RS Ranks TWGMTR #30 Song of 2012

[southbay]

 In current issue...

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-best-songs-of-2012-20121205/the-beach-boys-thats-why-god-made-the-radio-19691231

But album didn't make the list

[TimmyC]

Interesting - you'd think it would be the opposite -the album making the album list instead of the song making the song list... cool though nonetheless....

[rab2591]

Interesting - you'd think it would be the opposite -the album making the album list instead of the song making the song list... cool though nonetheless....

TWGMTR is a pretty spectacular song. With songs like 'Beaches in Mind', 'TPLOBAS', and 'Daybreak' (though I actually really like the latter two) it does not surprise me that the album didn't make the album list.

[southbay]

Interesting - you'd think it would be the opposite -the album making the album list instead of the song making the song list... cool though nonetheless....

TWGMTR is a pretty spectacular song. With songs like 'Beaches in Mind', 'TPLOBAS', and 'Daybreak' (though I actually really like the latter two) it does not surprise me that the album didn't make the album list.

I actually thought the album, not the title track, would make the list, if only because it made the RS list of best albums for the first half of the year and they raved about the closing suite at the time

[The Shift]

The closing suite represents some of the best stuff they've ever done – but some of the other material (BIM, SV etc) is just "very good", not outstanding.

That said, I think the album is far, far greater than the sum of its parts and deserves plenty recognition in any end-of-year awards.

[the professor]

I defy the RS editors to drive PCH with the album on--any part of it--and defend its omission from the list.  The song, I agree, is triumphant and repays every listen. This must be some bizarre in-house critical compromise by RS.

[guitarfool2002]

Good for them! I've said before, it is a really good single that sounded great on the radio, which is the whole point.

I think it could have been placed higher. Go to the list, browse songs 29-1 which finished ahead of the BB's. We are ultimately talking individual songs here...I need to question some of the choices. Ramada Inn by Neil Young? Check out the others: The Stones (again...), Dylan, Donald Fagen, Leonard Cohen, Randy Newman, Springsteen, Van Halen...is Rolling Stone going after a demographic here, or were those releases really that good to warrant top-30 status?

As far as a song that connected universally and proved that music no matter what you think of the song has some power to bring folks together, I'd vote Psy and "Gangnam Style" #1 of 2012. The record was ubiquitous for a reason - it was catchy as hell and the guy who did it has a great sense of humor about it.

For top-40 musical quality, catchiness, and relevance, I'd vote "Take A Walk" by Passion Pit.

Best pure rock and roll sound and sheer joy of bashing out a few chords very loud: Jack White "Sixteen Saltines".

There are more I can't remember.

Other than those standouts, in my mind, the Beach Boys produced a terrific radio single in 2012 which sounded great. Best vocal harmonies on any record I heard this year. If we could rank on bands or artists doing what they do best, The Beach Boys' single would be right up there if not above the other 60's/70's era artists on the list.

[I. Spaceman]

It isn't a list of singles, it is a list of songs. Ramada Inn definitely deserves it, that is one of Neil and Crazy Horse's finest ever performances. Vintage guitar work, vintage Neil melody.

[guitarfool2002]

It isn't a list of singles, it is a list of songs. Ramada Inn definitely deserves it, that is one of Neil and Crazy Horse's finest ever performances. Vintage guitar work, vintage Neil melody.

It's cool, definitely, but to be ranked that high as an individual song on such a list? I just don't know yet, I need to listen to it more.

Did you hear what happened last week in Philly when Neil played? Someone I know went to the show, and confirmed the press reports which have probably circulated widely by now in fan circles. The audience started getting too restless during Neil's feedback and noise excursions, specifically as they played "Fuckin Up" a bit longer than usual which included Neil and Poncho repeatedly calling each other f***-ups during the jam, and there were more than a few boos heard.

Leave it to Philly: It's not the first time Neil has been booed here.    He's in good company with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, along with frisbee-catching dogs and other Philly audience targets.

[Austin]

As far as a song that connected universally and proved that music no matter what you think of the song has some power to bring folks together, I'd vote Psy and "Gangnam Style" #1 of 2012. The record was ubiquitous for a reason - it was catchy as hell and the guy who did it has a great sense of humor about it.

For top-40 musical quality, catchiness, and relevance, I'd vote "Take A Walk" by Passion Pit.

Best pure rock and roll sound and sheer joy of bashing out a few chords very loud: Jack White "Sixteen Saltines".

Agree with all of this, particularly "Sixteen Saltines." Seriously, is Jack White a monster soundman, or what? It's amazing how something relatively basic can still sound interesting without inching into the derivative.

Maybe this is just me, but I was also impressed that "Somebody I Used to Know," a song of considerable worldly influence and no real drumbeat, became a smash #1 song.

(Oh, and I guess the Beach Boys thing is pretty cool, too.)

[southbay]

It isn't a list of singles, it is a list of songs. Ramada Inn definitely deserves it, that is one of Neil and Crazy Horse's finest ever performances. Vintage guitar work, vintage Neil melody.

