# KUSC Top-100 Countdown



## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

KUSC today started playing the pieces its listeners voted for this year. This may be of interest because KUSC is supposedly the most widely-heard classical station in the US, available on the Internet (kusc.org) as well as on the airwaves.

Pieces from 80 to 100 have been played today so far. Comments? The link given here should remain good as things proceed over the next few days.

https://www.kusc.org/radio/programs/top-100-countdown-2018/


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

I was looking over the complete list for 2016. It's a rather sorry looking list with an overabundance of pieces from the Romantic era and non-romantic era music that sounds very romantic. Pre-baroque, baroque, classical and modern get the shaft. And I thought Californians were a progressive group.


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## Larkenfield (Jun 5, 2017)

No real surprises on the list, other than I was surprised Rhapsody in Blue was rated so high compared to the others. Lot's of compression and in-your-face, unpleasant sound in KUSC's transmission signal. Rather harsh and aggressive, I thought. :/ But nice to hear that the pithy Jim Sveda is still around.


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## Weird Heather (Aug 24, 2016)

I'm not particularly surprised by the contents of the list. Southern California is a great place for classical music; there are more concerts within a two-hour drive of where I live than I could possibly attend, and there is great variety. Still, I have noticed that a lot of classical music fans around here are perhaps not as devoted as those of us who would frequent a forum like this, and they don't like to stray too far from the familiar. If these sorts of people are voting in the radio station poll, then the list is about as I would expect. Of course, there is a lot of great music on that list, but it doesn't come close to reflecting the variety of music that is available.

When I go to the San Diego Symphony, I notice that all of the seats are full when they play the old favorites, while many seats are empty when the music is more adventurous. I recently discovered the Redlands Symphony. It surprised me - a quality symphony orchestra, and an adventurous one at that, in, of all places, the Inland Empire region (which doesn't have a reputation for being a hotbed of culture). Naturally, the person sitting next to me complained that the conductor was programming too many unfamiliar works. Thankfully, it was a full house, so enough people must appreciate what they are doing. This is all anecdotal, but I've seen plenty of evidence like this over the years. Large segments of the classical music audience in the United States are wedded to the familiar and unwilling to try new things. Fortunately, not everybody is like this.


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

KenOC said:


> KUSC today started playing the pieces its listeners voted for this year. This may be of interest because KUSC is supposedly the most widely-heard classical station in the US, available on the Internet (kusc.org) as well as on the airwaves.
> 
> Pieces from 80 to 100 have been played today so far. Comments? The link given here should remain good as things proceed over the next few days.
> 
> https://www.kusc.org/radio/programs/top-100-countdown-2018/


i posted over on another thread how don giovanni overture was 98 and Beethoven
Für Elise droped from 52 to 91. where are you in socal? i would argue about being world wide WQRX out of new york has them beat a bit with the music..


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

What no Percy Grainger


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## Pugg (Aug 8, 2014)

In my country the St Matthew passion wins always, so I am not surprised.


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## EddieRUKiddingVarese (Jan 8, 2013)

Pugg said:


> In my country the St Matthew passion wins always, so I am not surprised.


I'm sure *St Matthew* will be most pleased to hear that


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Here, number one seems to be, always, the Choral Symphony or the Four Seasons.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Second day is close to wrapping up. KUSC is down to #59. Looks like 20 a day.

https://www.kusc.org/radio/programs/top-100-countdown-2018/


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

KenOC said:


> Here, number one seems to be, always, the Choral Symphony or the Four Seasons.


yes and a couple of more Beethoven ones will b up there in the top 10

and i think 
82. Stravinsky: The Firebird dropped, didn't it


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

ldiat said:


> yes and a couple of more Beethoven ones will b up there in the top 10
> 
> and i think
> 82. Stravinsky: The Firebird dropped, didn't it


Looks like the _Firebird _was #82 last year, same as this year.


