iTunes Library

A few days ago, I think on Thursday, May 13, at least that's when I posted it on my facebook status, I decided to listen to my entire iTunes Library in alphabetical order according to Artist name. To understand the gravity of this situation let me explain the size of my iTunes list. It's 6,109 songs, 15.7 days, 29.14 GB.

I realized that I have not listened to every song that I own. This is ridiculous. If I've never listened to it then it's just wasting my precious computer space. It's strange, but having programs I don't use or random useless things on my computer really bothers me. I like to run a tight ship when it comes to the old laptop.

How did I get music that I don't listen to? Simple, people have given me music over the years. I've gotten entire albums for just a few songs. This means I didn't end up listening to all the songs. I'm sure there are other ways that music has crept into my iTunes Library. Those two examples are just the most likely scenarios. I like to have complete albums, it's definitely part of my completion-ist attitude. It's part of the problem, not the solution. Once I get over that I'll be able to delete the songs I don't like while keeping the ones that I do enjoy.

What am I accomplishing? I'm basically spring cleaning and organizing. I'm starting to rate the songs that I really enjoy with the star system provided in the Library. I'll debate whether or not to delete music, but I probably won't delete anything. I'll make a note and transfer it to my external hard drive when I get home. I'm a music pack rat. I worry that I'll regret deleting some song or album because I'll really want to listen to it or need it one day. I also have a lot of songs that are incomplete and just cut out so by listening to each song I'll be able to weed out the songs that end half way through. I also have a lot of duplicate songs because they appear on different albums and some were just singles that I acquired on their own. This means I have 3 copies of Aretha Franklin's Respect, one from the Forrest Gump Soundtrack, one from the Very Best of Aretha Franklin and just a stand alone single. If I can get over my completionist attitude then I should be able to delete all, but one of these. This is asking a lot because what if I end up wanting to listen to the Forrest Gump soundtrack and I've deleted Respect from there, but kept it in the Very Best of Aretha Franklin? I'll miss out on that song while listening to the soundtrack. I wish iTunes would allow you to double flag songs, that would make this easier. So when I searched for the Forrest Gump album it would show up and when I searched for the Very Best of album it would also show up, but there would only need to be one copy in my Library.

I read, draw and play online while listening to the music. Just so you don't think I'm sitting in a yoga position and focusing entirely on the music. That would be crazy.

I'm currently on The Beach Boys and I have 1, 026 songs where the Artist's name begins with an "A" or a "B". So it's going to be a long journey. I think I'm going to ding dong ditch the Beach Boys into my external. I don't know why, but I always feel like I should like them, but I just don't. Since I own 62 of their songs, I'll kick all but a few choice songs off of my computer.

So I sign off listening to Student Demonstration Time by the Beach Boys.