The Top 13

The Top 13http://www.thetop13.com/The Top 13 is a site where we, you, and special guests rank the best of music, movies, television, sports, arts, literature, current events, and more.Wed, 22 May 2013 05:21:03 GMTen-usAlbums of the Yearhttp://thetop13.com/albums-of-the-year-L141/http://thetop13.com/albums-of-the-year-L141/Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:12:03 EDTWith 2011 now nothing but a memory, we reveal the Top 13 Albums of the Year, as selected by our readers. For the third straight year, we received far more submissions than we had expected, and, once again, the results suggest that the public largely agrees with the blogs and other media outlets on 2011's best albums. Honorable mentions go to the albums with the next seven highest vote totals: The Decemberists' The King Is Dead (14); Beirut's The Rip Tide (15); Cults' self-titled debut (16); Zola Jesus' Conatus (17); My Morning Jacket's Circuital (18); Real Estate's Days (19); and Gang Gang Dance's Eye Contact (20). And now, your Top 13 Albums of 2011:Worst Celebrity Renditions of the National Anthemhttp://thetop13.com/worst-celebrity-renditions-of-the-national-anthem-L115/http://thetop13.com/worst-celebrity-renditions-of-the-national-anthem-L115/Mon, 07 Feb 2011 03:02:03 EDTLast month, pop singer Keri Hilson joined the long list of celebrities who have sang the national anthem at sporting events with disastrous results. Her performance reminded us of two of our favorite fictional renditions of the "Star-Spangled Banner" - <a href=" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MIr-S6mwFk" target="_blank"> Frank Drebin</a> as Enrico Pallazzo in The Naked Gun and <a href=" http://www.hulu.com/watch/124965/saturday-night-live-national-anthem" target="_blank"> Maya Rudolph</a> as contest winner Pamela Bell on Saturday Night Live. While parodies, those two scenes feature just about everything wrong with the performances you'll find ranked below in our Top 13 Worst Celebrity Renditions of the National Anthem. Editor's note: This list was originally published on April 19, 2010. So where would Christina Aguilera's performance at the 2011 Super Bowl rank? Albums of the Year (2010)http://thetop13.com/albums-of-the-year-2010-L138/http://thetop13.com/albums-of-the-year-2010-L138/Mon, 10 Jan 2011 03:01:03 EDTWith 2010 now squarely in the rear-view mirror, we reveal the Top 13 Albums of the Year, as selected by our readers. We received more submissions for this Top 13 than we have ever before received, and the results suggest that, for the most part, the public agrees with the blogs and other media outlets on 2010's best albums. Honorable mentions go to the albums with the next seven highest vote totals: Surfer Blood's Astro Coast (14), Broken Bells' self-titled album (15), Big Boi's Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty (16), Vampire Weekend's Contra (17), Sleigh Bells' Treats (18), Best Coast's Crazy for You (19), and Janelle Monae's The ArchAndroid (20).Dennis Hopper Filmshttp://thetop13.com/dennis-hopper-films-L108/http://thetop13.com/dennis-hopper-films-L108/Sat, 29 May 2010 03:05:03 EDTLast week, Dennis Hopper, who is gravely ill with prostate cancer, was honored with a well-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Given that recognition and Hopper's health, we take a look at this film legend's sizable legacy. The wild Hopper, also an accomplished painter and photographer, appeared in more than 150 films, acting with everyone from James Dean to Jack Nicholson to Marlon Brando, and directed several terrific movies, including his well-known classic, Easy Rider. Along the way, he picked up a pair of well-deserved Oscar nominations. Without further ado, here are the Top 13 Dennis Hopper Films. Editor's note: This list was originally published on March 29, 2010. Hopper passed away on Saturday, May 29, 2010.Mad Musical Geniuseshttp://thetop13.com/mad-musical-geniuses-L137/http://thetop13.com/mad-musical-geniuses-L137/Wed, 19 May 2010 03:05:03 EDTThe American entertainer Oscar Levant once said, "There's a fine line between genius and insanity. I have crossed that line." Such has been the case for many artists both before and after his time. History recalls many brilliant musicians - as far back as 18th century-born violinist Niccolo Paganini - who have been famously portrayed as having gone off of the deep end. The modern era of pop and rock music has certainly had its share of mad geniuses as well, and we're ranking them today based on their contribution to music as well as the degree of their psychosis. Here are the Top 13 singers, songwriters, producers, and musicians who marched to the beat of a different drummer. Sugar Cerealshttp://thetop13.com/sugar-cereals-L132/http://thetop13.com/sugar-cereals-L132/Tue, 18 May 2010 03:05:03 EDTThere's no question that there are healthier breakfast options available than sugar cereals, but for our money there may not be anything that tastes better. Plus, good sugar cereals also make for great snacks to eat dry throughout the day. But with so many choices clogging your local supermarket cereal aisle, tough choices need to be made. Luckily, we at the Top 13 are big fans of sugar cereal and have tried most - if not all - of the well-known brands. Accordingly, based on a lifetime of sugar cereal intake, we present the Top 13 Sugar Cereals.SNL Skits of the Seasonhttp://thetop13.com/snl-skits-of-the-season-L136/http://thetop13.com/snl-skits-of-the-season-L136/Mon, 17 May 2010 03:05:03 EDTThis past Saturday night, NBC's Saturday Night Live wrapped up its 35th season. The finale, which was hosted by Alec Baldwin for a record-tying 15th time, was better than average for this season but lacked a standout moment compared to the season's best. Here are the Top 13 SNL Skits of the Season, ranked by how much they made us laugh. We're including Weekend Update segments and Digital Shorts, but not monologues.2010 Summer Movieshttp://thetop13.com/2010-summer-movies-L133/http://thetop13.com/2010-summer-movies-L133/Thu, 13 May 2010 03:05:03 EDTThis past Friday, Iron Man 2 debuted to ravenous fans nationwide and with it this summer's blockbuster season officially began. Each summer, studios roll out their big-budget, tent-pole releases in hopes that audiences will attend in droves â�� generally this means the multiplexes are filled with the most mind-numbing cinema ever made (see The A-Team or Marmaduke, both opening this June). Amidst all the interminable crap, though, there are those few proverbial diamonds-in-the-rough. Here, we present the Top 13 2010 Summer Movies, or the "blockbusters" we're most looking forward to seeing this summer.Scariest Serial Killershttp://thetop13.com/scariest-serial-killers-L129/http://thetop13.com/scariest-serial-killers-L129/Wed, 12 May 2010 03:05:03 EDTEarlier this year, as a California jury convicted serial killer Rodney Alcala of five murders in that state, investigators across the country considered whether he also might be a suspect in unsolved killings elsewhere. Some even suggested that Alcala might be the most prolific serial killer in this country's history. And that got us thinking about serial killers, particularly who are the scariest, based on a combination of the nature of the atrocities they committed, the number of victims, and the panic that their