I love lists - specificially top 10 lists of things. And as a teenager, I spent a lot of time categorising my favourite books, films, colours, songs, TV shows, bands, albums, food, feelings - in fact pretty much everything. I feel that this is very much a lost art, one that disappears when you hit adulthood and realise that actually, no-one really cares what your top 10 songs from 1995 are because frankly its all bit OCD and overly nostalgic.
However there is one other person who understands the value of a rankings list. And that is Nick Hornby. His book, High Fidelity, is like nirvana for listing-making musos. The main plot of the book is essentially boy meets hot girl, boy dates hot girl, hot girl falls in love with him, boy acts like total fuckwit, girl dumps boy and starts shagging overweight minger, boy looks back at all previous girlfriends to try and figure out a way to fix things with hot girl. But that's all beside the point because, Rob, the fuckwit music-head in the book, is obsessed with lists:
"Do you know your desert-island, all-tine, top-five most memorable split ups?"
"My Dad's top five films..."
"All time top-five favourite episodes of Cheers?"
I think you get it. And I love this idea of categorising all your favourite things. Because you never know when it might come in handy. Perhaps you might get kidnapped, and in some sort of weird Stockholm syndrome way, start discussing (for example) favourite 80's movie stars. And perchance, you both agree that in fact, Emilio Estevez is good - but not that good - you magically win over your kidnapper through your mutual love of categorising movie stars and he/she frees you from your torturous captivity as a result. Unfortunately this is the only example that springs to mind as to how list making could be useful.
And so, in Nick Hornby's honour, I have decided that Sunday nights, on the blog, are to be list nights. And every week I will provide you, my avid readers (of which currently there is only 1 anyway) with a list of my top 10 for that week. It could be top 10 anything. Top 10 men, top 10 horror movies, top 10 fantasy novels, top 10 news headlines. Whatever. So you now have Nick Hornby to thank for the latest bizarre idea to hit this blog. And in a shameless display of name dropping, I did, in a previous life meet the lovely Mr Hornby. And he signed a copy of all his books for me - during which I shook with nerves and stammered out "High Fidelity is... like...my favourite book ever". On a list of ways to impress great authors, sounding like a complete valley girl is not one of them.
So, to tonight's list. I thought I'd start with something relatively easy. My favourite songs. Which I would like to point out, could have many, many sub genres. In fact I could have a list of top 10 sub genres. But I digress.
Top songs (and please, I have terrible taste in music, so just don't bother)
1) Sweet Child of Mine. If you don't know who this song is by, I don't really know why you're bothering to read this blog quite frankly
2) Where the Streets have no name - U2
3) Am I getting through - Sheryl Crow
4) Like a virgin - madonna
5) Stupidgirl - garbage
6) Come As You Are - Nirvana
7) Sympathy for the Devil - Rolling Stones
8) Californication - again, reading this blog, you should know who this is by. In fact all of these songs really. They're not exactly obscure. I'm not known for my total supercoolness with regard to music tastes
9) Heaven Is A PLace on Earth - Belinda Carlisle
10) All Is Full of Love - Bjork
That wasn't in any particular order - and top 10 songs is terribly mood reliant. But that gives you a good overview of my music tastes - MOR, Hard Rock, Grunge with a sprinkling of cheese and craziness. I am sure there are many interesting reasons why I have picked these songs but to be quite honest they are just great songs and make me feel ALIVE. In fact if I could, I'd be walking down the aisle to Sweet Child.
Its funny. Music is so personal. What one person loves, for another it can cause their eardrums to bleed. I know my list is fairly boring but I bet everyone I know would like at least one song on there. So I'd rather please the masses generally than a few people specifically. *thinks to self - where is this trite crap coming from??* So as you can see, i've been writing late at night again and it's not produced the greatest post yet. But I hope you like the lists theme for sundays. I do.
Thank you and good night
Stupidgirl has left the building
However there is one other person who understands the value of a rankings list. And that is Nick Hornby. His book, High Fidelity, is like nirvana for listing-making musos. The main plot of the book is essentially boy meets hot girl, boy dates hot girl, hot girl falls in love with him, boy acts like total fuckwit, girl dumps boy and starts shagging overweight minger, boy looks back at all previous girlfriends to try and figure out a way to fix things with hot girl. But that's all beside the point because, Rob, the fuckwit music-head in the book, is obsessed with lists:
"Do you know your desert-island, all-tine, top-five most memorable split ups?"
"My Dad's top five films..."
"All time top-five favourite episodes of Cheers?"
I think you get it. And I love this idea of categorising all your favourite things. Because you never know when it might come in handy. Perhaps you might get kidnapped, and in some sort of weird Stockholm syndrome way, start discussing (for example) favourite 80's movie stars. And perchance, you both agree that in fact, Emilio Estevez is good - but not that good - you magically win over your kidnapper through your mutual love of categorising movie stars and he/she frees you from your torturous captivity as a result. Unfortunately this is the only example that springs to mind as to how list making could be useful.
And so, in Nick Hornby's honour, I have decided that Sunday nights, on the blog, are to be list nights. And every week I will provide you, my avid readers (of which currently there is only 1 anyway) with a list of my top 10 for that week. It could be top 10 anything. Top 10 men, top 10 horror movies, top 10 fantasy novels, top 10 news headlines. Whatever. So you now have Nick Hornby to thank for the latest bizarre idea to hit this blog. And in a shameless display of name dropping, I did, in a previous life meet the lovely Mr Hornby. And he signed a copy of all his books for me - during which I shook with nerves and stammered out "High Fidelity is... like...my favourite book ever". On a list of ways to impress great authors, sounding like a complete valley girl is not one of them.
So, to tonight's list. I thought I'd start with something relatively easy. My favourite songs. Which I would like to point out, could have many, many sub genres. In fact I could have a list of top 10 sub genres. But I digress.
Top songs (and please, I have terrible taste in music, so just don't bother)
1) Sweet Child of Mine. If you don't know who this song is by, I don't really know why you're bothering to read this blog quite frankly
2) Where the Streets have no name - U2
3) Am I getting through - Sheryl Crow
4) Like a virgin - madonna
5) Stupidgirl - garbage
6) Come As You Are - Nirvana
7) Sympathy for the Devil - Rolling Stones
8) Californication - again, reading this blog, you should know who this is by. In fact all of these songs really. They're not exactly obscure. I'm not known for my total supercoolness with regard to music tastes
9) Heaven Is A PLace on Earth - Belinda Carlisle
10) All Is Full of Love - Bjork
That wasn't in any particular order - and top 10 songs is terribly mood reliant. But that gives you a good overview of my music tastes - MOR, Hard Rock, Grunge with a sprinkling of cheese and craziness. I am sure there are many interesting reasons why I have picked these songs but to be quite honest they are just great songs and make me feel ALIVE. In fact if I could, I'd be walking down the aisle to Sweet Child.
Its funny. Music is so personal. What one person loves, for another it can cause their eardrums to bleed. I know my list is fairly boring but I bet everyone I know would like at least one song on there. So I'd rather please the masses generally than a few people specifically. *thinks to self - where is this trite crap coming from??* So as you can see, i've been writing late at night again and it's not produced the greatest post yet. But I hope you like the lists theme for sundays. I do.
Thank you and good night
Stupidgirl has left the building
I hate people who are snobbish about their music taste. I like the fact your list is honest. I'd have a go at my top 10 but I'd lose myself down a rabbit warren of angst about getting the list 100% accurate. I can state firmly however that I plan to have Peter Allen's I Go to Rio played at my funeral http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kgq1g-2cQ54
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