- cross-posted to:
- todayilearned@lemmit.online
- cross-posted to:
- todayilearned@lemmit.online
cross-posted from: https://lemmit.online/post/5932732
TIL Playboy asked Richard Thompson and other musicians to compile a list of the best songs of the millennium to celebrate the year 2000. Thompson maliciously complied and included songs as old as …
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The original was posted on /r/todayilearned by /u/IanGecko on 2025-05-28 05:08:36+00:00.
Original Title: TIL Playboy asked Richard Thompson and other musicians to compile a list of the best songs of the millennium to celebrate the year 2000. Thompson maliciously complied and included songs as old as the 13th century. The list was never published so Thompson released a live album.
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That is a pretty mild take on malicious compliance.
Malicious compliance (also known as malicious obedience) is the behavior of strictly following the orders of a superior despite knowing that compliance with the orders will have an unintended or negative result.
Sure, the request assumed everyone would include more recent music, but that doesn’t mean including songs from the earlier part of the listed time frame had an unintended or negative result.
It had the negative result of the list not being published…
But Thompson released a live album, which is a better result than a ‘best of the millennium’ list that only contained songs from the last century.
Very true!
Agreed - Malicious compliance would typically involve the requestor having some sort of authority through command structure or regulatory enforcement. This just sounds like a miscommunication
…and not particularly malicious.
Last track:
“Marry, Ageyn Hic Hev Donne Yt” (traditional, arranged by Thompson) – introduced as a “medieval tune from Brittany”, but actually a medieval-style version of Britney Spears’ “Oops!.. I Did It Again”
Cheeky bastard.
The full concert is on YouTube and is worth watching. I’ve watched it at least a couple of times. Great show.
Uh, why malicious? Were they actively against the effort?
Well they didn’t use his list…
The magazine intended the use of the term “millennium” to be hyperbole that emphasized the end of the 2nd millennium or songs within the collective memory of their readership at that time, probably expecting nothing earlier than the British Invasion at best. In an act of malicious compliance, Thompson followed these instructions exactly as they were worded, and produced a list which did span 1000 years of music, including the oldest-known English-language songs, a medieval Italian dance tune, and various other folk songs, alongside slightly more contemporary fare.[2] The list was never published by Playboy;
Turns out Sumer Is Icumen In is an absolute banger.
Sing CooCoo!!!
Yeah, but mainly the Masters at Work remix.
I read it for the musical recommendations!
[off topic?]
A smarter move would have been to provide two lists; one of the ancient songs and one with the modern choices.
