Idolator: pointless listmaking

Anthony's Favorite Albums From Each Year Since His Birth

Anthony Miccio — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 EDT

1979: Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Rust Never Sleeps
1980: The Feelies, Crazy Rhythms
1981: Kix, Kix
1982: The Fall, Hex Enduction Hour
1983: Kix, Cool Kids
1984: The Replacements, Let It Be
1985: Cocteau Twins, The Pink Opaque
1986: The Smiths, The Queen Is Dead
1987: Prince, Sign 'O' The Times
1988: Half Japanese, Charmed Life
1989: Ice-T, The Iceberg/Freedom Of Speech...Just Watch What You Say
1990: Flaming Lips, In A Priest Driven Ambulance
1991: Slowdive, Just For A Day
1992: Basehead, Play With Toys
1993: Urge Overkill, Saturation
1994: Pavement, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain
1995: Yo La Tengo, Electr-O-Pura
1996: Weezer, Pinkerton
1997: Sleater-Kinney, Dig Me Out
1998: Cat Power, Moon Pix
1999: LeTigre, LeTigre
2000: The White Stripes, DeStijl
2001: Fugazi, The Argument
2002: Desaparecidos, Read Music/Speak Spanish
2003: Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Fever To Tell
2004: Nellie McKay, Get Away From Me
2005: The Mountain Goats, The Sunset Tree
2006: CSS, Cansei de Ser Sexy
2007: LCD Soundsystem, Sound Of Silver
2008: Still hoping to hear something better than what I already have.

"Entertainment Weekly" Best-Albums List Reveals Every Problem With (And Advantage Of) General-Interest Listicles

Maura Johnston — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 19:30:00 EDT

Despite sagging page counts, general print-media malaise, and the fact that they're still saddled with that Diablo Cody column, Entertainment Weekly found reason to celebrate this week: It's the magazine's 1,000th issue, and in honor of that milestone the editorial team there put together a buttload of lists of "New Classics," arbitrary best-of rundowns that supposedly quantify the best pieces of pop culture of the past 25 years. The list-craziness is apparently the latest step in EW's plan to turn itself into a printed-and-stapled blog, which has resulted in more meandering first-person front-of-book pieces and, well, Cody's occasional game of "Spot The Reference." The centerpiece of the issue's music-related offerings is a 100-album list that's supposedly meant to count down the best albums that came out between 1983 and now—it's bookended by the soundtrack to Purple Rain and George Michael's Faith—and because I needed something to do, I organized it by year.

1983 (2 albums)
5. Madonna, Madonna
94. Synchronicity, The Police

1984 (6 albums)
1. Purple Rain, Prince and the Revolution
41. Legend, Bob Marley and the Wailers
72. 1984, Van Halen
75. Born in the U.S.A., Bruce Springsteen
79. Let It Be, The Replacements
83. Learning to Crawl, The Pretenders

1985 (3 albums)
16. Rain Dogs, Tom Waits
32. Life's Rich Pageant, R.E.M.
84. Low-Life, New Order

1986 (5 albums)
8. Graceland, Paul Simon
38. Raising Hell, Run-DMC
53. King of America, Elvis Costello
73. The Queen is Dead, The Smiths
88. So, Peter Gabriel

1987 (4 albums)
30. Appetite for Destruction, Guns N' Roses
61. Paid in Full, Eric B. & Rakim
63. The Joshua Tree, U2
100. Faith, George Michael

1988 (2 albums)
55. It Takes a Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back, Public Enemy
58. Surfer Rosa, The Pixies

1989 (4 albums)
14. Disintegration, The Cure
22. 3 Feet High and Rising, De La Soul
43. Paul's Boutique, Beastie Boys
54. Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814, Janet Jackson

1990 (1 album)
18. People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm, A Tribe Called Quest

1991 (4 albums)
3. Achtung Baby, U2
67. Metallica
78. Vs., Pearl Jam (NB: Pretty sure they mean Ten here, since Vs. came out in 1993)
86. Loveless, My Bloody Valentine

1992 (2 albums)
57. Harvest Moon, Neil Young
66. The Chronic, Dr. Dre

1993 (3 albums)
42. Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), Wu-Tang Clan
47. Exile in Guyville, Liz Phair
91. Siamese Dream, Smashing Pumpkins

1994 (10 albums)
11. MTV Unplugged in New York, Nirvana
28. Illmatic, Nas
36. CrazySexyCool, TLC
40. Ready to Die, The Notorious B.I.G.
60. Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain, Pavement
70. My Life, Mary J. Blige
77. Dummy, Portishead
81. The Downward Spiral, Nine Inch Nails
82. Grace, Jeff Buckley
99. Live Through This, Hole

1995 (2 albums)
35. Jagged Little Pill, Alanis Morissette
68. Wrecking Ball, Emmylou Harris

1996 (6 albums)
17. Odelay, Beck
20. Tidal, Fiona Apple
39. Sheryl Crow
45. If You're Feeling Sinister, Belle and Sebastian
51. The Score, Fugees
87. All Eyez on Me, 2Pac

1997 (5 albums)
24. Come On Over, Shania Twain
26. Time Out of Mind, Bob Dylan
46. Homogenic, Björk
62. OK Computer, Radiohead
93. Either/Or, Elliott Smith

1998 (3 albums)
2. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, Lauryn Hill
44. Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Lucinda Williams
59. Ray of Light, Madonna

1999 (3 albums)
23. The Soft Bulletin, The Flaming Lips
92. The Writing's on the Wall, Destiny's Child
74. Play, Moby

2000 (7 albums)
12. Stankonia, OutKast
15. The Marshall Mathers LP, Eminem
37. The Moon & Antarctica, Modest Mouse
64. Mama's Gun, Erykah Badu
76. Heartbreaker, Ryan Adams
89. Bachelor No. 2, Aimee Mann
96. Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea, PJ Harvey

2001 (5 albums)
7. The Blueprint, Jay-Z
34. Is This It, The Strokes
71. Rock Steady, No Doubt
90. Toxicity, System of a Down
97. Britney, Britney Spears

2002 (5 albums)
25. Turn On the Bright Lights, Interpol
48. American IV: The Man Comes Around, Johnny Cash
49. A Rush of Blood to the Head, Coldplay
56. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco
85. Home, Dixie Chicks

2003 (6 albums)
13. You Are Free, Cat Power
19. Dangerously in Love, Beyoncé
65. Elephant, The White Stripes
69. Give Up, The Postal Service
95. Trap Muzik, T.I.
98. Transatlanticism, Death Cab for Cutie

2004 (4 albums)
4. The College Dropout, Kanye West
6. American Idiot, Green Day
27. Funeral, Arcade Fire
29. Breakaway, Kelly Clarkson

2005 (1 album)
21. The Emancipation of Mimi, Mariah Carey

2006 (2 albums)
31. FutureSex/LoveSounds, Justin Timberlake
80. Back to Basics, Christina Aguilera

2007 (5 albums)
9. Back to Black, Amy Winehouse
10. In Rainbows, Radiohead
33. As I Am, Alicia Keys
50. Sound of Silver, LCD Soundsystem
52. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, Spoon

Arranging the list makes the fact that what EW is actually presenting is little more than what a friend of mine called "literally a list of 100 albums" a bit more glaring. And there are a couple of other unwitting revelations as well:

Institutional memory is a fleeting thing. While 1994, with its 10 worthy albums, was apparently the year that Entertainment Weekly's writers really got into their record collections, looking at the average number of placing albums per year reveals something odd: The '80s averaged 3.7 albums a year on the list, the '90s 3.9 a year, and the '00s 5 per year. Has this decade really been that great for new releases? Or is the bloom of newness still on that Kelly Clarkson album, and when EW makes its next version of this list in 20 years it'll be lost to time, and therefore relegated to the same also-ran status of, say, Cyndi Lauper's She's So Unusual?

The closer you get to the present day, the more you see how music has fragmented, and how the professional-writer class has turned away from the mainstream. There were a lot of critically respected rock albums—in genres like metal, emo, and even pop-rock—that came out in the '00s, but you wouldn't know it from these picks. The rock leanings of EW's writing staff, which are pretty "Hey, I went to college"-ish to begin with, lean ever further indie-ward the closer you get to the present day; with a couple of tweaks and clean versions of albums thrown in, this list could be easily retitled "Top 100 Albums Every College-Rock DJ Should At Least Check Out Before She Gets Her Own Show."

Sure, at its core it's pretty dumb, but it's hard not to think that this list also represents another stage in the death of the listicle that Matos mentioned earlier today, as well as a sign that maybe EW's music writers should pull themselves out of the indie-yuppie ghetto and check out, I don't know, Decibel or AbsolutePunk or Nah Right for some listening tips. But the glaring problems with this list don't mean that people won't type until they're blue in the fingers about how OK Computer was lower than Jagged Little Pill—so EW will come out smelling like lots of pageviews anyway. Hooray?

