Now must not be the best time to be a music critic, considering how social media has given birth to venomous naysayers also known as netizens. That the public is still recovering from the mental strain of the pandemic makes the situation more volatile.
Thus, the updated Greatest Singers list of the globally renowned Rolling Stone magazine stands no chance against people not satisfied with it, in particular, because of the exclusion of some marquee names, including the likes of Madonna, Dionne Warwick, Nat King Cole, and the one whose angry fans triggered the news people to consider the matter worth writing about: Celine Dion.
A quick look at the list may have shocked many. Patsy Cline is placed a notch higher than Freddie Mercury who was the singer behind what’s acknowledged as the greatest live gig after he led Queen at the Live Aid concert in 1985. Same as Mary J. Blige who is ranked higher than Sir Paul McCartney, or the Beatle singer who tracked the high-pitched rock ‘n’ roll “I’m Down,” the sprinting folk rock “I’ve Just Seen A Face,” and the sublime “Yesterday” on the same day.
For her fans and probably everyone who has seen James Cameron’s Titanic, Celine Dion is simply too much of a powerhouse to not make the cut. It may have been fine if she didn’t reach the top 10. But for her not to be anywhere among a bunch of 200 singers deemed greatest felt like, according to a Twitter user, “a crime against humanity.”
The fact there is a backlash shows the importance given by netizens to Rolling Stone. In an era where fans are too entitled to their opinions, not to see their idol on such a credible pool of GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) is a slap on the face and a below-the-belt hit at ego.
Rolling Stone actually pointed out the rationale behind the new list. They noted it is not a Greatest Voices list. By that, it meant that while some singers’ abilities may be “impressive,” some are not necessarily “transcendent.”
The explanation was apparently not enough for fans to stop airing their aggressive thoughts on it.
So how should we address the matter of satisfying everybody when coming up with a GOAT list?
If I am going to spearhead a list of the greatest Filipino singers of all time, I will make sure to include the hugely popular, legitimate icons of the masses. Artists who are favored only by music purists should not be in the conversation, while the critics who can’t be objective must not dominate the voting panel.
How influential the singer is matters much. So does the number of major hits his or her voice has delivered, plus the singing’s technical prowess. In this regard, Regine Velasquez may top such a list. Names like Gary Valenciano, Jose Mari Chan, Sarah Geronimo, Lani Misalucha, Nina, Ely Buendia, Bamboo Manalac, Freddie Aguilar, and Danny Javier are shoo-ins. The list makers can’t do a Celine to national treasure Lea Salonga.