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## Bluecrab (Jun 24, 2014)

ldiat said:


> i would argue about being world wide WQRX out of new york has them beat a bit with the music..


I'm curious: what exactly do you mean by this? Do you mean that you think WQXR's programming is better that KUSC's?


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

Williams: Theme from "Jurrasic Park" just edged out Mozart's Jupiter symphony. At this point there is no hope for humanity.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

BachIsBest said:


> Williams: Theme from "Jurrasic Park" just edged out Mozart's Jupiter symphony. At this point there is no hope for humanity.


Agree. Williams should have beat Mozart by at least 20 places!


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

Bluecrab said:


> I'm curious: what exactly do you mean by this? Do you mean that you think WQXR's programming is better that KUSC's?


IMHO at times i think it is. now i think both wqxr and kusc have wqed out of pittsburgh beat. but just my opinion. but wqed has "sunday baroque" with suzanne bona i like. and i know kusc does not.


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## Olias (Nov 18, 2010)

So the only pieces composed after the 1950s that made the list were John Williams film scores. Oy Vey.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

I've seen many of these countdown lists, and with few exceptions, I love the works listed. In fact a reasonably high percentage of my favorite works would match those from these lists. The order would vary, maybe significantly, and I would substitute many works. Overall the lists don't surprise me, and I would be happy to listen to the entire list one after another.


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

More of the list is up now. Albinoni beat out Bach's Mass in B minor, Mozart's 21st piano concerto, Mahler's 5th, and Bach's violin concerto for two violins with the Adagio he likely didn't even write.

On an unrelated note, why do they sometimes list the movement and sometimes not? For example, only the Adagietto from Mahler's 5th made it (the final movement), but Mozart's Symphony #41 and Bach's Mass in B minor appear to be listed in full. There seems to be no rhyme nor reason to this.


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

Olias said:


> So the only pieces composed after the 1950s that made the list were John Williams film scores. Oy Vey.


Oy Vey.:lol::lol::lol:


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Day three, we're now down to #37. Mozart's Clarinet Concerto edges the Eroica. Who knew?


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

Another interesting development. The Goldberg Variations are tied for 50th with - the Goldberg Variations. Yes, the Goldberg Variations are so good they appear to have captured both the 50th and 51st spot. I'm starting to like this list.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

One day left, looks like. Williams' _Theme from Star Wars_ has edged LvB's Violin Concerto. But Williams was edged by Mozart's Requiem!

We're at #17, _The Planets_.


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

BachIsBest said:


> only the Adagietto from Mahler's 5th made it (the final movement)


Movement 4 of 5 actually. And it does get played on its own, so there is some sense in that.


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## janxharris (May 24, 2010)

Interesting that last year had Vaughan Williams's "The Lark Ascending" at number 13 and yet:

Comments on a thread on the piece:



> I might tend to overlook it because it never turns up on a Concert Program , presumably due to it's brevity





> It's well-known but not especially well considered. Personally I find little of distinction in it. I've neither seen it scheduled nor nor heard it performed in concert in USA. Perhaps it registers more readily with sensibilities in UK or perhaps it has more staying power because it is national music.


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## janxharris (May 24, 2010)

As a comparison, here's the UK's Classic FM 'Hall of Fame':

http://halloffame.classicfm.com/2018/


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

janxharris said:


> As a comparison, here's the UK's Classic FM 'Hall of Fame':
> 
> http://halloffame.classicfm.com/2018/


1812 Overture as No. 1? Oy vey. But probably better than the 4 Seasons.


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## janxharris (May 24, 2010)

KenOC said:


> 1812 Overture as No. 1? Oy vey. But probably better than the 4 Seasons.




For many years (2007-2010 & 2014-2017) it's been 'The Lark Ascending'.


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## Nereffid (Feb 6, 2013)

KenOC said:


> 1812 Overture as No. 1? Oy vey. But probably better than the 4 Seasons.