The New Classics: Music [EW]

Radiohead Dethrones Nirvana As Kings Of The Modern-Rock List Realm

Maura Johnston — Thu, 29 May 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Radio phoenix WOXY held its yearly countdown of the top 500 songs that are still in its playlist over Memorial Day weekend, and its many quibble-worthy points ("Feel The Pain" makes the cut while "The Wagon" doesn't? Is "Supernova" really the only Liz Phair song that's better than "Are You Gonna Go My Way?") are topped by the fact that heading the list up is Radiohead's "Creep." But I thought people were into Thom Yorke et al for their innovations! Anyhoo, Radiohead placed nine songs on the countdown, which seems to be the biggest single-band total on the list, a feat for which they're tied with R.E.M. Also of note: Hum's 1995 song "Stars" debuted on the list this year, for which they can likely thank Cadillac. The long, long list after the jump.

500. Feist - My Moon My Man
499. The Twilight Singers - Teenage Wristband
498. Big Country - In A Big Country
497. Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
496. Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls
495. Garbage - Only Happy When It Rains
494. Joe Jackson - I'm The Man
493. Cat Power - Cross Bones Style
492. XTC - The Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead
491. Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To
490. Sonic Youth - Incinerate
489. Matthew Sweet - Sick Of Myself
488. X-Ray Spex - Oh Bondage Up Yours!
487. Ride - Vapour Trail
486. Mojo Nixon & Skid Roper - Elvis Is Everywhere
485. Buffalo Tom - Taillights Fade
484. Tori Amos - Cornflake Girl
483. Morrissey - Suedehead
482. Pinback - Fortress
481. They Might Be Giants - Ana Ng
480. Lo Fidelity All Stars - Battle Flag
479. Rogue Wave - Endless Shovel
478. Tears For Fears - Shout
477. DNA / Suzanne Vega - Tom's Diner
476. Elvis Costello - Less Than Zero
475. Elbow - Forget Myself
474. Placebo - Pure Morning
473. Arcade Fire - No Cars Go
472. Portishead - All Mine
471. The The - This Is The Day
470. Roxy Music - More Than This
469. The Cure - The Lovecats
468. Afrika Bambaataa - Planet Rock
467. Junior Boys - In the Morning
466. Muse - New Born
465. The Wrens - Hopeless
464. Smoking Popes - Need You Around
463. The White Stripes - Dead Leaves and The Dirty Ground
462. Julian Cope - World Shut Your Mouth
461. Doves - Black And White Town
460. Kate Bush - Hounds of Love
459. Bjork - Joga
458. LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great
457. X - 4th Of July
456. Firehose - Flyin' The Flannel
455. Sleater-Kinney - Entertain
454. Suzanne Vega - Luka
453. Concrete Blonde - Joey
452. The National - Mistaken for Strangers
451. The Verve - Lucky Man
450. Modest Mouse - Dashboard

