'Returns a list of the most played thing_types by this thing, in a
tuple with the total number of pages of results. Includes an MBID, if
found.'

def _get_things(self, method, thing, thing_type, params=None, cacheable=True):

    doc = self._request(((self.ws_prefix + '.') + method), cacheable, params)
    toptracks_node = doc.getElementsByTagName('toptracks')[0]
    total_pages = int(toptracks_node.getAttribute('totalPages'))
    seq = []
    for node in doc.getElementsByTagName(thing):
        title = _extract(node, 'name')
        artist = _extract(node, 'name', 1)
        mbid = _extract(node, 'mbid')
        playcount = _number(_extract(node, 'playcount'))
        thing = thing_type(artist, title, self.network)
        thing.mbid = mbid
        seq.append(TopItem(thing, playcount))
    return (seq, total_pages)