The Classic FM chart is prone to being affected by "campaigns" on behalf of individual works or styles. One year a bunch of pieces for brass band did reasonably well. Another time video game music stormed the chart (some of it has survived since, too). The win for the 1812 may just be Russian interference! But perish the thought that this could happen in America...


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## janxharris (May 24, 2010)

Nereffid said:


> The Classic FM chart is prone to being affected by "campaigns" on behalf of individual works or styles. One year a bunch of pieces for brass band did reasonably well. Another time video game music stormed the chart (some of it has survived since, too). The win for the 1812 may just be Russian interference! But perish the thought that this could happen in America...


Evidence? I'm not saying you are wrong.


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## SCSL (Apr 7, 2018)

That UK top 300 list is surprisingly light on string quartets and surprisingly heavy on film scores. Admittedly, that might reflect my bias towards string quartets. But nevertheless, late 20th century film scores seem overly represented.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

All but #1 and #2 have been placed on KUSC. Three Beethoven's in the top 10 so far, and guaranteed at least one more. The Lark Ascending placed at #10. VW also place at #14 with his Tallis thing.

Eight of the top-20 (so far) are 20th-century works:
7. Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto #2
8. Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue
10. Vaughan Williams: The Lark Ascending
13. Ravel: Bolero
14. Vaughan Williams: Tallis Fantasy
17. Holst: The Planets
18. Barber: Adagio for Strings
20. Copland: Appalachian Spring

I'm gonna guess:
#2 will be Schubert's Great C major (or the Unfinished?)
#1 will be the big guy.

Am I wrong already? They're playing Beethoven's 5th now...if so, Schubert will have placed only once, at #76 with the Trout Quintet. That doesn't seem at all right. (But it's so.)


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

Yaz, the big guy with his big symphony takes #1 -- again. Now playing at KUSC.ORG.


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## janxharris (May 24, 2010)

SCSL said:


> That UK top 300 list is surprisingly light on string quartets and surprisingly heavy on film scores. Admittedly, that might reflect my bias towards string quartets. But nevertheless, late 20th century film scores seem overly represented.


I think the only string chamber music I've heard on Classic FM is Schubert's Trout and quintet. BBC Radio 3 has a much wider selection of pieces.


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## ldiat (Jan 27, 2016)

mozart 19th?? and nada in the top10 (i think the group "Beethoven Symphony's all the time" paid off the "counters" at kusc to place the Symphonys 4 out 5 in top 10)
conspiracy: had to have been 2 ballots to vote one. was all Beethoven selections and the other was not used.......

the fix was in!


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## larold (Jul 20, 2017)

Here is the list: https://www.kusc.org/radio/programs/top-100-countdown-2018/


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

I'm looking at all their lists and Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Schubert, every pre-Beethoven composer, every modernist composer, and maybe a couple others (like Mahler) just get shafted. I wonder why the Romantic era (minus Brahms apparently who, IMO, is the best Romantic composer) get so much attention. I mean it's obvious why film score composers, pieces that appear in lots of films, and pieces that appear in lots of classical samplers are overrated but I don't get why something like Tchaikovsky's violin concerto is so high and Brahms' appears at 97? Although parts of Tchaikovsky's have been played in films, Brahms' was featured quite prominently in "There Will Be Blood". I know it's not just that I really prefer Brahms, TC rates his violin concerto at #1 as Tchaikovsky's is quite a bit farther down. 

Most classical samplers I know of tending to feature a balance of Baroque, Classical, and Romantic music and members here don't seem to have such an obvious preference towards Romantic pieces. What's with this in the list? I get modernists getting shafted due to them being so unapproachable but why would St. Mathews Passion not even make the list?

I'm not trying to make this sound like a huge rant of 'my favourite pieces didn't make the list', because I really couldn't care whether or not people in California voted for the WTC or Moonlight Sonata, but I'm rather interested in why some pieces are so much more popular than others of somewhat equal (or even obviously greater) quality.


