The Wonder that is iTunes, plus Three More Favorites

Since MSN Music closed shop recently, I've switched to iTunes. Like with MSN Music, I have so far just used iTunes to download single songs for 99 cents each -- songs that are favorites but that I don't want to buy the entire album CD to get. So I've been filling in the gaps in my music collection over the past week, and at this point I can think of very few songs that I know I really like and that I don't have on CD or computer. The iTunes collection is not perfect -- like competitors, it is missing some key bands like Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Jethro Tull, and others. But it is VERY extensive nonetheless -- and not just for music of course, as you can download thousands of TV episodes from a wide range of series for just $1.99 each. And the user interface is very easy to get used to. For many readers the above was no doubt quite boring, as I know I'm just getting caught up with the wonder that is iTunes -- I'm in that "kid in the candy store" phase. It'll pass soon...

One other thing I really like a lot about iTunes are the dozens of so-called Essentials collections. These are listings of the best songs from particular artists and groups -- across all genres. This is a great way to fill in the gaps in your music collection! And they also have Genre-based collections, with some top songs from various artists in each category. Also very useful, and good way to sample a new musical genre that you might or might not enjoy. As always, you can listen to 20-30 second clips of each song in each list.

Lastly on the topic of favorite music... I've added three more songs to my "Other Favorite Rock/Pop Music" page. This is an odd grouping, but here they are:

• The Gambler, by Kenny Rogers (1978)
• One Night in Bangkok, by Murray Head (1984)
• Call Me When You're Sober, by Evanescence (2006)

The first two here get a 3 rating out of 10, while the Evanescence tune gets the higher 2 rating. And it is the only post-2000 song in my list at this time.