449. Spoon - I Turn My Camera On
448. Radiohead - There There
447. Ted Leo / Pharmacists - Me and Mia
446. Band of Horses - The Funeral
445. The Postal Service - The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
444. Stereolab - Miss Modular
443. Death Cab for Cutie - The New Year
442. Papas Fritas - Way You Walk
441. Lenny Kravitz - Are You Gonna Go My Way?
440. Guided By Voices - My Valuable Hunting Knife
439. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Red Right Hand
438. Jonathan Richman - Dodge Vedge-O-Matic
437. The Decemberists - 16 Miliatary Wives
436. The Streets - Let's Push Things Forward
435. Echo & The Bunnymen - Bring On The Dancing Horses
434. The Cloud Room - Hey Now Now
433. New York Dolls - Personality Crisis
432. The Sugarcubes - Hit
431. Arcade Fire - Rebellion (Lies)
430. Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy - Television The Drug Of A Nation
429. Split Enz - I Got You
428. Bob Marley - Redemption Song
427. Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers
426. R.E.M. - Finest Worksong
425. Belly - Feed The Tree
424. The Nails - 88 Lines About 44 Women
423. World Party - Ship Of Fools
422. Sleater-Kinney - You're No Rock & Roll Fun
421. Broken Social Scene - 7/4 (Shoreline)
420. Ryan Adams - To Be Young (Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)
419. Harvey Danger - Flagpole Sitta
418. Gnarls Barkley - Crazy
417. The White Stripes - My Doorbell
416. Beck - Devil's Haircut
415. Pavement - Rattled by the Rush
414. Coldplay - Yellow
413. Radiohead - No Surprises
412. Eels - Novocaine For The Soul
411. Talking Heads - Stay Up Late
410. Spiritualized - Come Together
409. Tori Amos - God
408. Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World
407. Joe Jackson - Sunday Papers
406. G. Love and Special Sauce - Cold Beverage
405. Dada - Dizz Knee Land
404. Doves - There Goes The Fear
403. TV on the Radio - Wolf Like Me
402. The Cure - Fascination Street
401. Massive Attack - Protection
400. Stereo MC's - Connected
399. Cake - The Distance
398. The Bears - Fear Is Never Boring
397. Fishbone - Party At Ground Zero
396. Squeeze - Pulling Mussels (From The Shell)
395. Iggy Pop - Real Wild Child
394. Lou Reed - Dirty Boulevard
393. Forget Cassettes - Instruments Of Action
392. Bloc Party - Banquet
391. The Vapors - Turning Japanese
390. Oingo Boingo - Dead Man's Party
389. Front 242 - Welcome To Paradise
388. The Art Of Noise - Close (To The Edit)
387. Sinead O'Connor - The Emperor's New Clothes
386. The Pretenders - Middle Of The Road
385. Weezer - Say It Ain't So
384. The National - Secret Meeting
383. Ted Leo / Pharmacists - Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone?
382. Pixies - Alec Eiffel
381. The Jesus And Mary Chain - Sometimes Always
380. Fatboy Slim - The Rockafeller Skank
379. Blind Melon - No Rain
378. Hum - Stars
377. The Charlatans UK - Weirdo
376. Silversun Pickups - Lazy Eye
375. Smashing Pumpkins - Cherub Rock
374. The Undertones - Teenage Kicks
373. Cake - Never There
372. Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science
371. The B-52's - Love Shack
370. R.E.M. - Driver 8
369. The Black Keys - 10 A.M. Automatic
368. They Might Be Giants - Istanbul (Not Constantinople)
367. Rilo Kiley - Portions for Foxes
366. Smashing Pumpkins - 1979
365. Pulp - Disco 2000
364. Belle & Sebastian - The Boy With The Arab Strap
363. L7 - Pretend We're Dead
362. Superdrag - Sucked Out
361. Pixies - Velouria
360. My Morning Jacket - Off the Record
359. Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Grey Cell Green
358. Yaz - Situation
357. Shriekback - Nemesis
356. Meat Puppets - Backwater
355. Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning
354. The Breeders - Divine Hammer
353. TV On The Radio - Staring At The Sun
352. Grandaddy - The Crystal Lake
351. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
350. PJ Harvey - Good Fortune
349. Killing Joke - Eighties
348. The Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star
347. Grandmaster Flash - The Message
346. The Dandy Warhols - Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth
345. Paul Westerberg - Dyslexic Heart
344. The Jam - That's Entertainment
343. Soul Coughing - Super Bon Bon
342. Modest Mouse - Ocean Breathes Salty
341. Manic Street Preachers - If You Tolerate This
340. Bright Eyes - Lover I Don't Have to Love
339. Massive Attack - Angel
338. Bettie Serveert - Tom Boy
337. Tegan and Sara - Walking With A Ghost
336. Dinosaur Jr. - Start Choppin'
335. Faith No More - We Care A Lot
334. Public Image Limited - Public Image
333. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth
332. Radiohead - Street Spirit (Fade Out)
331. The Decemberists - The Bachelor And The Bride
330. Hot Chip - Over and Over
329. LCD Soundsystem - Daft Punk Is Playing At My House
328. Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down Again
327. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Higher Ground
326. Black Flag - TV Party
325. Wire - Strange
324. Mclusky - To Hell With Good Intentions
323. Tones On Tail - Go!
322. The Catherine Wheel - Black Metallic
321. The Cardigans - My Favourite Game
320. Sebadoh - Skull
319. Robyn Hitchcock - My Wife And My Dead Wife
318. The Velvet Underground - White Light / White Heat
317. Royal Crescent Mob - Get On The Bus
316. Guided By Voices - Glad Girls
315. Social Distortion - Bad Luck
314. R.E.M. - What's The Frequency, Kenneth?
313. The Chemical Brothers - Let Forever Be
312. Ministry - Stigmata
311. Suicidal Tendencies - Institutionalized
310. Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget About Me)
309. Wilco - I'm The Man Who Loves You
308. They Might Be Giants - Don't Let's Start
307. The Pogues - Fairytale Of New York
306. The Specials - A Message To You Rudy
305. Supergrass - Caught By The Fuzz
304. Lemonheads - Into Your Arms
303. Blur - There's No Other Way
302. Tom Tom Club - Genius Of Love
301. Air - Sexy Boy
300. Bob Marley - Could You Be Loved?
299. The Sundays - Here's Where The Story Ends
298. The New Pornographers - The Laws Have Changed
297. Doves - Catch The Sun
296. Interpol - Slow Hands
295. Nirvana - Lithium
294. The Stone Roses - Waterfall
293. New Order - Regret
292. Weezer - Buddy Holly
291. Social Distortion - Ring Of Fire
290. Morphine - Cure For Pain
289. XTC - Mayor of Simpleton
288. They Might Be Giants - Birdhouse In Your Soul
287. Primal Scream - Movin' On Up
286. The Waterboys - The Whole Of The Moon
285. U2 - Where The Streets Have No Name
284. Jon Spencer Blues Explosion - Talk About The Blues
283. Ministry - Everyday Is Halloween
282. Eels - Mr. E's Beautiful Blues
281. The Velvet Underground - What Goes On
280. The Hives - Hate To Say I Told You So
279. Public Enemy - Bring The Noise
278. !!! - Me & Guiliani Down By The Schoolyard
277. The Jam - Start!
276. Muse - Time Is Running Out
275. Nine Inch Nails - Down In It
274. Depeche Mode - Route 66
273. The Walkmen - The Rat
272. Peter Gabriel - Shock The Monkey
271. Elliott Smith - Waltz #2
270. MC900 Ft Jesus - The City Sleeps
269. Built to Spill - Goin' Against Your Mind
268. Suede - Metal Mickey
267. Elastica - Connection
266. The Orb - Little Fluffy Clouds
265. Beck - The New Pollution
264. Blondie - One Way Or Another
263. Juliana Hatfield - My Sister
262. Pearl Jam - Even Flow
261. Mission Of Burma - That's When I Reach For My Revolver
260. Bjork - Big Time Sensuality
259. Blur - Coffee & TV
258. Psychedelic Furs - Pretty In Pink
257. Depeche Mode - Policy of Truth
256. Yo La Tengo - Autumn Sweater
255. The Replacements - I'll Be You
254. Modern English - I Melt With You
253. David Bowie - Rebel Rebel
252. B-52's - Private Idaho
251. Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax
250. Peter Bjorn & John - Young Folks
249. The Smiths - Stop Me If You Think
248. Liz Phair - Supernova
247. Tricky - Black Steel
246. Arcade Fire - Wake Up
245. Silversun Pickups - Kissing Families
244. The Pretenders - My City Was Gone
243. Pavement - Shady Lane
242. Talk Talk - It's My Life
241. Peter Gabriel - Sledgehammer
240. Smashing Pumpkins - Disarm
239. Jeff Buckley - So Real
238. Frank Black - Headache
237. Wilco - Monday
236. Talking Heads - Crosseyed And Painless
235. The Smiths - Girlfriend In A Coma
234. The Police - Can't Stand Losing You
233. The Clash - Lost In The Supermarket
232. Modest Mouse - Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes
231. The Strokes - Last Nite
230. Urge Overkill - Sister Havana
229. Belle & Sebastian - Your Cover's Blown
228. Joe Jackson - Is She Really Going Out With Him?
227. Tori Amos - Silent All These Years
226. Peter Gabriel - In Your Eyes
225. The Charlatans UK - The Only One I Know
224. Public Enemy - Fight the Power
223. Siouxsie & The Banshees - Peek-A-Boo
222. The Rapture - House Of Jealous Lovers
221. Beastie Boys - Intergalactic
220. The Jam - In The City
219. The Smiths - Big Mouth Strikes Again
218. Romeo Void - Never Say Never
217. The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary
216. Living Colour - Cult Of Personality
215. Built to Spill - Big Dipper
214. Guided By Voices - I Am A Scientist
213. The English Beat - Save It For Later
212. Daft Punk - Da Funk
211. Happy Mondays - Step On
210. Wall Of Voodoo - Mexican Radio
209. Soul Coughing - Screenwriter's Blues
208. Social Distortion - Ball And Chain
207. Concrete Blonde - God Is A Bullet
206. The Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin' Beats
205. Love And Rockets - So Alive
204. Bob Mould - Sunspots / Wishing Well
203. Radiohead - Optimistic
202. The White Stripes - The Hardest Button To Button
201. U2 - One
200. Blur - Girls And Boys
199. Veruca Salt - Seether
198. Oasis - Supersonic
197. Violent Femmes - Gone Daddy Gone
196. Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor
195. The La's - There She Goes
194. Roxy Music - Love Is The Drug
193. Jim Carroll Band - People Who Died
192. Sonic Youth - 1
191. Dinosaur Jr. - Feel The Pain
190. Faith No More - Epic
189. The Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen
188. The English Beat - Mirror In The Bathroom
187. Nirvana - About A Girl
186. Elliott Smith - Miss Misery
185. Spoon - Everything Hits At Once
184. Mazzy Star - Fade Into You
183. Peter Murphy - Cuts You Up
182. Screaming Trees - Nearly Lost You
181. Beastie Boys - So What'cha Want
180. Devo - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
179. R.E.M. - Stand
178. Pixies - Debaser
177. Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over The Sea
176. Bob Marley - Jamming
175. Guided By Voices - Teenage FBI
174. Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)
173. The Replacements - I Will Dare
172. The Shins - So Says I
171. The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
170. The Ramones - Sheena Is A Punk Rocker
169. The Jam - Going Underground
168. XTC - Making Plans For Nigel
167. The Cure - Pictures Of You
166. Oasis - Live Forever
165. The Flaming Lips - She Don't Use Jelly
164. Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way
163. Elvis Costello - Watching The Detectives
162. Folk Implosion - Natural One
161. Interpol - Obstacle 1
160. Dramarama - Anything Anything
159. The Afghan Whigs - Debonair
158. PJ Harvey - Down By The Water
157. Cracker - Teen Angst
156. Gary Numan - Cars
155. Nine Inch Nails - Closer
154. The Clash - This Is Radio Clash
153. R.E.M. - Orange Crush
152. Talking Heads - Take Me To The River
151. Public Image Limited - Rise
150. Depeche Mode - Enjoy The Silence
149. The Ramones - Do You Remember Rock & Roll Radio
148. The Sugarcubes - Birthday
147. Gorillaz - Clint Eastwood
146. Talking Heads - Life During Wartime
145. XTC - Senses Working Overtime
144. Squeeze - Tempted
143. Boomtown Rats - I Don't Like Mondays
142. The Stone Roses - Fools Gold
141. Pavement - Stereo
140. DJ Shadow - Midnight In A Perfect World
139. The Shins - Caring Is Creepy
138. Nirvana - Heart-Shaped Box
137. Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #3 (Power Out)
136. U2 - With Or Without You
135. Wilco - Heavy Metal Drummer
134. The Cure - Close To Me
133. Massive Attack - Safe From Harm
132. Sonic Youth - Kool Thing
131. Gang Of Four - I Love A Man In A Uniform
130. The Dandy Warhols - Bohemian Like You
129. The Jesus And Mary Chain - Head On
128. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Give It Away
127. Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime
126. The Dead Milkmen - Punk Rock Girl
125. The Clash - The Magnificent Seven
124. The Police - Every Breath You Take
123. The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony
122. Modest Mouse - Polar Opposites
121. Elvis Costello - Alison
120. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps
119. Smashing Pumpkins - Today
118. Cracker - Low
117. Pulp - Common People
116. David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust
115. The Velvet Underground - Rock & Roll
114. The Church - Under The Milky Way
113. The Replacements - Bastards Of Young
112. Dead Kennedys - Holiday In Cambodia
111. Matthew Sweet - Girlfriend
110. Afghan Whigs - Rebirth Of The Cool
109. Bob Marley - Get Up, Stand Up
108. U2 - I Will Follow
107. Elvis Costello - Pump It Up
106. Patti Smith - Dancing Barefoot
105. Devo - Whip It
104. New Order - True Faith
103. The Smiths - Panic
102. The Flaming Lips - Do You Realize?
101. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under The Bridge
100. Weezer - Undone - The Sweater Song
99. Portishead - Sour Times
98. Nine Inch Nails - Head Like A Hole
97. The Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop
96. Dead Milkmen - Bitchin' Camaro
95. Interpol - PDA
94. Oasis - Wonderwall
93. David Bowie - Suffragette City
92. Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love
91. R.E.M. - Pretty Persuasion
90. The Jam - Town Called Malice
89. Blondie - Heart Of Glass
88. Depeche Mode - People Are People
87. The Shins - New Slang
86. Siouxsie & The Banshees - Cities In Dust
85. The Postal Service - Such Great Heights
84. Blondie - Rapture
83. Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out
82. The White Stripes - Fell In Love With A Girl
81. The Replacements - The Ledge
80. Camper Van Beethoven - Take The Skinheads Bowling
79. Pixies - Gigantic
78. Pearl Jam - Alive
77. XTC - Dear God
76. Radiohead - Just
75. The Velvet Underground - Pale Blue Eyes
74. The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog
73. Joy Division - She's Lost Control
72. The Cure - Love Song
71. The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored
70. Modest Mouse - Float On
69. Nirvana - In Bloom
68. The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army
67. The Clash - Train In Vain
66. Echo & The Bunnymen - Lips Like Sugar
65. Beck - Where It's At
64. Violent Femmes - Kiss Off
63. Blur - Song 2
62. Beastie Boys - Fight For Your Right
61. The B-52's - Rock Lobster
60. Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead
59. Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees
58. Pearl Jam - Jeremy
57. U2 - Pride (In The Name Of Love)
56. Pixies - Here Comes Your Man
55. Iggy Pop - Lust For Life
54. The Police - Roxanne
53. Husker Du - Makes No Sense At All
52. Pavement - Cut Your Hair
51. New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle
50. Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill
49. R.E.M. - Losing My Religion
48. Nirvana - All Apologies
47. Bjork - Human Behaviour
46. The Police - Message In A Bottle
45. Elvis Costello - (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding
44. The Clash - Should I Stay Or Should I Go?
43. Beastie Boys - Sabotage
42. Jeff Buckley - Last Goodbye
41. James - Laid
40. Jane's Addiction - Been Caught Stealing
39. R.E.M. - It's The End Of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
38. David Bowie - Changes
37. The Breeders - Cannonball
36. U2 - New Year's Day
35. Patti Smith - Gloria
34. Nirvana - Come As You Are
33. The Cure - Just Like Heaven
32. Radiohead - Karma Police
31. Lou Reed - Walk On The Wild Side
30. The Jesus And Mary Chain - Just Like Honey
29. Talking Heads - Burning Down The House
28. Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The UK
27. The Clash - Rock The Casbah
26. Sonic Youth - Teenage Riot
25. Pixies - Monkey Gone To Heaven
24. Jane's Addiction - Jane Says
23. New Order - Blue Monday
22. Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus
21. My Bloody Valentine - Only Shallow
20. David Bowie - Space Oddity
19. Television - Marquee Moon
18. Talking Heads - Psycho Killer
17. The Ramones - I Wanna Be Sedated
16. Fugazi - Waiting Room
15. Beck - Loser
14. The Cure - Boys Don't Cry
13. The Replacements - Alex Chilton
12. Elvis Costello - Radio Radio
11. Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen
10. U2 - Sunday Bloody Sunday
9. Radiohead - Paranoid Android
8. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
7. The Clash - London Calling
6. Pixies - Where Is My Mind?
5. R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe
4. The Smiths - How Soon Is Now?
3. Violent Femmes - Blister In The Sun
2. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart
1. Radiohead - Creep

