There is something about top 10 that excites us.
In any endeavor, the top 10 always stands out and excel. It is what we look forward to in any aspect of our relationship with people and with our society.
For instance, in examinations, we list down the top 10 achievers. It is the same in sports. There is always a top 10 plays, top 10 players, top 10 officials and so forth and so on.
In the entertainment industry, there is the top 10 best actors and top 10 best directors. Even in our daily lives, we rate our experiences and pains to the scale of 10. In the scale of 10, how do you feel? Hence, the 10 most unforgettable things we encounter and the 10 things we abhor become part of our existence.
Music, too, has its own top 10. Why not? Music, after all, is a societal creation that evokes emotions and brings back memories. It is nostalgic and every tune relates to every aspect of our lives. It transcends cultural, political, and religious diversity. Music connects people and makes them understand each other regardless of their race, creed or belief. It is the universal language. Thus, it is only fitting that songs that were written shall be rated.
Being a music lover, I searched for the top 10 songs of all time in the Internet. There were so many lists that appeared, but I think the most credible came from a poll that was conducted by a group called, you guessed it right, Ten. The survey involved a million people across the globe and with divergent interests. The result lists down the top 10 songs of all times to wit:
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen;
Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin;
Imagine by John Lennon;
Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana;
One by Metallica;
Hotel California by Eagles;
Hey Jude by the Beatles;
Comfortably Numb by Pink Floyd;
A Day in the Life by the Beatles; and
Sweet Child of Mine by Guns and Roses.
The closing paragraph of the article makes a disclaimer that the list is not at all exclusive. That it is merely a result of an independent survey involving a specific age group and may change from time to time depending on the category of the responders.
If at all, I am quite discouraged by the top 10 songs rated by Ten. Noticeably, most of the songs listed there are rock songs which were circulated from the 1970s to the present. It failed to consider songs composed and sang before that time and by a different genre. It likewise failed to consider the impact that the songs had to its listeners. Neither did it consider the singers that rendered the songs. All songs listed are Western songs. Surely, there must be a genius song writer somewhere else in the world who can produce a top 10 song. Hence, the list raises eyebrows and brings out more debates than conformity.
Example, why is the song “My Way” by Frank Sinatra not included? Why are the songs of Matt Monroe or Nat King Cole which melt the heart and croon the soul not nominated a bit? What about the country songs “Rhinestone Cowboy” by Glenn Campbell,” “Achy Breaky Heart” by Billy Ray Cyrus and “Horse With No Name” by America, which became sort of national anthems in the early 1980s not in the list? Or the glorious songs of Pavarotti? Or any of the love songs composed by Barry Manilow or Burt Bacharach?
Yes, there is no reason to brand the 10 songs as misleading.
The list itself is subjective and any disagreement is always a welcome remark. I guess rating songs is like rating the most beautiful woman in the world. There is nothing finite or fixed in it. It lies in the eyes of the beholder. For songs, it lies in the ears of the listener.
Like me, therefore, if you do not agree with the list given above, you can always make your own.
May 7, 2024
