Guerrero (2-1-0) (WWE)
#110 Sean Morley (2-1-0) (TNA)
#111 Hamada (2-2-0) (TNA) [Knockouts Tag]
#112 ODB (2-3-0) (TNA) [Knockouts]
#113 Sean Waltman (2-3-0) (TNA)
#114 Homicide (2-4-0) (TNA)
#115 Sting (2-5-1) (TNA)
#116 Max Buck (2-5-1) (TNA)
#117 Jeremy Buck (2-5-1) (TNA)
#118 Daffney (2-6-0) (TNA)
#119 Michael Tarver (2-8-0) (WWE)
#120 Santino Marella (2-8-0) (WWE)
#121 Trent Baretta (2-10-0) (WWE)
#122 Daniel Bryan (2-12-0) (WWE)
#123 Hulk Hogan (1-0-1) (TNA)
#124 Jimmy Hart (1-0-0) (TNA)
#125 Slam Master J (1-0-0) (WWE)
#126 MacGruber (1-0-0) (WWE)
#127 Mark Feuerstein (1-0-0) (WWE)
#128 Percy Watson (1-1-0) (WWE)
#129 Jimmy Uso (1-1-0) (WWE)
#130 Jey Uso (1-1-0) (WWE)
#131 Vince McMahon (1-1-0) (WWE)
#132 Jimmy Wang Yang (1-1-0) (WWE)
#133 The Hurricane (1-1-0) (WWE)
#134 Katie Lee Burchill (1-6-0) (WWE)
#135 Caylen Croft (1-12-0) (WWE)
#136 Jillian (1-13-0) (WWE)
#137 Chavo Guerrero (1-13-0) (WWE)
#138 Tamina (0-0-1) (WWE)
#139 Charlie Haas (0-1-1) (WWE)
#140 Raven (0-1-0) (TNA)
#141 Dr. Stevie Richards (0-1-0) (TNA)
#142 Kiyoshi (0-1-0) (TNA)
#143 Brother Runt (0-1-0) (TNA)
#144 Mike Tyson (0-1-0) (WWE)
#145 John Heder (0-1-0) (WWE)
#146 Rosie Lottalove (0-1-0) (TNA)
#147 Husky Harris (0-1-0) (WWE)
#148 Virgil (0-1-0) (WWE)
#149 Teddy Long (0-1-0) (WWE)
#150 Ric Flair (0-2-1) (TNA)
#151 Lucky Cannon (0-2-0) (WWE)
#152 Kaval (0-2-0) (WWE)
#153 Titus O'Neil (0-2-0) (WWE)
#154 Maria (0-2-0) (WWE)
#155 Suicide (0-2-0) (TNA)
#156 Consequences Creed (0-2-0) (TNA)
#157 Mick Foley (0-3-0) (TNA)
#158 Tomko (0-5-0) (TNA)
#159 Brutus Magnus (0-5-0) (TNA)
#160 Christopher Daniels (0-5-0) (TNA)
#161 Rosa Mendes (0-6-0) (WWE)
#162 Sarita (0-6-0) (TNA)
#163 Taylor Wilde (0-6-0) (TNA)
#164 Mike Knox (0-7-1) (WWE)
#165 Carlito Colon (0-15-2) (WWE)

Include cumulative win/loss/draw stats taken from WWE and TNA televised programming and Pay-Per-View events. Stats include championships won in 2010.

iChart 100: 2010 Returns

If you're reading this, you might want to check out YouTube, iTunes, or Amazon for the obscure remix track you're looking for. In the event that this wasn't a wayward Google search that I can't do anything about, you might want to get a better hobby than reading some idiot talk about his iTunes play stats (or broaden your horizons by seeking some of the tracks out). Video games or superhero comics come highly recommended as topical alternatives!

Lately I've been burrowed in my cave working on various writing projects, including comic book projects that haven't come as fluidly as I would've liked. One project in particular, featuring pulp and novel inspired characters, was supposed to be a fast-tracked project, but has proven much more difficult to develop than originally speculated. Part of that is my foggy old brain, part of that is a desire to make the best product I can. That, and I hate doing layouts. SO STOP DISTURBING ME!!!

Theoretically, data dumps like this help keep my brain active, ergo;

