diff --git a/shanty-playlist/src/scoring.rs b/shanty-playlist/src/scoring.rs
index 41aa5e8..4cf8119 100644
--- a/shanty-playlist/src/scoring.rs
+++ b/shanty-playlist/src/scoring.rs
@@ -59,29 +59,46 @@ pub fn score_tracks(
         for track in local_tracks {
             let title_lower = track.title.as_ref().map(|t| t.to_lowercase());
 
-            // Match by: exact title, MBID, or prefix/contains (for parenthetical suffixes)
-            let playcount = title_lower
+            // Match by: exact title, MBID, and prefix — take the MAXIMUM playcount
+            // across all methods so a popular base track isn't hidden by a less
+            // popular variant that happens to match exactly.
+            let mut best_playcount: Option<u64> = None;
+            let mut consider = |pc: u64| {
+                best_playcount = Some(best_playcount.map_or(pc, |cur: u64| cur.max(pc)));
+            };
+
+            // Exact title match
+            if let Some(pc) = title_lower
                 .as_ref()
                 .and_then(|t| playcount_by_name.get(t).copied())
-                .or_else(|| {
-                    track
-                        .musicbrainz_id
-                        .as_ref()
-                        .and_then(|id| playcount_by_mbid.get(id).copied())
-                })
-                .or_else(|| {
-                    // Fuzzy: local title starts with a top track name, or vice versa
-                    title_lower.as_ref().and_then(|local| {
-                        playcount_by_name
-                            .iter()
-                            .filter(|(top_name, _)| {
-                                local.starts_with(top_name.as_str())
-                                    || top_name.starts_with(local.as_str())
-                            })
-                            .max_by_key(|&(_, &pc)| pc)
-                            .map(|(_, &pc)| pc)
+            {
+                consider(pc);
+            }
+
+            // MBID match
+            if let Some(pc) = track
+                .musicbrainz_id
+                .as_ref()
+                .and_then(|id| playcount_by_mbid.get(id).copied())
+            {
+                consider(pc);
+            }
+
+            // Prefix match: local title starts with a top track name, or vice versa
+            if let Some(local) = title_lower.as_ref() {
+                if let Some((_, &pc)) = playcount_by_name
+                    .iter()
+                    .filter(|(top_name, _)| {
+                        local.starts_with(top_name.as_str())
+                            || top_name.starts_with(local.as_str())
                     })
-                });
+                    .max_by_key(|&(_, &pc)| pc)
+                {
+                    consider(pc);
+                }
+            }
+
+            let playcount = best_playcount;
 
             // If we have popularity data, use it; unmatched tracks get a low base score
             let (popularity, similarity, score) = if !playcount_by_name.is_empty() {