July 1, 2003
MY FAVORITE SONGS OF THE PAST 25 YEARS
(Or, the "anti-VH 1" list)
Tod Goldberg, Marty Beckerman, James Norton, Tim Grierson, Matt Hinrichs, Jen Chung, Aaron Bailey, Brian Lewandowski, Adam Finley, and Bob Sassone pick their favorite songs
Here's the problem with lists: unless you make them either a "Best" (where critics and fans can intelligently pick the best over a certain period) or strictly a "Top" (where the most popular or biggest selling would appear), then they are doomed to failure. None of the magazines really get it right. TV Guide always sort of freaks out when they have to pick the "Best TV Shows," or "Best Episodes." Did you see those lists? Some good, if obvious choices, but then it's all shot to hell because they try to be clever or surprising in their lists, and only end up looking like they don't know much about television at all. And don't get me started on Entertainment Weekly. Their recent "It" list, the list that ranks the "100 Most Creative People In Entertainment," includes Mandy Moore, Snoop Dogg, and Jessica Simpson. The most CREATIVE people in entertainment, mind you. Why not just say "hottest" or "most popular" or "in the news," instead of some bizarre mixture of the three. Name it the "It List," but don't throw that word creative in there. It gives the real creative people in the same issue, the actors and writers and directors and comic book artists and comedians and singers, a bad name.
The same with VH-1. Their list of the The Greatest 100 Songs of the Past 25 Years is boring at best, infuriating at worst. Sure, some of the choices fall into that good if obvious category, such as "Billie Jean," "Sweet Child O' Mine", some Madonna, some REM, some Police, a handful of rap songs, etc. But then the list goes haywire, because they confuse "Greatest" with "popular" or "influential" or maybe even "recent." I mean, come on, Britney's "...Baby, One More Time?" Nelly's "Hot in Herre?" Alicia Keys' "Fallin?" Who picked these songs? Did they get some kick back from the record companies, or maybe feel they wouldn't hit the right demographic if they didn't include "popular" songs released after 1998?
We've asked a handful of writers to list their favorite songs of the past 25 years. Their ultimate mix tape. And did you notice I said favorite, and not greatest or top or best?
