The novel which inspired this fine Top Five page, High Fidelity, by Nick Hornby, is now available in paperback. "The New York Times Book Review," August 18, 1996, page 32, says this: "Rob, the narrator, is so obsessed with pop culture that he has difficulty separating it from his real life." Cheers, Rob. This issue’s Rob Page salutes the power of pop culture. These are five songs I thought I loved but later realized were Worse Than Garbage.
1. "Nothing Compares 2 U"--Sinead O’Connor. This song moved me in 1990. The reason I hate it now has less to do with Sinead’s universal unpopularity than with The Artist Formerly Known as Prince’s irritating abbreviations.
2. "Tennessee"--Arrested Development. At one point I believed that the soprano coloratura at the end of this song was highly estimable. Then I realized that Speech and his lot should get over themselves.
3. "2 Fine People"--Cat Stevens. I know it’s schmaltz, but I liked this song for a while in eleventh grade. About the same time I had a crush on this guy in my Anatomy class who loved Zeppelin. I got over it.
4. "Creep"--Radiohead. This one is the radio’s fault. We were all amazed they said "fuckin’" on the radio! They said it again! I bought the tape, which I now file under "Brit Has-Beens."
5. "2 Princes"--Spin Doctors. Deserves to be baked in a pie.