885 all-time greatest artists!

[desh]

XPN's at it again, with a huge countdown. I still think their first one, the 885 all-time greatest songs, was the best idea. Albums came next, and this year it's artists. What do you think will win? What's your top 10?

Here are my lists. Since I think there's a real distinction, I'll give you three lists: The artists I think are best, the artists I think will be on XPN's aggregate top list, and my favorites.

My 10 best:
1. Pink Floyd
2. Bob Dylan
3. The Beatles
4. Bruce Springsteen
5. The Who
6. U2
7. Led Zeppelin
8. R.E.M.
9. Nirvana
10. Elvis Presley (Really, I'm reaching here. The top 9 weren't that hard, but none of the other obvious choices was anyone I ever listen to.)

My 10 predicted:
1. The Beatles
2. Bob Dylan
3. Bruce Springsteen
4. The Who
5. Grateful Dead
6. The Rolling Stones
7. Bob Marley
8. Leonard Cohen
9. U2
10. Jimi Hendrix

My 10 favorite:
1. They Might Be Giants
2. Pink Floyd
3. Pearl Jam
4. Live
5. Queen
6. Billy Joel
7. The Decemberists
8. Reel Big Fish
9. Eileen Ivers
10. Bruce Springsteen


What do you think?

And now, a ton of links:

Artists: Vote for your top 10! | Top 10 of some famous people

Albums: All-time greatest | My non-predictions | My post-game

Songs: All-time greatest | My predictions | My post-game

Comments

[myq.livejournal.com]

I voted, but I'm pretty sure it'll end up being the 10 most obvious choices in the most obvious order. "Will the Rolling Stones be higher than Bob Dylan???"

I can't see L. Cohen making the list, either. Why would you predict him? I really don't think most people know who he is, besides "that guy who wrote Hallelujah."

[desh]

You don't know XPN that well. Leonard Cohen does have a chance. But maybe you're right, and it's just because I just spent a weekend with you that he's on my mind.

[desh]

Wait, what do you think is the most obvious order?

[outcastspice.livejournal.com]

you were in my dream last night! somehow you got transferred to work with me, but still doing your job. anyways, it was nice. and you were wearing a big sign that said "Desh".

[desh]

How big?

[dagoski.livejournal.com]

This is funny. When I first noticed you on my friends list, I assumed it was some programmer from India. Apparently desh is a root in Hindi that refers to things or people that are ethnically Indian. Haveta get a native speaker to clear this up for me because I'm not exactly sure.

[desh]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it means "country" in several languages from the subcontinent. (c.f. "Bangladesh".) I didn't know this for years after I got the nickname.

The above photo, or one very much like it, was my high school yearbook picture. (Everyone got a full page.)

[dagoski.livejournal.com]

I deliberately omitted the Beatles from my list. The reason was that they were so influential as to be overwhelming. I mean, you might as well date pop BB and AB like BC and AD. So I just assumed that they were the boundary of the epoch. I probably had three alternate lists. It was tough

[desh]

I bet the final countdown will have a handful of artists BB. My over/under guess is about 75. But well over half of them will be Beatles-influenced, you're right.

[estepha.livejournal.com]

1. The Clash
2. Elton John
3. Elliot Smith
4. David Bowie
5. David Byrne
6. Cat Stevens
7. Lou Reed
8. Johnny Cash
9. CCR
10. BECK

this was really hard.

[desh]

Interesting that we don't share one artist at all. Though I'm a big Elton fan, I almost put Bowie on my predicted top 10, and I know that I'd like Johnny Cash and Beck a lot more if my tastes were a bit broader. (As it is, I think I'm drifting ever so gradually toward liking Beck.)

[estepha.livejournal.com]

i started liking Beck when midnite vultures came out, and then worked backwards.. that album is weird, but probably the best, and really shows you the weirder stuff..