It's no revelation to say that as the Internet expands the screaming out there gets louder and louder as the need to be heard is drowned out by the screaming of everyone else's need to be heard, and the tricks and postings and whatever it is you do get more outrageous, more gimmicky, more unbelievable, and of course more shameful. And more fun to read.
Glad you agree, because that's what I'm doing here.
I've always liked the lists: The 10 Best Vegetables for Heart Health, the 10 Worst Moments in Elvis's Costume History. Or the 20 Best Excuses for Bailing Out on Your Meeting with the Fiancé and Wedding Planner for a Sox-Yankees Game at Fenway with your Buds. Too close to home? Whatever, lists are the best, and let's face it, the easiest writing to come up with.
Because it all boils down to your own, therefore of course more valid, opinion. List-making is the most narcissistic way of communicating , and the most fun because, hey, who can argue with your opinion?
Everyone, as it turns out.
Everybody and their mother-in-law weighs in on the lists that populate our popular culture, from the Cosmo "10 Things He Likes In Bed but Will Never Tell You" (and why wouldn't he, pray tell? Because they're unsanitary and possibly illegal), to the Best Colleges lists, to the Oscars.
So the other day I was thinking about the 60 Best Songs ever written and recorded. Ever. From classical to opera to pop, reggae, country, folk, instrumental, vocal, etc. Especially etc. This list has been exhaustively researched, meticulously constructed through rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific methodology, and written in the utmost secrecy during my lunch hour.
So of course here it is. Note that I've listed the artists whose recordings of the tune I preferred, not necessarily the writer or the original artist:
1. The Weight -- The Band
2. Try a Little Tenderness -- Otis Redding
3. Friend of the Devil -- Grateful Dead
4. What's Going On -- Marvin Gaye
5. Redemption Song -- Bob Marley
6. Angel From Montgomery -- John Prine
7. Somewhere Over the Rainbow -- Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'o
8. Ooh La La -- Ronnie Lane
9. Unchained Melody -- Righteous Brothers
10. Bohemian Rhapsody -- Queen
11. Young Americans -- David Bowie
12. Woza Friday -- Johnny Clegg and Juluka
13. Thunder Road -- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
14. Sweet Emotion -- Aerosmith
15. I'll Take You There -- Staples Singers
16. Bolero -- Maurice Ravel
17. Just Like a Woman -- Bob Dylan
18. You Really Got Me -- The Kinks
19. Just Lose It -- Eminem
20. Free Nelson Mandela -- The Special AKA
21. I Got You (I Feel Good) -- James Brown
22. Incident on 57th Street -- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
23. One Way Out -- Allman Brothers Band
24. Rhapsody in Blue -- George Gershwin
25. Wish You Were Here -- Pink Floyd
26. Sympathy for the Devil -- Rolling Stones
27. Me and Bobby McGee -- Janis Joplin
28. You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling -- Righteous Brothers
29. In the Mood -- Glenn Miller Band
30. Jersey Girl -- Tom Waits
31. Ain't Misbehavin' -- Fats Waller
32. Son of a Preacher Man -- Dusty Springfield
33. My Sharona -- The Knack
34. God Only Knows -- The Beach Boys
35. Shout -- The Isley Brothers
36. The Boxer -- Simon and Garfunkel
37. Strange Fruit -- Billie Holiday
38. Blue Bayou -- Linda Ronstadt
39. Crazy -- Patsy Cline
40. London Calling -- The Clash
41. Blitzkrieg Bop -- The Ramones
42. Heartbreak Hotel -- Elvis Presley
43. Lust for Life -- Iggy Pop
44. Fortunate Son -- Creedence Clearwater Revival
45. White Rabbit -- Jefferson Airplane
46. Hey Jude -- The Beatles
47. Thick as a Brick -- Jethro Tull
48. Rocky Mountain Way -- Joe Walsh
49. Mack the Knife -- Bobby Darin
50. Smells Like Teen Spirit -- Nirvana
51. Paradise by the Dashboard Light -- Meat Loaf
52. Sweet Jane -- Lou Reed
53. Faith -- George Michael
54. I Love Rock and Roll -- Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
55. Gimme Shelter -- The Rolling Stones
56. Folsom Prison Blues -- Johnny Cash
57. Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) -- The Temptations
58. The Heart of the Matter-- Don Henley
59. Edge of Seventeen -- Stevie Nicks
60. One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) -- Frank Sinatra
Glad you agree, because that's what I'm doing here.