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## Haydn70 (Jan 8, 2017)

Not one piece by Haydn, not one...so very sad...but not surprising.


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## Haydn70 (Jan 8, 2017)

Bulldog said:


> I was looking over the complete list for 2016. It's a rather sorry looking list with an overabundance of pieces from the Romantic era and non-romantic era music that sounds very romantic. Pre-baroque, baroque, classical and modern get the shaft. And I thought Californians were a progressive group.


Do you REALLY think that one's political views and musical tastes have some type of connection???


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## Bulldog (Nov 21, 2013)

Haydn70 said:


> Do you REALLY think that one's political views and musical tastes have some type of connection???


I was making a joke. As for your question, I have no idea if there is any connection.


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## Haydn70 (Jan 8, 2017)

Ok, got it...sorry about that!


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

Bulldog said:


> I was making a joke. As for your question, I have no idea if there is any connection.


I believe a study was done during the USA 2008 presidential election hat found a correlation between politics and musical taste. I don't believe classical music was included in the study though.


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## Haydn70 (Jan 8, 2017)

Except for a couple of items, the list is no surprise and a big yawn...dozens of the usual "Classical Top 40 Hits" (Pachelbel's You-Know-What, Bolero, etc.), movie-music selections, etc. And instead of Mahler's 5th in its entirety we get just the Adagietto. No Haydn, Bruckner, Monteverdi, just one piece by Schubert. Palestrina? Ha, forget it! 

So how the heck did the Goldberg Variations make the cut??? Very happy to see that though...


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

I think it should be no great surprise when a voting contest for music results in a list of the most popular pieces. How else could it be?


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## Haydn70 (Jan 8, 2017)

KenOC said:


> I think it should be no great surprise when a voting contest for music results in a list of the most popular pieces. How else could it be?


As I wrote, it is no surprise. I expect nothing else. I just like to complain about the lack of depth and sophistication on the part of the average classical music listener. 

'Sour Grapes' Haydn70


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## BachIsBest (Feb 17, 2018)

Haydn70 said:


> So how the heck did the Goldberg Variations make the cut???.


I think there was this guy who really popularised it. Something along the lines of Greg Ghoul.

Jokes aside that recording was the one that really got me into classical music, and is stupidly famous so there's no surprise that the piece is ranked highly even though the arguably superior WTC didn't make the cut.


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## mmsbls (Mar 6, 2011)

When I look at the list, there are 85 works I love, 9 works I like, 4 movie themes (which I generally like though not as much as the 9 classical works), and 2 works I don't know (Romance for Guitar and Night Music on the Streets of Madrid). At least one work is listed in the same spot as I would list it (Beethoven Symphony No. 9). There may be others (by chance). Obviously I would move works around and include many unlisted works in the list. 

Overall I agree with Ken. These are the most popular works in order based on general classical music fans in Southern California. I think to expect works such as Beethoven's Grosse Fuge, Mahler's 2nd symphony, a full Wagner opera (e.g. Die Walkure), or anything we view as modern is asking a bit much.

Still I'd call it great list of music. One could do much, much worse.


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## Blancrocher (Jul 6, 2013)

Nice to see Don Giovanni squeak in at #98, just 6 places behind a Puccini aria.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

mmsbls said:


> When I look at the list, there are 85 works I love, 9 works I like, 4 movie themes (which I generally like though not as much as the 9 classical works), and 2 works I don't know (Romance for Guitar and Night Music on the Streets of Madrid)...


Boccherini's _Night Music on the Streets of Madrid_ is often played on KUSC, so listeners are likely familiar with it. In general, a list like this is likely to be heavily influenced by the musical diet the station usually serves up, since many listeners may depend on it as their main source of that type of music.

That might also explain the relative absence of longer works like Mahler's 3rd and Wagner's operas, since they don't fit the format most of the time and are seldom played.


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