#1 [527] William Ørbit - Cavalleria Rusticana (--)
#2 [525] William Ørbit - Ogive Number I (--)
#3 [514] William Ørbit - In A Landscape (+2)
#4 [510] Way Out West - Pulse of Life (-1)
#5 [496] William Ørbit - Piece in the Old Style 3 (-1)
#6 [494] 菅野よう子 [Yoko Kanno] - Bad Dog (+3)
#7 [493] Thom Yorke - Analyse (+1)
#8 [489] CocoRosie - Rainbowarriors (-2)
#9 [488] William Ørbit - L'Inverno (-2)
#10 [461] William Ørbit - Xerxes (+2)
#11 [460] William Ørbit - Triple Concerto (-1)
#12 [460] William Ørbit - Pavane Pour Une Infante Defante (+1)
#13 [445] Björk - Mouths Cradle (-2)
#14 [436] Underworld - Two Months Off (Radio Edit) (+1)
#15 [427] William Ørbit - Piece in the Old Style I (-1)
#16 [421] CoLD SToRAGE - Body in Motion (+3)
#17 [412] William Ørbit - Opus I32 (-1)
#18 [412] Vangelis - Love Theme from Bladerunner (+2)
#19 [400] Björk - Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right) (-2)
#20 [393] Bodyrox feat. Luciana - Yeah Yeah (D. Ramirez Radio Edit) (+1)
#21 [392] Moby - My Weakness (-3)
#22 [388] William Ørbit - Adagio for Strings (--)
#23 [362] CoLD SToRAGE - Cold Comfort (+3)
#24 [352] Björk - Submarine (-1)
#25 [341] Gustav - Genua (-1)
#26 [340] Madonna - Frozen (+5)
#27 [335] Intermix - Mantra (-2)
#28 [331] PNAU - Journey Agent (+7)
#29 [330] Hot Chip - Over and Over (--)
#30 [329] UNKLE - Lonely Soul (-3)
#31 [324] Björk - Visur Vatnsenda-Rósu (-3)
#32 [323] Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You (Radio Edit) (-2)
#33 [321] CoLD SToRAGE - Cairodrome (+4)
#34 [317] Radiohead - Videotape (--)
#35 [311] William Ørbit - Barber's Adagio for Strings (Ferry Corsten Remix) (+12)
#36 [308] Future Sound of London - Papua New Guinea (-4)
#37 [306] Pendulum - Coma (+7)
#38 [306] Einsturzende Neubauten - Blume (+7)
#39 [305] Groove Zone - Eisbaer (Extended Mix) (+7)
#40 [305] Björk - Desired Constellation (-7)
#41 [304] Groove Terminator - Losing Ground (-5)
#42 [303] Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out (-3)
#43 [303] Sasha - Wavy Gravy (+5)
#44 [292] Moby - Porcelain (Clubbed to Death Version by Rob Dougan) (-6)
#45 [290] DJ Krush - Dig This Vibe (+4)
#46 [288] Rob Dougan - Clubbed to Death (Kurayamino Variation) (-5)
#47 [287] Björk - Pleasure is all Mine (-7)
#48 [286] Cassius - Toop Toop (-6)
#49 [285] Console - 14 Zero Zero (+5)
#50 [284] Luke Slater - Stars and Heroes (+3)
#51 [283] b(if)tek feat. Julee Cruise - Wired for Sound (-8)
#52 [271] Björk - Vokuro (-1)
#53 [268] Supreme Beings of Leisure - Strangelove Addiction (+13)
#54 [268] Moby - Bodyrock (Hybrid's Bodyshock Remix) (-4)
#55 [267] Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks (+3)
#56 [266] UNKLE - Rabbit in your Headlights (+4)
#57 [264] Madonna - Drowned World/Substitute for Love (-5)
#58 [259] The Chemical Brothers - Let Forever Be (+11)
#59 [253] Pet Shop Boys - Miracles (Radio Edit) (+9)
#60 [253] Hot Chip - Grubbs (-5)
#61 [251] William Ørbit - Water from a Vine Leaf (-2)
#62 [249] CoLD SToRAGE - Onyx (-6)
#63 [248] Moby - Memory Gospel (-6)
#64 [247] Björk - Triumph of a Heart (+7)
#65 [245] Pet Shop Boys - I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give it Anymore (+17)
#66 [243] Moby - Natural Blues (+7)
#67 [242] The Beta Band - Space Beatle (-3)
#68 [240] Ratty - Sunrise (Here I Am) (Radio Edit) (-7)
#69 [240] Nine Inch Nails - Just Like You Imagined (-7)
#70 [239] Moby - ARP (-7)
#71 [239] Orbital - Petrol (-6)
#72 [238] Faithless - We Come 1 (+7)
#73 [235] Moby - Flying Foxes (-6)
#74 [228] Björk - Oceania (+6)
#75 [227] Faithless - Drifting Away (Paradiso Mix) (-3)
#76 [225] Cassius - Toop Toop (Olivier Koletski Mix) (-6)
#77 [222] CoLD SToRAGE - Messij Received (+18)
#78 [220] Hot Chip - Boy From School (+5)
#79 [218] ana voog - Telepathic You (+7)
#80 [218] b(if)tek - 3 Seconds of Her (-6)
#81 [216] Daft Punk - Around the World (+9)
#82 [215] DJ Shadow - Six Days (-6)
#83 [213] Pet Shop Boys - Paninaro '95 (-5)
#84 [212] Kenji Kawai - Making of a Cyborg (+7)
#85 [211] 菅野よう子 [Yoko Kanno] - Pulse (+7)
#86 [210] Rui Da Silva feat. Cassandra - Touch Me (new)
#87 [210] Raven Maize - The Real Life (Fatboy Slim Mix) (-11)
#88 [210] Björk - Who Is It (Vitalic Mix) (-11)
#89 [208] Luke Slater - Grace (-5)
#90 [207] Sash! - Chillout No.1 (-5)
#91 [207] Groove Armada - Dusk, You & Me (-10)
#92 [206] 808 State - Pacific (808:98) (new)
#93 [205] Gerling - Enter Space Capsule (-5)
#94 [204] Radiohead - 15 Step (new)
#95 [203] UNKLE - Unreal (-6)
#96 [202] Faithless - Salva Mea (Way Out West Remix) (+1)
#97 [202] Timo Maas - To Get Down (RE)
#98 [201] Pet Shop Boys - Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) (RE)
#99 [201] Hybrid - Finished Symphony (Album Version) (-12)
#100 [198] Hybrid - If I Survive (new)

