No Dylan in Top 100 albums

There’s absolutely nothing by Dylan in the latest Top 100, a ranking of poprock albums by UK sales, compiled by the Official UK Charts Company for broadcast on VH1 this weekend.

Nothing. Nowt. Nada. Rien.

It’s a struggle to find a single album for grown-ups – nothing by the Rolling Stones, either… or Neil Young… Van the Man… Joni Mitchell… Laughing Lennie…, or the Smiths… Joy Division… Roxy Music… the Fall… you could go on listing the worthy missing for ages.

So, what makes the Hot 100? You really wouldn’t want to know - suffice to say it’s wall-to-wall crap. Further proof, if it were needed, that there really is no accounting for popular taste. Or, to put it more bluntly, most music buyers have infantile taste.

The new ranking is a salutary reminder that, in the wider music market, Dylan is a minority taste.



Gerry Smith