nme.com - you may find these scenes disturbing - top 100 singles of all time

Four of these are great singles. Four are by bands I don't much care for but are pretty obviously those bands at the peak of what they did. Two are just rotten.

http://www.nme.com/news/103493.htm

Gwen Stefani
Dr. Dre
Romeo
Roots Manuva
Mark Lanegan
Liam Gallagher
Jay-Z
Dave Grohl
Richard Fearless
Richard 'D' James
Dre/Outkast
Arthur Lee
Nick Oliveri
Ryan Adams
Felix Da Housecat
Peaches
Didz
Alesha Dixon
DJ Hell
Robert Harvey
Serj Tankian
DJ Rubbish
Carl Barat
Daniel Kessler
James Murphy
David Holmes
Courtney Love
Nick Pankhurst
Pharrell Williams
Josh Homme
Pink
Albert Hammond Jr.
Kelly Osbourne
James Skelly
Nick Jago
Erol Alkan
Conor Oberst
Miss Kittin
VV
Julian Casablancas
Howlin' Pelle Almqvist
Nelly
Craig Nicholls
Marcie Bolen
Meg White
Mike Skinner
Karen O
Dolf de Datsun
Fabrizio Moretti
Jack White

Re: the cool list - why exactly do Dre and OutKast get to share a spot? I genuinely haven't heard of half these people.

I've made up my mind to go and buy the NME on the way home just for the fun of reading all the hyperbole, so I can post the full list in a bit.

also, the LP was the NME's #1 of All Time back in 1985

the best single of all time is that xtina aguilera single. you know, the one where in the video she's wearing a burka.

THAT ONE!

i mean if you're going to do this charts then obviously only certain songs really fit the bill. i notice 'Whats Going On' is the track people (majority probably being 30-50 yrs old black guys e.g. Trevor Nelson) talk about as their fave of all time and inspiring a movement of sorts and the down to earth, real but powerful sentiment running in the song, and i suppose the whole 'universal' appeal of the message - its a sad song but a song of hope and strength too. all pretty obvious. i guess your criticism could be its possibly trite and over-saturated. in fact its because its so many people's 'cool' favourite of all time that this puts you right off it maybe?

Haha sorry Blueski I don't like "What's Going On" AT ALL.

Not even the cover version with Britney and Destiny's Child???

I don't think it's very cool at all in reputation - it's kind of got the reputation for being a bit worthy and dad-soul. I think if I resent anything around it it's the idea that it represented this huge emotional shift for Motown away from production-line dance music pop and into songs which could Talk About Real Things. Which in my mind is a move away from some of the most psychologically powerful and penetrating love songs of the 1960s into songs which say oh no! the world is bad! oh no! Even then I love the idea of "What's Goin On?" but other state-of-the-world songs which are much much MORE trite - "Sign O' The Times" say, or "It's Alright" - have loads more bite. Maybe WGO isn't trite enough. Whatever the case it's never moved me to more than a shrug.

I should listen to it again though since I seem to wuv ballads these days.

(The charity cover version is better, I will dig up my review of it!)

It's not really better at all, I'd forgotten how rubbish it was until I heard this. Good old Fred Durst though!

good point about '...grapevine' - probably better than 'WGO' for me in fact. i dont know if this is just because the subject matter is less 'heavy' somehow making it more enjoyable or easier to relate to even. musically its fabulous as its more grandiose, even epic, than 'WGO' (perhaps ironically) and i can imagine many people feel Gaye's subtlety and smoothness often paled in comparison to the rawer, unbridled passion of JB's 'Its A Man's World' and other classics

if you managed to get every single person in the western world to vote for their best singles of all time then i'm thinking 'whats going on' would be a lot higher up then 'love will tear us apart' and 'smells like teen spirit' - maybe not i dunno, it certainly sold a lot more copies.

oh and Tom i appreciate your point about Motown's production-line dance/pop and its ability to be just as powerful as worthy socio/politically conscious torch songs...but it sounds like you negate that socio/politically conscious torch songs are not as psychologically powerful or penetrative! and they can say more than just 'oh no the world is bad' just as the production-line pop can say more than just 'i love you, you love me, the world is beautiful' or 'you broke my heart, this sucks'. i get the impression you'd rather hear 100 songs about boy/girl heartbreak than 10 songs about 'the struggles of man'

oh and Tom i appreciate your point about Motown's production-line dance/pop and its ability to be just as powerful as worthy socio/politically conscious torch songs...but it sounds like you negate that socio/politically conscious torch songs are not as psychologically powerful or penetrative!

