The 21 Most Read Entries On My Old Blog

Thought I'd print the stats from this one, as well.

I was engaged in actively promoting this blog for a while, particularly on the Drowned In Sound message board (before realising that most of its participants are the sort of small-minded Little Englanders I've spent my life railing against). I moved the entire blog to Blospot for comparative purposes and stopped posting on Wordpress a few months back. I've kept most of the entries open, however.

Immediately apparent is that Wordpress blogs seems to be 10 times more popular than Blogspot blogs, but maybe Google Analytics are just crap. Wordpress is also far easier to use - and has more scope for expansion.

Be warned: if you try clicking through on most of the links below they'll simply redirect you back here.

1. Lady GaGa (143,755 views)
I wondered if it'd be possible to generate traffic simply through judicious use of words. Seems it is.
2. Home page (51,289 views)
That's a hell of a lot of people want to know who I am. (Still less than half of those that would read me every week at Melody Maker, though.) (Oh no, wait. That's the "About" page.)
3. Great trainwrecks of our time – 6: Kurt Cobain covers Bon Jovi (6,537 views)
Surprisingly low count, when you consider this blog entry was mentioned in hundreds of news stories across the web.
4. Ukraine's Got Talent (5,274 views)
Probably the most single re-posted blog entry on Facebook and Twitter. (And still makes for incredible viewing)
5. new Rammstein video (4,560 views)
Folk wanna view porn, I guess. (The same comment could apply to the Lady GaGa entry above.)
6. the music industry explained (2,570 views)
Publicised on Twitter and Facebook: there's always a high residual interest in any blog entries that discuss the music industry.
7. Defending the indefensible – 4: Sigur Rós (2,424 views)
Ah, the first of several entries in this list from the infamous 'Defending the indefensible' series. A rather crude attempt to stir up controversy - that works. Nice to know that music fans still love to read opinions. As featured on both Drowned In Sound and the band's own website.
8. Plan B Magazine R.I.P. (2374 views)
Death sells, sadly.
9. Defending the indefensible – 7: Animal Collective (2,252 views)
The most quoted of this series. Seems like this band really are untouchable (and also serve as a rallying point for those of us opposed to Pitchfork's cultural imperialism)
10. Steven Wells tributes (2,103 views)
Death sells, sadly. This blog entry was trying to serve a useful purpose however - as a resource that collected together the numerous tribute to ex-NME taste-maker critic Steven Wells
11. Defending the indefensible – 5: Bloc Party (2,028 views)
Controversy triggers dialogue - see the number of comments on this series' entries.
12. Steven Wells R.I.P. (1,978 views)
Death sells, sadly. I guess part of the reason for the traffic on these entries - and, more obviously - the Plan B obituaries is that I'm viewed (rightly or wrongly) as an authority on these subjects.
13. Kurt Cobain vs Guitar Hero – Dave and Krist speak (1,751 views)
Reportage on a news story that I'd helped generate.
14. Defending the indefensible – 1: Coldplay (1,415 views)
The original and still the best. Interesting that no one sought to defend them.
15. Blog announcement (1,305 views)
The final entry on this blog. (So it's stuck at the top of the page.)
16. About (1,303 views)
See comment above, on "Home Page".
17. Great opening lines – 2: The Human League (1,240 views)
I have no idea why this is ranked so highly. Presumably it was linked-to on a fan-site?
18. Great trainwrecks of our time – 7: Kurt Cobain vs Guitar Hero pt 2 (1,098 views)
Reportage on a news story that I'd helped generate.
19. ET Recommends - 19: Lady GaGa (1,014 views)
Linked-to from my Number One blog entry.
20. Riot Grrrl 1 (958 views)
Linked-to across the web. Odd, that the fuller entry isn't so widely read (not by some distance).
21. Sub Pop: The True Story (957 views)
Gratifying, because this - and "Riot Grrrl 1" - are the only in-depth original content featured on this list.