I’d agree with you on all fronts if so many of the choices made weren’t so…well, questionable. If 4 terrific songs rose to the top, I might not agree that they were the best 4, but it’s still interesting to see the road those 4 took. But if half the things that come out ahead are merely OK, mediocre, or (to these eyes) fine-but-still-clearly-inferior, then it no longer becomes “fascinating” to see them ascend–just…well, discouraging is too strong a word.
Let’s just say that while I do appreciate the effort you went through, I think this example speaks to how I probably wouldn’t be happy if I were to do something similar if they yielded the same disatisfying results.