No, I do think they can be as penetrative - I even gave examples! Roughly speaking though the broader the political focus the less powerful I find them, and it's the same with love songs.

and they can say more than just 'oh no the world is bad' just as the production-line pop can say more than just 'i love you, you love me, the world is beautiful' or 'you broke my heart, this sucks'.

I think it's often in the way they choose to handle detail - no detail or implication thereof, no psychological impact (on me anyway). That said a song can be great without having any kind of impact like that, obviously, and impact needn't be carried in the words sung of course. This is why I think a lot of people do love and feel WGO, because his singing is so lovely and heartfelt on it, and why despite all my words above I'm a little surprised that I don't.

i get the impression you'd rather hear 100 songs about boy/girl heartbreak than 10 songs about 'the struggles of man'

This is true though.

i will admit my love for Unfinished Sympathy has waned over the years, probably a knee-jerk reaction to the way its achieved such heraldry status. like WGO its so many people's favourite which seems to devalue it for me in a way - this is not really an image-conscious snobbish reaction, its more to do with deeper fundamental feelings i have that i want my favourites to be JUST MY favourites - it doesnt make any real sense but there you go. that said i still think 'Unfinished Sympathy' was an immense, deeply reverent and powerful record and if they're gonna pick a token 'urban' track then at least its a good 'un (ha, i wouldve said i cant find anyone who's got a bad word to say about 'unfinished sympathy' as well as 'whats going on' but clearly i'm not getting out enough)

1) "Fool's Gold" is just as dancey as "Unfinished Sympathy", if not more dancey.
2) "Unfinished Sympathy" is a deeply brilliant song on almost every level I can think of; singing, arrangement, production, rhythm, the video, its influence on the music scene, etc etc.

(And it's hardly a dance record, is it?)

Job, I don't even know how to respond to that beyond staring blankly and asking, "Did you really just ask that?"

1. Hot in Herre
2. Hey Ma
3. Like I Love You
4. In The Name Of Love
5. Dirrty
6. Die Another Day
7. Work It
8. Addictive
9. "Oh!" by Sleater-Kinney
10. Down 4 U

100. Sly And The Family Stone - Family Affair
99. Mudhoney - Touch Me I'm Sick
98. The Cult - Love Removal Machine
97. The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Crosstown Traffic
96. The Beatles - I Wanna Hold Your Hand
95. The Lovin' Spoonfull - Do You Believe In Magic
94. Blur - Song 2
93. Aaliyah - Try Again
92. Public Enemy - Bring The Noise
91. The Jam - Eton Rifles
90. Doves - There Goes The Fear
89. Sugarcubes - Birthday
88. Rolling Stones - Jumping Jack Flash
87. Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You
86. Blur - Girls and Boys
85. Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Two Tribes
84. Outkast - Ms Jackson
83. My Bloody Valentine - You Make Me Realise
82. Manics - Design For Life
81. Bob Marley - Get Up Stand Up
80. Hendrix - Voodoo Chile
79. Aphex Twin - Windowlicker
78. Primal Scream - Higher Than The Sun
77. The Strokes - The Modern Age
76. NWA - Straight Outta Compton
75. This Mortal Coil - Song To The Siren
74. Queens of the Stone Age - Feel Good Hit of the Summer
73. Kylie - Can't Get You Out Of My Head
72. Missy Elliott - Get Yr Freak On
71. Pogues - Fairytale In New York
70. Radiohead - Creep
69. Soft Cell - Tainted Love
68. Big Star - September Gurls
67. MC5 - Kick Out The Jams
66. Nelly - Hot In Herre (YOU BASTARDS!)
65. Guns'n'Roses - Sweet Child Of Mine
64. Madonna - Into The Groove
63. Roxy Music - Virginia Plain
62. The Faces - Stay With Me
61. The Kinks - You Really Got Me Going
60. The Who - I Can't Explain
59. The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
58. Happy Mondays - Step On
57. Smokey Robinson - Tracks of My Tears
56. Bowie - Starman
55. Pulp - Common People
54. Pixies - Gigantic
53. The Specials - Ghost Town
52. Sex Pistols - God Save The Queen
51. Marvin Gaye - Heard It Through The Grapevine
50. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five - White Lines
49. Primal Scream - Loaded
48. Prince - When Doves Cry
47. Elvis - In The Ghetto
46. Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman
45. The Undertones - Teenage Kicks
44. The Beatles - Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever
43. Dusty Springfield - Son of a Preacher Man
42. The Smiths - How Soon Is Now?
41. Jackson 5 - I Want You Bakc
40. Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Come Up And See Me (Make Me Smile)
39. Beastie Boys - Sabotage
38. The Vines - Get Free (YOU ABSOLUTE FUCKERS!)
37. The Who - My Generation
36. The La's - There She Goes
35. The Byrds - Mr Tambourine Man
34. Oasis - Supersonic
33. The Ronettes - Be My Baby
32. Abba - Dancing Queen
31. Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone
30. The Strokes - Last Nite
29. The Byrds - Eight Miles high
28. Eminem - Stan
27. Motorhead - Ace Of Spades
26. Coldplay - Yellow (DON'T get me started...)
25. T-Rex - Get It On
24. Aretha Franklin - Respect
23. Rolling Stones - Satisfaction
22. Blondie - Heart of Glass
21. Dexy's Midnight Runners - Geno
20. New Order - Blue Monday
19. The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset
18. Stevie Wonder - Superstition
17. The Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love With Someone You Shouldnt've
16. Underworld - Born Slippy
15. Lou Reed - Walk On The Wild Side
14. The Verve - Bittersweet Symphony
13. The Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
12. The Beatles - Paperback Writer (?????????)
11. The Jam - Going Underground
10. The Clash - London Calling
9. Massive Attack - Unfinished Sympathy
8. Oasis - Live Forever
7. The Smiths - This Charming Man
6. The Stone Roses - Fools Gold
5. David Bowie - Heroes
4. The Rolling Stones - Paint It, Black
3. The Sex Pistols - Anarchy In The UK
2. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit
1. Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart

