I found myself humming “Lovely Rita” this morning in the shower and thought to myself, “Now there’s a song I love but haven’t listened to in a long time.” Checking iTunes later in the day confirmed it: the last time I listened to it was on April 13, 2006 at 3:39 PM.

Other songs on Sgt. Pepper’s had been neglected even longer.

“Good Morning, Good Morning” is, in fact, just one of the 161 songs (out of 6245 total) that I’ve given a 5 star rating. How could I have neglected a favorite for so long? It’s a crime against humanity, I say.

In an effort to solve this “problem” I created a Smart Playlist called “Neglected Favorites” that automatically selects songs I like but haven’t listened to in some time.

To qualify as a neglected favorite a song must have a rating greater than three stars, above average, and not have been listened to in 180 days. I limit the list to 200 songs and then automatically have it synch’d to my iPod for listening in the car or while on a run.

I’ve been using this playlist for a few months now (and even convinced some friends to try it) and can’t imagine my iPod without it. I’m constantly saying, “Man, I haven’t heard this in forever!” and then getting my groove on.

I tell you, iTunes is like magic. Go use it.