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To the Editors at Rolling Stone Magazine

ZEKE1973ZEKE1973 Posts: 14
edited May 2011 in The Porch
To the Editors at Rolling Stone Magazine,

I picked up a copy of the RS “500 Greatest Songs Ever” last week at the airport.
For the most part it’s a pretty comprehensive list that no doubt includes some of the best artists and songs I have ever heard (of).

That being said, I can’t imagine how Pearl Jam doesn’t appear at least once or even a few times on a list of 500 songs (it's not like it’s a very limited list like top 10 or 50 etc.)

Since I want this letter to see the light of day I’ll keep it short.
I’ll hold back from questioning how its possible that Kelly Clarkson, or Rihanna with songs like “Umbrella Ella Ella” made the cut, but you didn’t list a single recording from Pearl Jam’s Ten, Vs., or Vitalogy.

Pearl Jam is such a generous and gracious band, their live shows are second to none, and Eddie Vedder is one of the most -if not THE MOST prolific writers around today.

A simple “it was it an over site” or an addendum to the list will suffice.

Thanks in advance,

Zeke Abraham
Brooklyn, NY
zeke
Post edited by Unknown User on
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Comments

  • InsideManInsideMan Posts: 261
    RS magazine has declined over the years. This is a perfect example of why I don't purchase it anymore.
    2009: Philly 3 & 4
    2010: Newark, MSG I
    2011: EV Philly
    2012: Philly MIA
    2013: Wrigley, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Philly 1 & 2, Baltimore
  • ZEKE1973ZEKE1973 Posts: 14
    Well I sent it in none the less. I couldn't hold back.
    zeke
  • jester59388jester59388 Posts: 150
    I remember the Women of Rock issue from a few years ago and was flabbergasted that they somehow managed to not mention Chrissy Hynde of the Pretenders while including a whole bunch of female nobodies, most of whom didn't even qualify as Rock. It was a disgrace. They did acknowledge the mistake later, however, in response to the outrage which poured through their mailslot. So, maybe there is a chance that your letter will at least see print.
    a fool not a fucking god ....
  • chris32482chris32482 Posts: 213
    RS is probably still pissed off at Eddie because of his rant in Cincinnati in 2006. I was at that show, it was pretty funny. It's on the bootleg right after "Leash". Some guy passed up a copy of RS with Eddie on the cover and then Ed went off on a tangent about how it was supposed to be the whole band on the cover and they told Rolling Stone not to just put Eddie on there but they did anyway. Then he said something like "at home I have about 50 copies of this, and every time I take a shit, I go like this..." and he wipes his ass with it.
  • MisterEtake2MisterEtake2 Posts: 404
    Did the editors pick the songs, or was the list compiled by a vote of 20 or 30 people in the music industry?
  • A satellite forever orbitingA satellite forever orbiting Posts: 1,888
    chris32482 wrote:
    RS is probably still pissed off at Eddie because of his rant in Cincinnati in 2006.

    exactly! the music industry is full of petty little people with giant egos. i worked for a major label for a year and a half. i've witnessed the sliminess first-hand.
    If nothing is everything, I'll have it all
  • Hugh Freaking DillonHugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
    RS has turned into what most music/entertainment magazines have turned into over the years: a big book of advertisements. The articles themselves are ads. They are a slave to their advertisers, as readership has declined thousand-fold since the advent of the net. Nobody buys the printed word anymore.
    Gimli 1993
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    St. Paul 2014
  • Hugh Freaking DillonHugh Freaking Dillon Posts: 14,010
    I've often wondered if the special edition of Spin magazine with Eddie flipping the bird is actually Eddie flipping the bird to Rolling Stone.
    Gimli 1993
    Fargo 2003
    Winnipeg 2005
    Winnipeg 2011
    St. Paul 2014
  • GmoneyGmoney Posts: 1,618
    Billy Pumpkin wrote:
    RS has turned into what most music/entertainment magazines have turned into over the years: a big book of advertisements. The articles themselves are ads. They are a slave to their advertisers, as readership has declined thousand-fold since the advent of the net. Nobody buys the printed word anymore.
    exactly. f rolling stone
    Further back and forth a wave will break on me, today...
  • ComeToTXComeToTX Austin Posts: 7,973
    what a joke
    This show, another show, a show here and a show there.
  • jamburgerjamburger Posts: 1,775
    Sending that letter to an editor would be your best bet. :!:
  • Gonzo1977Gonzo1977 Posts: 1,696
    Just look who is on the cover this week.

    That pretty much says it all.

    Stop wasting your time.

    This magazine has been nothing more than painted toilet paper for the last 20 years.