crimes caused. Here are the Top 13 Scariest Serial Killers.1980s Teen Comedieshttp://thetop13.com/1980s-teen-comedies-L131/http://thetop13.com/1980s-teen-comedies-L131/Tue, 11 May 2010 03:05:03 EDTWhen it comes to nostalgic movies that hold up to repeat viewings, few subsets of films are as cherished as 1980s teen comedies. For whatever reason, the mid-80s more than any other era cranked out more silly, funny, and subversive coming-of-age films than any other. Indeed, every one of these Top 13 80s Teen Comedies was released in a six-year period between 1982 and 1988. Keep in mind that this list is limited to comedies only. So if you're wondering why a more dramatic iconic 80s teen movie isn't here, that's your answer (we'll count down the top dramas in a later list).Ineffectual Anti-Drug PSAshttp://thetop13.com/ineffectual-anti-drug-psas-L112/http://thetop13.com/ineffectual-anti-drug-psas-L112/Mon, 10 May 2010 03:05:03 EDTAnti-drug public service announcements first routinely hit the airwaves in the 1970s. They exploded in popularity during the Reagan administration, when First Lady Nancy Reagan made drug prevention one of her top priorities in the early 1980s, introducing one of the most memorable anti-drug slogans of all time with "Just Say No." And while keeping kids off of drugs is nothing if not a noble goal, many of the PSAs intended to do that wildly missed the mark. Some studies have even suggested that these PSAs actually increase teen drug usage. Here are the Top 13 Ineffectual Anti-Drug PSAs.Worst Movie Momshttp://thetop13.com/worst-movie-moms-L123/http://thetop13.com/worst-movie-moms-L123/Fri, 07 May 2010 03:05:03 EDTWith Mother's Day this Sunday, the Top 13 is taking a look at some of the moms from the movie world that don't quite deserve to be honored. These are the mothers that, for whatever reason, failed in their responsibilities to their children. Some are physically abusive, some are mentally abusive, but all of them could use parenting lessons. Here are the Top 13 Worst Movie Moms. Happy Mother's Day! People We Wish Were on Twitterhttp://thetop13.com/people-we-wish-were-on-twitter-L127/http://thetop13.com/people-we-wish-were-on-twitter-L127/Wed, 05 May 2010 03:05:03 EDTWith more and more people joining Twitter every day, the social networking platform is becoming ubiquitous. That got us thinking about the people that aren't tweeting, but should be. It turns out some of those people actually have accounts, but either never tweet or have largely abandoned Twitter. When we first started working on this list, comedian Patton Oswalt was one of the people we thought would be a good addition to Twitter. And just a few days ago @pattonoswalt joined the party and hit enter on his first tweet. Still, there are many others whose presence (or increased presence, as it may be) would be a welcome addition to the Twitterverse. So without further ado, here are the Top 13 People We Wish Were on Twitter.Worst TV Bosseshttp://thetop13.com/worst-tv-bosses-L126/http://thetop13.com/worst-tv-bosses-L126/Tue, 04 May 2010 03:05:03 EDTAlmost everyone has dealt with a boss that nearly drove him or her over the edge. It might be because the boss is a micromanager or incompetent or off-color or, worse, heartless (or all of the above). But, odds are, your worst boss has nothing on some of television's worst tyrants, who subject their employees to some of the most insufferable behavior, conditions, and mind games imaginable. With that in mind, here are the Top 13 Worst TV Bosses.Worst Musical Transformationshttp://thetop13.com/worst-musical-transformations-L125/http://thetop13.com/worst-musical-transformations-L125/Mon, 03 May 2010 03:05:03 EDTWhether it be out of sheer boredom, the need to reinvigorate one's career, or simply a desire to expand artistically, musicians are constantly transforming themselves. Unfortunately, not all such transformations go as planned, and sometimes the results are downright embarrassing. Here are the Top 13 Worst Musical Transformations.Worst Owners in Sportshttp://thetop13.com/worst-owners-in-sports-L100/http://thetop13.com/worst-owners-in-sports-L100/Thu, 29 Apr 2010 03:04:03 EDTWith the news this week that Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis was nearing a deal to acquire the Washington Wizards, we couldn't help but think that the Wizards were getting one of the better young owners in sports. There are many owners of North American sports franchises who wouldn't continue to spend in the face of the significant financial losses Leonsis has suffered as a pro sports owner. Moreover, there are plenty of owners who haven't made nearly as many smart personnel moves as he has. So today, we take a look at those owners who appear more concerned with profits than wins, and who have continually whiffed when making coaching choices and personnel decisions. Here are the Top 13 Worst Owners in Sports.HBO Dramatic Serieshttp://thetop13.com/hbo-dramatic-series-L124/http://thetop13.com/hbo-dramatic-series-L124/Wed, 28 Apr 2010 03:04:03 EDTWith the recent premieres of Treme, the latest show from virtuoso creator David Simon, and The Pacific, an epic follow-up to Band of Brothers, HBO has again debuted both an original drama series and a miniseries that have people talking. While time will tell if Treme will stand among the network's best shows, we decided to take a look at the Top 13 HBO Dramatic Series. The quality of the entrants on this list speaks to HBO's role as the leading producer of compelling television, and many quality series and miniseries did not make the cut, including Simon's own Generation Kill, Empire Falls, and the short-lived but intriguing John from Cincinnati. Please note that the video clips below, being from premium cable shows, may contain (quite a lot of) profanity.Essential Live Albumshttp://thetop13.com/essential-live-albums-L122/http://thetop13.com/essential-live-albums-L122/Tue, 27 Apr 2010 03:04:03 EDTThe live concert album has long been a staple of jazz music, where it captures for a home listener the improvisation and synergy between musicians that define the best jazz performances. But in the world of pop music, the live album has been more of a mixed bag, as many are either a lazy cash-in or a means or fulfilling contractual obligations that bring nothing special to the table. Yet, some live albums have managed to capture the same spirit and vibrancy that typifies the best live jazz recordings and stand apart from the rest. With that in mind, here are the Top 13 Essential Live Albums from the world of popular music. The Rock it Out! Blog is one of the most unique and fastest growing music blogs around. Creator and host Sami Jarroush delivers a daily dose of rock music news to his more than 12,000 subscribers via his very own video blog, which you can watch on the <a href=" http://youtube.com/rockitoutblog "target="_blank"> RiO!B YouTube channel</a>. For those who prefer reading, check out the <a href=" http://rockitoutblog.com "target="_blank"> RiO!B website</a>, which is regularly updated with news, music videos, and MP3s.Music Video Directors Who Jumped to the Big Screenhttp://thetop13.com/music-video-directors-who-jumped-to-the-big-screen-L95/http://thetop13.com/music-video-directors-who-jumped-to-the-big-screen-L95/Mon, 26 Apr 2010 03:04:03 EDTWhile MTV is widely credited