Those of you who scrolled all the way down get a treat—the song that I was most happy to be reminded of, Lo-Fidelity All-Stars' 480th-placing remix of Pigeonhed's "Battle Flag":

The 2008 Modern Rock 500: Final Song Listing [The Futurist; HT Stereogum]
Pigeonhed, "Battleflag (Lo-Fidelity Allstars Remix) [YouTube]

This Summer In Concerts: Lists, Lights, And Lots Of Robert Plant And Alison Krauss

Maura Johnston — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:45:00 EDT

Apparently this past weekend was "National Run Your Listicle-ish Summer Concert Preview" for many of this nation's finer newspapers, as my RSS feed was stuffed with "top five" and "top 10" lists of tours and festivals from newspapers around the country. While they're distinct in their regional biases (the Seattle Times rundown is festival-heavy; the USA Today one sticks with nation-storming stalwarts) the writers share one thing in common: they really really like Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. Or at least want to sort of feel like they're at a Led Zeppelin show. Highlights of five summer show previews after the jump.

Dan Aquilante, New York Post
Top show: True Colors tour feat. Cyndi Lauper, Joan Jett, and Rosie O'Donnell ("I guess that's when you go for beers"—stay classy, Aquilante! )
Head-scratcher: Coldplay's MSG date for best free show? Out of every free show in New York City? Where there's one daily during the summer?
Robert Plant/Alison Krauss mention: Yes ("Best country concert... a marriage of harmony")

USA TODAY
Top show: Kenny Chesney ("Chesney is determined to deliver: After his foot got trapped between the stage and a hydraulic lift while making his entrance in Columbia, S.C., he performed for nearly two hours before seeking medical attention.")
Head-scratcher: What, no mention of the huge margaritas at Chesney's shows?
Robert Plant/Alison Krauss mention: Yes ("among the most distinctive and celebrated singers of their respective generations"

Ray Waddell, Billboard
Top show: R.E.M. ("People are excited about R.E.M. because R.E.M. is excited about R.E.M," says indie promoter Seth Hurwitz.)
Head-scratcher: The Hinder/Staind/3 Doors Down tornado catalyst as one of the entire touring world's top five tickets? Really? Perhaps he was just being nice since lawn seats are only $25.
Robert Plant/Alison Krauss mention: Yes ("Another one of those 'catch it while you can' tours")

Seattle Times
Top show: The big Sub Pop extravaganza SP20, duh.
Head-scratcher: Hey Seattle-based journalist, I think the reuniting "originator long disbanded" that you're talking about is Green River, not Mudhoney. (I know, I know, it's tough waiting at all for new music from them.)
Robert Plant/Alison Krauss mention: No—but that may only be because they're not yet scheduled to play Seattle this summer.

Jim DeRogatis, Chicago Sun-Times
Top show: DeRo's shows are listed chronologically arranged, so first up is Kanye West's Glow In The Dark Tour ("raising the bar once again for live hip-hop")
Head-scratcher: No real stinkers here, although I would like to say that I'm 100% jealous over Stevie Wonder's free show at Taste of Chicago—and the mere mention of the food fest is making me hungry to boot.
Robert Plant/Alison Krauss mention: Yes, albeit a lukewarm one ("this is as close as we're going to get to Led Zeppelin this summer"—awww.)

Stephen King Opens Up iTunes, Finds Yet Another Listicle Lurking Underneath

Maura Johnston — Thu, 08 May 2008 12:00:00 EDT

A year ago, Stephen King published a list of his top 25 rock songs in Entertainment Weekly, and he's gone back to the "list of my favorite things ever" well with a list of the 20 songs that are most-played in his iTunes library. (Because when you're a famous writer, thin concepts like this can be spun as "a glimpse into the exciting work lives of the wordsmithing elite" instead of "narcissistic laziness.") In what's no doubt an effort to make as much ad revenue as possible off King's seemingly endless columnist contract and rein the horrorsmith in editorially a bit, EW has forced him to present his list to the clicking public in the form of a photo gallery. I can just see it now: "OK, Steve, we have to cut this blurb down from 400 words to 25 for space reasons! (And also because we want people to click on the next picture without being scared of being confronted by another impermeable block of text.)" List after the jump. Oh, and in case you're wondering, his repeated listenings to a Tony Orlando and Dawn track are OK because it "sounds like a lost Jimmy Buffett song"!

