Mismanaged Lists

I'm going to do my best to keep my complaining to a minimum since (1.) that's not why I wanted to create this blog and (2.) there is far too much of that in blogland already.

So let's just say I thought this was funny...

Time Magazine has made lots of lists about the best things of the year. I love lists. I always get sucked in to reading them and I've certainly made a list or two in my day as well. Naturally, one of the first things I clicked on was Time's Albums of the Year. This is their top 10:

1. American Saturday Night by Brad Paisley
2. Bitte Orca by Dirty Projectors
3. Crack the Skye by Mastodon
4. Revolution by Miranda Lambert
5. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix by Phoenix
6. Love vs. Money by The-Dream
7. Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, Pt 2 by Raekwon
8. Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear
9. I and Love and You by the Avett Brothers
10. The Fame Monster by Lady Gaga

Some albums I really like (Veckatimest and Bitte Orca to be exact) and some...other ones. Now, I'm not going to complain that Brad Paisley is #1 (though from the little I've heard of his music it's pretty lame, standard, predictable country) but I just think it's weird that with Brad Paisley #1 that Dirty Projectors are #2. Who in America would really list that as their #1 and 2? Then, if that's not enough, let's get some epic metal in at #3. A female country singer for #4? Sure, bring her on in.

What? Does anybody in the world actually like Mastodon AND Miranda Lambert?

As a cohesive list, this doesn't make an ounce of sense*. And not just because it mixes genres, but because it also mixes good and bad. It's like someone just picked 10 random albums. I realize this is probably the result of different critics with disparate tastes voting, but it still makes for a bizarre collection. If a single person made this list (and not a publication) I would think he had no real opinions about music at all and just wanted to cover his bases and not offend anyone.

* Yes, sense is measured by weight.

Instead of saying something about the music in 2009, Time said nothing. Or, at least, nothing other than "here are 10 albums that some people--but not the same people--liked." Awesome.

That's all for today. Not much to say about this obviously. A big post about the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 25th Anniversary Concert should be up within the next few days.

Rob: Liking both Marvin Gaye and Art Garfunkel is like supporting both the Israelis and the Palestinians.
Laura: No, it's really not, Rob. You know why? Because Marvin Gaye and Art Garfunkel make pop records.
Rob: Made. Made. Marvin Gaye is dead. His father shot him.
- High Fidelity