Year end reviews suck. They’re a lazy way of creating an article out of nothing. A rehash of previous ideas, a quotidian summary of stuff already out there. The scene that celebrates itself.

Yeah, yeah. But still, you know… Here’s mine for 2022.

The good news is that my site traffic has gone up 20% year on year. Impressive, huh? Obviously the raw numbers matter here. I mean a jump from 5 to 6 readers is a 20% increase but not a leap that suggests I give up my day job anytime soon.

Luckily, my readership is in the thousands so that doesn’t apply to me. And not all of the views are Tim Robson of Burgess Hill. 50% perhaps. So where are my readers tapping in from? Well, the Anglosphere mainly with the USA number 1 (47%) and the UK number 2 (24%). Zimbabwe and Taiwan slug it out to be the most unengaged.

And what do my readers like to see? Which topics show a bit of ankle to titillate the casual - or returning reader? Unfortunately, economics doesn’t seem to be very popular which is a shame as it’s what I write about mostly. And history coupled with economics seems to mine a whole new seam of indifference.

Which is a slow way of saying, it’s the cultural, music articles that grab the most views.

1) Mick Taylor and that guitar solo yet again tops the charts. People really want to read about Mick Taylor and his guitar solo on the live version of Sympathy for the Devil. It’s a good article and great version of the song. Read it. Or re-read it.

2) Mick Taylor’s top studio tracks. That Taylor boy drags readers to the site. I guess I need to write more about the 69-74 Stones.

3) Rome: The 4th Century in 5 Battles. Part of my series of discussing each Roman century using the spine of 5 battles. Constantine, Julian, Theodosius… What’s not to like?

4) Domina - Series Review. Sky’s dramatisation of the Livia and Augustus’ relationship during the first part of Augustus’ time as emperor.

5) Face of Yesterday: The Curious Tale of Binky Cullom’s brief tenure in this prog rock post Yardbyrds band. A perennial fav (I’m playing Renaissance now).

6) Rome: the 1st Century in 5 Battles. Continuing the series. This time with the Teutonburg Forest massacre, The Invasion of Britain and the siege of Jerusalem.

7) Time Waits for No-One: Mick Taylor’s greatest Stones song… Yes, MT again!

And seven will do. I think you get the point. I should write about mid period Stones, TV reviews about Rome and perhaps, a little popular history too. Let me do some A/B testing over the coming months. But if you start seeing article about Megyn & Harry you know I’ve sold out.

Probably less - or more accessible - economics articles and certainly less about the pensions markets, derivatives and government bonds. However, these type of articles tend to be a copy from my LinkedIn persona. They bolster my gravitas.

And we all need that.