Dec 27, 2012 — If you put together a list of the 100 "best lists," what might you mention? The New Yorker suggests they include Carlin's seven dirty words, Van Halen's famous "no brown M&M's" contract rider, and the lineup for baseball's greatest team. Is there a list to be made of the lists that were missed?
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George Carlin in 1981. The comedian's seven dirty words made the list of best lists. (Getty Images)
George Carlin, Van Halen & '27 Yankees Land On One Great 'Best Lists' List
by Mark Memmott
Dec 27, 2012 — If you put together a list of the 100 "best lists," what might you mention? The New Yorker suggests they include Carlin's seven dirty words, Van Halen's famous "no brown M&M's" contract rider, and the lineup for baseball's greatest team. Is there a list to be made of the lists that were missed?We continue to be on the watch for the best of the year-end "best-of lists." This one from The New Yorker stands out in our mind:
It's got something for everyone, from "Generations of Adam" (No. 100) to the "Periodic Table of Elements" (No. 1). But it's many of those in between that we found amusing, just inspired or apt to have us say "oh, yeah!" Such as:
— No. 77: Van Halen's 1982 tour-provisions "rider," which famously stipulated that there be no brown M&M's in the backstage snacks.
— No. 49: The opening-day lineup for the 1927 New York Yankees, the "greatest team" of all time that included Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.
— No. 44: George Carlin's seven words you can't say on network TV.
— No. 19: The Fibonacci sequence.
— No. 4: The Ten Commandments.
May we suggest you add it to your list of things to check out? And perhaps start a list of lists that The New Yorker missed? (Suggestions welcome in the comments thread.)
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