with revolutionizing the music industry, another byproduct of the network's launch was the creation of a new medium in which aspiring directors could cut their teeth. Indeed, many of today's most successful and innovative film directors got their start helming videos for MTV. Accordingly, we present the Top 13 Music Video Directors Who Jumped to the Big Screen. We ranked this list mostly based on each director's filmography, but we also took into account, to a lesser extent, their work in the music video genre.Unhinged Movie Charactershttp://thetop13.com/unhinged-movie-characters-L117/http://thetop13.com/unhinged-movie-characters-L117/Thu, 22 Apr 2010 03:04:03 EDTEveryone loves a good movie hero, but a perfectly written villain often can be even more compelling on the silver screen. But while many films have featured angry, violent, and plotting villains, fewer have focused on completely unhinged characters. We're not talking about Hannibal Lecter types, who are perfectly under control but simply evil, nor are we talking about malicious gangsters, whose conduct is part of their jobs, like Vic Vega. We're thinking only about those characters who are shockingly unpredictable in their psychosis. Accordingly, here are the Top 13 Unhinged Movie Characters. Gross Fast Food Menu Itemshttp://thetop13.com/gross-fast-food-menu-items-L121/http://thetop13.com/gross-fast-food-menu-items-L121/Wed, 21 Apr 2010 03:04:03 EDTAs we proved with our list of the <a href="http://thetop13.com/fast-food-chains-L93/"target="_blank"> Top 13 Fast Food Chains</a>, we enjoy stopping for fast food every now and again. Given the number of choices available to the fast food consumer, the chains have competed with one another to come up with the most memorable food products, often with nasty results, including most recently KFC's Double Down. Today, we count down the 13 grossest regular fast food menu items, ranked based on their lack of regard for conventional food standards and your physical health.Favorite Song Titleshttp://thetop13.com/favorite-song-titles-L119/http://thetop13.com/favorite-song-titles-L119/Tue, 20 Apr 2010 03:04:03 EDTSongwriting can be tricky. Sometimes, it's sort of like a puzzle, and the more you pile on musically, the harder it can be to wedge words in afterwards. One approach that sometimes works is starting the process with only the title in mind. I've done this with past songs of mine, such as "Tuff Ghost" (from The Unicorns' Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone) and "Don't Call Me Whitney, Bobby" (from Islands' Return to the Sea). It's like the establishing shot in a movie. It sets up the scene we're about to see, and serves as the exposition of the narrative. Coming up with a title before anything else can be inspiring, and lead to interesting and unexpected results. What follows are, in no particular order, my favourite song titles from musicians I respect. National Parkshttp://thetop13.com/national-parks-L118/http://thetop13.com/national-parks-L118/Thu, 15 Apr 2010 03:04:03 EDTLiving in America means a lot of different things to a lot of different people, and at times it seems like there's very little truly unifying the fifty states. There is, however, one unifying factor: nature. North America is a treasure trove of natural beauty, and the United States is home to a mind-boggling number of ecosystems and unique geographical formations. Fortunately, the National Parks Service takes great care to preserve the natural wonders present in this country's 58 National Parks. <a href=" http://www.nps.gov/npweek/" target="_blank"> National Parks Week</a> starts Saturday, and with it, the National Parks Service is offering free admission to every one of those parks all week long. To help you decide which parks to check out (this week or in the future), we present our Top 13 Best National Parks.South Park Episodeshttp://thetop13.com/south-park-episodes-L116/http://thetop13.com/south-park-episodes-L116/Wed, 14 Apr 2010 03:04:03 EDTAfter more than thirteen years of profanity-laced, boundary-pushing content, South Park (which we ranked as the fourth-best <a href="http://thetop13.com/sitcoms-of-the-decade-L43/"target="_blank"> Sitcom of the 2000s</a>) will air its 200th episode tonight on Comedy Central. In its fourteenth season, the show is several years past its peak but continues to churn out the occasional Emmy-winning classic, like last year's "Margaritaville." Writers/directors/voice-actors Trey Parker and Matt Stone are only under contract through 2013, but even if the show ends then, Cartman and the gang are permanently ingrained in pop culture. To mark tonight's historic episode, we present the Top 13 South Park Episodes, which can all be streamed at <a href=" http://www.southparkstudios.com/" target="_blank"> South Park Studios</a>.Nintendo (NES) Gameshttp://thetop13.com/nintendo-nes-games-L98/http://thetop13.com/nintendo-nes-games-L98/Tue, 13 Apr 2010 03:04:03 EDTVideo gaming is now a nearly $20 billion industry in the United States each year, but that would have been unimaginable when the Nintendo Entertainment System (or NES) was released in 1985. Following the collapse of the American gaming industry in 1983, this Japanese import became a vital cultural phenomenon for a generation of youth and made the name of its maker synonymous with the very idea of video games in America. Without the NES, the video game industry - once again dominated by Nintendo - wouldn't be nearly as large as it is today. Between Nintendo's in-house game development and third-party licensing, over 700 games were released for the system; here are the Top 13 NES Games.Canadian Indie Rock Bandshttp://thetop13.com/canadian-indie-rock-bands-L107/http://thetop13.com/canadian-indie-rock-bands-L107/Mon, 12 Apr 2010 03:04:03 EDTToday marks the start of Juno Week, the seven-day Canadian music industry event that culminates this weekend with the presentation of the 2010 Juno Awards. The awards are presented annually by the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to acknowledge the artistic and technical achievements of Canadian artists. Considering how many of our favorite bands from north of the border that have been nominated or won Juno Awards in the past, we decided to mark this year's festivities by counting down our Top 13 Canadian Indie Rock Bands. The Top 13 Canadian Indie Rock Bands is brought to you in conjunction with the recently redesigned <a href=" http://consequenceofsound.net/" target="_blank"> Consequence of Sound</a>, one of the Internet's fastest growing destinations for music news and reviews, and our first stop for news and rumors about music festival lineups.Favorite Songs of the Dallas Cowboyshttp://thetop13.com/favorite-songs-of-the-dallas-cowboys-L111/http://thetop13.com/favorite-songs-of-the-dallas-cowboys-L111/Thu, 08 Apr 2010 03:04:03 EDTMusic is really important to us. Everyone's listening to their iPod before games, and when we come in at halftime, guys go straight back to their iPods before the coaches come back in with adjustments. When we're not listening to our iPods, sometimes we'll argue about what to listen to. We have a DJ come out to practice at times. As a team, we listen to everything; with the older stuff and slow jams, we have sing-a-longs and stuff. (Running back) Tashard Choice is usually our DJ, but (offensive lineman) Flozell Adams will snatch the iPod anytime he's tired of listening to music; he doesn't care if anyone else is enjoying it. I personally love music and think there's a song for every mood you could possibly be in - at practice or a game, or anytime. But, the right song gets me pumped up for the game and some songs make me want to play even harder. Here are just a few of the favorites:Dueling Movie Releaseshttp://thetop13.com/dueling-movie-releases-L114/http://thetop13.com/dueling-movie-releases-L114/Wed, 07 Apr 2010 03:04:03 EDTGiven the entertainment industry's ever-increasing insistence on over-saturating the market with its products over the past 20 years, it's no surprise that Hollywood has encountered repeated instances of movies focused on similar â�� and often identical â�� subjects in a close timespan, as producers have tried to ensure they strike while the iron is hot. In many cases, particularly with lower profile films, the competing flicks have cannibalized each other's audiences. In others, a clear-cut victor has emerged. Here are our Top 13 Dueling Movie Releases, taking into account the similarity of the films, the timing of the releases, and the intensity of the battle.Porn Spoof Titleshttp://thetop13.com/porn-spoof-titles-L113/http://thetop13.com/porn-spoof-titles-L113/Tue, 06 Apr 2010 03:04:03 EDTWith a seemingly endless number of pornographic films released on a daily basis, you might wonder how porn production companies manage to keep coming up with titles for their new releases. Over the years, one constant source of inspiration has been the mainstream movie industry. Porn directors frequently have spoofed major Hollywood releases with great success, and we often find the resulting titles to be hilarious. We wanted to share our favorites with you, and we ranked the list based almost entirely on the title, though we discounted those movies that bear no resemblance to their mainstream inspirations. Without further ado, here are the Top 13 Porn Spoof Titles. Worst One-Episode TV Showshttp://thetop13.com/worst-one-episode-tv-shows-L106/http://thetop13.com/worst-one-episode-tv-shows-L106/Mon, 05 Apr 2010 03:04:03 EDTIn the annals of TV history, there are a select group of shows that were deemed so terrible that they were canceled either immediately after their first episode, before they even aired, or - in a couple of cases - while the first episode was actually in progress. Today, we take a look at this flotsam and jetsam of TV history with this list of shows that were instantly canned, ranked by just how ridiculous, asinine, offensive, and downright unwatchable the premise was. Accordingly, we present the Top 13 Worst One-Episode TV Shows.Apple Innovationshttp://thetop13.com/apple-innovations-L110/http://thetop13.com/apple-innovations-L110/Thu, 01 Apr 2010 03:04:03 EDTThis Saturday, Apple will release the iPad, its first completely new major product since the iPhone and latest foray into tablet computing. While the jury is still out on whether the iPad will be another hit, Apple has released many groundbreaking and innovative products since it was established in 1976. Some of these have were Apple's own invention, while others took technology from other companies and brought them to a widespread audience for the first time. Today, we count down the Top 13 Apple Innovations, ordered by a combination of their impact on Apple as a company and the world at large.People the Iron Sheik Hateshttp://thetop13.com/people-the-iron-sheik-hates-L104/http://thetop13.com/people-the-iron-sheik-hates-L104/Wed, 31 Mar 2010 03:03:03 EDTAll of the words below were provided by the Iron Sheik (with the exception of a few editorial comments in parentheses). The views expressed in this list are those of the Sheik alone. They do not represent the views or opinions of The Top 13 or its staff (though they do make us laugh). Also, if you're easily offended, you may want to go away. Now, as only he could, the Iron Sheik briefly (and profanely) introduces his Top 13. <object width="320" height="265"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/u3jIIYGX8Z4&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/u3jIIYGX8Z4&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object> Female MCshttp://thetop13.com/female-mcs-L102/http://thetop13.com/female-mcs-L102/Tue, 30 Mar 2010 03:03:03 EDTLate last year, rapper of the moment Drake called his Young Money colleague and Lil Wayne protÃ©gÃ© Nicki Minaj "the best female rapper alive" after watching her freestyle during a BET awards ceremony. But does Minaj rank even close to as highly as Drake suggested? We went back and listened to albums and guest appearances by just about every notable female MC to answer that question. The short answer is that Drake needs a hip hop history lesson. For the long answer, here are the Top 13 Female MCs of all time.Ivy League Pro Athleteshttp://thetop13.com/ivy-league-pro-athletes-L103/http://thetop13.com/ivy-league-pro-athletes-L103/Thu, 25 Mar 2010 03:03:03 EDTTonight, Cornell resumes its shocking run in the NCAA Tournament when it takes on top-seeded Kentucky. While few people give the Ivy League champions much of a chance to score yet another upset, NBA scouts will be watching several Cornell players - sharpshooter Ryan Wittman and 7-footer Jeff Foote - to see if they've got what it takes to make it at the next level. And though the Ivy League is better known for graduating CEOs and senators than it is for producing all-stars and all-pros, there have definitely been some exceptions over the years. Here are the Top 13 Pro Athletes from the Ivy League.Posthumous Albumshttp://thetop13.com/posthumous-albums-L73/http://thetop13.com/posthumous-albums-L73/Wed, 24 Mar 2010 03:03:03 EDTAfter the death of singer-songwriter Mark Linkous earlier this month, many wondered whether the Sparklehorse album he had recently recorded would be released. Already, one posthumous project, his "Dark Night of the Soul" collaboration with Danger Mouse and David Lynch, is scheduled for release later this year. While posthumous releases can be risky propositions and sometimes feel slapped together simply to make money for the late artist's estate, there are some musicians whose best albums have been released after their deaths. With Linkous in mind, we decided to give another listen to many of the notable albums that fall into this category. Here are the Top 13 Posthumous Albums of all time.Acting Performances by Musicianshttp://thetop13.com/acting-performances-by-musicians-L101/http://thetop13.com/acting-performances-by-musicians-L101/Tue, 23 Mar 2010 03:03:03 EDTHistorically, musicians have been best utilized in film roles by being limited to cameos (Keith Richards in Pirates of the Caribbean), having only one line (Dee Dee Ramone in Rock 'n' Roll High School), or having no lines at all (Eddie Vedder in Singles). Then there are the instances that may have been better never happening at all (Neil Diamond in The Jazz Singer, Michael Jackson in The Wiz). Still, there are plenty of examples of prominent musicians who proved they could not only keep up, but stand toe-to-toe with acting greats like Gary Oldman and Billy Bob Thornton (and at least one, Will Smith, who has had so many lead movie roles that we now think of him more as an actor than as a musician). Here