Evidently I'd forgotten just how much music I added in the gap between now and the last time I did this silly little ritual. A couple of albums in transit from Amazon arrived, and I've since made use of Christmas iTunes vouchers in the plenty. It's been nice to replace some tracks with higher quality versions, and pick-up a lot of music I've been watching on YouTube in the absence of an album or download. Mind you, I've burnt through it all so fast, it seems excessively familiar!

This familiarity no doubt stems from the fact that only a few tracks are actually new. Inspiration remains far from the contemporary charts. I sometimes wonder if I'm just getting to that age where the world moves on. Music sucks and kids have stupid haircuts. Then I see a band actually called LMAO on a TV playlist and feel a whole lot better about myself. It really is them!

Meanwhile, speaking of the past -- MTV's Daria finally hit DVD. Unfortunately this means long begrudging legalities surrounding the massive playlist of licensed music in the show has not been resolved. Which means Daria without it's soul. A version stripped of the popular music of the time, replaced by "sound alikes" and other. A very bittersweet situation. Great to finally have the show on disc, but will it be the same without the contemporary spirit of it's soundtrack? I have my doubts.

iChart 100: 2010 Begins

I can't say I have any brilliant words to inspire any of you misled individuals who've happened upon this typically irrelevant list of one man's longterm listening habits. If you find yourself confused, trust that you were never meant to stumble across this.

Rising late has left my mind feeling a little cloudy. What better way to dust away the cobwebs on a Sunday morning than by recounting a nice big list of numbered statistics, eh?