    Their lists have always sucked.
  • hopethatuchokehopethatuchoke Posts: 2,927
    I'm wondering why they sent Rolling Stone a copy of Backspacer for review if they hate them so much? I also remember seeing David Fricke, one of their top guys and a very reputable writer, at the Irving Plaza show in 2006 up in the VIP area on the balcony. If they really truly hated RS, why would they give him a VIP pass?

    Kids....don't believe everything Eddie says on stage. If I had a buck for every show I have been to where Ed said they worked with the venue to extend the curfew....and then they played till the normal time pre-curfew....i'd have like $10 :lol: The band needs Rolling Stone more than ever now that they are on their own. Getting Backspacer reviewed in RS was a HUGE source of publicity.

    There isn't really a good music mag anymore. Maybe because there is little good music being produced these days. Spin is nothing but hipster crap for the most part. What other ones are there?
  • LiftedLifted Posts: 1,836
    ZEKE1973 wrote:
    Eddie Vedder is one of the most -if not THE MOST prolific writers around today.

    this part doesn't make much sense, but i agree, they could've thrown at least one pj song in there.
  • Jearlpam0925Jearlpam0925 Deep South Philly Posts: 17,383
    Why do people care about this shit? I just don't get it.
  • WM31482WM31482 New York, NY Posts: 563
    A satellite forever orbiting wrote:
    chris32482 wrote:
    RS is probably still pissed off at Eddie because of his rant in Cincinnati in 2006.

    exactly! the music industry is full of petty little people with giant egos. i worked for a major label for a year and a half. i've witnessed the sliminess first-hand.


    there's no bad blood there

    and interesting how this was the RS news you picked up on today of all things...
  • LaterDaysLaterDays Posts: 142
    hopethatuchoke wrote:
    There isn't really a good music mag anymore. Maybe because there is little good music being produced these days. Spin is nothing but hipster crap for the most part. What other ones are there?

    I think it has probably has more to do with the fact that print "journalism" (a term I'm obviously using loosely) has quickly become outdated and unprofitable. I was a teenager in the mid to late 90s, and I subscribed to RS and Spin... plus I bought every issue of Circus and Hit Parade (I think that was the name anyway) that had a good article on PJ, SG, or AIC (as long as it had pictures too). And that was the norm for kids my age. Today there's an App for that (and it's free). Less $ for the company translates to a diminished quality of staff.

    And there's plenty of good music being produced out there, it's just not mainstream: Okkervil River, the National, Wilco, the Decemberists, Modest Mouse, My Morning Jacket, Bon Iver, etc.
    "You are everything, and everything is you. Me, you... you, me -- it's all related."
  • LaterDaysLaterDays Posts: 142
    ZEKE1973 wrote:
    To the Editors at Rolling Stone Magazine,

    I picked up a copy of the RS “500 Greatest Songs Ever” last week at the airport.
    For the most part it’s a pretty comprehensive list that no doubt includes some of the best artists and songs I have ever heard (of).

    That being said, I can’t imagine how Pearl Jam doesn’t appear at least once or even a few times on a list of 500 songs (it's not like it’s a very limited list like top 10 or 50 etc.)

    ...

    A simple “it was it an over site” or an addendum to the list will suffice.

    Thanks in advance,

    There's no doubt in my mind that half a dozen PJ songs would've made the list had the band called it quits 10 years ago. The lack of recognition is bullshit, sure, but I wouldn't give up a single track (Evacuation doesn't count) from any of their last 5 albums for all the RS recognition in the world.
    "You are everything, and everything is you. Me, you... you, me -- it's all related."
  • WM31482WM31482 New York, NY Posts: 563
    I love that out of all the people I've seen complaining about this list on the board- not one person has mentioned this-

    "The extensive panel of voters included Pearl Jam star Jeff Ament, Devendra Banhart, punk icon Jello Biafra, Mary J. Blige, Jack Bruce, Coldplay star Will Champion, Yoko Ono, Jakob Dylan and My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way."
  • tremorstremors Posts: 8,051
    Yeah I have it too - is a decent read to dip into, I've not scoured every page, so I assumed PJ would be in it at least ONCE!

    Bastards. Just glancing at pg 86 which has some good reviews of songs , including this one

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaQkaY5-OVk

    another Stevie Wonder Harmonic solo!!
    Cancel my subscription to the Ressurection
    Send my credentials to the house of detention

    lettherecordsplay1x.gif?t=1377796878
  • Cradles Broken GlassCradles Broken Glass Posts: 1,409
    Nothing Rolling Stone does surprises me. I used to be a loyal subscriber, finally one day I went to the mail box and there was a teeny-bopper on the cover in a pose that could have made it easy to mistake the magazine for a Playboy...that's when I drew the line. It's actually sad to consider what it used to be and look at it now. That magazine needs a serious make-over. Now, I subscribe to Spin and no complaints so far.
    Hearts and thoughts they fade....
    fade away...

