The Year in Music
National “Top 10 List” Month is almost over, and there’s been no shortage of ways to listen back nostalgically (or perhaps not?) on the year that was 2008. Everyone from All Hip Hop to New York Magazine and NPR has ranked its favorite mixtapes, and DJs like Semtex and Mick Boogie have dropped their requisite year-end mixes. I won’t make you listen to mine, mostly because I can’t be bothered to upload a playlist. But what I do want to share with you is the second annual “United States of Pop” track from mash-up artiste DJ Earworm. Basically, he takes the Top 25 hits of the year from Billboard and mixes them up into a single track. He also puts together a visual clips using the music videos. Check it out below. Is there any greater testament to the homogeneity of modern pop? The top 25 is dominated completely by “urban acts” and semi-hot women with ok voices (only Mariah Carey has a great voice). And seeing a there is nothing personal about any of these tracks, it’s not suprising that they are so interchangeable. Even the videos don’t feel jarring when they’re interspersed.
Keep documenting history Earworm, for better or for worse. And by the way: has anyone seen a Skillz “Rap Up” yet this year??