Good god, I don't know how DJ Martian does it.

1) stay hip
2) stay diverse
3) retain their critical cred

Just pick one, please Mr. NME!

so this is their single of the year then

if its not then we should all write to NME and say 'how can it be the 38th best single of all time if not your favourite of 2002 when there's nothign else from 2002 in the top 100, how? how can this be? i dont understaaaaaaaaaaaaand'

so it goes

01. The Vines 'Get Free' (i hate it)
02. Nelly 'Hot In herre' (i hate it)
03. Doves 'There Goes The Fear' (i erm, love it)

its funny how when it comes to compiling these lists that the more recent tracks just dont seem to fit in so high...Underworld's 'Born Of Slippy' and Aphex's 'Windowlicker' were former NME singles of the year and they're both in their chart logically - but it still seems too high for both of em...i just cant get over the Vines thing though - it beggars belief!

i meant ABOVE The Vines obv.

Interesting to see how things have changed since 15 years ago:

NME Writers all time top 150 singles. First published on 28th February 1987

1. I say a little prayer - Aretha Franklin
2. Tired of being alone - Al Green
3. Walk on by - Dionne Warwick
4. Kiss - Prince
5. This old heart of mine - The Isley Brothers
6. (Get up I feel like being a) Sex machine - James Brown
7. King Tubby meets the rockers uptown - Augustus Pablo
8. Young hearts run free - Candi Staton
9. Sexual Healing - Marvin Gaye
10. Move on up - Curtis Mayfield
11. Midnight train to Georgia - Gladys Knight and the pips
12. Shame - Evelyn ‘Champagne’ King
13. Running up that hill - Kate Bush
14. Like a rolling stone - Bob Dylan
15. Rock your baby - George McCrae
16. My baby just cares for me - Nina Simone
17. The message - Grandmaster flash and the furious five
18. God save the queen - Sex pistols
19. Whats going on - Marvin Gaye
20. Shipbuilding - Robert Wyatt
21. I herd it through the grapevine - Marvin Gaye
22. This charming man - The smiths
23. Tears of a clown - Smoky Bacon and the miracles
24. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
25. Just my imagination - The Temptations
26. Atmosphere - Joy Division
27. I can’t stand the rain - Ann Peebles
28. Good vibrations - The beach boys
29. Waterloo sunset - The kinks
30. Papa was a rolling stone - The temptations
31. Adventures on the wheels of steel - Grandmaster flash and the furious five
32. River deep mountain high - Ike & Tina Turner
33. People get ready - The Impressions
34. Have you seen her - The Chi-lites
35. Good times - Chic
36. Get up offa that thing - James Brown
37. Tracks of my tears - The Miracles
38. I want you back - The Jackson five
39. Light my fire - The doors
40. Respect - Aretha Franklin
41. Penny lane/Strawberry fields forever - The Beatles
42. When a man loves a woman - Percy Sledge
43. Paperback writer - The Beatles
44. Let’s stay together - Al Green
45. Reach out - The four tops
46. I wish it would rain - The Temptations
47. Don’t be cruel/Hound dog - Elvis Presley
48. Stand by me - Ben E. King
49. 1999 - Prince
50. Complete control - Clash
51. Police and thieves - Junior Marvin
52. Wichita Lineman - Glen Campbell
53. Dancing in the street - Martha and the Vandellas
54. Band of gold - Freda Payne
55. Family Affair - Sly and the family stone
56. Transmission - Joy Division
57. Public image - Public Image Ltd
58. One nation under a groove - Funkadelic
59. Superstition - Stevie Wonder
60. Don’t stop till you get enough - Michael Jackson
61. Bad moon rising - Creedence Clearwater revival
