Friday, August 22, 2003
PopMatters put up their Top 100 Songs from 1977 - 2003 today.
It's not bad at all, for one of those consensus type things. Every writer got to send in 25 songs, listed in order, and somehow, -- I have no idea how, as I'm a disorganized clown, really, when it comes to this kind of thing -- Sarah Zupko compiled the above list. It was given impetus by some similar VH1 "Best Songs of the last 25 Years" or something (I'm in Canada, and don't get VH1, but I've seen their list online), and I think PopMatters does a far better job, even though my own personal list was very idiosyncratic, and doesn't happen to share a great deal with the consensus (ha, there were songs by Low, Billy Bragg, Bronski Beat, Destiny's Child, Aphex Twin, Cocteau Twins, Sisters of Mercy, the Roots, Chic and Missy Elliott on my list). *Sob* They never had a chance.
So, I've seen it said (on ILM) that this is a bit Anglophile, and a bit '80s skewed. Fair points, both, but PopMatters itself has always been quite Anglophile for a site that's based in Chicago. And that's pretty refreshing, I think. And the '80s were so unfairly maligned for so long that this may be a bit of a backlash. Or, even more likely, most writers reached their formative/college years in the '80s. Having said that, the USA and the UK are, of course, massively re(pre)sented here, which is usually the case (Canada = Alanis, and Australia = AC/DC, apparently). At least this list (unlike the VH1 version) acknowledges the existence of both the Smiths and New fucking Order (both pretty shocking omissions, whether you like those bands or not).
Anyway, I think the writers can be proud, most of all, of the standard of the ink spilled under each pick. As someone pointed out, anyone can make a list, but it's justifying it that takes a little more nous. My own lone blurb was for R.E.M.'s "Losing my Religion", by the way, and it's fairly standard/straightforward. Not my best work, but whatever.
I'm lucky to be able to write for sites that I'm not ashamed of, even if I don't get paid in, like, actual money or anything.
It's not bad at all, for one of those consensus type things. Every writer got to send in 25 songs, listed in order, and somehow, -- I have no idea how, as I'm a disorganized clown, really, when it comes to this kind of thing -- Sarah Zupko compiled the above list. It was given impetus by some similar VH1 "Best Songs of the last 25 Years" or something (I'm in Canada, and don't get VH1, but I've seen their list online), and I think PopMatters does a far better job, even though my own personal list was very idiosyncratic, and doesn't happen to share a great deal with the consensus (ha, there were songs by Low, Billy Bragg, Bronski Beat, Destiny's Child, Aphex Twin, Cocteau Twins, Sisters of Mercy, the Roots, Chic and Missy Elliott on my list). *Sob* They never had a chance.
So, I've seen it said (on ILM) that this is a bit Anglophile, and a bit '80s skewed. Fair points, both, but PopMatters itself has always been quite Anglophile for a site that's based in Chicago. And that's pretty refreshing, I think. And the '80s were so unfairly maligned for so long that this may be a bit of a backlash. Or, even more likely, most writers reached their formative/college years in the '80s. Having said that, the USA and the UK are, of course, massively re(pre)sented here, which is usually the case (Canada = Alanis, and Australia = AC/DC, apparently). At least this list (unlike the VH1 version) acknowledges the existence of both the Smiths and New fucking Order (both pretty shocking omissions, whether you like those bands or not).
Anyway, I think the writers can be proud, most of all, of the standard of the ink spilled under each pick. As someone pointed out, anyone can make a list, but it's justifying it that takes a little more nous. My own lone blurb was for R.E.M.'s "Losing my Religion", by the way, and it's fairly standard/straightforward. Not my best work, but whatever.
I'm lucky to be able to write for sites that I'm not ashamed of, even if I don't get paid in, like, actual money or anything.
Comments:
Post a Comment
