I took a quick look at Rolling Stone's new Top 500 songs list, and of course it will generate controversy because it's all subjective, but a few things really struck me about this list.

First, this list is dominated by baby boomer staples. Sure there are a lot of songs that are important for their formative influence in how music's evolved the past few decades, but to have a whole list where fewer than 30 of the top 500 songs of "all time" were made since 1990? Not sure if it has more to do with merit than with generational bias, as evidenced by the lack of hip hop and alternative rock on the list.

Most of the lists of the top "modern rock" songs I've seen since 1990 have The Smiths' "How Soon Is Now?" in the top 10 if not in the top spot. This list has that song down at #486, BELOW Foreigner's gag-inducing "I Want To Know What Love Is". To me, that says a lot about who was doing the voting.

Next, I'm not sure what this list is supposed to represent. They call it the top 500 of all time, but then they also say that it represents "rock & roll" songs. If this is the case, then why are songs like Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" or Public Enemy's "Bring The Noise" or Elton John's "Candle In The Wind" on this list?

If they really were trying to be inclusive with this list, then I see a LOT of holes. For example, alternative rock along with hip-hop came to dominate the music scene in the 1990s, yet the representation on this list is piss poor and illogical at best. I don't think that "Walk This Way" by Run DMC is at all representative of the best of hip hop, yet it's the highest ranked hip hop song. It's like we got a smattering of token songs here and there, chosen by people who are not experts or even fans of those genres. It's almost like someone feels obligated to put SOMETHING from hip-hop in there out of guilt. They know it's supposed to be an important part of contemporary music, but they don't get it.

Lastly, there are some choices that IMO just don't belong on an "all time" list. Here are some of my examples --

"Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" - Rod Stewart
"Love Shack" - B-52s
"I Want To Know What Love Is" - Foreigner
"We've Only Just Begun" - Carpenters
"Push It" - Salt-n-Pepa
"By The Time I Get To Phoenix" - Glen Campbell

And there are plenty of others that I personally don't like very much, yet can see the merit for inclusion. However, I don't think they belong considering how much other music DOES merit inclusion. Nothing by Pearl Jam made the list, and only one song by Tom Petty made the list, yet they dominate other lists that I've seen. I don't know about any of you, but I think easily think of at least a few Petty or Pearl Jam songs that merit inclusion a LOT more than the songs listed above!

Anyway, here's the link, look at it and react!

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/sto...96661/500songs