Of course people can judge music by whatever criteria you want. How do you judge good music (don't just say you just like it!). For instance you can judge music by these criteria:
- How hard it is to play. For me this is not an important criteria. I guess if you play an instrument, you could enjoy a solo artist really push themselves. Craftsman ship is important. But at the end of the day, you can punch notes into a computer, and a computer could replace Eddie Van Halen's finger, but I hope it could not replace his best lyrics. Lavish craftsmanship looses most all of its appeal when not used to support an important truth.
- How innovative it is. Creativity is a great way to decorate music, but you have to have the substance of good music, and a good melody. I have read some great criticisms of experimental a-tonal college music.
- Good songs can just be songs that capture a feeling really well, but in order for a song to be considered great, you would think that you would rank everything a 10... There is nothing wrong with listening to OK songs, but when listing the best songs, you should only include songs that have great lyrics with good meanings, good message, a great melody, etc...
Rolling Stone's list of Best Songs of all time is a good one
Best reasons to disagree: -
- I would like a list of best albums that totally ignored cover art. I propose that albums should not be judged by cover art, which Rolling Stones mentions many times praising Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
- I would like to see a list of the best music, that does not reward musicians for trying to be too clever. It seems like that kind of stuff comes and goes, but you can't listen to it very often, because it gets old. Lyrics should not be obscure. People are too afraid to live life, and so they hide any meaning by trying to be clever. Musicians need to learn the importance of being Ernest.
- Good music is music from cool people saying important things in a sincere and beautiful way. Cool people are not people who suck at life. Good music is not music written by self-obsessed losers at the middle of the night, when they can't get their life together after their girl-friend broke up with them. Its not music telling people how cool they are. It is not music from someone you don't respect saying something stupid. It is written by people you can respect, who have lived a good life and have something to say. You shouldn't be allowed to write music when your a teenager. You don't have anything to say.
- Music shouldn't be important because it created the hippy movement, or got girls to stop wearing bras for a few years... The music should be important if it had messages that successful people are able to believe for hundreds of years.
Score:
# of reasons to agree: +0
# of reasons to disagree: -4
# of reasons to agree with reasons to agree: +0
# of reasons to agree with reasons to disagree: -0
Total Idea Score: +0
Rolling Stone's list of Best Songs of all time, with reasons to agree or disagree that they are "great" songs
1 Bob Dylan Like A Rolling Stone
Best reasons to disagree: -
- This song is just some immature looser experiencing schadenfreude when a girl falls. We all know people like this. They are called jerks. It is stupid that some guy going on about how awesome it is is when someone is having a hard time is considered the best our culture has to offer.
3 John Lennon Imagine
Best reasons to disagree: -
- Communalism does not work
4 Marvin Gaye What's Going On
5 Aretha Franklin Respect
6 Beach Boys Good Vibrations
7 Chuck Berry Johnny B. Goode
8 Beatles Hey Jude
9 Nirvana Smells Like Teen Spirit
10 Ray Charles What'd I Say (Live Berlin) 1962
11 Who My Generation
12 Sam Cooke A Change Is Gonna Come
13 Beatles Yesterday
14 Bob Dylan Blowin' in The Wind
15 The Clash London Calling
16 Beatles I Want To Hold Your Hand
17 Jimi Hendrix Purple Haze
18 Chuck Berry Maybellene
19 Elvis Presley Hound Dog
20 Beatles Let It Be
21 Bruce Springsteen Born To Run
22 The Ronettes Be My Baby
23 Beatles In My Life
24 The Impressions People Get Ready
25 Beach Boys God Only Knows
26 Otis Redding (Sitting On) The Dock Of The Bay
27 Derek And The Dominos Layla
28 Beatles A Day In The Life
29 Beatles Help
30 Johnny Cash I Walk The Line
31 Led Zeppelin Stairway To Heaven
32 Rolling Stones Sympathy For The Devil
33 Tina Turner River Deep, Mountain High
34 The Righteous Brothers You've Lost That Loving Feeling
35 The Doors Light My Fire
36 U2 One
37 Bob Marley No Woman No Cry
