I’m a music freak (nerd?), but to protect my [non existent] social reputation I prefer the term geek instead. Nerd? not so much. But music “geek” is less self effacing, and a little bit cute. The requirements are few: an obsession with music, obsession with music information, obsession with declaring one’s own top 40 list, and revising that top 40 list on an obsessively daily basis.
That’s me. So naturally, a few weeks ago when friend Mark Trammell started posting his own version of, what he cleverly titled, the “Naughties 100”; (based on Casey Kasem‘s top 100, broadcast at the end of every decade) I was thrilled. Within two days our mutual friend Ali Watkins joined in; one day later I was participating too. Now Ali, Mark and I are counting down our Naughties 100 on twitter with the same hashtag (#Naughties100) – revealing one album per day until we hit number one.
As I thought more about my list, I considered the lists of those whom I respect most in the digital music industry here in SF and decided to ask them for their top 20 albums of the last 10 years. I wrote to ten specific digital music industry leaders who, in my opinion, have exquisite taste in music – with one interview question; “What is your top 20 of the last decade? Oh, and you have 2 days to send it to me.”
The results were awesome, but the most entertaining part of the exercise was the process of collecting top 20 lists from digital music industry leaders residing in San Francisco – with a 2 day deadline. Suddenly my friends were their own version of Rob Gordon in “High Fidelity” counting down and regularly emailing amendments, with written explanations and apologies.
Over the next two weeks, I’ll be posting those top 20 lists – as listed by Digital Music and Music Tech founders, renegades and inventors of San Francisco who, in my opinion, have the most exquisite taste in town. Making a top ten list of industry friends is not easy either. If I left you out, and you work in digital music and have exquisite taste, you can make your case to me at corey@sfappeal.com.
Tune in tomorrow for our first list, from Birdman Records founder David Katznelson.
To keep track of the daily doses of Naughties 100 from Ali Watkins, Mark Trammell and me follow the Naughties100 hashtag
