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Friday, July 27, 2012

Top Ten Lists OR The Agony and the Ecstasy

John Cusack in High Fidelity
A few days ago, I felt like I'd stepped into the novel High Fidelity by Nick Hornby. The novel's endearing anti-hero, Rob, played by John Cusack in the movie, is a record store owner and pop culture and list-making obsessive. Rob and and his record store co-workers are constantly creating "Top Five" lists, such as the Top Five Elvis Costello Songs and Top Five Favorite Records.

Now, on the face of it, this sounds like a fun exercise, and it can be. But as I tried to create a list of my own Top Ten CDs for the library's Staff Picks page, I found myself obsessing over what to include à la Rob and his friends. How many and which Bruce Springsteen CDs to include? Is three too many? (Nope.) How can I decide between the Beatles White Album and the 1967-1970 compilation I listened to incessantly as a teen? (I didn't. I ultimately selected 1, a compilation of their singles. While music purists like Rob might mock that choice, it IS the Beatles CD I listen to most these days--it's the one on my iPod.)

My final list can be viewed on the library's Staff Picks page here. You can also easily access the Staff Picks page by clicking on the link on the catalog homepage. (It's on a tab on the upper portion of the page, right next to the bestsellers link.)

There's something for everyone on the Staff Picks page, from Cathy's Top Documentary Films to Ms_Fitz's Top Nonfiction Picks to Teen Librarian Joanie's Teen Fiction Picks. There's even a Top Magazine List--Jackie's picks, including some lesser-known but really cool magazines like Tin House and Bust.

Inspired to create your own lists? You can do so in our online catalog. After logging in to your account, go to My DPPL, click on My Lists under My Collections, and select Create a New List.

Want to create a Top Five List of your own, à la High Fidelity? Share one in the comments section below!

4 comments:

Lester Bangs said...

The top 10 rock albums of all time are indisputably:

1. Revolver, The Beatles
2. Abbey Road, The Beatles
3. Eat a Peach, The Allman Bros
4. Led Zeppelin 11
5. Night and Day, Joe Jackson
6. Phoebe Snow (self-titled and sort of jazzy)
7. 4-Way Street, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
8. Court and Spark, Joni Mitchell
9. Asa, Steely Dan
10. Some Girls, The Rolling Stones

Tracy G. said...

I know some of my favorite albums tell a story throughout. Here are my top 5 Story Albums

1. The Love Below, Andre 3000
2. The College Dropout, Kanye West
3. Morning View, Incubus
4. The Con, Tegan and Sara
5. Three Cheers for Sweet Revenge, My Chemical Romance

Laura Adler said...

Thanks for posting, Lester Bangs fan and Tracy G! My list is more than a little heavy with classic rock and retro (such as Amy Winehouse), so I appreciate Tracy's list of more current artists--and on albums that tell a story, no less!

Further food for thought: Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time (No. 1 is Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band). Below is the link.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531

Linda K. said...

My top 10 off-the-wall favorite humor books:
1. Native Tongue - Carl Hiaasen
2. Going Postal - Terry Pratchett
3. Big Trouble - Dave Barry
4. Triggerfish Twist - Tim Dorsey
5. Supreme Courtship - Christopher Buckley
6. Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
7. Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove - Christopher Moore
8. Rabbit Factory - Marshall Karp
9. Gil's All Fright Diner - A. Lee Martinez
10. Tropical Depression - Laurence Shames

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