20. Rock Your Baby, George McCrae (19 plays)
19. No Place Like the Right Time, Donna the Buffalo (22)
18. City of the Damned, The Gothic Archies (23)
17. The Bug, Dire Straits (24)
16. La Cienega Just Smiled, Ryan Adams (25)
15. Candida, Tony Orlando and Dawn (25)
14. Wave On Wave, Pat Green (26)
13. If You Wanna Get to Heaven, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils (27)
12. Treat Her Right, Los Straitjackets with Mark Lindsay (27)
11. Too Late to Turn Back Now, Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose (28)
10. Yeah (Pretentious Mix), LCD Soundsystem (28)
9. Wild, Wild West, Escape Club (29)
8. California Stars, Billy Bragg & Wilco (30)
7. Alabama Song, Allison Moorer (33)
6. Good Lovin', The Young Rascals (34)
5. CB Song, Th' Legendary Shack Shakers (35)
4. Castanets, Alejandro Escovedo (38)
3. 0394413, Beau Jocque & the Zydeco Hi-Rollers (49)
2. Going to a Go-Go, Smokey Robinson & the Miracles (51)
1. Tube Snake Boogie, ZZ Top (59)

Stephen King: My Real Top 20 songs [EW.com]

MTV UK's "Ultimate 50 Popstars" Reveals Ocean-Sized McFly Appreciation Gap

Maura Johnston — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:45:00 EDT

Sometimes there are music-related lists that you come across that are so silly, and so obviously street-team-aided in their construction, that you just have to share them. (Especially on news days that have Tokio Hotel's TRL debut as their "highlights," ahem.) So behold MTV UK's "Ultimate 50 Popstars" list, which was voted on by "the fans"—a surprising fact when you realize that both Jojo and Jessica Simpson apparently have big enough fanbases to have cracked its lower reaches. The list itself is an early-oughts-heavy grouping of pop kids from now (Leona Lewis (No. 27), Justin Timberlake (No. 4)) and then (Britney Spears (No. 1), TLC (No. 32), S Club 7 (No. 18)) that makes little sense, although it does allow U.S. readers to be reminded of the fact that they really do like McFly (No. 2! Seriously!) and Busted (No. 17) on the other side of the pond. And that they prefer the freaking Pussycat Dolls (No. 29) to the Sugababes (No. 36), a piece of trivia that should make any poptimist shudder. List after the jump.

50. Scissor Sisters
49. Jojo
48. Boyzone
47. Alicia Keys
46. Lily Allen
45. Enrique Iglesias
44. Blue
43. Kelly Rowland
42. Eminem
41. Maroon 5
40. Amy Winehouse
39. KT Tunstall
38. Black Eyed Peas
37. Destiny's Child
36. Sugababes
35. Westlife
34. Nelly Furtado
33. Fall Out Boy
32. TLC
31. Jessica Simpson
30. Robbie Williams
29. Pussycat Dolls
28. Rihanna
27. Leona Lewis
26. Girls Aloud
25. Gwen Stefani
24. Chris Brown
23. Kylie Minogue
22. Beyonce
21. Five
20. James Blunt
19. N Sync
18. S Club 7
17. Busted
16. Mika
15. Take That
14. Pink
13. Jennifer Lopez
12. Madonna
11. Panic At The Disco
10. Avril Lavigne
9. My Chemical Romance
8. Backstreet Boys
7. Shakira
6. Christina Aguilera
5. Spice Girls
4. Justin Timberlake
3. Kelly Clarkson
2. McFly
1. Britney Spears

MTV Hits Viewers' Ultimate 50 Popstars [MTV UK via ONTD]

Yahoo! Ranks Hair Metal Bands, Causes Me To Pull My Hair Out

Maura Johnston — Fri, 02 May 2008 13:30:00 EDT

Any list of the best and worst "hair metal" (sigh) bands that has Ratt on the former list and Skid Row on the latter (did dude never hear Slave To The Grind?) automatically seems suspect to me, and the two lists proferred by Yahoo! "list guy" Rob O'Connor—topped by Guns N' Roses and Poison, respectively—continue to disappoint throughout, although I'm glad that they're providing post fodder on a slow Friday. Kiss on the best list and Extreme on the worst list? The New York Dolls as a "hair band"? The freaking Scorpions ranked higher than Enuff Z'Nuff, Faster Pussycat, and L.A. Guns? Calling out bands for having lots of rotating members while praising Axl Rose? Rob and I apparently agree on the suckiness of W.A.S.P., but I chalk that up to the theory behind broken clocks being right now and again, too. Full lists after the jump.

THE 25 BEST HAIR METAL BANDS
25) Winger
24) L.A. Guns
23) Queensryche
22) Enuff Z'Nuff
21) Hanoi Rocks
20) Angel
19) Loverboy
18) Faster Pussycat
17) Bon Jovi
16) RATT
15) Quiet Riot
14) Kix
13) Vixen
12) Scorpions
11) Cinderella
10) Twisted Sister
9) Spinal Tap
8) Motley Crue
7) Ozzy Osbourne
6) Kiss
5) Aerosmith
4) Def Leppard
3) New York Dolls
2) Van Halen
1) Guns n' Roses

THE 25 WORST HAIR METAL BANDS
25) Mr. Big
24) Y&T
23) Bang Tango
22) Shotgun Messiah
21) Lizzy Borden
20) Trixter
19) Danger Danger
18) Autograph
17) Dokken
16) Bulletboys
15) Lita Ford
14) Stryper
13) Great White
12) Slaughter
11) Giuffria
10) White Lion
9) Damn Yankees
8) Warrant
7) Bad English
6) Europe
5) Whitesnake
4) W.A.S.P.
3) Extreme
2) Skid Row
1) Poison

And now, a song better than anything ever put out by the freaking Scorpions. (I'd say "And Ratt, too," but "Round And Round" owns.)

Yahoo! Names 25 Worst Hair Metal Bands [Sleaze Roxx]
Yahoo! Names 25 Best Hair Metal Bands [Sleaze Roxx]

The Young Music Millionaires List: Being The Son Of A Beatle Really Gives You That Added Boost

Maura Johnston — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 10:00:00 EDT

I'm not sure what the motivations behind making these lists were—maybe they just want to turn everyone off of feeling like they need to pay for music ever again?—but the UK's Sunday Times has released its lists of Young Music Millionares and Britain's Top Music Millionaires, and boy do they make me feel crummy about my bank balance. Perhaps fittingly, given these tough times for the biz, topping the Young list is George Harrison's son/Wu-Tang collaborator Dhani (pictured), who seems to have something of a head start on his competition and is worth £160 million, while behind him is Vanessa-Mae Nicholson (£32 million), a violin player who calls her music "techno-acoustic fusion" and who turns 30 this year so if this list was made after her birthday she wouldn't even make the big list, where the bar for entry is £125 million. Also in the top ten of the under-30 list: the three non-Chris Martin members of Coldplay, each of whom is worth £30 million (Martin is 31 so he's disqualified from the big board, alas); Karen Elson and Jack White, who bring in a combined £25 million; Katie Melua, who I mainly know as "that woman who did that stupid underwater concert stunt" but who parlayed that into an £18 million fortune; Amy Winehouse, whose presence on the list causing everyone to break out the "at least crack is cheap" jokes; and, separately, Joss Stone and Craig David, which just goes to show you that at least the Brits are loyal. Both lists after the jump, if you want to get really depressed (just thinking about how big the pile of money Andrew Lloyd Webber is sitting on is not helping my morning).

Young Music Millionaires (aged 30 and under)
1 Dhani Harrison £160m
2 Vanessa-Mae Nicholson £32m
3= Guy Berryman (Coldplay) £30m
3= Jonny Buckland (Coldplay) £30m
3= Will Champion (Coldplay) £30m
6 Karen Elson and Jack White £25m
7 Katie Melua £18m
8 Joss Stone £12m
9 Charlotte Church and Gavin Henson £11m
10= Craig David £10m
10= Amy Winehouse £10m
10= Will Young £10m
13 Katherine Jenkins £9m
14 Corinne Bailey Rae £6m
14= Natasha Bedingfield £6m
14= Leona Lewis £6m
14= Simon Webbe £6m
18 Jamie Cullum £5m

Britain's Top Music Millionaires
1 Clive Calder £1,300m
2 Lord Lloyd-Webber £750m
3 Sir Paul McCartney £500m
4= Simon Fuller £450m
4= Sir Cameron Mackintosh £450m
6 Madonna and Guy Ritchie £300m
7 Guy and Julia Hands £250m
8 Sir Elton John £235m
9 Sir Mick Jagger £225m
10 Robert Stigwood £212m
11 Sting £200m
12 Keith Richards £190m
13 Sir Tom Jones £170m
14= Olivia and Dhani Harrison £160m
14= Jamie Palumbo £160m
16 Sir Tim Rice £155m
17= Eric Clapton £140m
17= Phil Collins £140m
17= Ringo Starr £140m
20 David and Victoria Beckham £125m

Amy Winehouse makes it on to the Sunday Times Rich List [Times Online]

Just How Much Can A Sad Song Say?

Maura Johnston — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:15:00 EDT

A lot, judging by the way I got vaguely bummed out while reading The Walrus' survey of the 31 saddest pieces of music to be put to tape. Bookended by the Band ("Rockin' Chair") and Brahms (Horn Trio Op.40., Second Movement), the list runs the gamut as far as genre and reasons to be sad, with guaranteed tear-jerkers like "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" and "It's Not Easy Being Green" nestled among tracks that are bummers for aesthetic reasons as well as those relating to subject matter (hello, "Tears In Heaven"!). And there are a few curveballs on the list, particularly the theme from Growing Pains—which, despite being slightly over half a minute in length, is full of enough references to crying and death for Paul Isaacs to call it "odd and heartbreaking." Full list after the jump.