#1 [487] William Ørbit - Cavalleria Rusticana (+1)
#2 [484] William Ørbit - Ogive Number I (+1)
#3 [481] Way Out West - Pulse of Life (-2)
#4 [479] William Ørbit - Piece in the Old Style 3 (+4)
#5 [478] William Ørbit - In A Landscape (-1)
#6 [471] CocoRosie - Rainbowarriors (+3)
#7 [468] William Ørbit - L'Inverno (-1)
#8 [467] Thom Yorke - Analyse (-1)
#9 [466] 菅野よう子 [Yoko Kanno] - Bad Dog (-4)
#10 [443] William Ørbit - Triple Concerto (+1)
#11 [443] Björk - Mouths Cradle (-1)
#12 [439] William Ørbit - Xerxes (--)
#13 [431] William Ørbit - Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte (--)
#14 [413] William Ørbit - Piece in the Old Style I (+3)
#15 [413] Underworld - Two Months Off (Radio Edit) (--)
#16 [401] William Ørbit - Opus I32 (+2)
#17 [400] Björk - Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right) (-3)
#18 [390] Moby - My Weakness (-2)
#19 [384] CoLD SToRAGE - Body in Motion (--)
#20 [379] Vangelis - Love Theme from Bladerunner (--)
#21 [367] Bodyrox feat. Luciana - Yeah Yeah (D. Ramirez Radio Edit) (--)
#22 [351] William Ørbit - Adagio for Strings (+3)
#23 [350] Björk - Submarine (-2)
#24 [341] Gustav - Genua (-1)
#25 [334] Intermix - Mantra (-1)
#26 [326] CoLD SToRAGE - Cold Comfort (+1)
#27 [324] UNKLE - Lonely Soul (+4)
#28 [324] Björk - Visur Vatnsenda-Rósu (-2)
#29 [321] Hot Chip - Over and Over (--)
#30 [320] Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You (Radio Edit) (+2)
#31 [313] Madonna - Frozen (+2)
#32 [308] The Future Sound of London - Papua New Guinea (-4)
#33 [305] Björk - Desired Constellation (-3)
#34 [299] Radiohead - Videotape (--)
#35 [298] PNAU - Journey Agent (+8)
#36 [295] Groove Terminator - Losing Ground (+10)
#37 [293] CoLD SToRAGE - Cairodrome (+8)
#38 [292] Moby - Porcelain (Clubbed to Death version by Rob Dougan) (-1)
#39 [291] Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out (-4)
#40 [287] Björk - Pleasure is all Mine (-4)
#41 [286] Rob Dougan - Clubbed to Death (Kurayamino Variation) (--)
#42 [285] Cassius - Toop Toop (-4)
#43 [283] b(if)tek feat. Julee Cruise - Wired for Sound (-4)
#44 [282] Pendulum - Coma (-4)
#45 [279] Einsturzende Neubauten - Blume (-3)
#46 [278] Groove Zone - Eisbaer (Extended Mix) (-2)
#47 [274] William Ørbit - Barber's Adagio for Strings (Ferry Corsten Remix) (+6)
#48 [274] Sasha - Wavy Gravy (+3)
#49 [268] DJ Krush - Dig This Vibe (-2)
#50 [266] Moby - Bodyrock (Hybrid's Bodyshock Remix) (-2)
#51 [264] Björk - Vokuro (+1)
#52 [264] Madonna - Drowned World/Substitute for Love (-3)
#53 [259] Luke Slater - Stars and Heroes (-3)
#54 [254] Console - 14 Zero Zero (+9)
#55 [252] Hot Chip - Grubbs (-1)
#56 [249] CoLD SToRAGE - Onyx (-1)
#57 [248] Moby - Memory Gospel (-1)
#58 [246] Peter Bjorn & John - Young Folks (-1)
#59 [245] William Ørbit - Water From a Vine Leaf (-1)
#60 [244] UNKLE - Rabbit in your Headlights (-1)
#61 [240] Ratty - Sunrise (Here I Am) (Radio Edit) (--)
#62 [240] Nine Inch Nails - Just Like You Imagined (-2)
#63 [237] Moby - ARP (-1)
#64 [234] The Beta Band - Space Beatle (+1)
#65 [233] Orbital - Petrol (+6)
#66 [232] Supreme Beings of Leisure - Strangelove Addiction (+7)
#67 [232] Moby - Flying Foxes (+10)
#68 [232] Pet Shop Boys - Miracles (Radio Edit) (-4)
#69 [227] The Chemical Brothers - Let Forever Be (-3)
#70 [225] Cassius - Toop Toop (Olivier Koletski Mix) (--)
#71 [224] Björk - Triumph of a Heart (-4)
#72 [223] Faithless - Drifting Away (Paradiso Mix) (-4)
#73 [221] Moby - Natural Blues (-4)
#74 [218] b(if)tek - 3 Seconds of Her (-2)
#75 [215] DJ Shadow - Six Days (-1)
#76 [210] Raven Maize - The Real Life (Fatboy Slim Mix) (-1)
#77 [210] Björk - Who Is It (Vitalic Mix) (-1)
#78 [209] Pet Shop Boys - Paninaro '95 (+7)
#79 [208] Faithless - We Come 1 (+4)
#80 [208] Björk - Oceania (+5)
#81 [207] Groove Armada - Dusk, You & Me (-3)
#82 [204] Pet Shop Boys - I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give it Anymore (-2)
#83 [204] Hot Chip - Boy From School (-4)
#84 [203] Luke Slater - Grace (+3)
#85 [200] Sash! - Chill Out No. 1 (+3)
#86 [200] ana voog - Telepathic You (-5)
#87 [199] Hybrid - Finished Symphony (Album Version) (--)
#88 [198] Gerling - Enter Space Capsule (+8)
#89 [195] UNKLE - Unreal (-3)
#90 [195] Daft Punk - Around the World (-8)
#91 [194] Kenji Kawai - Making of a Cyborg (-7)
#92 [192] 菅野よう子 [Yoko Kanno] - Pulse (-1)
#93 [191] Bentley Rhythm Ace - Theme from Gutbuster (-7)
#94 [186] Happy Mondays - Hallelujah (Club Mix) (new)
#95 [184] CoLD SToRAGE - Messij Received (new)
#96 [182] Hybrid - Zulu (-8)
#97 [182] Faithless - Salva Mea (Way Out West Remix) (-8)
#98 [182] Kenji Kawai - Pappetry Song (Gods' Gathering in the New World) (-6)
#99 [182] Pet Shop Boys - Single - Bilingual (-9)
#100 [181] Ramin Djawadi & The RZA - Daywalkers (-7)

The shifting rank of songs inevitably leads one to question the nature of having a "favourite" and how it truly reflects the inner psyche. It's not doubt overthinking what is an intuitive process. A song sliding down the list of rotation doesn't necessarily mean I like it less, but the cumulative play tally certainly does raise questions of the conscious mind's perception and the subconscious mind's played out truths. Does any of us truly know what makes us happy?

I was certainly happy to finally add some new music to my iPod!

iChart 100: Year-End 2009

Well, I got an iTunes gift card for Christmas, so after lord knows how many months of whinging, I actually have the opportunity to buy new music. Of course, with great powers great responsibility, so I'm taking it easy, making sure I get what I really want. Why I would tell you this, or why you'd be interested, is well beyond me. It seems this statistical notetaking has just become something of a tradition. Ergo...