Songs, right, which I suppose makes the ranking more impressive as it beats out every other song on every other cd released in 2012, except for those other darn 29.

[I. Spaceman]

It isn't a list of singles, it is a list of songs. Ramada Inn definitely deserves it, that is one of Neil and Crazy Horse's finest ever performances. Vintage guitar work, vintage Neil melody.

It's cool, definitely, but to be ranked that high as an individual song on such a list? I just don't know yet, I need to listen to it more.

Did you hear what happened last week in Philly when Neil played? Someone I know went to the show, and confirmed the press reports which have probably circulated widely by now in fan circles. The audience started getting too restless during Neil's feedback and noise excursions, specifically as they played "f***in Up" a bit longer than usual which included Neil and Poncho repeatedly calling each other f***-ups during the jam, and there were more than a few boos heard.

Leave it to Philly: It's not the first time Neil has been booed here.    He's in good company with Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, along with frisbee-catching dogs and other Philly audience targets.

Wow, I hadn't heard about that at all. That's pretty wild.

[Cabinessenceking]

Rolling Stone will struggle when all the big 60's to 80's bands have disappeared along with the baby boomers who loved them.

I dunno, by putting attocious music by Van Halen on their top lists they certainly won't entice younger people to read their magazine. Already Rolling Stone is view as an 'old mans music magazine' and largely irrelevant to younger people. And even suppose Van Halen for the first time managed to make decent music, it's futile to award 70 year olds and neglect younger artists.

[Myk Luhv]

As much as everyone hates Pitchfork, for better or worse they're the relevant taste-shapers these days and have been for at least a decade (along with other sites like PopMatters, Drowned in Sound, etc.) it seems to me.

[I. Spaceman]

Van Halen are a great band, and their recent reunion effort was one of the best of the year.

[Cabinessenceking]

As much as everyone hates Pitchfork, for better or worse they're the relevant taste-shapers these days and have been for at least a decade (along with other sites like PopMatters, Drowned in Sound, etc.) it seems to me.

add hypem.com to that

[Cabinessenceking]

Van Halen are a great band, and their recent reunion effort was one of the best of the year.

well my dearest fellow Smiley Smiler, few would argue that they were worth awarding back then, and certainly not now. The new groups and young people have to get the chance in the spotlight, not these dinosaurs. That is unless they aim for a target audience of males 40+ which i'm beginning to suspect they do.

Even though I don't listen to Van Halen (purely a genre thing) I have respect for them as an accomplished group with a strong legacy in rock music. It's just that their newest album was not amongst the years best material. There is plenty of superior music by younger artists in most genres.

[I. Spaceman]

Van Halen's album was pretty much universally acclaimed. It is likely that you haven't given it a listen. I've listened to a ton of music from this year, from both young and older artists, and VH's effort was solidly in the Top 5. The Beach Boys are older dinosaurs than VH, if you want to go that route.

[Rocky Raccoon]

As much as everyone hates Pitchfork, for better or worse they're the relevant taste-shapers these days and have been for at least a decade (along with other sites like PopMatters, Drowned in Sound, etc.) it seems to me.

I agree.  I love Pitchfork.

[Shady]

Rolling Stone are a bunch of scumbags

[Rocky Raccoon]

Rolling Stone are a bunch of scumbags

The publication itself, yeah, probably.  They have some pretty good writers though.  I really like David Fricke and Peter Travers too.

(Yeah, I know I'm in the minority with Travers but I think he's entertaining).

[I. Spaceman]

Rolling Stone are a bunch of scumbags

Why do you say that?

[Shady]

Rolling Stone are a bunch of scumbags

Why do you say that?

Is it really hard to figure out why people hate Rolling Stone magazine these days?

Just look at their cover every month. It's a flavor of the month magazine, if somethings hot they plaster it on the cover like that iconic cover stands for nothing.

They wouldn't even put The Beach Boys on the cover for their 50th anniversary, AMERICA'S BAND, didn't make the cut but The Jersey Shore cast did  Makes me laugh.

The real killer for me is their political ideology, especially during this past election but that's way off topic.

[Cabinessenceking]

Rolling Stone are a bunch of scumbags

Why do you say that?

Is it really hard to figure out why people hate Rolling Stone magazine these days?

Just look at their cover every month. It's a flavor of the month magazine, if somethings hot they plaster it on the cover like that iconic cover stands for nothing.

They wouldn't even put The Beach Boys on the cover for their 50th anniversary, AMERICA'S BAND, didn't make the cut but The Jersey Shore cast did  Makes me laugh.

The real killer for me is their political ideology, especially during this past election but that's way off topic.

I think they play it very safe. Either an old band get featured on the cover or some new megastar from MTV/people from american reality TV gets featured. It's what sells, unfortunately.

[Wirestone]

The real killer for me is their political ideology, especially during this past election but that's way off topic.

Are you kidding? Their political reporting and advocacy is one of the real reasons to read the magazine these days, and one of the reasons it's far better than at any point in the last couple of decades. Matt Taibbi is absolutely essential.