Another list of "greatest" Diana Ross hits

The Guardian published a list of 20 greatest Diana Ross songs, this time selected by Professor Daphne A. Brooks [[who also wrote the essay "Let's Talk About Diana Ross" in the second edition of Carl Wilson's excellent book "Let' Talk About Love"). Brooks makes some original selections, including Pops We Love You [[although she does erroneously state that Ross, Gaye, Robinson, and Wonder all had left Motown by then... which of course is not true).

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/...t-songs-ranked

Thank you, Jaap. An interesting fun list. Wow, 50 years!

Yes, I saw this the other day and immediately noticed that 'Pops' error.

A few strange choices in her list, but I guess we all have different tastes and it's kind of nice to see some different ones from the usual favourites.

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Originally Posted by Levi Stubbs Tears

A few strange choices in her list, but I guess we all have different tastes and it's kind of nice to see some different ones from the usual favourites.

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I think this is partially because Brooks seems to emphasize the different pop-cultural aspects [[or even impact) of Ross rather than picking the songs she likes the best. In her essay on Ross, she says she is quite neutral [["a little bit Swiss") about Ross, neither disliking nor loving her, but clearly recognizing her as an important cultural phenomenon:

"I grew up valuing her as a symbol of childhood liberté, and thus I've always been a little bit Swiss when it comes to Ross. I thought of her less as a figure to debate in terms or racial creed and more as a cultural diplomat, outside the bounds of taste critique. In restrospect, I think I always thought of Ross as someone who assisted my parents, a couple who managed to escape the Jim Crow south in the 1950s, in bequeathing to me the privilege of feeling protected and also unbridled, sheltered and yet also have the right to roam."

Daphne A. Brooks, "Let's Talk About Diana Ross," in Carl Wilson, Let's Talk About Love: Why Other People Have Such Bad Taste, new and expanded edition, Bloomsbury, 2014, pp. 205-220.

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Originally Posted by Jaap

Brooks seems to emphasize the different pop-cultural aspects

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That would be just fine, but still not sure how - with 50 years of material to pick from - Diana's lame covers of 'Fools' or 'Survive' could be seen as culturally significant to anyone.

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Originally Posted by Levi Stubbs Tears

That would be just fine, but still not sure how - with 50 years of material to pick from - Diana's lame covers of 'Fools' or 'Survive' could be seen as culturally significant to anyone.

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Absolutely. The same might apply to “When We Grow Up”. If we are talking culturally significant, then there are a host of Ross/Supremes songs far more deserving of that classification then those two retreads.

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Originally Posted by Levi Stubbs Tears

That would be just fine, but still not sure how - with 50 years of material to pick from - Diana's lame covers of 'Fools' or 'Survive' could be seen as culturally significant to anyone.

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The same might apply to “When We Grow Up”. If we are talking culturally significant, then there are a host of Ross/Supremes songs far more deserving of that classification then those two retreads.

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This is a list of culturally far-reaching Diana Ross songs more than a culturally-significant "greatest hits" list.


I like both Why and When. Why picks me up every time I hear it, even more than the Teen-Agers version. I think Diana's version made quite a Pop impact and is still recognized as such around the world. When was heard by at least a couple of generations of children and parents and I loved its inclusion on To the Baby.

Diana's version of IWS has grown on me but Gloria Gaynor will always own the song.

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Originally Posted by lucky2012

This is a list of culturally far-reaching Diana Ross songs more than a culturally-significant "greatest hits" list.


I like both Why and When. Why picks me up every time I hear it, even more than the Teen-Agers version. I think Diana's version made quite a Pop impact and is still recognized as such around the world.

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That criteria could apply to so many Diana Ross songs. I still don’t think of WDFFIL as culturally significant. The original perhaps. As for “WWGU, does that mean “ “A Mothers Love” will be culturally significant in around 48 years time.. Surely this is making CS a little to subjective.

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Originally Posted by Ollie9

That criteria could apply to so many Diana Ross songs. I still don’t think of WDFFIL as culturally significant. The original perhaps. As for “WWGU, does that mean “ “A Mothers Love” will be culturally significant in around 48 years time.. Surely this is making CS a little to subjective.

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I distinguished "culturally far-reaching" from "culturally significant". When We Grow Up is on Marlo Thomas' Free To Be You And Me album which has been a favorite with parents and children since 1973. There is no arguing the global familiarity and popularity of Ross' Why Do Fools Fall In Love.

What you consider culturally significant is a bit more subjective than established cultural reach.

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Originally Posted by lucky2012

I distinguished "culturally far-reaching" from "culturally significant". When We Grow Up is on Marlo Thomas' Free To Be You And Me album which has been a favorite with parents and children since 1973. There is no arguing the global familiarity and popularity of Ross' Why Do Fools Fall In Love.

What you consider culturally significant is a bit more subjective than established cultural reach.

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You did indeed lucky. I was commenting more from the perspective of being culturally significant. I fail to see how her remake of WDFFIL has any significant political, historic or social value other then being a sizeable hit for M’s Ross.
Culturally far reaching hmmm. Now that is subjective. Does that encompass every global hit Diana has ever had or indeed any artist?. That’s a lot of songs.

I canThink of no redeeming qualities of pops we love you. It wouldn’t make my top 500 Diana Ross songs even if she hadn’t SunG 500 songs. Muscles? To each, their own, but I wouldn’t list half if them.

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Originally Posted by TheMotownManiac

I canThink of no redeeming qualities of pops we love you. It wouldn’t make my top 500 Diana Ross songs even if she hadn’t SunG 500 songs. Muscles? To each, their own, but I wouldn’t list half if them.

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”Pops We Love You” is a strange one. I remember when first hearing that a song was to be released featuring Diana, Marvin, Smokey and Stevie i was beyond excited. I thought it would be a classic to end all classics.....Then I played it. In fairness it’s not awful, just a little mundane. It’s saving grace is that all four singers sound in top vocal form.
I remember it did get a lot of radio attention, but was not really strong enough to cause much of a splash.