#1 [472] Way Out West - Pulse of Life (+1)
#2 [465] William Ørbit - Cavalleria Rusticana (+1)
#3 [464] William Ørbit - Ogive Number I (+1)
#4 [459] William Ørbit - In A Landscape (-3)
#5 [458] 菅野よう子 [Yoko Kanno] - Bad Dog (+2)
#6 [457] William Ørbit - L'Inverno (-)
#7 [457] Thom Yorke - Analyse (+1)
#8 [456] William Ørbit - Pieces in the Old Style 3 (-3)
#9 [453] CocoRosie - Rainbowarriors (-)
#10 [443] Björk - Mouths Cradle (-)
#11 [420] William Ørbit - Triple Concerto (-)
#12 [416] William Ørbit - Xerxes (-)
#13 [409] William Ørbit - Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte (-)
#14 [400] Björk - Who Is It (Carry My Joy on the Left, Carry My Pain on the Right) (+1)
#15 [398] Underworld - Two Months Off (Radio Edit) (-1)
#16 [390] Moby - My Weakness (+3)
#17 [389] William Ørbit - Pieces in the Old Style I (-1)
#18 [375] William Ørbit - Opus I32 (-1)
#19 [370] CoLD SToRAGE - Body in Motion (-1)
#20 [362] Vangelis - Love Theme from Bladerunner (-)
#21 [353] Bodyrox feat. Luciana - Yeah Yeah (D. Ramirez Radio Edit) (+1)
#22 [350] Björk - Submarine (-1)
#23 [341] Gustav - Genua (-)
#24 [334] Intermix - Mantra (-)
#25 [325] William Ørbit - Adagio for Strings (-)
#26 [324] Björk - Visur Vatnsenda Rosu (-)
#27 [311] CoLD SToRAGE - Cold Comfort (+4)
#28 [308] The Future Sound of London - Papua New Guinea (-)
#29 [307] Hot Chip - Over and Over (+1)
#30 [305] Björk - Desired Constellation (-1)
#31 [304] UNKLE - Lonely Soul (-4)
#32 [301] Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You (Radio Edit) (+4)
#33 [299] Madonna - Frozen (+5)
#34 [299] Radiohead - Videotape (+6)
#35 [291] Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out (-2)
#36 [287] Björk - Pleasure is all Mine (-4)
#37 [286] Moby - Porcelain (Clubbed to Death Version by Rob Dougan) (+10)
#38 [285] Cassius - Toop Toop (-3)
#39 [283] b(if)tek feat. Julee Cruise - Wired for Sound (-)
#40 [282] Pendulum - Coma (-6)
#41 [281] Rob Dougan - Clubbed to Death (Kurayamino Variation) (+5)
#42 [279] Einsturzende Neubauten - Blume (-)
#43 [278] PNAU - Journey Agent (+2)
#44 [278] Groove Zone - Eisbaer (Extended Mix) (-7)
#45 [276] CoLD SToRAGE - Cairodrome (-1)
#46 [271] Groove Terminator - Losing Ground (-5)
#47 [267] DJ Krush - Dig This Vibe (-4)
#48 [266] Moby - Bodyrock (Hybrid's Bodyshock Remix) (-)
#49 [264] Madonna - Drowned World/Substitute for Love (+7)
#50 [259] Luke Slater - Stars and Heroes (+9)
#51 [256] Sasha - Wavy Gravy (+6)
#52 [256] Björk - Vokuro (-3)
#53 [255] William Ørbit - Barber's Adagio for Strings (Ferry Corsten Remix) (-2)
#54 [252] Hot Chip - Grubbs (-4)
#55 [249] CoLD SToRAGE - Onyx (-3)
#56 [248] Moby - Memory Gospel (-1)
#57 [246] Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks (-4)
#58 [245] William Ørbit - Water From a Vine Leaf (-6)
#59 [244] UNKLE - Rabbit in your Headlights (-4)
#60 [240] Nine Inch Nails - Just Like You Imagined (-2)
#61 [239] Ratty - Sunrise (Here I Am) (Radio Edit) (+4)
#62 [237] Moby - ARP (-8)
#63 [232] Console - 14 Zero Zero (-2)
#64 [231] Pet Shop Boys - Miracles (Radio Edit) (-2)
#65 [227] The Beta Band - Space Beatle (-5)
#66 [225] Chemical Brothers - Let Forever Be (-)
#67 [223] Björk - Triumph of a Heart (+1)
#68 [223] Faithless - Drift Away (Paradiso Mix) (+7)
#69 [221] Moby - Natural Blues (+7)
#70 [220] Cassius - Toop Toop (Olivier Koletski Mix) (-)
#71 [220] Orbital - Petrol (-4)
#72 [218] b(if)tek - 3 Seconds of Her (-3)
#73 [216] Supreme Beings of Leisure - Strangelove Addiction (+1)
#74 [215] DJ Shadow - Six Days (+4)
#75 [209] Raven Maize - The Real Life (Fatboy Slim Mix) (+5)
#76 [209] Björk - Who Is It (Vitalic Mix) (-5)
#77 [208] Moby - Flying Foxes (-5)
#78 [206] Groove Armada - Dusk, You & Me (-5)
#79 [203] Hot Chip - Boy From School (+2)
#80 [201] Pet Shop Boys - I Don't Know What You Want but I can't Give It Anymore (-1)
#81 [200] ana voog - Telepathic You (-4)
#82 [195] Daft Punk - Around the World (-)
#83 [193] Faithless - We Come 1 (+2)
#84 [193] Kenji Kawai - Making of a Cyborg (-1)
#85 [192] Pet Shop Boys - Paninaro '95 (-1)
#86 [191] Bentley Rhythm Ace - Theme from Gutbuster (-)
#87 [186] Hybrid - Finished Symphony (Album Version) (-)
#88 [184] Sash! - Chill Out No. 1 (+4)
#85 [184] Björk - Oceania (new)
#86 [183] UNKLE - Unreal (+9)
#87 [183] Luke Slater - Grace (+13)
#88 [182] Hybrid - Zulu (RE)
#89 [182] Faithless - Salva Mea (Way Out West Remix) (-1)
#90 [182] Pet Shop Boys - Single - Bilingual (-)
#91 [182] 菅野よう子 [Yoko Kanno] - Pulse (-)
#92 [182] Kenji Kawai - Pappetry Song (Gods' Gathering in the New World) (-3)
#93 [181] Ramin Djawadi & The RZA - Daywalkers (+5)
#94 [179] Pet Shop Boys - Being Boring (+3)
#95 [178] Gustav - We Shall Overcome (-2)
#96 [176] Gerling - Enter Space Capsule (new)
#97 [176] Death in Vegas - Hands Around My Throat (-3)
#98 [175] Moby - In My Heart (RE)
#99 [174] Chicane feat. Bryan Adams - Don't Give Up (new)
#100 [174] Timo Maas - To Get Down (RE)

