NonP
Legend
I skipped "Take Five" 'cause I intended this thread to be more about songs everyone can sing along to, but that's indeed a good candidate. Without question among the most buoyant, life-affirming music ever written.
A simple yet useful definition, too.
LOL, wasn't expecting to see a Rite of Spring discussion in Pitchfork of all places, and a serious one at that. Maybe I should pay more attention to its long-form pieces.
Since it's been mentioned twice already - quite a feat for an avant-garde classical work in a thread about popular songs! - I guess I'll throw in my two cents and add that Stravinsky's magnum opus may well be the only music that ever startled me. And when I say "startled" I mean it literally. Was at this symphonic concert (Baltimore Symphony led by Marin Alsop on 1/11/15, if you care), and as is my wont I was dozing on and off through the quieter moments... until that (in)famous "primitive" chord of "The Augurs of Spring" began pounding relentlessly which frightened me out of my slumber:
And I'd probably heard this almost fetishized relic more than a hundred times before that memorable afternoon (always thought this was a nite concert but I see that it took place on a Sunday). Made me look at the whole thing in a whole new light.
Moral of the story: when artsy-fartsy classical buffs tell you to pay close attention at all times, don't listen to 'em for a second.
Anyone that counts a CCR classic as his fave can't be "uneducated" in my book! Not sure if you already have this or would even be interested, but their complete Fantasy box set is well worth getting if you can find a good deal (their 50th-anniversary deluxe set is only on LP as well as ridiculously pricey), not only for the consistently great music but also for the excellent liner notes.
(Will need to think about the best CCR songs, which gives me a good excuse to save a YouTube link.)
One of the most versatile yet underappreciated singers, but she never really came close to equaling her riotous debut with that great album cover which promised great things to come. (Seriously can you imagine later Cyndi toying with gleeful wordplay about fondling herself?) "Time After Time" probably remains her best song, but my fave is her cover of Prince's equally underappreciated "When You Were Mine," which improves on the studio original thanks to her infectious, to-hell-with-it joie de vivre (lovely opening synths, too):
(Still can't quite beat the Purple One's wild live versions, but that's to be expected.
)Why are you so hung up on these lists when you claim to be opposed to the hipsterism and parochialism of RS and other mags that published them? In case you haven't noticed you're actually doing their bidding when you go on like this. I can tell you with all honesty that I've glanced at the RS list only a handful of times and never perused it in its entirety, whereas you seem to be familiar with almost every questionable name on it. It's just hard to take your criticism to heart when you're obsessing over the very thing you're criticizing while touting such a suburban favorite as NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts (which I follow myself, BTW).
Also you don't seem to have asked yourself why the likes RS and DB in your view have been pandering to mainstream tastes to stay relevant, or if you have you clearly don't consider it as worthy of mention as these minor acts you claim to have no use for. Again there's no doubt in my mind that these current trends are due to the increasing corporatization of journalism which values profits over all else, but instead of addressing this root cause you're content to diss these music journos who presumably do love their work and are trying their best to maintain some semblance of journalistic freedom and independence in this harsh environment. How come?
And I've explained several times already why I think most jazz standards don't make the cut here, but if you disagree you're welcome to explain why and/or nominate your own picks. Maybe you should spend less time speculating on others' impure motives and more time paying attention to what they really think and say instead.