62. That’ll be the day - The Crickets
63. Free Nelson Mandela - The Special AKA
64. Rock Lobster - The B-52s
65. Anarchy in the UK - Sex pistols
66. How soon is now - The smiths
67. Space oddity - David Bowie
68. It’s a man’s man’s world - James Brown
69. Me and Mrs Jones - Billy Paul
70. Eight miles high - The Byrds
71. She is beyond good and evil - The pop group
72. Turn turn turn - The Byrds
73. I’m a believer - The Monkees
74. If you want me to stay - Sly and the family stone
75. You really got me - The kinks
76. Cant I change my mind - Tyrone Davis
77. You don’t have to say you love me - Dusty Springfield
78. Promised land - Johnny Allan
79. Rip it up - Little Richard
80. Jumpin’ Jack Flash - The Rolling Stones
81. Crazy - Patsy Cline
82. Satisfaction - The rolling stones
83. Theme from Shaft - Isaac Hayes
84. Wedding bell blues - The fifth dimension
85. I wanna hold your hand - The Beatles
86. Backstabbers - The O’Jays
87. Higher and Higher - Jockey Wilson
88. A hard days night - The Beatles
89. I second that emotion - Smokey Robinson and the Miracles
90. Buffalo Girls - Malcolm McLaren F1
91. Rapper’s delight - Sugarhill gang
92. The bottle - Gil Scott-Heron
93. What do I get - The Buzzcocks
94. On Broadway - The Drifters
95. You’ve lost that lovin’ reelin’ - Righteous Brothers
96. Dance stance - Dexys midnight runners
97. Love letters - Ketty Lester
98. Let’s start II dance again - Hamilton Bohannon
99. Do it again - Steely Dan
100. Ain’t that peculiar - Marvin Gaye
101. Love don’t live here anymore - Rose Royce
102. No woman no cry - Bob Marley and the Wailers
103. Purple haze - Jimi Hendrix Experience
104. In the midnight hour - Wilson Pickett
105. Why can’t we live together - Timmy Thomas
106. Past present and future - The Shangri-La’s
107. Teenage kicks - The undertones
108. I feel free - Cream
109. Two sevens clash - Culture
110. 007 - Desmond Dekker
111. The sun ain’t gonna shine anymore - The Walker brothers
112. Hey Joe - Jimi Hendrix Experience
113. (Sittin’ on) The dock of the bay - Otis Lifts Redding
114. Be my baby - The Ronettes
115. Song to the siren - This mortal coil
116. Because the night - The Patti Smith group
117. Hold on I’m coming - Sam and Dave
118. Keep on running - The Spencer Davis group
119. Alison - Elvis Costello
120. Our house - Madness
121. Be bop a lula - Gene Vincent
122. Jeepster - T Rex
123. Relax - Frankie goes to Hollywood
124. Uncertain smile - The the
125. Tour de France - Kraftwerk
126. When will I be Loved - The Everly brothers
127. Jump to the beat - Stacy Lattisaw
128. Time(Clock of the heart) - Culture Club
129. Ticket to ride - The Beatles
130. Sweet little sixteen - Chuck Berry
131. Dancing in the dark - Bruce Springsteen
132. Virgina plain - Roxy music
133. Release the bats - The birthday party
134. Heart of glass - Blondie
135. Autobahn - Kraftwerk
136. Is this love - Bob Marley and the Wailers
137. Brown eyed girl - Van Morrison
138. Walk this way - Run DMC
139. The day the world turned day-glo - X-Ray spex
140. Ain’t no mountain high enough - Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell
141. Lovesick blues - Hank Williams
142. Come around here(Im the one that you need) - The miracles
143. Green onions - Booker T and the MG’s
144. (White man) in Hammersmith palais - The Clash
145. Layla - Derek and the Dominoes
146. I only have eyes for you - The Flamingos
147. Running away - Roy Ayers
148. The last time - The rolling stones
149. Hey Jude - The Beatles
150. Gypsy woman - The impressions

Source:Rocklist

oh my sides.

