Vatican newspaper releases list of top ten albums: Fleetwood Mac! Pink Floyd! ... Oasis?

Published on February 16, 2010 03:58PM EST

L’ Osservatore Romano, the official newspaper of the Vatican in Italy, has released its official list of all-time top ten albums, and there is nary a children’s choir nor a Pat Boone best-of to be found.

Amongst the papal state’s surprisingly secular picks? The Beatles’ Revolver (holding the no. 1 spot), Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of The Moon, Oasis’ (What’s the Story) Morning Glory?, and Michael Jackson’s Thriller, whose “illuminating simplicity and musical thrust” they hail. Also: U2’s Achtung Baby, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, Donald Fagen of Steely Dan fame’s The Nightfly, Carlos Santana’s Supernatural, Paul Simon’s Graceland and David Crosby’s If I Could Only Remember My Name.

Even Bob Dylan’s recent Christmas-themed efforts couldn’t get him shortlisted, however; article authors Giuseppe Fiorentino and Gaetano Vallini excluded him on the grounds that generations of less-talented Dylan acolytes have “harshly tested the ears and patience of listeners with their inferior imitations, thinking that their tortured meanderings might interest somebody.” Tough toke, Bobby Zimmerman.

Does 82-tear-old Pope Benedict XVI personally approve? He is nominated alongside Oasis for a Brit music award—he for Classical Brit, they for best album of the last 30 years. Alas, the ceremonies are held separately, so it is unlikely the twain shall physically meet.

What do you think, readers—are the Vatican paper’s picks divinely right, or holy crap? For Santana, we would vote his 1970 classic Abraxas over the Rob Thomas-noodling Supernatural any day; then again, we are but mere heathen mortals. And perhaps the Church does not approve of his Wiccan muse?