From 54-40 to ZZ Top

iTunes songs left: 0!

I don't believe it! Nearly a year later, I am done with my quest to listen to every song in my iTunes library at least once. I must admit, it was tough there for a while, as I progressed through the most obscure reaches and dusty confines of my music collection, but I think I gave myself a real team effort, put in 110%, and came out with the win. If it seems anticlimactic to you, just rest in the knowledge that you won't see any more of those iTunes banners at the tops of entries. Meanwhile, I'll rest in the knowledge that I can actually say I've listened intently to every song I have, and through the course of all this, I've rediscovered a lot of great songs I'd all but forgotten about. And, of course, I can now pretty much listen to whatever I want again.

In honor of this great event, I have compiled for you a random review of the final 10 songs that remained unplayed.

1. Five For Fighting - The Last Great American. A pretty little song lamenting the loss of American values (as near as I can gather). A decent effort from the "America Town" album.

2. Tears For Fears - Break It Down Again. I can remember one of my buddies from GHA 1999 recommending this song to me in the weeks after we all returned to our houses. It's a shining example of what good 80's music can sound like when it's not annoying. Nice strings.

3. Everything - Hooch. The reason these guys aren't around anymore is because they chose the least memorable band name ever, I think. Every time I hear this song, I think high school radio. I also keep expecting to hear Mark McGrath's voice. I got it on a CD using my Pepsi Points, before CD burners were affordable. Who can resist the classic line, "Who got the hooch, baby?"

4. Train - Homesick. Another high-school era song. This was one of the first songs from Train's first album that got stuck in my head after I had finished listening to "Meet Virginia" dozens of times. It brings back memories of my hometown.

5. Live - Overcome. A relatively obscure piano piece from Live's poppy V album. It's also not bad musically, although many Live fans didn't like the keyboard-pop direction the band took with this album. The lyrics aren't anything special, though.

6. U2 - Miracle Drug. A new U2 classic from ...Atomic Bomb. It's probably not my favorite from the album, but it certainly rings true with The Edge's guitar work.

7. Paul Simon - Under African Skies. This is the story of how we begin to remember, you dig? I bought Graceland while driving around Albuquerque last summer, so any song from that album reminds me of the cool wind and desert scenery instead of Tennessee. I've always loved the bass work on these songs, too. Great stuff.

8. George Strait - One Night At A Time. A staple on country radio around home in late 1997. And for honest country, you can't go wrong with Strait.

9. Train - Heavy. Through luck of the draw, Train got two songs in the final ten. This bluesy, stripped-down song shows a little bit of the band's roots, pre-"Drops of Jupiter." For a current radio single comparison, check out Little Big Town's "Boondocks" in country-land.

10. Chris Thile - Sinai to Canaan, Part 1. And for the very last song, we get a superb instrumental from Chris Thile and friends. If I remember correctly from my liner notes, Chris's inspiration for this song was a long road trip he took with his family. It's easy to sit back and imagine the motions of traveling when you listen. It's also easy to imagine that you just listened to nearly 4000 songs over the course of a year, but that now you don't have to follow some silly self-imposed music rules anymore!