Shit that 1987 list absolutely pisses all over the new one. Does this mean I'm old?

i really would like to see a new ILM one now...can i conduct it myself even?

songs i'm sure i've heard but cant remember
62. The Faces - Stay With Me
60. The Who - I Can't Explain

and my whole issue about tracks from this year being in it obviously means nothing if you look at the order of tracks from 2001 and how it doesnt quite match their original end of year list....obviously attitudes change and all that

but the more i look at the top 100 the more i actually think 'well its fair enough really, i dont think you could come up with a BETTER list if you're trying to appeal to 13 year olds as well as 33 year olds (hmmm, DO they still care about over 25s tho?)' and i think the chart is well balanced historically - i dont know about including tracks from this year though because they're too fresh in the mind and it can take a year or two for opinions to really form, i guess thats all par for the course though. i'm pretty sure The Vines, Nelly and Doves wont be in their next top 100 at least

Three big treats ahead!

i think i also voted for "she is beyond good and evil" and wz cross bcz it actually got into the list

though the indie and hiphop faction were at each other's throats over indie vs hiphop, they actually tended to converge quite a bit more re 60s and 70s soul — which is also where the faceless faction hung their hats

however kate bush at no.13 restores my faith in something or other!!!!

Which in my mind is a move away from some of the most psychologically powerful and penetrating love songs of the 1960s into songs which say oh no! the world is bad! oh no!

Not going into the love songs vs political songs subject again, but regardless of which subject matter you find superior, it is important to note that Marvin Gaye wasn't pleading for one to overtake the other so much as for the possibility to have both. The revolutionary thing about Marvin making WGO (and Curtis Mayfield and James Brown's and Stevie Wonder's efforts from that era) wasn't "fuck love songs, let's talk politics!" but rather "can we talk about politics too, please?" (note that barely a year after WGO, Marvin made Let's Get It On!)

Note: it took me aprox. 200 listens to even begin to get What's Going On, and I still don't consider it a classic, tho 50% of it is enjoyable and 100% of it is revolutionary; I disagree with Nate's feelings on the Christgau review too, but then, he hated *my* review of it too, so oh well. As fer the single, I love it to death- Cyndi Lauper's cover version, too. AND the gigantic tribute thing too, I even had a grate theory about it but it got disproven :(

10. Move on up vs London Calling
27. I can't stand the rain vs Ace of Spades
30. Papa was a rolling stone vs Last Nite
38. I want you back vs Get Free by The Vines
86. Backstabbers vs Girls and Boys

OK, so I've been a bit selective, but the '87 one pisses all over 2002.

'Ace of Spades' is alright but it's a bit one-dimensional. And 'I can't stand the rain' is about as good as Hi Records got i.e. very good indeed.

As for the comparison with 'Ace of spades' - maybe that illustrates what makes it hard to do these lists, what criteria do you choose?

How about no.53 - Ghost Town or Dancing in the Streets?

What's the enduring appeal of these three?

(My top 3 Beatles singles for the record: "I Feel Fine", "Eleanor Rigby"/"Yellow Submatrine" and ... "Help" maybe?)

My criteria - how much just seeing the name of the single makes me want to hear it.

Maybe having "Rain" as a b-side gives it a boost? (tho it's obv. not mentioned in their list )

Jody - I know Dan's already picked up on this, but really, in what universe is Unfinshed Sympathy not a dance record?

Well in that case could someone find a way!

I don't really consider it a dance record, though the argument to determine whether it is or isn't could be long and fruitless, but even if it is it has to be the least dance dance record ever! If you're going to put a dance record in the top ten I can't think of a safer choice than one which has been so ubiquitous as Unfinished Sympathy.

I don't like the record alot but now Dan is going to say that I say it's not dance cos I don't like it! I think I missed something really, but I'm still surprised that both Dan and Anna think the notion of it not being a dance record is so insane.

I guess we're working on different definitions of dance here though, and AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH now do we have to define it.

YES THEY WOULD! IT IS SO A DANCE RECORD (apologies for over enthusiasm there). Random punters probably more so, as they're less likely to go off on 'hip-hop/ soul/ breaks/ whatever don't count as 'pure' dance music' tagents.

