Clash of the Titans: Sheryl Crow vs. Maroon 5

We had a heated musical debate in the English office Wednesday, and it wasn't typical (Beatles vs. Stones) or elitist (which Radiohead album is the best?) or hip (I'm too old to make an allusion here) and I'm happy to say I precipitated the discussion, first by bringing up a new singer I like (Courtney Barnett) and then comparing her to Sheryl Crow, and then revealing that while I was cooking the night before, I drank too much beer while listening to Sheryl Crow, because her music-- a guilty pleasure of mine-- always makes me feel a bit giddy . . . one of the younger teachers enjoyed the image of me bopping around the kitchen, slightly tipsy, singing "Soak Up the Sun" (although she wished I was drinking a Leinenkugel Summer Shandy instead of beer) and I was able to fully satisfy the role-reversal because I was also texting my wife and reminding her that dinner would be ready soon and she needed to get home . . . anyway this led to an odd debate where the older folks in the office were lauding the merits of Sheryl Crow, and Kristen the youngster was defending Maroon 5 . . . I'm not sure why she chose to pit Maroon 5 against Sheryl Crow, but it resulted in everyone pulling up songs on their phones and Chromebooks and playing them at once (especially "Move Like Jagger," which even Kristen detests) and while we couldn't convince her that Maroon 5 was awful (she kept defending these hypothetical and unnamed deep tracks . . . "the ones they never play on the radio") everyone else united in the defense of Sheryl Crow, and I think it comes down to this: neither one is Led Zeppelin, but Sheryl Crow has more good songs that Maroon 5, and less awful songs than Maroon 5, and it's way more fun to drink beer and cook while listening to The Very Best of Sheryl Crow (which doesn't even have Steve McQueen on it) but Kristen will never understand this because she associates Sheryl Crow with her mom and light FM, not Lilith Fair.

8 comments:

zman said...

Steve McQueeeeen, Steve McQueeeeee-eeeen
The coolest goddam motherfucker on the silver screen

Dave said...

are those your lyrics?

zman said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=go395BrObzI

Whitney said...

I am assuming that Catherine wrote this.

Whitney said...

This takes me me back to 1997. Not because that's when Sheryl Crow was popular, but because that's when I was getting married and almost asked Dave not to be in my wedding after all when he revealed to me the day prior that he loved Hanson's "Mmmbop."

Dave said...

"Mmmbop" was a phase, Sheryl Crow is for life.

And Catherine was happy when I told her about this debate. "I know both those!" she said.

Kristen also admitted that she is not familiar with The Clash. Though she loves Eternal Sunshine . . . I had to point out that's who Mark Ruffalo was talking about during the stoned erasure sequence. Crazy young folks.

Whitney said...

The only band that matters!!

Squeaky said...

Crow is not good live, at least the two times I've seen her. Once with John Mayer, he was actually entertaining, and the other at some free show. Both times were due to the request of the wife. She now only listens to the radio versions.

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