are the Top 13 Acting Performances by Musicians in films.Worst Songs by Professional Athleteshttp://thetop13.com/worst-songs-by-professional-athletes-L18/http://thetop13.com/worst-songs-by-professional-athletes-L18/Mon, 22 Mar 2010 03:03:03 EDTLast week, pound-for-pound boxing champ Manny Pacquiao was forced to cancel a concert planned for Hawaii because of meager ticket sales. Pacquiao's bizarre foray into singing isn't surprising; for years, star athletes have tried to make it in the music business. While most are unsuccessful, some of the failures have been spectacular. Pacquiao is said to be readying his debut U.S. album. To tide you over while you wait for that guaranteed masterpiece, we took a look at the many songs released by professional athletes. We ranked the songs based on a combination of just how bad the music is and just how good the athlete is. In other words, number one should be the worst song by the best athlete. Also, we only considered songs from athletes who released, or at least had plans to release, a full album. Without further ado, here are the Top 13 Worst Songs by Professional Athletes.Bond Girlshttp://thetop13.com/bond-girls-L91/http://thetop13.com/bond-girls-L91/Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:03:03 EDTWith the recent rumors that Camille Montes Rivero, the female lead in Quantum of Solace, may become only the second Bond girl to appear in multiple James Bond films (the first, Sylvia Trench, appeared in the franchise's very first two films), we got to thinking about which Bond girls are our favorites. We considered a number of attributes in assembling this Top 13, including intelligence, charisma, impact on the Bond franchise and popular culture, and, of course, sex appeal. So in the spirit of James Bond films, pour yourself a martini and enjoy the Top 13 Bond Girls of all time.Most Hated Sports Teamshttp://thetop13.com/most-hated-sports-teams-L76/http://thetop13.com/most-hated-sports-teams-L76/Wed, 17 Mar 2010 03:03:03 EDTLast month, we published our Top 13 Most Hated Sports Teams, and asked our readers to tell us who they hate the most. The results are in and although our readers largely agreed with us about the teams at the very top of the list, there are quite a few surprises. As a general matter, our readers don't seem to care enough about hockey or soccer to truly loathe teams from those sports. Accordingly, you removed Manchester United, the Red Wings and the Flyers from our list. You also don't hate the Raiders or Celtics nearly as much as we do. In place of those five teams, you chose the Eagles and Packers from the NFL, the Florida Gators and North Carolina Tar Heels from the NCAA, and the Knicks from the NBA. Here is the entire list of our readers Top 13 Most Hated Sports Teams. Hidden Trackshttp://thetop13.com/hidden-tracks-L96/http://thetop13.com/hidden-tracks-L96/Tue, 16 Mar 2010 03:03:03 EDTThe hidden track dates all the way back to The Beatles' Abbey Road, which includes "Her Majesty," a 23-second unlisted song at the end of the album's second side. Since then, many bands have surprised their fans with secret songs, though many of them are merely discordant noise or otherwise eminently forgettable. Sometimes, though, these tracks are hidden gems that deserve to be heard. For that reason, we decided to put together a list of the very best hidden tracks, and listened to dozens of them to find the standouts. So without further ado, here are the Top 13 Hidden Tracks.SXSW Day Partieshttp://thetop13.com/sxsw-day-parties-L97/http://thetop13.com/sxsw-day-parties-L97/Mon, 15 Mar 2010 03:03:03 EDTThe South by Southwest Music Festival starts on Wednesday and we know that deciding which of the hundreds of shows to check out each day can be an overwhelming task. So we figured we would showcase what we think are the strongest of the unofficial day parties that SXSW has become famous for. If you're not familiar with the way SXSW works, the night time official showcases are often incredibly hard to get into without dropping somewhere between $150 and $800 for a wristband or badge that allows access. The day parties are normally free and quite often offer giveaways and free food and drinks. And while we're taking those freebies into account here, this list is really about the quality of each day party's lineup. For a comprehensive list of all day parties, check out Austinist's <a href=" http://austinist.com/sxswist" target="_blank"> SXSW Party Guide</a>.Novels About Drugshttp://thetop13.com/novels-about-drugs-L94/http://thetop13.com/novels-about-drugs-L94/Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:03:03 EDTThe genre of drug fiction, as much as or perhaps more than any other genre, is known for its terrible writing and trite storytelling. Perhaps the problem is that so much of it is at least loosely based on authors' own lives and it takes a supremely talented writer to maintain perspective when writing about personal experiences. Nevertheless, because of the amount of rubbish littering the genre, the best works truly stand out, and as avid readers of drug fiction, we've picked out the must reads for you. Accordingly, here are the Top 13 Novels About Drugs.Fast Food Chainshttp://thetop13.com/fast-food-chains-L93/http://thetop13.com/fast-food-chains-L93/Wed, 10 Mar 2010 03:03:03 EDTEvery day, roughly 45 million Americans will eat a meal from a fast food restaurant. Quite simply, fast food is an institution in American life, for better or for worse. Today's list counts down our favorite fast food chains. Since food is unquestionably a matter of taste and preference which can change on a whim, we narrowed this list down - and ranked it - by asking ourselves which restaurants we would stop at if we had our choice of any fast food chain. This list is limited to chains that operate in multiple states and either do not make food to order or offer the convenience of a drive-thru. In addition, we didn't take into account the healthfulness of the chains. With that out of the way, we present the Top 13 Fast Food Chains.Hair Metal Bandshttp://thetop13.com/hair-metal-bands-L88/http://thetop13.com/hair-metal-bands-L88/Tue, 09 Mar 2010 03:03:03 EDTHair or glam metal, one of our very favorite genres of music from our youth, has seen a resurgence of sorts over the past few years. Many of the bands from that era have successfully released new albums and toured, and Poison frontman Bret Michaels gave us an intimate look at the life of a rock star on his very own reality show. The hair metal renaissance is continuing; last month, the new incarnation of Guns N' Roses played a few surprise shows in New York City. And over the next few weeks, the Scorpions and Ratt are scheduled to release new albums. With this burst of activity from some of the biggest bands of the genre, we began to reflect on the best that hair metal had to offer. Accordingly, we present the Top 13 Hair Metal Bands of all time.Tim Burton Filmshttp://thetop13.com/tim-burton-films-L90/http://thetop13.com/tim-burton-films-L90/Mon, 08 Mar 2010 03:03:03 EDTWith the release of Alice in Wonderland, Tim Burton's fourteenth feature film and his seventh starring Johnny Depp, the Top 13 takes a look at the career of this filmmaker that many already view as legendary. Burton struck success early on and was soon given the freedom to