1. The Band, "Rockin' Chair" (1969)
2. Tom Waits, "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis" (1978)
3. Randy Newman, "Marie" (1968)
4. Mary J Blige, "Not Gon' Cry" (1996)
5. The Kinks, "Oklahoma USA" (1971)
6. Joni Mitchell, "River" (1971)
7. The Communards, "For A Friend" (1987)
8. Patsy Cline, "She's Got You" (1962)
9. Billie Holiday, "I Get Along Without You Very Well" (1958)
10. "It's Not Easy Being Green" (from Sesame Street, 1970)
11. Dolly Parton, "Down From Dover" (1970)
12. Bob Dylan, "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" (1963)
13. Bruce Springsteen, "The River" (1980)
14. Sinead O'Connor, "Streets of London" (orig. 1969)
15/16. Buffalo Tom, "Taillights Fade" (1992) / Red House Painters "Katy Song" (1993)
17. Mahalia Jackson, "Trouble of the World" (1959)
18. Neil Young, "Borrowed Tune" (1973)
19. Gram Parsons & Emmylou Harris, "$1,000 Wedding" (1974)
20. Lee Hazlewood, "My Autumn's Done Come" (1966)
21. John Prine/Swamp Dogg, "Sam Stone" (1971/1972)
22. Judy Garland, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (1944)
23. Strawberry Switchblade, "Since Yesterday" (1984)
24. The Notorious B.I.G., "Suicidal Thoughts" (1994)
25. "Somewhere Out There" (from An American Tail, 1986)
26. Eric Clapton, "Tears in Heaven" (1992)
27. Phil Collins, "Against All Odds" (1984)
28. BJ Thomas, theme song from Growing Pains (1985)
29. Gravediggaz, "Burn Baby Burn" (2002)
30. The Smiths, "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" (1986)
31. Brahms, Horn Trio Op.40., Second Movement

The Saddest Music In The World [The Walrus via PTW]

Three Genuinely Terrible Songs From Three Genuinely Great Albums

Anthony Miccio — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 15:00:00 EDT

MSNBC has a piece about "terrible songs from great albums." Immediately, we decided it was bullshit. "Long And Winding Road" sucks, sure, but is Let It Be a classic album? Isn't it frequently considered the Beatles' worst? Even though Maura wasn't like "'My World' isn't terrible" in my IM window , who thinks Use Your Illusion II is the GNR album to grab? (I wouldn't know, I don't buy albums with "Estranged" on them.) "Endless, Nameless" wasn't even on my cassette copy of Nevermind, and plenty of people love it. Calling just one song on Synchronicity embarrassing seems like a cheat, and I think "EXP" is cute as hell. So here are a few truly disgusting tracks from otherwise excellent albums.

• "Ken Kaniff (skit)" from Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP
If I'm in a sympathetic mood, I can look past ridiculous statements like "But it's cool for Tom Green to hump a dead moose!" and "radio won't even play my jams!" and see Eminem's second album as an engaging piece of crude meta, even if I find his debut funnier and less emo. But one track that sure wasn't going to be mentioned in that VH1 Classic Albums episode was the skit that went "Oh Violent J, don't bite it! Don't be violent with it, just suck it...nice and slow. Uhhhh! Oh, fuck yeah, now give it back to Shaggy, he was suckin' it better..." "Ken Kaniff (skit)" didn't even succeed in reducing the amount of Juggalos in America, proving its worthlessness.

• "My Ding-A-Ling" from Any Chuck Berry Compilation With "My Ding-A-Ling" On It
1972 was the worst year in the history of rock and roll, as it's the only year in which Chuck Berry had a No. 1 hit with "My Ding-A-Ling." I have yet to hear an explanation of how this happened that doesn't make me want to take a humongous shit on America's head. If it wasn't his only No. 1 hit, it wouldn't be stuck on his otherwise sterling retrospectives. Is there anyone who only wants a Chuck Berry comp if it has "My Ding-A-Ling" on it? There are so many things that Americans aren't told about our history. Why isn't this one of them?

• "No Quarter" from Led Zeppelin's Houses Of The Holy
I have reason to believe that this song was only included because Led Zeppelin was worried that music fans would start to expect too much from them if they made both the first and second best albums of all time. Also, the portion of their audience made up of drugged-out idiots with no taste who like their sludge interminable and unfettered by hooks might feel alienated by the otherwise beautiful LP.

Terrible songs from great albums [MSNBC]

Guitar School Reveals "Top 25 Riffs Of All Time," Flatters Ghosts Of Jimi, Dimebag

Anthony Miccio — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:45:30 EDT

"Smoke On The Water" features the best guitar riff of all time, according to a poll conducted by the British music school Guitar X. As you'd expect from a list based on the opinions of young guitar students, you've got some Hendrix, some Angus, three from Slash in the Top 10. But two Frusciantes? A Dimebag? A Knopfler? The full 25 after the jump.

1. "Smoke On The Water" - Deep Purple
2. "Smells Like Teen Spirit" - Nirvana
3. "Walk This Way" - Aerosmith
4. "Purple Haze" - Jimi Hendrix
5. "Sweet Child O' Mine" - Guns'n'Roses
6. "Paradise City" - Guns'n'Roses
7. "Ace Of Spades" - Motorhead
8. "Enter Sandman" - Metallica
9. "Under The Bridge" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
10. "Welcome To The Jungle" - Guns'n'Roses
11. "Run To The Hills" - Iron Maiden
12. "Walk" - Pantera
13. "Johnny Be Goode" - Chuck Berry
14. "Back In Black" - AC/DC
15. "Immigrant Song" - Led Zeppelin
16. "Wake Up" - Rage Against The Machine
17. "Highway To Hell" - AC/DC
18. "My Generation" - The Who
19. "Seven Nation Army" - The White Stripes
20. "Born To Be Wild" - Steppenwolf
21. "Give It Away" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
22. "Paranoid" - Black Sabbath
23. "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" - Jimi Hendrix
24. "Eye Of The Tiger" - Survivor
25. "Money For Nothing" - Dire Straits

Duuuuuuude, no "Stone Cold Crazy?" And if you're going to bother with Jack White, you have to go with "Icky Thump." Maybe it's just my patriotism talking, I think an American school would have made a much fiercer list. One with some Kerry King! Some John Petrucci! Some John Mayer!

Deep Purple top guitar heroes [The Sun]

"Entertainment Weekly" Makes A Grab For Those Indie Rock Pageviews

Maura Johnston — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:45:40 EDT

Well-versed in the knowledge that nothing gets people clicking around Web sites like a photo gallery, nothing gets people arguing on the Internet like a slightly specious list, and no demographic has more work-hours time to click on said photo galleries and argue over said lists than the knowledge workers who proclaim themselves lovers of the nebulously defined genre "indie rock," Entertainment Weekly has put together a photo gallery/list called "The Indie Rock 25," which assigns one album to each of the 25 years since 1984, a year that was apparently defined by the Replacements' Let It Be. There are some arbitrary rules (no solo acts, albums that came out on an indie overseas but a major in the U.S. are OK), some arbitrary picks (see: Bright Eyes in 2005), lots of white dudes (cf. 1993: Ultimate Alternative Wavers over Pussy Whipped? Really?), and an obligatory mention of Radiohead, whose stature in "indie" probably wouldn't exist were it not for the major-label machine of 15 years ago but I'll probably be stuck arguing that until I'm blue in the face. Full list after the jump.

1984: The Replacements, Let It Be
1985: The Smiths, Meat Is Murder
1986: R.E.M., Life's Rich Pageant
1987: Dinosaur Jr., You're Living All Over Me
1988: Sonic Youth, Daydream Nation
1989: The Pixies, Doolittle
1990: Fugazi, Repeater
1991: My Bloody Valentine, Loveless
1992: Pavement, Slanted and Enchanted
1993: Built To Spill, Ultimate Alternative Wavers
1994: Guided By Voices, Bee Thousand
1995: Archers Of Loaf, Vee Vee
1996: Belle And Sebastian, If You're Feeling Sinister
1997: Modest Mouse, The Lonesome Crowded West
1998: Neutral Milk Hotel, In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
1999: Sleater-Kinney, The Hot Rock
2000: Yo La Tengo, And then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out
2001: The Shins, Oh, Inverted World
2002: Interpol, Turn on the Bright Lights
2003: The White Stripes, Elephant
2004: Arcade Fire, Funeral
2005: Bright Eyes, I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
2006: The Hold Steady, Boys and Girls in America
2007: Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
2008: Radiohead, In Rainbows

The Indie Rock 25 [EW]

The Top Five Songs That Need To Be On The Aerosmith "Guitar Hero"

Maura Johnston — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 14:00:36 EST

Today, Activision announced that an Aerosmith-themed^* edition of Guitar Hero, the cleverly titled Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, would be available in stores come June. The press release heralding the game's launch contained a baffling quote from Steven Tyler, who said: "Any band that can go from 'Don't Want to Miss A Thing' (Aerosmith's #1 smash hit) to the ass-kicking 'Sweet Emotion' to the cheekiness of 'Love in an Elevator,' to the classic ballad 'Dream On' shows why Activision chose us to headline this game based on the diversity of the Aerosmith catalog. Not only is songwriting a bitch, but then it goes and has puppies." Odd dog-related metaphors aside, what is up, Mr. Tyler, with naming a freaking Diane Warren track before anything else from your catalog? Clearly you need some help picking the right songs for your game, so after the jump, I've selected five songs that are definitely ripe for inclusion. (And no, "Sweet Emotion" and "Walk This Way" aren't on there because we pretty much can figure that the songs you trot out for every TV appearance will be front-and-center, probably in multiple versions.)