In October I lost a dear friend/family member to kidney cancer, so I know the music I've been listening to has changed. For a week or more I didn't really listen to any music as I gradually adjusted to the fact that I was listening to it without the company of another pair of ears. Certain lyrics and tones also didn't fit my mood, through grieving, and through moving forward. I still think of him often and feel a great sadness for that massive loss. It's sometimes nice not to be reminded of it by song.

I'm looking forward to the long overdue addition of new music. "New" to my iPod, at least. I don't imagine anything recent chart topping music will win my thirty iPod dollars.

Actually, despite the above inferrence, I recently discovered the 2000's weren't as grim a decade for music as I'd thought. Granted, there's plenty of stuff that slipped by this decade, but even with that in mind, when I compiled a playlist full of tracks from the 00's, I was pleasantly surprised, even if there was some confirmation of the strength of the first half.

The bulk of the top 10 from this month's Top 100 came from the 2000's.
Some real gems are in there, too. PNAU's Journey Agent harkens back to better personal days and the creative vigor of the year 2000. It's been a theme of my video game blogging on 1up, but I think the sense that the world was inspired by the race toward the new millenium, only to finish the decade with a belly flop, applies to music as well. PNAU's warm, jazzy track is a stark contrast to the obnoxious eighties-kitsch they were churning out by 2008. They certanly weren't alone in producing this kind of claptrap, which is currently vying for the top of the pops with rap hangover and the usual plastic princess crap that sells to fourteen year old girls.

I've dwelled in the 98-02 period quite a bit this year, reminiscing over days when I felt much more empowered. The declining graph of creative endeavours over this decade has led me to feel quite a bit more disconnected than I had for a long time. I was very use to keeping a narrow scope that shifted with the times, but now I now I find I am constantly look backward, catching up on the things I missed the first time, and reappreciating the things that meant a lot.

The KLF has been a recent favourite. Other tracks from the eighties and nineties have been a feature, and I've got the 24 Hour Party People (movie) DVD on order, so the turning point of dance in the Manchester/Factory scene is something I'm sure I'll be soaking in again soon. Incidentally, if you've found yourself reading this, and you're interested in a pisstake of music history through the lens of modern myth, you should give it a look.

The big votes for the 05-09 period, at least on my feeble iPod playlist, come from Way Out West, Thom Yorke, CocoRosie, Hot Chip, Cassius, Peter Bjorn and John, Faithless, and various other Swedish acts. With the exception of the unbolded latter, it's a tad disheartening to see what is obviously a very nineties-influenced list of offerings.

Incidentally, La Roux's Bulletproof is heavily eighties-infused pop that actually manages to strike a chord, perhaps because it feels somehow more sincere than the glut of new releases baring gaudy neon strips over solid white backgrounds. The song's got an infectious pop hook with the benefit of a powerful lyrical message. I'm sure it's all about empowerment in the face of lusting adversity, but the large fiction-addled quadrant of my brain likes to think of it in terms of an old friend who promises to come back with none of the old weaknesses.
La Roux lakes the personalized reinterpretation of eighties trends that, say, MGMT were able to offer, but on the same token, didn't make me want to punch idiotic shirtless fifteen year olds in the face, either. I'll take a little tight white denim and big shoulder pads over muddy kids eating worms from the yard, any day!