    I am at peace with my lust.....for Eddie.
  • tremorstremors Posts: 8,051
    Cradles Broken Glass wrote:
    Nothing Rolling Stone does surprises me. I used to be a loyal subscriber, finally one day I went to the mail box and there was a teeny-bopper on the cover in a pose that could have made it easy to mistake the magazine for a Playboy...that's when I drew the line. It's actually sad to consider what it used to be and look at it now. That magazine needs a serious make-over. Now, I subscribe to Spin and no complaints so far.


    Yeah sometimes the line needs to be drawn
    Cancel my subscription to the Ressurection
    Send my credentials to the house of detention

    lettherecordsplay1x.gif?t=1377796878
  • dwhite76dwhite76 Posts: 2,801
    I was at the supermarket and seen this list also. I was sooooo shocked not one PJ song. I totally forgot to say something about this miss justice. Im glad to see fellow 10 clubbers picked up my slack. Some of the songs on the list should not of ever been written never mind in the top 500. Not one Pearl Jam song SAD :cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:
    Some words when spoken...Can't be taken back...
  • tremorstremors Posts: 8,051
    dwhite76 wrote:
    I was at the supermarket and seen this list also. I was sooooo shocked not one PJ song. I totally forgot to say something about this miss justice. Im glad to see fellow 10 clubbers picked up my slack. Some of the songs on the list should not of ever been written never mind in the top 500. Not one Pearl Jam song SAD :cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry::cry:


    Let's play C3
    Cancel my subscription to the Ressurection
    Send my credentials to the house of detention

    lettherecordsplay1x.gif?t=1377796878
  • SolarWorldSolarWorld Posts: 1,902
    Seems like a slight to completely omit them from the list.
  • tremorstremors Posts: 8,051
    WM31482 wrote:
    I love that out of all the people I've seen complaining about this list on the board- not one person has mentioned this-

    "The extensive panel of voters included Pearl Jam star Jeff Ament, Devendra Banhart, punk icon Jello Biafra, Mary J. Blige, Jack Bruce, Coldplay star Will Champion, Yoko Ono, Jakob Dylan and My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way."

    Yeah that's a very good point.

    The panel meeting probably went something like this

    Yoko: We definitely need Alive to feature highly
    Jakob: You're fucking joking, it's got to be Present Tense or something else from No Code
    Yoko: You need your frickin head examining Jake, nobody's heard of any of that shit
    Jakob: You are gonna feel my fist in a minute woman
    Jeff: Look guys, don't worry about it, just leave us off the list entirely! 's fine.....
    Cancel my subscription to the Ressurection
    Send my credentials to the house of detention

    lettherecordsplay1x.gif?t=1377796878
  • WM31482WM31482 New York, NY Posts: 563
    Right, bc that's what I meant...

    Let me be a little more clear- I'm agreeing with this guy:
    by Jearlpam0925 » 23 Jun 2010 16:20

    Why do people care about this shit? I just don't get it.

    Most of us do not-
    And since we're not not really the target audiencre, that means our band doesn't make it in
  • MisterEtake2MisterEtake2 Posts: 404
    WM31482 wrote:
    I love that out of all the people I've seen complaining about this list on the board- not one person has mentioned this-

    "The extensive panel of voters included Pearl Jam star Jeff Ament, Devendra Banhart, punk icon Jello Biafra, Mary J. Blige, Jack Bruce, Coldplay star Will Champion, Yoko Ono, Jakob Dylan and My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way."

    Because knee-jerk reaction rules. That's the beauty of the internet. It gives everyone a voice even if it's completely misinformed.
  • Bugs29Bugs29 Posts: 96
    how official are these rankings? :)
  • ZEKE1973ZEKE1973 Posts: 14
    All this nonsense about Eddie wiping his ass with RS magazine is pure crap. The whole thing is insignificant really, and part of me is happy that PJ isn’t on their list; it’s just a matter of the lack of respect for the work they have put out.
    This is a list of the 500 best songs ever.
    It’s not the 500 best songs ever by an artist who didn’t wipe his ass with our magazine, or 500 best songs by artists who we deem morally fit for our magazine.
    Jerry Lee Lewis (a legend in my mind) married his 13 year old cousin for f**ks sake (Great Balls of Fire #96).
    This isn’t a morality contest. Although PJ would win in that area too.
    zeke
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