My random punters comment is a bit unconstructive but I still believe it, I'm going to buy the CD today and go out and play it to people and then berate them if they say it's a dance record and take something else out of my bag and scream "THIS! THIS HERE IS A DANCE RECORD!".

'unfinished sympathy' IS actually one Massive Attack you can at least attempt to dance to...'blue lines' maybe but its more a spliffer - definitly not the later stuff - and lets not forget Massive Attack won Best Dance Act at the Brit Awards as recently as 1996 (i think)

In any case, what is pigeonholed as dance has impacted so widely across the contemporary musical gene-pool by now that you don't really need to be able to dance to a dance record any more than a rock records needs to, well, rock.

Incidentally, I'm not sure the 87 list is necessarily any better or more interesting than the 2002 list - they're both essentially lists of universally-accepted canonical 'classics' with the odd surprise thrown in. If NME had covered soul music to the extent its covered indie/guitar music over the last ten years, to the virtual exclusion of everything else, and then come out with a list like the 87 one, we'd all be whinging about how obvious and boring THAT was.

What about Firestarter or Block Rocking Beats or even Born Slippy?

So the question now is - why *isn't* soul the consensus-quality music that unites all factions any more?

I think Born Slippy or Firestarter or Block Rocking Beats would be far less safe, given the fact they aren't all over totally canonical non dance best of the millennium compilations. Unfinished Sympathy would fit seemlessly into countless non dance circles, the only reason it's "dance" is because of a scene it emerged from and not how it sounds whatsoever. I see potential for debate with Firestarter or Block Rocking Beats and their dance origins but Born Slippy to me is pretty shamelessly dance in the traditonal sense. And that's the kind of record I'd like to see in the top ten, once which didn't compromise the fundamental principles of the genre to the extent where it no longer was of it.

This isn't directly answering your question, but I bet if you selected ten people at random from the street/supermarket/bus queue and played them the top ten records in both lists, I'd be willing to put money on the majority of people preferring the 87 list.

'Unfinished Sympathy' is much more in the vein of the classic soul tracks that dominate the '87 list rather then the mid-late 90s breed of british dance music

ronan your point about 'born slippy' is interesting because I think it was really quite unconventional and not quite traditional given its style and approach. using the Underworld formula but transporting it into the mainstream i thought was bizarre. it was a success but i remember being quite amazed when 'born slippy' went in at number 2, despite the Trainspotting connection - i think Underworld were really out on their own with their tracks then because no-one else was using lyrics like that with hard techno-based dance music and drawing parallels and joining the dots in observing, describing and defining life experiences previously only talked about in rock/punk/indie/jazz/rap/whatever but now contextualised within modern music designed to dance to and so technology-reliant - although i guess the Chemical Brothers and Leftfield were also doing a similar thing on occasion but to lesser extents

(what's also interesting is how rigorously the Rock Classics had been purged: ie another faux-unifying force what "we" all agreed had been toppled from greatness...)

back on the 87 list, isnt 'Kiss' by Prince just so ludicrously high on that '87 list that you cant really take it any more seriously than the 2002 one???

i do think i wouldve been mortified had i been the age i am now in 1987 to read that chart because it just seems that its overly stating that the exciting new scene music of the time was no good compared to all these soul classics...and that just seems a very odd attitude for a mag like the NME, even then, although i suppose it was actually less youth-orientated then

if i was to compile 3 top 100 lists like this:

1) my 100 favourite singles based on how i feel right now
2) my 100 favourite singles based on what i think are actually great singles
3) my 100 favourite singles based on how i felt about them at the time

these would be VERY different

i think the NME lists end up being a combination of those 3 and perhaps thats the fairest way to do it?

(Oh, I forgot to say earlier: great commentary on "Paperback Writer", Roger F)

"Contemporariness" of top tens - [year of chart] - [year of release] (some of my release dates may be wrong tho)

2002:
1. 22 yrs
2. 11 yrs
3. 26 yrs
4. 37 yrs
5. 25 yrs
6. 13 yrs
7. 18 yrs
8. 8 yrs
9. 23 yrs

1987:
1. 20 yrs
2. 15 yrs
3. 21 yrs
4. 1 yr
5. 20 yrs
6. 22 yrs
7. about 15 yrs
8. about 12 yrs
9. 3 yrs
10. 16 yrs

What we can see from this is that both top 10s centre on a 'golden age' of music about 20 years before they were compiled - the current list has a fair span of stuff since then, the 1987 one jumps to the present day but is in that sense more 'up to date'. I think not coincidentally this golden singles era will have been just before the contributing writers got 'properly' into music - i.e. for them it feels freshly legendary whereas for their readers it might feel reassuringly classic.