Also well worth a look, against all odds, is the latest offering from the Black Eyed Peas, who against better judgment, continue to associate with Fergie. It seems, in a rare fit of musical integrity, the "BEP" have decided to investigate conventional wisdom, putting together a track in Meet Me Halfway that has a bit of an emotional punch to go along with it's pop competence. Replacing their usual modus operandi of constantly repeating a handful of words is an actual chorus, proving that, somewhere behind that squinty-eyed blonde, there's a competent music act, who, like PNAU, had better days at the beginning of the decade, kicking arse with pre-Fergie tracks like Weekend.

On the subject of kicking arse (and looking backward), I've been having semi-religious experiences revisiting the saxaphonic supremacy of 1989's Pacific State, by 808 State.
I don't think I'm getting carried away when I describe the echoing brass as nigh orgasmic. Somewhere out there I'm sure there's a remix that cuts the Roland TR-808 intrusion that hasn't aged all that well, and let's the sax speak for itself. Apparently it's in GTA: San Andreas, but I'll try not to hold that against it.

Also from the same period, I've been getting back in touch with one of my favourite albums (as a complete package), and the very first album I ever owned (late bloomer), U2's Achtung Baby. I shant sneer at their beloved eighties output, but I'm sure I'll always have a bias for the group's '91 turning point, which gave birth to the modern U2 of today, but did it without the tired, soulless gimmicky rubbish. Mind you, I'm undecided if the "birth" of Bono in black leather and giant sunglasses was at it's silliest in The Fly, or much less so than later years. I think perhaps I'll just focus on the music, which was bloody fantastic! I'm sure sometimes at night when I fall asleep I'm still hearing the opening electric of Zoo Station, still echoing in my ears years after I lost the swanky silver-buttoned Sony Walkman my late Great Aunt bought for the express purpose of firing up my synapses with this metal-grinding industrial reawakening [of u2].

That's probably enough bitching for one Christmas night, though.
Hope you're having a good one and just happened to find this post in February, rather than reading it when it was posted, late Christmas (early in the US). Cheers!