start making whatever films he wanted however he wanted to make them, something very few directors ever attain. Even fewer directors have made as many cult classics as Burton. Though this past decade has seen more mainstream fare from this auteur, his filmography has been extraordinarily consistent in his unique, gothic style. Burton's next project will be an animated remake of Frankenweenie, the short film responsible for launching his career.Most Deserving Best Picture Winnershttp://thetop13.com/most-deserving-best-picture-winners-L89/http://thetop13.com/most-deserving-best-picture-winners-L89/Thu, 04 Mar 2010 03:03:03 EDTThe Academy has a storied history of picking the wrong film for Best Picture, and ignoring many great films entirely (as evidenced by our <a href=" http://thetop13.com/72/" target="_blank">Nomination Snubs list</a>). But every once in a while, the Academy will bestow one of its most coveted statuettes upon a truly deserving film. Seeing as the Oscars will air this Sunday at 8 p.m. Eastern, we at the Top 13 wanted to share with you our list of those Best Picture winners that we think most deserved their prizes. Here's to hoping that one of this year's more deserving nominees - Inglorious Basterds, A Serious Man or The Hurt Locker - takes home top honors.Guru Songshttp://thetop13.com/guru-songs-L92/http://thetop13.com/guru-songs-L92/Wed, 03 Mar 2010 03:03:03 EDTEarlier this week, legendary emcee Guru of the pioneering New York rap group Gang Starr suffered a severe heart attack that left him in a coma. Like the entire hip hop community, the Top 13 wishes Keith Elam - better known as Gifted Universal Rhymes Unlimited - a speedy recovery. To keep Guru in all of our thoughts, we've put together our list of his best work, which comes both from his collaborations with Gang Starr partner DJ Premier and his jazz-based solo records. Without further ado, we present the Top 13 Guru Songs. Get well soon, Guru. Editor's Note: Guru passed away on April 19, 2010.Independent Record Labelshttp://thetop13.com/independent-record-labels-L87/http://thetop13.com/independent-record-labels-L87/Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:03:03 EDTWith the recent announcement that independent hip hop label Definitive Jux was shuttering its doors, we at the Top 13 wondered where El-P's famed New York indie fit in the indie label hierarchy. While we certainly acknowledge the influence of original independent labels like Motown and Sun, we limited our list to modern indies or those that came of age with rock music. Accordingly, we present the Top 13 Independent Record Labels of the modern era.Game Show Hostshttp://thetop13.com/game-show-hosts-L83/http://thetop13.com/game-show-hosts-L83/Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:03:03 EDTLater this week, one of our favorite game show hosts, Wink Martindale (who barely missed this list for his work on Tic-Tac-Dough and a number of other shows), returns with a new game show - Instant Recall - on GSN. That got us thinking about our favorite game show hosts in television history. We considered the longevity, influence, personality, and sense of humor of the many choices, and arrived at this Top 13 Game Show Hosts of all time.Most Hated Sports Teamshttp://thetop13.com/most-hated-sports-teams-L75/http://thetop13.com/most-hated-sports-teams-L75/Thu, 25 Feb 2010 03:02:03 EDTWith the NFL season ending earlier this month, the NBA, the NHL, and college basketball in full swing, and baseball season just around the corner, we decided it was a good time to take a look at the most hated teams in sports. We recognize that many of the teams on this list are also among the most successful and beloved teams, but, in part because of their passionate fan bases, these are the teams that we think inspire more hate than any others. In the interest of full disclosure, we're compelled to tell you that the writer of this Top 13 is a lifelong, dyed-in-the-wool Yankee fan. Nevertheless, even he knows that his favorite team is without peer as the most hated in sports. And with that, we present the Top 13 Most Hated Sports Teams. Where possible, we've provided video clips that demonstrate just how much people hate these teams.Grunge Albumshttp://thetop13.com/grunge-albums-L4/http://thetop13.com/grunge-albums-L4/Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:02:03 EDTJust about twenty years after the birth of grunge and the Seattle Scene, a number of the most prominent bands of that era are back with tours and/or new albums. Soundgarden recently announced it is reuniting and the band is heavily rumored to be headlining Lollapalooza this summer, Mudhoney is set to play All Tomorrow's Parties New York this year, both Pearl Jam and Alice in Chains released new material last year, and late last year Nirvana released Live at Reading, a DVD and album containing the band's legendary 1992 performance at the Reading Festival. Given the sudden burst of productivity from some of grunge's most important bands, the Top 13 takes a look at the best albums from the era, giving weight to both the quality of the album and its influence.Simpsons Guest Starshttp://thetop13.com/simpsons-guest-stars-L79/http://thetop13.com/simpsons-guest-stars-L79/Tue, 23 Feb 2010 03:02:03 EDTThe Simpsons celebrated its 20th anniversary on the air this season. Think about that - there are people that can legally drive, smoke, and, in some countries, drink, that were born after the show's first episode aired. For those people, the show is simply a fact of life, but for those that remember its premiere, the mere idea of a prime-time cartoon sitcom, now ubiquitous, was revolutionary. The show has been a worldwide cultural phenomenon and has been lucky enough to feature many luminous guest stars over the course of its run. But as the show has changed over time, in our view the quality of the guest appearances has fallen off - now you are more likely to see an ill-fitting celebrity cameo than one that helps drive a funny plot. With that in mind, we present the Top 13 Simpsons Guest Stars. This list includes several longtime contributors to the show, as well as a few perfectly comedic one-off appearances. Martin Scorsese Filmshttp://thetop13.com/martin-scorsese-films-L84/http://thetop13.com/martin-scorsese-films-L84/Mon, 22 Feb 2010 03:02:03 EDTWith Shutter Island now in theaters, the Top 13 has been thinking quite a bit about Martin Scorsese's accomplished career. He was at his best when working with Robert De Niro, who starred in a whopping eight of his films. But Scorsese's new acting protÃ©gÃ©, Leonardo DiCaprio, continues to prove a worthy replacement for De Niro, as he has been an integral part of the director's most consistent decade yet. With a Cecil B. DeMille Award already in his pocket, the master isn't finished quite yet. Up next is an adaptation of the children's book The Invention of Hugo Cabret and biopics about Frank Sinatra and Theodore Roosevelt. Though Scorsese is also an accomplished documentarian, only his narratives were considered for this list.Charity Songshttp://thetop13.com/charity-songs-L82/http://thetop13.com/charity-songs-L82/Thu, 18 Feb 2010 03:02:03 EDTWith the release last week of "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Glny4jSciVI" target="_blank">We Are the World 25 for Haiti</a>," a remake of