Not 100

For days, our local news media has discussed almost nothing other than the departure of some college sports coach who I'd never heard of until this week.

If the media thinks college sports are so much more important than the health care debate or the economy, then this blog can devote some of its space to stories about pop culture such as music.

This story is about the disconnect displayed in recent years by Billboard's once-respected nationwide Hot 100 music chart.

In my day, the Hot 100 was remarkably accurate. I'm not saying that all the #1 songs were any good. (I was around in 1989, you know.) But as an actual popularity chart, it was a pretty true gauge.

Now, however, the Hot 100 seems like little more than just a damn piece of paper (as Bush would say). Even songs that are huge hits on the Hot 100 are utterly missed by most of the public. The chart still features rock, R&B, country, and other genres, but it now disproportionately rewards tracks that perform well in a single radio format but are virtually absent from all others.

I suppose that can be more useful than many folks give it credit for. I can appreciate that for what it is.

But there's a more serious issue than this, and that's the increased corporate influence that has enabled monopolistic radio corporations, major record labels, and network television series to practically stage-manage the chart. Music that doesn't catch the fancy of some corporate head honcho or the panelists on 'American Idol' is locked out.

Billboard has now released its ranking of the top songs of the decade - based on the Hot 100. The #1 song of the 2000s is one I've never heard of: "We Belong Together" by Mariah Carey. You can find the ranking here:

http://www.billboard.com/charts-decade-end/hot-100-songs?year=2009#/charts-decade-end/hot-100-songs?year=2009

The #1 song of the decade spent 14 weeks at #1 in 2005 - yet I don't remember ever hearing it! Maybe it's because I abandoned radio by 2005. Cincinnati radio has long been America's narrowcast capital, so it's no wonder I couldn't find a station that maintained my interest for more than a few minutes. Still, I know I'm not the only person who had deserted radio - while radio remains one of the primary factors of the Hot 100.

I refer to the 2000s as America's Lost Decade, largely because of Bush's tyranny. If there's one popular song that was a hit during the 2000s that sums up the decade, I think it goes like this: "You had a bad day...The camera don't lie..."