38 Rolling Stones Gimme Shelter
39 Buddy Holly That'll Be The Day
40 Martha And The Vandellas Dancing In The Streets
41 Band The Weight
42 Kinks Waterloo Sunset
43 Little Richard Tutti Frutti
44 Ray Charles Georgia On My Mind
45 Elvis Presley Heartbreak Hotel
46 David Bowie Heroes
47 Jimi Hendrix All Along The Watchtower
48 Simon And Garfunkel Bridge Over Troubled Water
49 The Eagles Hotel California
50 Smokey Robinson The Tracks Of My Tears
51 Grandmaster Flash The Message
52 Prince When Doves Cry
53 Percy Sledge When A Man Loves A Woman
54 The Kingsmen Louie Louie
55 Little Richard Long Tall Sally
56 Sex Pistols Anarchy In The U K
57 Procol Harum A Whiter Shade Of Pale
58 Michael Jackson Billie Jean
59 Bob Dylan The Times They Are A-changin'
60 Al Green Let's Stay Together
61 Jerry Lee Lewis Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
62 Bo Diddley Bo Diddley
63 Buffalo Springfield For What It's Worth
64 Beatles She Loves You
65 Cream Sunshine Of Your Love
66 Bob Marley Redemption Song
67 Elvis Presley Jailhouse Rock
68 Bob Dylan Tangled Up In Blue
69 Roy Orbison Crying
70 Dionne Warwick Walk On By
71 James Brown Papa's Got A Brand New Bag, Pt.1
72 Beach Boys California Girls
73 Stevie Wonder Superstition
74 Cochran Eddie Summertime Blues
75 Led Zeppelin Whole Lotta Love
76 Beatles Strawberry Fields Forever
77 Elvis Presley Mystery Train
78 James Brown I Feel Good
79 The Byrds Mr. Tambourine Man
80 Kinks You Really Got Me
81 Marvin Gaye I Heard It Through The Grapevine
82 Fats Domino Blueberry Hill
83 Beatles Norwegian Wood (this Bird Has Flown)
84 The Police Every Breath You Take
85 Patsy Cline Crazy
86 Bruce Springsteen Thunder Road
87 Johnny Cash Ring Of Fire
88 Temptations My Girl
89 The Mamas & The Papas California Dreamin'
90 The Five Satins In The Still Of The Night
91 Elvis Presley Suspicious Minds
92 The Ramones Blitzkrieg Bop
93 U2 I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
94 Little Richard Good Golly Miss Molly
95 Carl Perkins Blue Suede Shoes
96 Jerry Lee Lewis Great Balls Of Fire
97 Chuck Berry Roll Over Beethoven
98 Al Green Love And Happiness
99 Creedence Clearwater Revival Fortunate Son
100 Gnarls Barkley Crazy
Rolling Stone's list of Best Albums of all time is a good one
Find reasons to agree or disagree that the albums below deserve their spot.
1 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band The Beatles 1967
Best reasons to disagree: -
- The first song on the album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" has no meaning. It is nonsense We are a stupid species if we are still playing it, outside of a history lesson, for personal enjoyment, 200 years from now. The words could be in a language that you don't understand, and the song would be better for you because they wouldn't distract you. Lyrics should make you think. It might be fine for them to set up the album with an alternative band, so they could do whatever they wanted, but they didn't have to subject us to it, and we shouldn't keep playing it, as if it is still important or insightful. You shouldn't be nostalgic over stupid things. If this song means anything to you, you are stupid.
2 Pet Sounds Beach Boys 1966
3 Revolver The Beatles 1966
4 Highway 61 Revisited Bob Dylan 1965
5 Rubber Soul The Beatles 1965
6 What's Going On Marvin Gaye 1971
7 Exile On Main St. Rolling Stones 1972
8 London Calling The Clash 1979
9 Blonde On Blonde Bob Dylan 1966
10 The Beatles (The White Album) The Beatles 1968
11 The Sun Sessions Elvis Presley 1976
12 Kind Of Blue Miles Davis 1959
13 Velvet Underground & Nico Velvet Underground 1967
14 Abbey Road The Beatles 1969
15 Are You Experienced? Jimi Hendrix Experience 1967
16 Blood On The Tracks Bob Dylan 1975
17 Nevermind Nirvana 1991
18 Born To Run Bruce Springsteen 1975
19 Astral Weeks Van Morrison 1968
20 Thriller Michael Jackson 1982
21 The Great Twenty-Eight Chuck Berry 1982
22 Plastic Ono Band John Lennon 1970
23 Innervisions Stevie Wonder 1973
24 Live At The Apollo James Brown 1963
25 Rumours Fleetwood Mac 1977
26 The Joshua Tree U2 1987
27 King Of The Delta Blues Singers, Vol. 1 Robert Johnson 1961
28 Who's Next The Who 1971
29 Led Zeppelin I Led Zeppelin 1969
30 Blue Joni Mitchell 1971
31 Bringing It All Back Home Bob Dylan 1965
32 Let It Bleed Rolling Stones 1969
33 Ramones Ramones 1976
34 Music From Big Pink The Band 1968
35 The Rise And Fall Of Ziggy Stardust And The Spiders From Mars David Bowie 1972
36 Tapestry Carole King 1971
37 Hotel California The Eagles 1976
