No Guru, No Method, No Top Ten List

I’ve always found top ten lists, or top anything lists for that matter, a bit suspect. For one thing, the title seems to presume a wider purview (the year in music, for example) than could possibly be surveyed by one individual, or even one organization. Even for the music you do hear in one year, it’s impossible to give everything a fair shake. A high percentage of the stuff I end up liking, I don’t necessarily start out liking. It takes several listens to even start an investigation. I guarantee that courtesy isn’t extended to every contender. Then there’s the eternal matter of taste. And the final absurdity is the specific numerical ranking, that #4 is definitively worse than #3.

Having said all that, these lists do sometimes have a function for this reader, to see what I’ve missed, what I should maybe give a second and third chance. So if anyone feels so inclined, feel free to comment with your lists of whatever sort. Meanwhile, here are this year’s supposed top viral videos. I had thought there were more…