the 1985 hit song for charity "We Are the World," we decided to take a look at the best of those songs recorded to raise money and awareness for charitable causes. The resulting list - ranked based on the quality of the song and artists who contributed to it, as well as the song's social and financial impact - features a who's who of the biggest recording artists of the past quarter-century laying it down for a diverse group of critically important charities. Where possible, we've provided links to those charities and encourage you all to check them out. Now, without further ado, we present the Top 13 Charity Songs of All Time.One-Album Wondershttp://thetop13.com/one-album-wonders-L77/http://thetop13.com/one-album-wonders-L77/Wed, 17 Feb 2010 03:02:03 EDTThough the topic of one-hit wonders in pop music is frequently debated, there is far less discussion about those artists who release one amazing hit album but never again reach the heights of that one classic record. There are many reasons these artists become one-album wonders, including untimely deaths and acrimony among band members, and some are simply unexplainable. And while perhaps fans should simply enjoy what we got from these artists, it's hard not to wonder why we didn't get more. With that in mind, we present the Top 13 One-Album Wonders.Classic Commercialshttp://thetop13.com/classic-commercials-L81/http://thetop13.com/classic-commercials-L81/Tue, 16 Feb 2010 03:02:03 EDTAs we watched the Super Bowl earlier this month, we didn't see a single commercial that really resonated. And that got us thinking about the best commercials, whether they aired during the Super Bowl or any other time. We watched dozens of commercials in cutting down this list and really struggled with the final few cuts. Ultimately, however, we think we've come up with a list of the most memorable, effective, and iconic commercials in history. Accordingly, we present the Top 13 Classic Commercials.Romantic Comedieshttp://thetop13.com/romantic-comedies-L80/http://thetop13.com/romantic-comedies-L80/Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:02:03 EDTWith Valentine's Day rapidly approaching, we here at The Top 13 thought it would be appropriate to count down the best romantic comedies, which meant sifting through a lot of dreck. The best "rom-coms" are those that toe the difficult line between laughter and true, emotional heft. Much like its polar-opposite, horror, romantic-comedy is an extremely easy genre to make money in, but it takes a true genius to deliver a masterpiece.NBA Slam Dunk Contest Dunkshttp://thetop13.com/nba-slam-dunk-contest-dunks-L78/http://thetop13.com/nba-slam-dunk-contest-dunks-L78/Wed, 10 Feb 2010 03:02:03 EDTThis Saturday night, some of the NBA's highest flyers will participate in the annual Slam Dunk Contest as part of the all-star weekend festivities in Dallas. Defending champion Nate Robinson will be looking to win his third title against a field including Gerald Wallace, Shannon Brown, and the dunk-in winner (either DeMar DeRozan or Eric Gordon). To get everyone in the mood for the competition, we present the Top 13 NBA Slam Dunk Contest Dunks.Documentaries of the 2000shttp://thetop13.com/documentaries-of-the-2000s-L41/http://thetop13.com/documentaries-of-the-2000s-L41/Tue, 09 Feb 2010 03:02:03 EDTThough we're now a little more than a month into the new decade, here at The Top 13, we're still pondering the best of the decade that just ended. Today, we take a look at the best of one of our favorite genres of film - documentaries. This list includes a number of Academy Award winning films, as well as a few quirkier offerings. Either way, each of the 13 documentaries on this list provide a compelling look at a fascinating - and in many cases - obscure topic.Videos from MTV\'s First Dayhttp://thetop13.com/videos-from-mtvs-first-day-L65/http://thetop13.com/videos-from-mtvs-first-day-L65/Mon, 08 Feb 2010 03:02:03 EDTMTV debuted on a select few cable systems on August 1, 1981 with a limited roster of videos to choose from. Indeed, of the 62 videos that aired on that first day, five were from Rod Stewart (and they weren't songs from one of his better periods) and four were from REO Speedwagon. Nevertheless, a number of the videos introduced that day by Mark Goodman, Martha Quinn, and the other original MTV VJs turned out to be iconic or were for fantastic songs, or both. We recently went back and watched each of the videos that MTV aired that day and present to you the Top 13 Videos from MTV's First Day.Super Bowl Performanceshttp://thetop13.com/super-bowl-performances-L74/http://thetop13.com/super-bowl-performances-L74/Thu, 04 Feb 2010 03:02:03 EDTWith Super Bowl XLIV just days away, the focus in Miami this week is on who will step up from the Indianapolis Colts or New Orleans Saints to bring his team a championship. Will it be Colts quarterback Peyton Manning or his counterpart for the Saints, Drew Brees? Or will someone unexpected be the hero? Either way, the star of Sunday's game will join a short list of NFL greats who played their best on the biggest stage. Here are the Top 13 Super Bowl Performances.Hip Hop Albums of the 1990shttp://thetop13.com/hip-hop-albums-of-the-1990s-L59/http://thetop13.com/hip-hop-albums-of-the-1990s-L59/Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:02:03 EDTLast month, Rapper Big Pooh from acclaimed North Carolina group Little Brother ranked his Top 13 Hip Hop Albums from the 1990s, which we think was the genre's best decade yet. We asked you to weigh in on the subject and, today, we publish your cumulative Top 13. Although you agreed with Big Pooh on the top three, albeit in a different order, the rest of your list looks quite different than his. Accordingly, we present our readers' Top 13 Hip Hop Albums of the 1990s. Worst Oscar Nomination Snubshttp://thetop13.com/worst-oscar-nomination-snubs-L72/http://thetop13.com/worst-oscar-nomination-snubs-L72/Tue, 02 Feb 2010 03:02:03 EDTHere at The Top 13, we love the Oscars. However flawed they may be, the Oscars are a celebration of the movies writ large, filled with the infectiously exciting glamour and glitz of Hollywood. Unfortunately, the Academy seems to make mistakes as often as they pick the most deserving winners, and with this year's nominations announced this morning, we'd like to share some of the worst nomination snubs of all time. These are cases where the Academy not only failed to give the award to the right film or performance, but failed to even nominate it.Lost Mysterieshttp://thetop13.com/lost-mysteries-L71/http://thetop13.com/lost-mysteries-L71/Mon, 01 Feb 2010 03:02:03 EDTAfter five seasons of following the survivors of the Oceanic Flight 815 plane crash and those they've encountered on the Island and elsewhere, we're ready for some answers. And beginning tomorrow night, with the premiere of the sixth and final season of Lost, we should be getting them. Here are the Top 13 Lost Mysteries we hope are resolved during the show's final season.State of the Union Addresseshttp://thetop13.com/state-of-the-union-addresses-L70/http://thetop13.com/state-of-the-union-addresses-L70/Thu, 28 Jan 2010 03:01:03 EDTLast night, President Obama delivered his first state of the union address, setting forth his plans to fix the economy and urging Americans not to give up on his ambitious social