Fifty Tracks reconsidered: a slightly more lucid review

Well I happened to tune in to CBC Radio Two this afternoon to catch the end of their countdown of the fifty greatest recorded songs of the twentieth century. And while I roll my eyes at the mere idea of yet another list—haven’t VH1 and Rolling Stone reached the point where they can do features on the fifty greatest lists of popular music?—I was especially baffled by what this list was out to prove. I missed the beginning of the show (or series) where the host attempts to forge a definition of what makes a song “essential,” though you can pick your own definition from Merriam-Webster which one is most applicable. According to the show’s website:

“Thousands of songs are released each year by thousands of artists in an ever expanding array of genres . . . it's been happening for decades and it's getting harder and harder to figure out what should be in your collection! How is a music lover, casual or devoted, to have any chance of knowing what to buy? What's good? What's going to last? How can a person find the music that matters?”

From this it sounds as though they’re trying to create something like a Norton Anthology of Western Pop Music that could be a tool to the squares (or to the aliens) who don’t know anything about this whole “pop music” thing. What a relief it is that CBC Radio has descended from the mountain with stone tablets of what should be in my record collection. And here I was using my own judgment for what CDs I should own.

Also: Technically, the above definition never precludes any examples of art music or non-Western music, though I wouldn’t expect to find Einstein on the Beach next to the Beach Boys on such a list. But somehow this list includes Louis Jordan but not Charlie Parker (or Miles or Coltrane or any bop), Lou Reed solo but not the Velvet Underground, two Motown-era songs that are neither by James Brown nor Marvin Gaye, and a Mary J. Blige entry over Dr. Dre. And nothing resembling heavy metal after the obligatory “Stairway to Heaven” selection?

As for the list itself, it was generated originally by “panelists,” then supplemented by a few audience write-ins. The final rankings were determined mostly (I think) by listener votes.

I realize that pissing on such a list without even trying to construct one of my own is a cop-out, but the blogosphere accommodates (nay, encourages) such armchair quarterbacking. So here’s the list according to the CBC and its panelists and listeners woven with my comments.

10) Chuck Berry, “Johnny B. Goode.” I’m not sure if I’d put it ahead of Elvis, but I’ll allow it.
9) Glen Miller, “In the Mood.” OK, it was wildly popular at the time. But I feel very comfortable in my decision to purchase Duke Ellington CDs rather than some of the White Man’s swing of the same era.
8) The Rolling Stones, “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.” Perhaps not my own favorite Stones tune, but I won’t quibble.
7) Led Zeppelin, “Stairway to Heaven.” This is a perfect example of a band and a song that everyone thinks deserves to be highly ranked on such a list. As much as I love the band, I’ve never felt that “Stairway” is their best song. Such a myth gets perpetuated by ALL THESE GODDAM CLICHÉ LISTS.
6) H. Arlen/J. Garland, “Somewhere over the Rainbow.” Still a beautiful song, though I’d take Chet Baker or Keith Jarrett’s heartbreaking interpretations over the original.
5) Nirvana, “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Damn right it belongs in the top ten, but it’s another song that just has that IMPORTANT label stamped all over it that people feel like it belongs on such a list without really knowing much else about the band or the album it was on. Case in point: The DJ who announced the song today bungled the pronunciation of Novaselic as though he were Dubya trying to say Abu Ghraib.
4) U2, “With or Without You.” Not my favorite U2 song, but it's the sort of song that BELONGS ON THIS LIST, DAMMIT. For that matter, The Joshua Tree is overrated and The Unforgettable Fire and War are underrated.
3) Bob Dylan, “Like a Rolling Stone.” This one I can’t dispute. It captures the artist at his best.
2) The Beatles, “In My Life.” I have a very ambivalent feeling toward this song. Sure it’s one of the band’s best, and thus one of the best ever. But on a personal level, its sentimentality is a little too obvious, like it’s aiming to be the song that can be played at high school proms for generations (as it was at mine). And maybe that’s a mark of a greatly great song, that its sentiment is lasting. For me though, the fact that it’s so universal makes it so impersonal. (See also: Brian Wilson lyrics.) Still, I struggle to think of a more deserving Beatles song.
1) John Lennon, “Imagine.” As above, I have a slight aversion to this song because of its openness and total fucking lack of subtlety. Combine that with the fact that, without the vocals, it’s bland. The song is almost an insult to my intelligence in its over-the-top drippiness. And yet…I pause and sigh and listen to it and imagine there’s no religion yadda yadda yadda…


Yeah. I’ve also been working on other thoughts related to the topic of sincerity (as opposed to irony) in recent popular music, but those will have to wait. I may even turn it into a research proposal if I can find enough academic sources.


And in other news, I just got my tickets to see the Pixies in November. Kick ass.