I've always liked the lists: The 10 Best Vegetables for Heart Health, the 10 Worst Moments in Elvis's Costume History. Or the 20 Best Excuses for Bailing Out on Your Meeting with the Fiancé and Wedding Planner for a Sox-Yankees Game at Fenway with your Buds. Too close to home? Whatever, lists are the best, and let's face it, the easiest writing to come up with.
Because it all boils down to your own, therefore of course more valid, opinion. List-making is the most narcissistic way of communicating , and the most fun because, hey, who can argue with your opinion?
Everyone, as it turns out.
Everybody and their mother-in-law weighs in on the lists that populate our popular culture, from the Cosmo "10 Things He Likes In Bed but Will Never Tell You" (and why wouldn't he, pray tell? Because they're unsanitary and possibly illegal), to the Best Colleges lists, to the Oscars.
So the other day I was thinking about the 60 Best Songs ever written and recorded. Ever. From classical to opera to pop, reggae, country, folk, instrumental, vocal, etc. Especially etc. This list has been exhaustively researched, meticulously constructed through rigorous, peer-reviewed scientific methodology, and written in the utmost secrecy during my lunch hour.
So of course here it is. Note that I've listed the artists whose recordings of the tune I preferred, not necessarily the writer or the original artist:
1. The Weight -- The Band
2. Try a Little Tenderness -- Otis Redding
3. Friend of the Devil -- Grateful Dead
4. What's Going On -- Marvin Gaye
5. Redemption Song -- Bob Marley
6. Angel From Montgomery -- John Prine
7. Somewhere Over the Rainbow -- Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'o
8. Ooh La La -- Ronnie Lane
9. Unchained Melody -- Righteous Brothers
10. Bohemian Rhapsody -- Queen
11. Young Americans -- David Bowie
12. Woza Friday -- Johnny Clegg and Juluka
13. Thunder Road -- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
14. Sweet Emotion -- Aerosmith
15. I'll Take You There -- Staples Singers
16. Bolero -- Maurice Ravel
17. Just Like a Woman -- Bob Dylan
18. You Really Got Me -- The Kinks
19. Just Lose It -- Eminem
20. Free Nelson Mandela -- The Special AKA
21. I Got You (I Feel Good) -- James Brown
22. Incident on 57th Street -- Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band
23. One Way Out -- Allman Brothers Band
24. Rhapsody in Blue -- George Gershwin
25. Wish You Were Here -- Pink Floyd
26. Sympathy for the Devil -- Rolling Stones
27. Me and Bobby McGee -- Janis Joplin
28. You've Lost that Lovin' Feeling -- Righteous Brothers
29. In the Mood -- Glenn Miller Band
30. Jersey Girl -- Tom Waits
31. Ain't Misbehavin' -- Fats Waller
32. Son of a Preacher Man -- Dusty Springfield
33. My Sharona -- The Knack
34. God Only Knows -- The Beach Boys
35. Shout -- The Isley Brothers
36. The Boxer -- Simon and Garfunkel
37. Strange Fruit -- Billie Holiday
38. Blue Bayou -- Linda Ronstadt
39. Crazy -- Patsy Cline
40. London Calling -- The Clash
41. Blitzkrieg Bop -- The Ramones
42. Heartbreak Hotel -- Elvis Presley
43. Lust for Life -- Iggy Pop
44. Fortunate Son -- Creedence Clearwater Revival
45. White Rabbit -- Jefferson Airplane
46. Hey Jude -- The Beatles
47. Thick as a Brick -- Jethro Tull
48. Rocky Mountain Way -- Joe Walsh
49. Mack the Knife -- Bobby Darin
50. Smells Like Teen Spirit -- Nirvana
51. Paradise by the Dashboard Light -- Meat Loaf
52. Sweet Jane -- Lou Reed
53. Faith -- George Michael
54. I Love Rock and Roll -- Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
55. Gimme Shelter -- The Rolling Stones
56. Folsom Prison Blues -- Johnny Cash
57. Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me) -- The Temptations
58. The Heart of the Matter-- Don Henley
59. Edge of Seventeen -- Stevie Nicks
60. One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) -- Frank Sinatra
