I wonder whether each Monday morning for the next few weeks we’ll get a post like this one (and Ben’s – see below) just wrestling with the 10 selections from each decade… Last night was the 80s.
I should probably preface what I’m about to write with a couple of musical caveats… I’m someone who was born in the late 70s and whose musical taste was lead by a new-romantic, metal-loving older brother (he’ll kill me for that!) through ABC to Iron Maiden to Metallica to The Black Crowes. Partly as a result, I am an essentially guitar-based indie child of the late 80s and early 90s, with rock and dance descants from the 70s and 00s thrown in for good measure. So, I’m obviously going to say that, of course, The Boss should be in there, as should REM, The Smiths, and Joy Division.
Obviously, the voting will be majorly influenced by people’s own personal musical preferences, but I also can’t help wondering whether these lists are a bit too weighted in any one direction– no women at all from the 80s? OK, so Madonna got automatic founder status, but really… And did some of these artists do their best/ most innovative/ highly recognized work into the 90s anyway (eg REM)?
(Sigh) Am exhausted just thinking about having to choose one and stick with it - so I’ll leave it to you all to tell me who I should vote for, in order that I can totally ignore your opinions and do the exact opposite. (ref: my 2 year old nephew – Me: “Matthew, don’t touch the buttons on the dishwasher.” Him: “Buttons. Wishwasher. Maffew. ” accompanied by a nappy-hindered lurch towards the machine in question…)
7 comments:
I can't believe that 'the boss' made it...I am not impressed at all. However, it is worth pointing out that 2 of the 3 uk bands were from Manchester!! The musical capital on the world.
What?! Ben... we need to have words.
Alternatively you should just read this.
He comes from the American populist tradition of Walt Whitman, John Steinbeck and Woody Guthrie. Intensely political, his concerns are with the oppressed, the migrants and those suffering in the desolation of deindustrialised Reagan America: your tired; your poor; your huddled masses . . . Bruce Springsteen: born out of both black and white music traditions; master of the gospel and blues impulses; gritty realist; intensely romantic; social commentator and creator of euphoric anthems which tap into universal experiences.
I'm sure that he is all these things and granted the politcial lyrics and ideolody that he is promoting is commendable but why did he have to put those poignant lyrics to such awful music. He should of stuck to poetry and left the guitar at home...and anyone who dresses like Tony Blair on a day-off deserves not to be there!!
Awful music but great lyrics? Try listening to "Atlantic City" and try saying that... Also there are plenty of about other great lyrics which are simply set to music of their day - just beacuse it was made in the 80s doesn't make it bad, more like not of our current tastes. Give the man another couple of decades and I think we'll all know him for who he is - a genius. I honestly think that in this case (yes Ben, you too quite possibly!) it's normally people that haven't ever listened (not heard - that's different) to any Bruce Springsteen that hold the opinion that he is a "thinking person's Bryan Adams". Tsk! Shame on you all for not at least owning the greatest hits...
Hey! That was me that wrote that Springsteen thing, that was. Hello everyone.
Nope...Even in the 80's, when I was 17, I still thought his music was awful!!!
Well that settles it.
I'll be voting for the Boss. I'm really glad we had this discussion. :-P
PS Hello Alistair. Welcome. :-)
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