Some perspective, as a retrospective. Otherwise known as “how well did I know these artists coming into this countdown?”. Possibly also with how much that’ll change.
Artists I Knew Well: (Say, 25+ Songs known)
The Police, Genesis, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Rush, Green Day, ELO, Foo Fighters, Heart, Elton John
Heck, I still have albums from several of these groups. It was still great to hear these songs again! I just didn’t always have much to say beyond “yes I know and like this song” sometimes. Take an extra helping of <3 if you want.
Artists I Knew Decently (Certainly the hits, but not a deep knowledge):
The Kinks, Stevie Wonder, Warren Zevon, Damian Albarn, Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen, Simon & Garfunkel
Another M-AD thread showed I needed/wanted a Kinks deep dive, so I appreciate it here. Warren Zevon I mostly knew Excitable Boy (the album, thus also the song) and a few others, but there was a lot to discover. Stevie, Ray & Bruce I just never really dived deep into. S&G were probably the closest to the previous category, but there was still a lot of new ground here.
Lists that asked: What Do I Know about These Artists:
Taylor Swift, Chicago, AC/DC
Sure, I can name a handful of huge hits from each of these three. But that wasn't always what appeared on these lists. Disappointing? Perhaps. Yet also a welcome change. A Taylor who’s not saccharine and poppy. Chicago more experimental instead of telling me You’re the Inspiration. AC/DC who had a lot of hits in the list, but also a lot of surprises.
Artists That I Knew A Handful of Songs From (usually but not always the hits):
Todd Rundgren, Modest Mouse, The Decemberists, Donald Fagen, Daft Punk, The Stranglers, Slade, Phish, Frank Black, Clutch, Doves, Spoon, The Prodigy, Bauhaus.
Of these, Doves were the first one I adopted, eager for the playlist by “Ship of Fools” if not earlier. I also marked songs from The Decemberists, Frank Black, and Spoon, so I’ll at least be checking them out farther too. Probably Utopia and some of Todd Rundgren’s other work too.
Artists Where I Don’t Know Anything: (Well, “anything” is a bit of hyperbole for many of these. But I’m referencing a Mad Season song, so it’s appropriate.)
Jorge Ben Jor, Brandi Carlile, Trail of Dead, Sigur Ros, Big Thief, Elliott Smith, Ryan Adams, Dinosaur Jr., The Hold Steady, The Tragically Hip, deadmau5'
The Tragically Hip, THS and Elliott Smith are all definitely getting a few playlist listens. Heck, I’m going to try to give all of these a (second?) chance, though some just have priority. For lack of a better term. Not everything clicked, of course, but I still appreciate the exposure, and lists like this encourage more to go a little obscure. Maybe not next time, but eventually.