The Meta-List: The 10 Best Lists of 2008

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5. The Pitchfork 500: Our Guide to the Greatest Songs from Punk to Present
The indie electronic Bible fired a shot across Rolling Stone's bow as canonizer of the 21st century with their publication of their favorite songs since 1977 (coincidently two years prior to RS's publication of its first album guide in 1979). The complete list can be viewed at From Closer to Nearer. The book's cultural impact can be weighed by the fact that it spawned its own lists, including this one: National Post's Most unlikely songs from "The Pitchfork 500" guide to the greatest songs from punk to the present.



4. Tom Moon's 1000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die
Making a quieter splash than the Pitchfork book, veteran music journalist Tom Moon's guide goes back deeper than 1977—much deeper, back past Chet Baker and Count Basie all the way to Johann Sebastian Bach. Curiously, unlike Pitchfork, the entire 1,000 albums are listed online at Moon's site, including several of the full entries. Read his comments on Arcade Fire's Neon Bible, Bright Eyes' I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and The Decemberists' The Crane Wife—three of my favorite recent albums.



3. Pop Candy's Top 100 People of 2008
We love Whitney Matheson's entertainment blog at USA Today, and we love that she lumps all her favorite entertaining figures in one giant list that includes Neil Patrick Harris, The Fleet Foxes, Greta Gerwig, Aziz Ansari, Deerhunter and Wall-E—several of which she's begun interviewing. From well-known actors to (relatively) obscure graphic novelists, it's a fun look back at some people who made 2008 much more enjoyable for all of us. Tina Fey quite rightly tops the list.



2. Esquire's Best Bars
An annual tradition, Esquire got it right this year by including The Brick Store Pub here in Decatur, which offers hundreds of varieties of heaven in a glass—but not just any ol' glass. Most beers are served in stemware specific to the brand because they take their beer that seriously. It's Cheers, my second office, my softball team and the heart of the city—everything you could ever ask for in a pub, including walking distance home on those evenings where we win a playoff game and beer is followed by Jameson. Maybe next year, they'll also realize that Trappeze in Athens, Ga., has quickly surpassed The Globe in every way. But kudos for recognizing Chicago's Hopleaf and Brooklyn's Spuyten Duyvil in Brooklyn.



1. 20 Album Covers Recreated in Legos
After spending a couple hours on a helicopter with my 4-year-old the day after Christmas, I can safely say that a lot of love went into this venture. It features lego recreations of famous album covers from folks like The Beatles, Muse, Morrissey, Norah Jones and Nirvana (pictured above).