Hear, Hear

Here's Alan Cross' take on Entertainment Weekly's recent list of the 100 best albums of the last 25 years.

For my part, Cross has it pretty much all right. Entertainment Weekly, on the other hand? Well, it's hard to argue with Purple Rain at number one. But Achtung Baby in the top 10 instead of The Joshua Tree? Was Achtung Baby not simply the beginning of the end for U2's authenticity? MTV Unplugged instead of Nevermind? What the frack? It's as if the editors said "OK, what artists should be on this list? Great, now what's their second best album? Let's put that so we seem all different and edgy."

Other notable missteps? Cross highlights a few - 10. Licensed to Ill. Bloodsugarsexmagic. Automatic for the People. Definitely Maybe. Violator. Yup, yup, yup, yup, yup. Yup.

Anything else that's there that shouldn't be? Cat Power at 13? Really? Appetite for Destruction as low as number 30, just ahead of Justin freaking Timberlake? Really? Really?!?

I know that these lists are created to fuel debate. But this one seemed so overly manufactured to create dissent that it left me more irritated than interested.