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So here we go again…2008 is not over yet, but the “Best of” lists have already started popping up everywhere, including in the latest issue of Rolling Stone Magazine.  Again, I’m still confused as to why I even bother reading this magazine, but my subscription hasn’t run out yet, so until then, I will continue to read, and continue to rant, because this magazine is proving to have the music taste of a 14 year old girl.

First of all, how can you make a “Best of 2008″ list when the year isn’t over?  I’m guessing they got the advance copy, but Fall Out Boy’s new album hasn’t even come out yet…seems like a pretty big omission.  Not that I expect Fall Out Boy to top my list this year, but I don’t think it’s arguable to say that their album will probably be better than the Jonas Brothers, who come in at #40…I mean, seriously?  I don’t listen to their music, but did anyone watch their halftime show during the Thanksgiving football game?  It was the most awkward, uncomfortable and talentless performance I’ve ever seen…that alone was enough for me to not need to listen to the album…ever.

But back to the list…I am happy to see Santogold at #6, but to see Guns n’ Roses at #12– ahead of Kings of Leon who is only #20–confuses the hell out of me.  Anyone who doesn’t put “Only by the Night” in their top 10 this year does not have music taste that I think is worthy of any sort of publication, and if you are my friend, and don’t agree, I may have to re-evaluate our friendship.

Here’s the rest of Rolling Stone Magazine’s top 20 list:
1.  TV on the Radio “Dear Science”
2.  Bob Dylan “Tell Tale Signs – The Bootleg Series”
3.  Lil Wayne “The Carter II”
4.  My Morning Jacket “Evil Urges”
5.  John Mellencamp “Life, Death, Love and Freedom”
6.  Santogold “Santogold”
7.  Coldplay “Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends”
8.  Beck “Modern Guilt”
9.  Metallica “Death Magnetic”
10.  Vampire Weekend “Vampire Weekend”
11. Fleet Foxes “Fleet Foxes”
12.  Guns n’ Roses “Chinese Democracy
13.  Blitzen Trapper “Furr”
14.  Ryan Adams and the Cardinals “Cardinology”
15.  The Black Keys “Attack and Release”
16.  Randy Newman “Harps and Angels”
17.  B.B. King “One Kind Favor”
18.  Lucinda Williams “Little Honey”
19.  Erykah Badu “New Amerykah: Part 1 (4th World War)”
20.  Kings of Leon “Only by the Night”

I’m not gonna lie, I haven’t even heard all those albums, nor have I heard nearly close to all the albums that were released, but I’ve heard some darn good ones, that I guarantee are better than Lil Wayne.  I’ll say it again, seriously?! Number 3?  The chorus of his hit song is “She she  licked me like a lollipop (yeah)”, repeated 4 times.  That’s deserving of #3??  That song is everything that’s wrong with hip hop.  I understand they want to cover all the genres, but they didn’t think T.I.’s “Paper Trails” might be more deserving of a spot?

As always, they still gave their number one spot to weird experimental music, in this case–TV on the Radio. It’s not a bad choice for number one…”Dear Science” is a good album…I’m not sure it’s deserving of #1 though…but it’s a much more respectable option than their #1 spot for top singles, which went to Beyonce for “Single Ladies”…

Don’t get me wrong, I love Beyonce and admire her for her talent, ambition and class, but this is the song of the year?  If any of her songs should have made the list, it should have been the more thoughtful song “If I Were a Boy”.  The rest of their top 10 is actually respectable…except of course, #5 which is none other than “Lollipop”…

The rest of Rolling Stone’s top 10 best singles of the year:
1.  Beyonce “Single Ladies”
2.  Santogold “LES Artistes”
3.  MGMT “Time to Pretend”
4.  Blitzen Trapper “Furr”
5.  Lil Wayne “Lollipop”
6.  Beck “Gamma Ray”
7.  Estelle Ft. Kanye West “American Boy”
8.  My Morning Jacket “I’m Amazed”
9.  Coldplay “Viva la Vida”
10.  T.I. “No Matter What”

Another year has almost gone by, and another bad list has been made by Rolling Stone.  Their bad judgment of hip hop music and token experimental music overtaking good rock and roll has yet again produced two “Best of 2008″ lists that breaks any true rockers heart.

My best of 2008 list is in the works and will be out soon…but not before the last New Music Tuesday of the year.  And you better bet that there won’t be any Lil Wayne or Beyonce, but there will be plenty of Indie gems that might have slipped under your radar.

…keep rockin…