Looking Back On 11 Years of EclecticMusicLover

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Commentary

Earlier this month my blog turned 11 years old and, truth be told, I never thought in August 2015 that I would still be at it in 2026 (though admittedly, for the past year my output has diminished from 3-5 to only one post per week as I quit writing music reviews). Over the past 11 years, I’ve published 2,016 posts which have garnered 1,405,700 views from 663,374 visitors. My blog has 1,582 subscribers, though fewer than 40 ever engage with my posts.

The majority of my posts receive anywhere from 50-200 views; however, many have garnered over 1,000 views, with some going viral, particularly my “100 Best Songs of the 2000s” post published in 2015 and still my most-viewed post literally every single day! “Best of” lists and concert reviews have been among the most popular; here are my most-viewed posts as of today, August 21, 2026:

  1. 100 Best Songs of the 2000s (100-1) – 77,300
  2. 20 Best Disco Songs of All Time – 27,168
  3. 100 Best Songs of the 2010s (100-1) – 24,552
  4. 10 Greatest Rock Songs of the 1960s – 18,978
  5. “Magic” Songs – 17,437
  6. About This Blog – 15,646
  7. “Till There Was You” – From “The Music Man” to The Beatles – 10,565
  8. Concert Review: Janet Jackson Together Again Tour – 10,486
  9. 100 Best Indie Songs of 2025 – 9,553
  10. 100 Best Indie Songs of 2024 – 9,256
  11. Concert Review: Coldplay Head Full of Dreams Tour – 8,685
  12. Concert Review: The Eagles Hotel California Tour – 7,471
  13. Artist Spotlight: The Mayan Factor – 6,044
  14. Top 100 Songs of 2018 – 5,113
  15. EML’s Favorite Songs – Marty Robbins: “El Paso” – 4,074

I’m not sure how much longer I will keep blogging, but I plan to continue through at least the rest of this year. Should my enthusiasm for writing about music return, I will hopefully churn out more posts in the future.

32 thoughts on “Looking Back On 11 Years of EclecticMusicLover”

  3. Congratulations Jeff – that’s an incredible achievement and definitely one to be proud of.

    Thank you so much for all of your support for Secret Postal Society over the last couple of years and for all of the amazing bands you’ve championed and introduced to the world through your brilliant blogs, reviews and playlists.

    Whatever the future holds for Eclectic Music Lover I wish you so much happiness my friend.

    Craig x

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      3. Yes, looks like our tastes converge, at least with regards to that decade. I too would have either the Stones’ “Satisfaction” or “Gimme Shelter” (or maybe “Street Fighting Man”) on my “greatest” list. Possibly “Crossroads,” “Watchtower,” and “My Generation.” Definitely one Dylan and at least one Beatles. Beyond those…who knows?

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  6. Congrats on 11 years, Jeff. That’s a long time and your stats are impressive!

    Like you when I started my blog in June 2016, I had no idea either how long I would stick with it. Looking back at my early posts, it’s also clear to me there has been a learning curve – at least I hope that’s evident!

    Recently, I decided to cut back on the frequency of my posts as well – not because I no longer enjoy blogging, but the blog had grown into too much of a time drag and clearly had begun conflicting with other commitments, especially on the family front.

    I really enjoy reading your blog, Jeff, and I hope you won’t give it up altogether. But at the end of the day, this is supposed to be fun and never should feel like an obligation, of which we already have too many.

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    1. Thanks, Christian. It’s been a labor of love, though the requests and submissions for reviews eventually became overwhelming, which caused me severe burnout. I’ve appreciated your support over the past five years and enjoy reading your posts too!

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      1. Thanks, Jeff, I can see why doing so many reviews could be exhausting. I also somewhat know the feeling of putting your time and heart into a review post and barely getting any or even no reaction from the artist.

        The way I look at it, at the end of the day, I’m primarily writing reviews for myself and of course fellow bloggers, not the band or artist. That said, I can’t deny a degree of satisfaction when they appreciate it.

        Sometimes I wonder whether artists whose music you review may be reluctant to “praise the reviewer,” since they are concerned their reaction could be seen as self-serving by others, or perhaps somehow create the impression the reviewer is friends with them and, as such, not really objective.

        Liked by 2 people

  8. A personal thank you Jeff for your support, and for being so thorough with your writings. It’s a lost art in media and written articles to form a piece of writing with so much consideration for the Reader.

    The work you’ve provided my music and others is honestly hugely respected.

    Believe it or not your article on Tears For Fears has since made me a real fan and ardent admirer if their work; from a passing fan to a real nerd of a fan.

    Also Jeff, thank you for the friendship since our initial finding of one another. It’s a rare thing to find someone like yourself.

    All My Loving

    Anthony

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  9. 77,000 isn’t at all shabby, wow! Finding the time and going in-depth to review stuff isn’t easy, so well done on still posting after so long! Finding new music is also time-consuming as well as loving old music. There’s mot enough hours in a day!

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  12. legorn's avatar legorn

    Congratulations on 11 years. Your blog’s longevity, depth, and the huge body of work you’ve built are genuinely admirable, and it’s been great to see how much music you’ve championed over the years. I hope you keep going for several more years, but I do know how tiresome it can be, so I would completely understand if you decide to retire or take a break.

    P.S. Sorry I’m late to the party. I was on holiday.

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