Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Jack's Thoughts on Top 100

The Meat Puppets shirt is gone (probably stolen), but during the time it took me to tally these, they released their "get out of jail" record to much hoopla. I was just waiting to see if the new release would alter our list dramatically.

While expected to dominate, the fact that the 60s had more selections than all of the other decades combined is annoying. The Beatles alone had more selections than the 50s.

As godihateyourband noted, punk was largely ignored, and Buzzcocks, a singles band if there ever were one, did not receive one vote out of 22 lists and 1100 picks.

It took a technicality to get The Ramones, America's most exciting rock band, on this list, and it consequently got America's most lethal producer on for the fourth time.

The lack of SST, Touch & Go, Homestead, etc. was probably inevitable. Dinosaur Jr. had a chance. "In a Jar", "Little Fury Things" (one of the best songs of the late 80s) and "Freak Scene" got votes, but not enough to chart. Black Flag's "Rise Above" only got 2 votes.

Even Sub Pop did poorly, but I was glad to see that I wasn't the only person who felt that Mudhoney's "Touch Me, I'm Sick" deserved a spot.

Sire era Replacements charted, and several Twin/Tone era songs got votes. Oddly, "I Will Dare", a song that on any other day might have been on several of the lists, did not receive one vote.

Hüsker Dü had some votes from Zen Arcade and Will had their cover of The Byrds' "Eight Miles High" at #5. On a different list, one that emphasized favorites, the Hüskers may have fared as well as Dylan. I suspect that "Girl Who Lives on Heaven Hill" would have been on several top tens.

Higher profile 80s bands such as Pixies and REM also failed to chart. Several Pixies songs were nominated but none of them twice. The lack of REM was surprising; even "Radio Free Europe" garnered only 1 vote.

The absence of Sonic Youth may have had something to do with the fact that it's a list of songs.

Hip Hop went nowhere with only PE charting at #76. Neither "The Message" nor "Straight Outta Compton", were on any lists.

Elvis Presley did not make the list. That fact will probably elicit some hate mail.

On the whole, the individual lists were well thought out and eclectic. Songs that I didn't choose but was hoping would make the final list included Boston's "More Than a Feeling", ZZ Top's "Tush" and America's "Sister Golden Hair".

Shaq received no votes.

3 comments:

Marley said...

I voted More Than A Feeling at 50 - I'm just sick it didn't make the list.

here. said...

is this "marley" really brad delp blogging from the beyond? btw, luv your pic. have any topless ones?

rip shaughnessy said...

"More Than a Feeling" is a great song. Both "Louie Louie" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" made it. I guess that the voters didn't want the same song on three times.