5. "Mama Kin"

Will likely be included for the Slash cross-promotion factor, but still worthy of mention.

4. "Voodoo Medicine Man"

Say what you will about the second half of the band's career, but this song kicks ass. (Plus, Brad Whitford deserves at least some credit.)

3. "Lord Of The Thighs"

Including this song will probably result in some sort of ESRB sanction, but that's rock and roll. (Or at least it was in the pre-Diane Warren days. Hmph.)

2. "Lick And A Promise"

Aerosmith catalog licensers take note: The drum part means this would also be an excellent fit for Rock Band.

1. "Nobody's Fault"

Not only is this song absolutely killer, you can chidingly sing "sorrr-rry!" at your friend when you're demolishing her at the game.

Dream On With Guitar Hero: Aerosmith [Kotaku]

^* Bands that have collaborated with and "inspired" Aerosmith will also be included in the game as well.

Five Things I Have Learned Watching VH1's "100 Greatest Songs Of The 90s"

jharv — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 09:30:23 EST

If you've been paying attention to Idolator lately, it's pretty clear that, thanks to some "shit, I'm old" spasm, I've been on a pretty ~~sad~~ enjoyable 90s nostalgia kick. Still, I wouldn't have needed the specter of aging to twist my arm to sit through VH1's 100 Greatest Songs Of The 90s, and of course I've been enjoying it in full knowledge of the final list, which hasn't stopped me from groaning with displeasure when "Ice Ice Baby" is unveiled ahead of "No Diggity," because I'm a very sick man who probably needs to drop out of American society entirely for some kind of pop cultural master cleanse. But for tonight's final installment, I believe will heed the words of commenter "orangepixistix": "I don't know if I would really say half of this list makes sense as 'top' songs for the 90s, but I do think they are the songs that probably stood out for the 90s when it comes to mainstream music.... I sort of wish certain songs were higher and certain songs even made but list but I guess I cannot complain. Every generated list, even if its based on on-line votes, will have some sort of flaw." So true. And so in lieu of kvetching about things we cannot complain about, here are five things I have learned watching this monstrosity every night this week.

1. Liz Phair thinks "Sex And Candy" is the greatest song of the '90s: Just jam your thumb in the wound there, Liz.

2. Rock critics are officially swimming in the deep end without the little arm floaty things on these shows: Surely I can't be the only rock critic hopeful to nervously note this, right? In the midst of the non-stop mugging over the true meaning of "Peaches" (debate thumbnail: Dave Holmes thinks its about fruit, Mark McGrath thinks it might go deeper), Rob Sheffield will pop up to try to add a little winky socio-historical whatever to his quippery ("the Presidents Of The United States Of America were actually signed to an indie label owned by Cheech Marin's son"*) and he'll immediately be elbowed aside by Godfrey's willingness to do the Hammer dance in a flannel shirt or that Squirt TV douche strapping on a pair of fake dreads and singing "Mr. Jones." I'm already practicing supermaning that ho now for when I'm (hopefully!) called up to the bigs for the "100 Greatest Songs Of The '00s." If you're reading, VH1, I'm making the little pinky-thumb telephone right now.^**

3. "Never trust a big butt and a smile": Why yes, male VH1 talking heads, that is just as true now (high-fives!) as when it was released, when of course I would have been young enough to be confused as to why a big butt would prove a liability later in life. If only I had a time machine and access to Ronnie DeVoe.

4. Comedians on VH1 countdown shows have achieved some no-jokes-necessary zen: Sweetest gig in history. The dude comedians just have to recite the lyrics of the song in question in an exaggerated monotone. ("And all you rappers in the Top 10...." long pause to allow drool to collect in slack jaw "...please allow me to bump thee.") The chick comedians do the same, except in the voice of Shirley Hemphill. ("You so crazy"—head does 360 swivel—"I think I wanna have your baby!") This has been a long and ongoing process and so surely someone has written an entire thesis (or blog post) on it re. the dumbing down of comedy in the context of VH1 listicles, but it's become the default mode as of this '90s show, i.e. impossible to ignore, your enjoyment contingent on the kinda thrilling don't-give-a-fuck-just-please-pay-me nihilism of it all.

4A. My roommate asks: "Are Nelson ever filmed without guitars now?"

5. I don't care what anyone says, I will enjoy watching these shows until the site of my eyes shrivel up and pop out of my skull: Even with the stack of books piling up unread next to my bed (like Planet Of Slums is going to stand a chance against Hanson kissing Ice Cube's ass), even with the full understanding of the fact that it's the same show every time (except exponentially dumber and with different kitsch elements plugged in), even with the even fuller understanding that my enjoyment is predicated on being part of multiple problems (I will not be spared when the comet finally comes), VH1's gravitational pull (especially when intoxicated) is strong, and I have grown to respect it. Anyone who thinks that makes me a bad person can kick those nasty thoughts on over to 1-900-MIX-ALOT. (Make bug eyes at camera and then cut to the next post.)

EARLIER: VH1 Ranks The '90s, Blames Gerardo Inclusion On Viewers

^* Not actually true.
^**Totally serious. I have flexible morals and a total lack of shame despite horrid Catholic upbringing. Call me.

VH1 Ranks The '90s, Blames Gerardo Inclusion On Viewers

jharv — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 11:30:55 EST

Holy crap! "VH1's 100 Greatest Songs Of The '90s"! How do those words make you feel? Excited? Nauseated? Giddy? Not so fresh? Finally, the market leaders in repackaging entire decades into easily digestible canons of kitsch have weighed in on "ten years of tight music that was 'too legit to quit'"! (Yes, they actually said that!) The full list (without d-list talking heads) is after the jump, and you will never guess the No. 1 in a billion years. Maybe a zillion!

1. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
2. U2 - One
3. Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way
4. Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You
5. Madonna - Vogue
6. Sir Mix-A-Lot - Baby Got Back
7. Britney Spears - ...Baby One More Time
8. TLC - Waterfalls
9. R.E.M. - Losing My Religion
10. Sinéad O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U
11. Pearl Jam - Jeremy
12. Alanis Morissette - You Oughta Know
13. Dr. Dre (featuring Snoop Doggy Dogg) - Nuthin' but a "G" Thang
14. Mariah Carey - Vision of Love
15. Red Hot Chili Peppers - Under the Bridge
16. MC Hammer - U Can't Touch This
17. Destiny's Child - Say My Name
18. Metallica - Enter Sandman
19. Beastie Boys - Sabotage
20. Hanson - MMMBop
21. Celine Dion - My Heart Will Go On
22. Beck - Loser
23. Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue - Whatta Man
24. House of Pain - Jump Around
25. Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun
26. Eminem - My Name Is
27. Counting Crows - Mr. Jones
28. Ricky Martin - Livin' la Vida Loca
29. Vanilla Ice - Ice Ice Baby
30. *NSYNC - Tearin' Up My Heart
31. Radiohead - Creep
32. BLACKstreet - No Diggity
33. Spice Girls - Wannabe
34. Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life
35. Oasis - Wonderwall
36. C+C Music Factory - Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)
37. Green Day - Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)
38. Christina Aguilera - Genie In A Bottle
39. Goo Goo Dolls - Iris
40 . Color Me Badd - I Wanna Sex You Up
41. Spin Doctors - Two Princes
42. Collective Soul - Shine
43. En Vogue - My Lovin' (You're Never Gonna Get It)
44. The Fugees - Killing Me Softly With His Song
45. Hootie & the Blowfish - Only Wanna Be With You
46. Shania Twain - You're Still the One
47. Marky Mark and The Funky Bunch - Good Vibrations
48. Matchbox Twenty - 3 AM
49. Jewel - Who Will Save Your Soul
50. Alice in Chains - Man in the Box
51. Tupac (featuring Dr. Dre and Roger Troutman) - California Love
52. Sugar Ray - Fly
53. Naughty by Nature - O.P.P.
54. Joan Osborne - One of Us
55. Fiona Apple - Criminal
56. L.L. Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out
57. Jay-Z featuring Amil and Ja Rule - Can I Get A...
58. Sophie B. Hawkins - Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover
59. Weezer - Buddy Holly
60. Bell Biv DeVoe - Poison
61. Sheryl Crow - All I Wanna Do
62. Live - I Alone
63. The Notorious B.I.G. featuring Mase & Puff Daddy - Mo Money Mo Problems
64. The Presidents of the United States of America - Peaches
65. Digital Underground - The Humpty Dance
66. Edwin McCain - I'll Be
67. Deee-Lite - Groove Is In The Heart
68. Will Smith - Gettin' Jiggy Wit It
69. Korn - Freak on a Leash
70. Jamiroquai - Virtual Insanity
71. Arrested Development - Tennessee
72. Barenaked Ladies - One Week
73. Marcy Playground - Sex and Candy
74. Cher - Believe
75. Kris Kross - Jump
76. Blues Traveler - Run-Around
77. Ice Cube - It Was a Good Day
78. Lenny Kravitz - Are You Gonna Go My Way
79. Meredith Brooks - Bitch
80. Right Said Fred - I'm Too Sexy
81. Paula Cole - I Don't Want to Wait
82. Geto Boys - Mind Playing Tricks on Me
83. The Breeders - Cannonball
84. Snow - Informer
85. Cypress Hill - Insane In The Brain
86 The Cranberries - Linger
87. Billy Ray Cyrus - Achy Breaky Heart
88. Duncan Sheik - Barely Breathing
89. Liz Phair - Never Said
90. New Radicals - You Get What You Give
91. Sarah McLachlan - Building a Mystery
92. Public Enemy - 911 Is A Joke
93. Lisa Loeb & Nine Stories - Stay
94. Fastball - The Way
95. Montell Jordan - This is How We Do It
96. Nelson - (Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection
97. Prince & The New Power Generation - Gett Off
98. EMF - Unbelievable
99. Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliott - The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)
100. Gerardo - Rico Suave

Well that's... pretty much exactly what we would have expected based on the last seven years of '90s nostalgia, a handful of wedding receptions, a lot of karaoke nights, and many hours spent subjecting ourselves to alt-rock gold radio. And before you get salty with VH1 for choosing "Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)" over every other Green Day song (deep breaths), please note that "with more than 600,000 votes cast, the countdown list was determined by an online poll at VH1.com where viewers had the opportunity to pick their favorite songs of the '90s from all genres—rock, pop, rap, or R&B." The people wanted Joan Osborne, and so Joan Osborne they shall have!

100 Greatest Songs Of The 90s [VH1]
Earlier: VH1's 100 Greatest Songs Of The '90s: What Are You Gonna Do?

Idolator's Top Five Breakup Songs: Guaranteed To Be "I Will Survive"-Free

Kate Richardson — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 17:00:34 EST

AskMen.com recently compiled a list of their top ten breakup songs, including the not-really-about-a-break-up "No Woman, No Cry," "Achy Breaky Heart," the freaking Cake cover of "I Will Survive," and the heinous "I (Just) Died in Your Arms" by Cutting Crew. They had the decency to put "Go Your Own Way" by Fleetwood Mac at No. 2, but most of the list is pretty dreary—even for breakup songs! So I thought I'd make my own.

5. "Full Color Love Affair" by The Shimmer Kids Underpop Association

Why: A mellow song about the not-so-mellow experience of being dumped for another person. It perfectly captures the beaten-down tone of self-loathing and hatred that accompanies this experience.
Key lyrics: "When I saw you in the library, well then I knew that it was all over, 'cause he was showing you that book by e.e. cummings. And I had on my favorite shirt, but it didn't seem to make a difference 'cause all the poetry in Paris will never hide my shortcomings. And if our paths cross in a little while, if I should see you at a party, maybe you'll apologize...but you'll still be a bitch."

4. "Recommendation" by Mirah

Why: This is a good one for the defiant, I-am-so-getting-over-you-but-I-still-want-you stage of a breakup. It's a brilliantly compact song about things that you can only write down in letters and the agony of an uncertain ending drawn out by tense long-distance correspondence. In the end Mirah decides that she's doing "Fine. Just fine."
Key lyrics: "You drove so far, but now you know how rough it is to let me go. Let me recommend that you think twice, and I always give the best advice."

3. "True Affection" by The Blow

Why: A perfect expression of that painful sense that you're drifting out of each other's leagues. As always, The Blow combines heartfelt vocals with electronic blips to great effect. There's such a sadness to this song in its recognition of how sometimes genuine affection isn't enough.
Key lyrics: "True affection floats. True affection sinks like a stone. I never felt so close. I never felt so all alone."

2. "I Don't Want to Get Over You" by The Magnetic Fields

Why: Perhaps the most miserable and pathetic breakup emotion is the terrible knowledge that you're not ready for the person to leave your life, despite the fact that they're clearly moving on. This one just comes out and says it: I'm not ready for this, I don't want anyone else, I feel like sulking around and smoking clove cigarettes, etc. Stephin Merritt's sad, dead vocals are basically the sound of being dumped.
Key lyrics:" I could make a career of being blue, I could dress in black and read Camus, smoke clove cigarettes and drink vermouth like I was 17. That would be a scream, but I don't want to get over you."

1. "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac

Why: So this is pretty obvious. It's kind of the go-to song for major life changes, but there's a reason why it's so popular among the depressed and broken-hearted. Stevie Nicks is at once vulnerable, honest, and willing to acknowledge that things have to change, though not without some hesitation. Everything about it is perfect for post-breakup sadness.
Key lyrics: "I've been afraid of changing 'cause I've built my life around you."

A Helpful Idolator Reminder: Brush Your Teeth Right Now

jharv — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 13:25:13 EST

No, that's not John Denver with a crazy busted grill. It's very old-school David Bowie, heading up a Top 10 list that reflexively made me go gargle with Listerine.

Maybe it's just growing up with a mom who worked in the dental industry and drilled proper oral hygiene into us from day one, but Gigwise's silly list of "The Worst Teeth In Music" kinda wigged me out. Especially the infamously yellow, sore-riddled mouth of the Happy Mondays' Shaun Ryder. Dude looks like the "final stage" in those gross-out peridontal disease photos your childhood dentist used to put the fear of god into you. Regular flossing, people! It's essential.

The Worst Teeth In Music Revealed [Gigwise]

Has The Guardian Finally Come Up With A Best Albums List It's Impossible To Argue About?

jharv — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:00:39 EST

'Course not. But while it may or may not be the biggest list of "must hear" albums ever assembled, the size of the project The Guardian has undertaken this week certainly makes the inescapable "100 Greatest Whatever" list look lazier than usual (at least until you start reading the entries, then we're back on listy terra firma).

Welcome to our special project in which the Guardian's music team - after much debate, some of it bitter - suggest albums that you should listen to before you shuffle off your mortal coil. What it's not is the best 1000 albums of all time. Instead, it's a cross-genre, cross-era look at some great music.

They also ask readers to debate what's been left out on their blog, but of course, you can't really argue lack of breadth with a list that includes 1,000 albums as disparate as Duke Ellington's Newport '56 and Culture Club's Colour By Numbers, except by digging into the minutiae, the quality of the writing on each individual micro-blurb, etc. And even if you feel like getting picky about the individual inclusions, something this broad is designed to ensure no genre stone is left unturned, that no one can point and say "I can't believe you left out hip-hop/rai/gabba/klezmer," which of course won't stop anyone from kvetching, cuz it's the Internet. As a buyers guide for someone who just crash-landed on planet Earth, which is clearly the Guardian's intention, the size of the thing kinda works in its favor, even if said shopper would need a stupid amount of discretionary income to even make a dent.

1000 Albums [Guardian]

Idolator Presents Its Picks For The Most Important Musical Act Of The Decade

jharv — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 13:30:34 EST

It's hard fighting the urge to argue over this goofy Guardian-approved list of the musicians that "dominated" each decade. (Elvis, Dylan, Bowie, Madonna, and Cobain? Really? OK. Whatever.) Clearly, we need to help writer Graeme Thomson in "finding the next influential name on the list" by deciding on our own candidate for the current decade's slot. So we turn it over to you, the commenter academy, to choose our official pick for the most important musical whatever of the first decade of the new millennium.

Rock Stars Who Have Dominated The Decades [Guardian]