One would expect that when the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano issued a list of the ten best pop and rock albums of all time, it would be comprised of choirs singing hymns, with some light guitar riffs and faster beats thrown in to make them ‘pop and rock.’
So it came as a shock when, on the 15th of February, the Vatican’s best rock and pop album of all time turned out to be Revolver, by The Beatles. Yes, the same Beatles that contained that joker John Lennon, who wasn’t forgiven until 2008 (28 years after his death, mind) for quipping ‘we’re [The Beatles] more popular than Jesus’, way back in 1962.
Number two is Dark Side of the Moon, the Pink Floyd opus, third is Oasis’ (What’s the Story) Morning Glory, and fourth is Thriller, by Michael Jackson. An interesting amalgam of songs about drugs, anti-authoritarian songs, and songs by alleged child-molesters are all liked by the Vatican?
Clearly, this is a shameless attempt by the Holy See to seem relevant and ‘hip’, after not many young followers appreciated them saying that rock music is the devils’ work. So while the list reads as a who’s who of safe choices (U2, Fleetwood Mac and Paul Simon all also get a look in), there is one glaring omission that leaves one wondering, why does the Vatican hate Bob Dylan?
