God, 'ruined, quiet dignity' is a stunning description of Bubs.

This just needed to be said twice.

Misha, that dress is gorgeous!

I was going to do the high school songs thing, but I realized I would listen to about half of them in the same way I would watch a car wreck, so it didn't seem a true test.

It's All Coming Back To Me Now, Celine Dion (The ONE Celine song I can stand, seriously. It's just sexy somehow.)

I rather like this one, too. Produced by Jim Steinman, so the bombast of the vocals and the bombast of the instrumentals balance each other out.

But I also think Dion made a mistake in giving up the up-tempo songs.

Whoa. I only know about 20% of the songs from 1998. Ones that would not immediately cause me to change the radio station:

3. You're Still The One, Shania Twain
5. How Do I Live, LeAnn Rimes
14. Gettin' Jiggy Wit, Will Smith
20. Adia, Sarah McLachlan
22. Everybody (Backstreet's Back), Backstreet Boys
25. This Kiss, Faith Hill
28. Sex And Candy, Marcy Playground
35. Tubthumping, Chumbawamba
37. I Want You Back, 'N Sync
51. One Week, Barenaked Ladies
75. Ray Of Light, Madonna
79. Bitter Sweet Symphony, The Verve
83. The Mummers' Dance, Loreena McKennitt
87. Foolish Games / You Were Meant For Me, Jewel

I have a far greater tolerance for silly pop songs now than I did in high school, since only 3 or 4 of those would have made the list at the time.

Also,

39. They Don't Know, Jon B.

Jon B.! You've been holding out on us.

edited for formatting, duh.

Thank you. My descriptive sense soaks up the props.

In retrospect, 1984 (high school), still looks pretty great, and 1989 (college), is still pretty awful. Further down the list 1989 has stuff I like, but the top of the list -- the hard-to-escape songs that color the overall view -- is ghastly. The summer of 1984 OTOH was dominated by Purple Rain, "Ghostbusters," Tina Turner, "Jump" and "Jump (for My Love)", and Born in the USA. Granted I didn't, and still don't, like "Dancing in the Dark" but the rest of the album is great. Prince just blew up with Purple Rain. I was miserable but the music wasn't.

Which, geographically, would be the Riverbend section of New Orleans over by Tulane.

I don't have "Meet De Boys on De Battlefront" with me, nor could I find the lyrics online, so I'm not sure if there's a textual basis for thinking the battlefront is Riverbend, but in my experience the Mardi Gras Indians aren't near Tulane. I'm curious about your geographical contention.

Now I kind of respect her for doing her own thing

How can you respect someone who doesn't know the meaning of "ironic"?

How can you respect someone who doesn't know the meaning of "ironic"?

I said I respected her seemingly-generally-independent career path, not that I wanted her to tutor me in AP English.

I look at the list for 1987, and think, "This was not my 1987":

13. Don't Dream It's Over, Crowded House

15. With Or Without You, U2

23. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For, U2

60. Sign 'O' The Times, Prince

98. (You Gotta) Fight For Your Right To Party, Beastie Boys

There are a couple of artists on the list that I like but the enjoyment of the songs was killed by their ubiguity. (Luka, by Suzanne Vega)

God, 'ruined, quiet dignity' is a stunning description of Bubs.

This just needed to be said twice.

Three times. I believe I'm going to use it (giving credit where credit's due, natch) at the earliest opportunity.

And Jim, I hear you on the unevenness of that episode, although the moment where Wallace gets it knocked my teeth out. I think Pelacanos integrated his style with the show better in Season Two, when he was less about his cred and more about the story and characters.

Also, I believe Alanis would consider it ironic that people on this thread don't like her music. She would also consider it ironic that some do.

(Luka, by Suzanne Vega)

That was ubiquitous? It was, like, my first favorite song that wasn't everyone else in my class's favorite song as well, so I shall always look upon it with fondness.

Oddly, I do sometimes change the station for "I Still Haven't Found...". I just can't deal with Bono in prophet mode some days.