38 The Anthology, 1947 - 1972 Muddy Waters 2001
39 Please Please Me The Beatles 1963
40 Forever Changes Love 1968
41 Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols Sex Pistols 1977
42 The Doors The Doors 1967
43 Dark Side Of The Moon Pink Floyd 1973
44 Horses Patti Smith 1975
45 The Band The Band 1969
46 Legend Bob Marley & The Wailers 1984
47 A Love Supreme John Coltrane 1964
48 It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back Public Enemy 1988
49 At Fillmore East Allman Brothers Band 1971
50 Here's Little Richard Little Richard 1957
51 Bridge Over Troubled Water Simon & Garfunkel 1970
52 Greatest Hits Al Green 1975
53 The Birth of Soul: The Complete Atlantic Rhythm and Blues Recordings, 1952 - 1959 Ray Charles 1991
54 Electric Ladyland Jimi Hendrix Experience 1968
55 Elvis Presley Elvis Presley 1956
56 Songs In The Key Of Life Stevie Wonder 1976
57 Beggars Banquet Rolling Stones 1968
58 Trout Mask Replica Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band 1969
59 Meet The Beatles! The Beatles 1964
60 Greatest Hits Sly & The Family Stone 1970
61 Appetite For Destruction Guns N' Roses 1987
62 Achtung Baby U2 1991
63 Sticky Fingers Rolling Stones 1971
64 Phil Spector, Back to Mono (1958 - 1969) various artists 1991
65 Moondance Van Morrison 1970
66 Led Zeppelin IV Led Zeppelin 1971
67 The Stranger Billy Joel 1977
68 Off The Wall Michael Jackson 1979
69 Superfly Curtis Mayfield 1972
70 Physical Graffiti Led Zeppelin 1975
71 After The Gold Rush Neil Young 1970
72 Purple Rain Prince 1984
73 Back In Black AC/DC 1980
74 Otis Blue: Otis Redding Singles Soul Otis Redding 1965
75 Led Zeppelin II Led Zeppelin 1969
76 Imagine John Lennon 1971
77 The Clash The Clash 1977
78 Harvest Neil Young 1972
79 Star Time James Brown 1991
80 Odessey & Oracle The Zombies 1968
81 Graceland Paul Simon 1986
82 Axis: Bold As Love Jimi Hendrix Experience 1968
83 I Never Loved A Man The Way I Love You Aretha Franklin 1967
84 Lady Soul Aretha Franklin 1968
85 Born In The U.S.A. Bruce Springsteen 1984
86 Let It Be The Beatles 1970
87 The Wall Pink Floyd 1979
88 Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison Johnny Cash 1968
89 Dusty In Memphis Dusty Springfield 1968
90 Talking Book Stevie Wonder 1972
91 Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Elton John 1973
92 20 Golden Greats Buddy Holly 1978
93 Sign O' The Times Prince 1987
94 Bitches Brew Miles Davis 1970
95 Green River Creedence Clearwater Revival 1969
96 Tommy The Who 1969
97 The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan Bob Dylan 1963
98 This Year's Model Elvis Costello 1978
99 There's A Riot Goin' On Sly & The Family Stone 1972
100 In The Wee Small Hours Frank Sinatra 1954
We can create a better list of really great songs than Rolling Stone Magazine
(Songs that aren't afraid of having meaning)
Best reasons to agree: -
- Time by Pink Floyd is better than any of the top 10 songs on the Rolling Stone List. Your life would not be missing anything important if you never listened to "Like a Rolling Stone" by Bob Dillion. But I would feel a little bad for you if you have never really listened to Time by Pink floyed.
Time has an important message that you should not let your life slip by. It doesn't really tell you what to do, but it much better than the other songs. - Cats in the Cradle by Harry Chapin has a great message. It tells you that you get out of a relationship what you put into it, and that you should sieze the day. These are important messsenges, and they are done well in the song.
- Forever Young is a good song, because it expresses a real emotion, that is productive to explore. Thinking about mortality is benificial unlike the way that Bob Dillion is just expressing his joy at someone who used to be Rich, getting their come-up-ins in his song "Like A Rolling Stone", that Rolling Stone was the highest achiviment of Western Music.
- Hallelujah by Rufus Wainwright summerizes a lot of history and relationships in an insightful way.
- Just The Two Of Us by Will Smith allows people who are overly concerned with looking manley, see themselves as good dads.
- You can disagree with Charlene but "I've Never Been To Me" makes her argument about what is important in life very well.
- "Kiss An Angel Good Morning" by Charley Pride gives practical marriage advice. One by Creed is sort of Cheesy, but it is a great call for unity.
- What A Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong has a great message of appreciation. Armstrongs voice is great.