01. Foo Fighters 'Everlong'
02. Oasis 'Live Forever'
03. Nirvana 'Lithium'
04. The Strokes 'Hard To Explain'
05. The Verve 'Bittersweet Symphony'
06. Nirvana 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'
07. Blur 'Song 2'
08. Coldplay 'Yellow'
09. Kylie 'Cant Get You Out Of My Head'
10. Eminem 'Stan'

the horror!

2. i have never thought of unfinished sympathy as dance music, the idea of massive attack as a dance group is alien to me (in the same way that i find it difficult to think of tricky as hip hop).

Firestarter and Block Rocking Beats i find difficult to think of as dance music too. i see this as rock music (i know theres an implied pejorative here, this is unintended) i never understood the idea that bigbeat was dance music.

oh and gareth - big beat was electronic and rhythmic and played in huge clubs full of e heads, c heads and k heads - thus dance music!

how Britney and Justin have become more 'tolerated' among elitists and critics in general

I'm very glad you mentioned 'in general' when talking about Justin there. ;-)

Neptunes work 2002 as one stop shopping for pop aesthetics' dividing line ie, 'you just don't GET it if you don't like all this', classic or dud?

If "Unfinished Sympathy" doesn't count as dance music, then neither does anything on the first XL compilation.

This is probably a bit of a USA/UK (Ireland really buy anyhow) difference, I mean over here when you say "dance music" you only mean trance or house or techno or the like. In America I suspect this might be different. NOTE:This does NOT mean I consider other genres not to be for dancing to. It's simply the working distinction.

I mean, a less confusing summary of my feelings here might be if I say that for a record which comes from an ELECTRONIC music background, Unfinished Sympathy displays none of the newer character traits of that scene, but relies on older already accepted traits. And my big problem there is that I feel it would be nice if the electronic single they stuck in the top ten DID have repetetive beats, and DID have no lyrics, and WAS part of the newer electronic music scene because at least if this was the case I might not have to think that modern house/techno/whatever else is still a genre for which there is little or no respect. US in that top ten screams cop out to me.

That's one of the reasons I enjoyed the 2 many DJ's mix, in that it restated that dance music wasn't just 4 to the floor sequencer based house/techno (not that there's anything wrong with that) but could also be the Cramps or the Breeders or whatever.

Steve, I know you don't know me and all, but your question made me laugh. Not only have I danced to "Unfinished Sympathy", but I have danced to every track on the _Blue Lines_ album multiple times.

Back in 1994 Depeche used it as an intro tune on their American tour. Coming out of arena-sized speaker stacks, you can bet I danced. It was a warm summer evening and just a beautiful combination of mood, moment and music. There have been other times. :-)

As Pulp are releasing their Hits album and calling it a day (for now), you'd have thought that would warrant some attention. But instead the Cocker interview is tucked away inside, at a page and a half, most of which is taken up by a photo. The piece isn't even referred to on the cover at ALL.

The Strokes cover story is a three page "news" article by Steve Sutherland. The news? The Strokes play a gig in LA and go down quite well. They haven't even got a new record out.

Sample text: "[A bunch Strokes fans]... look so like a band, if you were in A&R you'd sign them on the spot and worry about songs and record sales and shit like that later."

And:
" 'Dr Julian says get fucked up!' Sounds cool. Let's get to it!"

And:
"Join us at the Whiskey later, and provided you're down with a chick on the guestlist..."

Without a hint of irony anywhere.

Just how old is Steve Sutherland?

I recall he was once a champion of Orange Juice in the 80s, that famously anti-rockism band. A band who, like Jarvis Cocker, had a little bit more to say than how great it is to get fucked up and rilly rilly out of it, maaaan.

NME is now officially Darwin's Waiting Room.

