HOW TO RECREATE "PURCHASED" MUSIC (history) PLAYLIST

Question

ITunes on my Mac used to first create and then maintain automatically a separate playlist in my Music Library that kept track of all purchased music over time. It was very handy to have this feature.
I've just noticed that for some reason, perhaps on account of a recent software update (??), that playlist has simply disappeared without my deleting it. The purchased music seems to be still all there in the main library window all right, but it was convenient to have ITunes automatically keep track of ALL purchased music in one handy playlist.
Is there an automatic way to recreate this playlist on my own computer ?

Answer 1

That's not going to work if you start buying iTunes Plus music. Look for something else you can use, too. Like "protected AAC file" and "iTunes Plus AAC" file -- hopefully in the file kind Apple has left a label that indicates it's not just an "AAC" file, but an "iTunes Plus AAC" file.
As a last resort, iTunes Plus music is encoded at 256kbps bit-rate, so you could set up your "Purchases" smart playlist to include 256kbps AAC files to cover iTunes Plus. Of course that won't work if you encode any of your own CDs at that rate.
If you delete iTunes and re-install, you'll lose all your playlists. If you back up your Music folder -- of course, but I mean the iTunes prefs and playlists, too -- and restore it, then you'll get all your playlists back, but again losing the Purchased music playlist.
Frankly, the Purchased playlist should be set up like the Party Shuffle list: you shouldn't be able to delete it.