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How does one explain Washington-area radio station Oldies 100 (WBIG-FM) “Big 500 Oldies of All-Time” countdown? Culled from votes registered on the station’s Web site, the ultimate list spun down over the July 4 extended holiday weekend. So what did D.C. listeners consider the second-most-rocking song of all time? Don McLean’s “American Pie.” And which song reigned in the top spot? The Righteous Brothers’ “Unchained Melody.” Is this just another example of how out of touch Washington is with the rest of the country? When VH1 counted down the “Top 100 Songs of All Time” last year, “Unchained Melody” didn’t even crack its list. “American Pie” grabbed the 19th spot. And neither song ended up on National Public Radio’s top-of-the-century list. Oldies 100 Program Manager Steve Allen tried not to read too much into the results. “It’s all about mass media,” Allen says about “American Pie.” “[T]he masses like it. That’s the definition of
a hit.” Jason Cherkis