But this is the NME. I suppose we should be grateful So Solid Crew aren't on there.

a friend of mine hit the nail on the head when he said that "to sutherland" should be a verb, cf "to dumb down"

[Radio 2 listeners all-time Top 100 singles as announced last weekend (thanks to Tag for - indirectly - drawing my attention to this):

1. Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody
2. John Lennon - Imagine
3. Beatles - Hey Jude
4. Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water
5. George Harrison - My Sweet Lord
6. Procol Harum - A Whiter Shade Of Pale
7. Animals - The House Of The Rising Sun
8. Abba - Dancing Queen
9. Beach Boys - Good Vibrations
10. Queen & David Bowie - Under Pressure
11. Kate Bush - Wuthering Heights
12. Pink Floyd - Another Brick In The Wall
13. Police - Every Breath You Take
14. Righteous Brothers - You've Lost That Loving Feeling
15. Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas
16. Rolling Stones - (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction
17. Beatles - She Loves You
18. Soft Cell - Tainted Love
19. Beatles - All You Need Is Love
20. Elvis Presley - Jailhouse Rock
21. 10 CC - I'm Not In Love
22 Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel - Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)
22 Rod Stewart - Maggie May
24. Roy Orbison - Oh Pretty Woman
25. David Bowie - Space Oddity
26. Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U
27. Beatles - I Want To Hold Your Hand
28. Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come On Eileen
29. Marvin Gaye - I Heard It Through The Grapevine
30. Monkees - I'm A Believer
31. Boomtown Rats - I Don't Like Mondays
32. Beatles - A Hard Day's Night
33. Beatles - Help!
34. Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Relax
35. Kylie Minogue - Can't Get You Out Of My Head
36. Queen - Innuendo
37. Byrds - Mr Tambourine Man
38. Abba - Waterloo
39. Elvis vs JXL - A Little Less Conversation
40. Kinks - You Really Got Me
41. Oasis - Don't Look Back In Anger
42. Elvis Presley - All Shook Up
43. Fleetwood Mac - Albatross
44. Elvis Presley - Are You Lonesome Tonight
45. Bryan Adams - (Everything I Do) I Do It For You
46. Rolling Stones - Paint It Black
47. Nilsson - Without You
48. Elvis Presley - The Wonder Of You
49. Louis Armstrong - What A Wonderful World/Cabaret
50. Ian Dury & The Blockheads - Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick
51. Abba - The Winner Takes It All
52. Blondie - Heart Of Glass
53. Beatles - Day Tripper/We Can Work It Out
54. Elvis Presley - Can't Help Falling In Love/Rock-A-Hula Baby
55. George Michael - Careless Whisper
56 Beatles - Ticket To Ride
56 John Lennon - Woman
58. Beatles - Can't Buy Me Love
59. Elvis Presley - It's Now Or Never
60. Jimi Hendrix - Voodoo Chile
61. Dusty Springfield - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me
62. Beatles - Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby
63. Human League - Don't You Want Me
64. Roy Orbison - Only The Lonely
65. Bill Haley & His Comets - Rock Around The Clock
66. Beatles - Paperback Writer
67. Jam - Going Underground
68. T Rex - Get It On
69. Slade - Merry Xmas Everybody
70. Sonny & Cher - I Got You Babe
71. Kinks - Sunny Afternoon
72. Bonnie Tyler - Total Eclipse Of The Heart
73 Joe Cocker - With A Little Help From My Friends
73 Abba - Mamma Mia
75 Gerry & The Pacemakers - You'll Never Walk Alone
75 David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes
75 Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody
78. Beatles - Get Back
79. Abba - Knowing Me Knowing You
80. Madonna - Like A Prayer
81. Elvis Presley - Return To Sender
82. Bangles - Eternal Flame
83 Freddie Mercury - Living On My Own
83 U2 - Beautiful Day
85. Buggles - Video Killed The Radio Star
86. Rolling Stones - Jumping Jack Flash
87. Meat Loaf - I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)
88. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
89. Scott McKenzie - San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair)
90. Beatles - From Me To You
91. Alice Cooper - School's Out
92. A-ha - The Sun Always Shines On TV
93. Bee Gees - Night Fever
94. Gloria Gaynor - I Will Survive
95. Rolling Stones - Honky Tonk Women
96. Hollies - He Ain't Heavy He's My Brother
97. Beatles - Hello Goodbye
98. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Tears Of A Clown
99. Police - Message In A Bottle
100. Billy Joel - Uptown Girl ]

He also championed Duran Duran in MM in the early '80s, as I recall, and while at MM crossed two NUJ picket lines in 1980 and 1984.

There was the time when Mr. Sutherland, having trashed Bauhaus, ended up as an opening act for them by interviewing the band on stage. I'm not sure who was making fun of who there.

When he took over at NME in '92, several writers resigned en masse, including, if I remember correctly, Mary-Anne Hobbs, Stuart Maconie and Andrew Collins.

Head hurts. It sounded like the Dead, right?

When he took over at NME in '92, several writers resigned en masse

!! I was MM through and through, so I hadn't realized this at the time, I just heard he was moving downstairs.

ned you need a damn good thrashing.

Though I may be alone here.