Tag Archives: Top

5 Songs Inspired by Dodgy Managers

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This morning I was doing a marathon run through the discography of “They Might Be Giants”, and I was in stitches most of the time. I hadn’t listened to most of their stuff in a long while, and when I came across “Hey Mr. DJ” on the Miscellaneous T compilation it occurred to me that it would be fun to make a list of songs inspired by dodgy managers.

You know, a compendium of songs with lyrics alluding to individuals who grew wealthy by misrepresenting artists. Or (as good ol’ Roger Daltrey put it once) “people who screw bands down the fuckin’ alley”. Ah, man, gotta love The Who…

So, there we go. But do keep in mind this is by no means a “best of” list. It’s just the first five songs that came to mind when I thought up the concept. I’m aware that more (and better) songs on the subjects exist, so please leave a comment with your personal picks. Continue reading →

Critical Metrics – Finding Which Ones Are The Best Songs Ever

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CriticalMetrics

Name: Critical Metrics

URL: http://www.criticalmetrics.com

If we were to determine what the best songs ever are, how could we do it? Rather, is it even possible to approach such a task and ensure that the end results will be even slightly reliable and/or universal? That is, in which sense is a song “better” than other? Instrumentally? Due to some distinctive production trickery? Because the song had cultural and historical transcendence? In terms of how it performed in the charts? As you can see, it is an endless debate. Still, people being people we want to find a sort of answer to these questions. If we are a fan of a band, having such information at hand always has a sort of self-affirmative effect. And that is where a site like this one steps right in.

Critical Metrics aims to let you know which 40 songs rank among the best in history. It does so by collating a true wealth of information, including “rave reviews, playlists, year-end lists, awards, artist & celebrity picks, and other editorial superlatives” as they explain on the site. The idea, then, is to create a bibliographical database of these songs that have been recommended the most throughout history. This database goes as far as 1890, and over 60,000 songs are featured so far. They have made a deliberate effort to bypass no era or type of song, and that is where the eventual strength of Critical Metrics might truly lie. That is, if they can fire up the imagination and interest of users they could come up with an active community suggesting new songs to be added all the time, and recommending them so that they climb towards the top spots. Continue reading →