The Beat Has Ended. Go in Peace.

(This is an end. Click here to start from the beginning.)

Only a few loose ends to clear up.

First, despite protests, I’ve been contemplating doing the 1970s next. It would only be 100 songs and it would be less determinedly eclectic (because I’m a lazy bastard), but I’ve pretty much nailed the list down. Yea? Nay?

Second, I’ve been listening to the list, and I feel like I need to run some disclaimers on things I got factually wrong, or which I don’t quite feel the same way about anymore, or just things I forgot to mention. But never mind. The music’s more important than anything I can say about it.

And finally, what was left off. I intentionally left off a baker’s dozen of very good songs that you’d expect to find on a list like this, mostly because they’re too familiar and have nothing left to say to me anymore. Here’s that list:

13. Van Morrison “Brown Eyed Girl”
12. The Byrds “Mr. Tambourine Man”
11. The Temptations “My Girl”
10. The Animals “The House of the Rising Sun”
9. Bob Dylan “The Times They Are A-Changin’”
8. The Beatles “In My Life”
7. The Rolling Stones “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”
6. Cream “Sunshine of Your Love”
5. The Byrds “Turn! Turn! Turn!”
4. The Jimi Hendrix Experience “Purple Haze”
3. Bob Dylan “Blowin’ in the Wind”
2. The Rolling Stones “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”
1. The Beatles “Yesterday”

Anything else that would seem to be obvious was probably left off because I hate it.

Of course there were another two hundred songs I could easily have included; but I’ll leave it to some other sucker to try to build that list, especially now that Pitchfork and I have already called dibs on all the cool songs.

Okay? Okay.

Finis.