You know, the ones like: “Hey guys! Let’s make a list of all the singers who have a “W” in their name”, or
“Movies where the hero wears a hat”, or
“Name all the TV shows that take place in Illinois”, or what have you.
What’s the point of this? Just sayin’, that’s all…
Partly, it’s the challenge of coming up with examples that nobody else remembered (especially if you come to the thread late.)
Partly, it’s reading the list and going, “Oh, yeah! I loved that show/movie/song.”
It’s easy enough not to open them if you don’t like them, you know. The titles are pretty obvious.
Willie Nelson
Ray Wylie Hubbard
Umm… I’m almost positive those are the only two.
Well, them and Barry White.
Wynonna.
Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Chicago Hope.
What do I win?
Hank Williams
The Maltese Falcon
Roseanne
Seriously, though. With all the intelligent and well-educated people here, why does the music discussion in CS tend to be either “What’s this song?” or “Let’s list some stuff!”?
Why a specific query is made depends very much on the individidual OP. In the musical themed threads where no reason for asking is given, I always operate under the assumption the person is making a custom mix.
I personally don’t know why Hometownboy asked: Help me find all the rock songs with that Bo Diddley riff
in the last Cafe Society blanks that have blank query poll I responded to.
I answered without caring what the reason was. If the thread didn’t interest me, I would’ve moved on without making a mental note. I DO know that the answers given don’t show as a comprehensive list anywhere on the internet and would bet the tracks listed would make a pretty good CD-R or internet radio program.
Does it really matter? It’s all relative. Try this experiement: Start a thread asking posters here to list 5 current threads they find most non-sensical. You’d be hard pressed find many duplicate choices between posters. Some people read the classics. Others only read non-fiction. Most don’t read at all.
Potatoes/Potahtoes. Tomaytoes/Tomahtoes. Some have found Dave Marsh’s ‘Book of Rock Lists’ an entertaining read, orthers wouldn’t even leave a used copy on their toilet tank.
I know I’m pulling this out of context, but the idea that a lot of Dopers don’t read would go a long way to explain some of the replies I’m seeing lately.
:snerk:
Except even that usually gets ruined, because someone invariably comes along and says: “Here’s a link to a website with an exhaustive list.” :smack:
No, it doesn’t matter. My question was rhetorical. You didn’t pick up on that?
Warren Zevon.
I think it’s because people are listening to a song, and notice something unusual, and they wonder if there are any other songs that have the same unusual thing. So they post about it.
I always take those threads as a personal challenge to come up with a legitimate answer from the 1910s (“Florence LaBadie!” “Fatty and Mabel Adrift!” “I Didn’t Raise My Boy to be a Soldier!”) and make people go, “Who? Whu’?”
And that’s why I learn so much in those threads. Please do continue.
Brian Wilson
True Grit
Married With Children
(I do love a trivia challenge…)
Paul Hewson (aka Bono)
Gone With The Wind
The Real World (Chicago) 
I spend most of my time in CS and I have to say you’re batting 1000 with me. 
Since you guys like inane trivia challenges so much, I’ll give you some even easier ones:
Name all songs that have guitar solos in them.
Name all movie titles that contain the word “the”.
Name all TV shows where one of the characters is a mother.
Name all TV shows where any of the characters works in an office.
Name all games that use either dice or cards.
Knock yourselves out. 