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Presidential Top Ten
 Blender recently released the top 10 song lists for Barack Obama and John McCain (for the complete lists, Check out this link). Some initial thoughts: I admire McCain's bravery for admitting that he is an ABBA fan (two songs on the list!). Maybe he could work "Take a Chance on Me" into his campaign somehow. Obama's list is pretty eclectic, and I really like the inclusion of Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On." It also got me thinking about lists, especially since I haven't done one for awhile. What I've discovered is that it is really hard to boil down one's musical tastes into a list of ten. My rule of thumb was to go with those songs that I knew I would listen to regardless of what mood I am in (the kind of song that still makes you go "hell yeah" when it comes on the radio, even though you've heard it thousands of times before). I thought this would help determine my favorite songs of all time rather than songs that are just the "flavor of the moment." Without further ado, my top ten songs (in no particular order): "Rudie Can't Fail" by The Clash"I Bleed" by The Pixies"Harvester of Sorrow" by Metallica"Life During Wartime" by The Talking Heads"Baba O'Riley" by The Who"Story of My Life" by Social Distortion"Hang on To Your Ego" by Frank Black"This is Radio Clash" by The Clash"Kinda I Want To" by Nine Inch Nails"The W.A.N.D." by The Flaming LipsI wonder what this list would say about my presidential aspirations...I feel like I would appeal to a very thin sliver of the electorate.
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Oct 17 - 46/45 - McCain +01
7 Comments:
My first stab at a list (a mash of all-time favorites and flavors of the month):
The Strokes "Killing lies"
Hot Hot Heat "Bandages"
Morrissey "Life is a pigsty"
Elliott Smith "Bled white"
Hefner "Don't flake out on me"
The Cure "Close to me"
MGMT "Kids"
Beck "Totally confused"
LCD Soundsystem "Someone great"
Ben Folds "Landed"
Flaming Lips "Feeling yourself disintegrate"
The Raveonettes "Blush"
Radiohead "Exit music"
Honestly though, after going to All Points West this weekend, I'm tempted to fill half my list with Radiohead tracks.
Do catch em on this tour.
just saw them last Friday in Chicago, and then last Monday in Cleveland. Really wanted to hit up All Points, but settled for Lollapalooza. So Robert...did they play two totally different sets (if you went to both Radiohead nights)? I saw them @ Blossom during the Kid A tour and loved every minute of it (actually snuck down to the first row and sat with friends...center stage - I will never have a better concert experience). This tour is pretty great too though..their stage set up is awesome, and Thom seems really into it...like he's enjoying life.
I'll throw together a list eventually, but it would require the rest of my afternoon, and I have work to get to...but hopefully I'll get something up soon.
ok wait...this is top 10 songs of all time? shit...there is no way I could put together even a partially complete list in anything under a month. I think the easiest way to help construct the list would be to consider which songs you've listened to the most, but that inherently prejudices potentially worthy newer songs.
Marley would have to be up there. Probably Dylan too. Radiohead would probably find a spot. Damn...I don't know. I got to think about this.
ok, songs that are definitely in my top 10 include...
Masters of War - Dylan
Small Axe - Marley
So, two of 10 down. I might include
Orange Sky - Alexi Murdoch
maybe
Bittersweet Symphony (The Verve's version)
I'm tempted to stick with songs that have endured the test of time (even if that "test" is only a few years). I can get really high on a song when it first hits my ears, but if it doesn't have that little extra je ne sais quoi, it's not likely to be considered an all time favorite a few years (or months) down the road.
So with that in mind, songs like Broken Social Scene's 7/4 Shoreline and The National's Fake Empire probably aren't going to cut it (although they're both great songs). Same with Iron & Wine's Trapeze Swinger and Okkervil River's Our Life is Not a Movie.
Radiohead's Let Down probably makes the list, but to be honest, Radiohead, Dylan, and Marley could probably fill a top 10 list on their own depending on my mood.
This is going to take a sec. To be continued...
I'm sure I've overlooked a ton of songs, but my list would look something like this (right now anyway, subject to change tomorrow)...
1. Small Axe - Bob Marley
2. Masters of War - Bob Dylan
3. Let Down - Radiohead
4. Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve
5. Once in a Lifetime - Talking Heads
6. The Weight - The Band
7. God Fearing Man - Ben Harper
8. What's Going On/What's Happening Brother - Marvin Gaye
9. Imagine - John Lennon
10.Orange Sky - Alexi Murdoch
I also considered
One - U2
In the Sun - Joseph Arthur
Messages - Xavier Rudd
Diamonds on the Souls of Her Shoes - Paul Simon
Two Step - Dave Matthews Band
Uptight - Stevie Wonder
Just Like Heaven - The Cure
Gimme Some Lovin - Spencer Davis Group
Sinnerman - Nina Simone
Led Zeppelin - Your Time is Gonna Come
Solsbury Hill - Peter Gabriel
I could go on forever.
Bob, I heard a little of that All Points West on Sirius Left of Center. That channel plays all the bands you listed and they are all great.
I've been listening to Vampire Weekend a lot lately. Great band.
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