The "Top 500" of the Rock Era?

As a native of the Washington DC suburbs, with two vehicles, a teen near driver, and a tween, even with the advances in technology, riding in the car is a musical challenge. On longer trips, it is 2 IPods in the back seat, and the adults listening to CDs or the radio. Around town, the compromise is often news radio.

But, when it is just me in the car, more often than not, it is 100.3 BIG100 -- playing the music that fits the parameters of this blog.

And every year, for the Memorial Day weekend, with the help of a listener survey, BIG100 does their Top 500 list and countdown. And every year there are the predictable results, and the unpredictable -- along with some that are completely inexplicable.

For example:

Every year, the Beatles dominate with often as much as 10% of the list (more counting solo efforts by each of the 4). And those who know me know that I am TOTALLY fine with this! BUT -- Hey Jude at #120??? Are you kidding???

But, at the same time, once again this year, glaringly absent from the top 25 is Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge Over Troubled Waters -- one of the truly iconic songs of the era. And, even worse, NOWHERE in the 500 is ANY song by either S&G, or Paul Simon alone! Nowhere! James Taylor is there. The Youngbloods are there. Dave Mason is there. Jonathan Edwards is there! All with worthy songs -- but if those are there, where is S&G? It is clearly neither era nor style of music keeping them out? The same for The Band -- also conspicuously absent!

Among the over-represented -- imho -- are 2 acts as diverse as Led Zepellin and Jimmy Buffet -- again proving that the list doesn't skew towards a particular style of music over another!

Another underrepresnted performer -- Elton John -- who got a little love by placing Goodbye Yellow Brick Road into the coveted (at least in my house!) #13 slot. But his iconic Your Song has GOT to come in higher than #165!

And Nights in White Satin deserves higher than #37, and Piano Man #35 -- especially when Zepellin had THREE of the top 30 (and the Beatles only had 2!)! And what about American Pie at #90??!

Some trends ARE understandable. The Who gets an appropriate share of the love overall, but interestingly, their top 3, all in the top 64, happen to be the 3 themes from the CSI franchise. Don't Stop Believing making the top 25, even barely, has GOT to be influenced, for better or worse, by Glee. And the only reason I can see What I Like About You getting in at all is because of its connection to television as well.

Of course, this is exactly the point of such lists -- to get arguments started!! Okay, so I'll bite.

Even better, I will pose this as a series of poll questions, leading up to naming our own Best of the Era list -- with your help.

To start -- I'll pose this question -- Top 5 Artists of the Era. Sounds easy, but good luck!! Post those replies below.

And get ready, because we will move into a series of "best songs from act x" surveys before going for the big one!