iChart 100: Q3 2009

#1 [455] William Ørbit - In A Landscape (+1)
#2 [448] Way Out West - Pulse of Life (+1)
#3 [442] William Ørbit - Cavalleria Rusticana (-2)
#4 [436] William Ørbit - Ogive Number I (+1)
#5 [432] William Ørbit - Piece In The Old Style 3 (+2)
#6 [431] William Ørbit - L'Inverno (+3)
#7 [431] 菅野よう子 [Yoko Kanno] - Bad Dog (+1)
#8 [430] Thom Yorke - Analyse (+3)
#9 [421] CocoRosie - Rainbowarriors (-5)
#10 [416] Björk - Mouths Cradle (-4)
#11 [413] William Ørbit - Triple Concerto (-1)
#12 [409] William Ørbit - Xerxes (-)
#13 [404] William Ørbit - Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte (-)
#14 [386] Underworld - Two Months Off (Radio Edit) (-)
#15 [382] Björk - Who Is It (Carry my joy on the left, Carry my pain on the right) (+1)
#16 [381] William Ørbit - Piece In The Old Style I (-1)
#17 [370] William Ørbit - Opus I32 (-)
#18 [367] CoLD SToRAGE - Body in Motion (-)
#19 [362] Moby - My Weakness (+1)
#20 [357] Vangelis - Love theme from Bladerunner (+1)
#21 [346] Björk - Submarine (+1)
#22 [337] Bodyrox feat. Luciana - Yeah Yeah (D. Ramirez Radio Edit) (+2)
#23 [336] Gustav - Genua (-4)
#24 [331] Intermix - Mantra (-1)
#25 [313] William Ørbit - Adagio For Strings (+2)
#26 [300] Björk - Visur Vatnsenda Rosu (+3)
#27 [296] UNKLE - Lonely Soul (+1)
#28 [293] The Future Sound of London - Papua New Guinea (+4)
#29 [293] Björk - Desired Constellation (+6)
#30 [290] Hot Chip - Over and Over (-5)
#31 [285] CoLD SToRAGE - Cold Comfort (+8)
#32 [283] Björk - Pleasure Is All Mine (-6)
#33 [279] Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out (+4)
#34 [277] Pendulum - Coma (+2)
#35 [277] Cassius - Toop Toop (-5)
#36 [277] Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You (Radio Edit) (+10)
#37 [276] Groove Zone - Eisbaer (Extended Mix) (+13)
#38 [274] Madonna - Frozen (+6)
#39 [274] b(if)tek feat. Julee Cruise - Wired for Sound (+13)
#40 [272] Radiohead - Videotape (+13)
#41 [269] Groove Terminator - Losing Ground (+20)
#42 [269] Einsturzende Neubauten - Blume (-11)
#43 [264] DJ Krush - Dig This Vibe (+6)
#44 [264] CoLD SToRAGE - Cairodrome (+16)
#45 [261] PNAU - Journey Agent (+11)
#46 [258] Rob Dougan - Clubbed to Death (Kurayamino Variation) (+17)
#47 [257] Moby - Porcelain (Clubbed to Death version by Rob Dougan) (-13)
#48 [253] Moby - Bodyrock (Hybrid's Bodyshock Remix) (-3)
#49 [253] Björk - Vokuro (-16)
#50 [248] Hot Chip - Grubbs (+5)
#51 [247] William Ørbit - Barber's Adagio For Strings (Ferry Corsten Remix) (+24)
#52 [246] CoLD SToRAGE - Onyx (-10)
#53 [234] Peter Bjorn & John - Young Folks (-5)
#54 [233] Moby - ARP (-16)
#55 [232] Moby - Memory Gospel (+19)
#56 [230] Madonna - Drowned World/Substitute for Love (-5)
#57 [229] Sasha - Wavy Gravy (+14)
#58 [228] Nine Inch Nails - Just Like You Imagined (-17)
#59 [228] Luke Slater - Stars and Heroes (-19)
#60 [227] The Beta Band - Space Beatle (+2)
#61 [226] Console - 14 Zero Zero (-18)
#62 [225] Pet Shop Boys - Miracles (Radio Edit) (-15)
#63 [221] UNKLE - Rabbit in your Headlights (-5)
#64 [220] William Ørbit - Water From a Vine Leaf (-10)
#65 [220] Ratty - Sunrise (Here I Am) (Radio Edit) (+28)
#66 [220] Chemical Brothers - Let Forever Be (+6)
#67 [219] Orbital - Petrol (+6)
#68 [218] Björk - Triumph of a Heart (+8)
#69 [217] b(if)tek - 3 Seconds of Her (-12)
#70 [215] Cassius - Toop Toop (Olivier Koletski Mix) (-6)
#71 [209] Björk - Who Is It (Vitalic Mix) (-12)
#72 [208] Moby - Flying Foxes (-6)
#73 [206] Groove Armada - Dusk, You & Me (+10)
#74 [205] Supreme Beings of Leisure - Strangelove Addiction (-5)
#75 [205] Faithless - Drifting Away (Paradiso Mix) (+10)
#76 [204] Moby - Natural Blues (+4)
#77 [200] ana voog - Telepathic You (-12)
#78 [198] DJ Shadow - Six days (-1)
#79 [197] Pet Shop Boys - I Don't Know What You Want but I can't Give It Anymore (-11)
#80 [197] Rave Maize - The Real Life (Fatboy Slim Mix) (+7)
#81 [196] Hot Chip - Boy From School (-14)
#82 [195] Daft Punk - Around the World (-)
#83 [193] Kenji Kawai - Making of a Cyborg (-13)
#84 [192] Pet Shop Boys - Paninaro '95 (+5)
#85 [188] Faithless - We Come 1 (new)
#86 [187] Bentley Rhythm Ace - Theme From Gutbuster (-7)
#87 [184] Hybrid - Finished Symphony (Album Version) (+9)
#88 [182] Faithless - Salva Mea (Way Out West Remix) (+7)
#89 [182] Kenji Kawai - Pappetry Song (Gods' Gathering in the New World) (+5)
#90 [182] Pet Shop Boys - Single - Bilingual (-12)
#91 [182] 菅野よう子 [Yoko Kanno] - Pulse (-7)
#92 [178] Sash! - Chill Out No. 1 (+8)
#93 [177] Gustav - We Shall Overcome (-13)
#94 [176] Death In Vegas - Hands Around My Throat (new)
#95 [174] UNKLE - Unreal (new)
#96 [172] Pet Shop Boys - Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) (-10)
#97 [170] Pet Shop Boys - Being Boring (-6)
#98 [168] Ramin Djawadi & The RZA - Daywalkers (RE)
#99 [168] CoLD SToRAGE - Messij (new)
#100 [166] Luke Slater - Grace (new)

Nine months later, still need new music!
Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Probably need a new iPod, too. Cracked the screen, in '08, I think it was.

Y'know, apart from just generally liking the look of a good list of hard data, I think there's another reason I like revisiting what's on my iPod. Granted, it exposes my questionable taste in music and irregular purchasing (going on a couple of years now), but it's also a live example of the flow-on effects of statistical anomolies and patterned habits.

Looking at the movement of songs since December, you can obviously see I still have my favourite songs that are coming up again and again, but it's the songs that fall out of favour and get lost amongst new interests that are very interesting. I think one of the most important abilities a comics writer can have -- (which, yes, I still fancy myself as) -- is a skill at accounting for surrounding elements. I love superhero comics because they're a part of a bigger whole and represent the versimilitude of a real universe with expansive attention.

Crossover events have fallen out of favour with comics fans, but if you read modern stories, you'll often find a flow on of concept rather than specifics. These 100 Most Played Songs lists sit somewhere between the two ideas, representing the collision of live particles (ie; literal crossovers), without the conceptual binding of a literal crossover. So it's a statistical representation of a potential concept and design of writing.

That, and it's also nice to be reminded what songs are actually on my iPod...