Rant #1,929: Simply the Best

We all have our favorites in various things that we like to do.

We have our favorite movies, we have our favorite music, we also tend to have our favorite people, favorite foods, and our favorite clothes to wear.

One of my favorites is not Rolling Stone Magazine. I find it kind of an anomaly, a popular magazine that has no clue what it really is. Is it a music magazine, a culture magazine, a liberal magazine, an entertainment magazine, or is it a magazine that takes itself far too seriously to be taken seriously at all?

I just don't know.

But I have to say that they just released an interesting list, the Top 25 movie soundtracks of all time.

Now, you are not going to get "The Wizard of Oz" or anything like that on here; you are going to get the Top 25 rock and roll-related soundtracks, or at least the Top 25 rock and roll soundtracks released during the rock and roll generation, and that is about it.

But the albums that they put on the list are actually pretty good, pretty interesting fodder for discussion.

There really is something on here for everyone, and if you collect vinyl, in particular, this list should greatly interest you, because just about every soundtrack named came out during the vinyl era.

The list contains such incredible soundtracks as music from the likes of artists like the Beatles (natch!); Elvis Presley (sort of natch!); Jimmy Cliff; the Ramones; Simon and Garfunkel; and the Monkees.

The list also contains movie soundtracks which are basically compilation of songs which fit the particular movie in question, like "Saturday Night Fever;" "American Graffiti;" "Boogie Nights,;"GoodFellas;" "Easy Rider; and "Trainspotting."

Let's see if you can figure out the soundtrack that topped the list.

I will give you a minute, and no, I don't agree with its ranking, but I can't disagree with its placement, if you get my drift.

Figured it out yet?

No, it isn't "Purple Rain," and no, it is nothing by acts like the Dave Clark Five, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Herman's Hermits, or other popular artists who starred in films with accompanying soundtracks, whose movie albums didn't even make this list.

OK, here goes ...

It is "Help!" by the Beatles.

I can't argue with that choice, other than to say I probably would have chosen "A Hard Day's Night," but that's me.

And yes, "Magical Mystery Tour" is on the list, which I don't completely understand, but I also love that album, which was only an album in the U.S., collecting music from the mini-movie of the same name and some errant tunes that would not have made it onto any other Beatles' album if not for this one.

But yes, it is "Help!"

What makes this even a more mysterious choice is that they don't even choose the American issue of this LP, but the British issue, or the version released on CD here some years ago, but not back in 1965, of course.

Here is an excerpt of what they said and why they chose it:

"The Beatles' second movie was a light Swinging London goof, but the real action is on the soundtrack. It was a fond farewell to mop-top sweetness, paving the way for the groundbreaking experimentation of Rubber Soul. … with some of the Beatles' most mind-bogglingly great songs – including the title track, "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," "Yesterday" and "Ticket To Ride" – surrounded by Paul McCartney's R&B burner "The Night Before" and cute, lovely tunes like "I've Just Seen a Face," a still-underrated track … . The truncated American version's second side was taken up by the film's orchestral score, so Yanks had to wait until the Eighties CD reissues to hear what they'd been missing."

Huh? Got that?

The original U.S. soundtrack should stand on its own, and not the CD reissue, but again, this is Rolling Stone, what do you expect.

Neither here nor there, as usual, as I explained up top.

And what's wrong with the orchestral score, and from the likes of Sir George Martin yet?

Well, the list makes nice water cooler fodder, but I can't put too much into it.

Half the stuff I would have put on there is nowhere to be found--how about "The Minx" by the Cyrkle--but that's Rolling Stone for you.

At least "Head" is there, so I really can't argue too much with any list that includes both the Beatles and Monkees.

Check the list out for yourself at http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/lists/the-25-greatest-soundtracks-of-all-time-20130829/help-1965-19691231