Looking at the list, a more descriptive title would be “Songs That Are Burned Into the American Consciousness.”
These are (with few exceptions) the songs that nearly every American recognizes. They are the songs that show up repeatedly in movie soundtracks, get covered by many groups, show up in commercials, get sung at gatherings, etc. It does not appear to be an attempt to compile a list of the “best” songs.
TLC is on that list. Automatic failure.
Well, they must not have asked all that many students because the highest charting 1990s song was Nirvana’s “Smells like Teen Spirit” at #80! Granted, it wasn’t the best decade of the century musically, but I have difficulty taking them seriously when they completely omit the Smashing Pumpkins.
I too I’m surprised then that Billy Ray Cyrus made the cut. It was significant though, but then several songs (‘Hazard’, which I’ve already mentioned, from the same year ('92), for one) that are, aren’t on.
<bitch mode: engage>
The RIAA is simply looking to sell its music to schools under the heading of “curriculum.” They sure aren’t going to give away the materials for this business. And we couldn’t teach kids classic folk songs in the public domain, could we? Nope, they have to learn all these licensed songs, and the RIAA recoups some of that money they lost from Napster.
Explain to me why we need to teach Destiny’s Child (#363) in schools at all, please.
Here’s the press release
http://www.nea.gov/endownews/news01/songs.html
Thank God for the Sonny Bono Copyright Extension Act so that America’s “musical heritage” is owned by the major labels in perpetuity.
<bitch mode: disengage>
‘I Believe I Can Fly’.
I didn’t see that the first time! :mad:
“You Are My Sunshine”? SAPPY???
Ahem:
Funny how those last couple of verses don’t make it on all those sweetness ‘n’ light homepages, eh? 
</end hijack>
[sub]Sorry…I’ve been listening to the “Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack for a couple of weeks now…