platform. And while Obama's speech received high approval ratings in polls conducted last night, it wasn't a particularly groundbreaking speech, and that got us thinking about those state of the union addresses that were. Accordingly, here are the Top 13 State of the Union Addresses.Movies of the Year http://thetop13.com/movies-of-the-year-L62/http://thetop13.com/movies-of-the-year-L62/Wed, 27 Jan 2010 03:01:03 EDTA few weeks ago, we published The Top 13's best movies of 2009 and asked you all to vote on your favorites. So with Oscar nominations to be announced next week, today we present our readers' Top 13 Movies of 2009, which looks quite a bit different than our list. While you agreed with us that Inglourious Basterds was 2009's best movie and we both ranked The Hurt Locker highly, your list includes six films that did not make our Top 13: Star Trek, (500) Days of Summer, Adventureland, The Brothers Bloom, In the Loop, and Fantastic Mr. Fox. To make room for those movies, you cut the following films that made our list: Drag Me to Hell, A Serious Man, The Road, An Education, Where the Wild Things Are, and Precious. We already told you why we like many of the movies on this list, so we'll let the reviewers elaborate on those. But for your new picks, we'll let you know why we think you made good choices.Conan O\'Brien Momentshttp://thetop13.com/conan-obrien-moments-L69/http://thetop13.com/conan-obrien-moments-L69/Tue, 26 Jan 2010 03:01:03 EDTWith Conan O'Brien's tenure as host of The Tonight Show now history and at least seven months until Conan returns with a new show, we started to think about what we're going to miss. And there's a lot we're going to miss. Fortunately, we were able to narrow it down for you. Accordingly, here are the Top 13 most memorable moments from Conan O'Brien's two late night NBC shows.Second City Alumnihttp://thetop13.com/second-city-alumni-L67/http://thetop13.com/second-city-alumni-L67/Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:01:03 EDTLate this past year, the legendary Second City comedy troupe celebrated its 50th anniversary in Chicago. After fifty years of laughing the heads off of thousands of Chicagoans and tourists, the theater celebrated with a massive reunion show. The one-off show sold out in fifteen minutes with a lineup of many of the legendary performers the troupe has featured over the years. Without this historic theater, many of these people may have never hit their break, and that inspired us to count down the Top 13 Second City Alumni. Unexpected Super Bowl Runshttp://thetop13.com/unexpected-super-bowl-runs-L68/http://thetop13.com/unexpected-super-bowl-runs-L68/Thu, 21 Jan 2010 03:01:03 EDTThis weekend, the upstart New York Jets will attempt to upset the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC Championship game and advance to the Super Bowl for the second time in franchise history. If they pull it off, it will be one of the most shocking Super Bowl runs of all time, and that got us thinking about the biggest surprise teams that have appeared in a Super Bowl, win or lose. Accordingly, here are the Top 13 Unexpected Super Bowl Runs.Adaptationshttp://thetop13.com/adaptations-L66/http://thetop13.com/adaptations-L66/Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:01:03 EDTEver since Cecil Hepworth adapted Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland for his 1903 film, aspiring screenwriters have looked toward literature for inspiration and stories with results all over the critical spectrum. Unfortunately, even after all that time, the simple question of what makes a "successful adaptation" has no definitive answer. Perhaps then, the best way to view adaptations is to consider them as films first, and then to pay attention to the amount of mileage the writers and directors got out of their source material. Accordingly, we present The Top 13 book-to-film adaptations.Hip Hop Albums of the 1990shttp://thetop13.com/hip-hop-albums-of-the-1990s-L58/http://thetop13.com/hip-hop-albums-of-the-1990s-L58/Tue, 19 Jan 2010 03:01:03 EDTPutting together these 13 albums proved to be a difficult task. I'm serious, so difficult it took me over a week to finally decide on these 13 albums. I had to go with the albums that in my opinion changed music or changed how I saw music. I had to go with the albums that will forever have a special place in my memory. I had to go with the albums that when you mention them I could give you a time capsule of my life during that period. I'm sure there will be plenty of people who may feel different, but I knew that already. Songs of the Decadehttp://thetop13.com/songs-of-the-decade-L60/http://thetop13.com/songs-of-the-decade-L60/Thu, 14 Jan 2010 03:01:03 EDTThe Lollapalooza Message Board is a place of constant music discussion, discovery, and debate (among other things). With that in mind, dozens of message board members spent many months compiling their favorite songs from the entire decade. They went through each year of the decade with every member nominating two songs for consideration. The entire group then voted on these 80-90 options to select the top 20 songs for that year. After going through each year, board members ended up with a ballot of just over 200 songs to select their final top 100 of the decade. Following plenty of petty bickering and astonishing nerdiness (which we say with the utmost respect), here are the resulting Top 13 Songs of the Decade. Special thanks to Rosseus, a member of both the Lollapalooza board and The Top 13, who coordinated the entire project, as well as the authors of the commentary accompanying each entry (all of whom are members of the Lollapalooza board). Horror Movies of the Decade http://thetop13.com/horror-movies-of-the-decade-L50/http://thetop13.com/horror-movies-of-the-decade-L50/Wed, 13 Jan 2010 03:01:03 EDTToday, our readers weigh in on the Top 13 Horror Movies of the Decade. With the exception of Grindhouse, which we ranked second and you left off The Top 13 altogether, you agreed with the movies near the top of our list. The bottom half was another story; gone are Saw, Dawn of the Dead, A Tale of Two Sisters, and Trick 'r Treat. In their places, you picked American Psycho, House of 1000 Corpses, The Devilâ��s Backbone, Antichrist, and The Strangers. We already told you why we like many of the movies on this list, so we'll let the reviewers elaborate on those. But for your new picks, we'll let you know why we think you made good choices.Science Fiction Novelshttp://thetop13.com/science-fiction-novels-L54/http://thetop13.com/science-fiction-novels-L54/Tue, 12 Jan 2010 03:01:03 EDTScience Fiction. These two words can send even the most level-headed bibliophile to the nearest exit. Admittedly the genre is littered with offal, and regrettably, for every masterful work, there are heaps of stereotypical dreck. So it's no surprise that the kneejerk reaction is refusal or derision, though these same observations may be made of other genres. Figuring out where to start in any unfamiliar territory can be daunting. Fortunately, we've separated the wheat from the chaff for you and present The Top 13 Science Fiction Novels.Movies of the Yearhttp://thetop13.com/movies-of-the-year-L61/http://thetop13.com/movies-of-the-year-L61/Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:01:03 EDTAs the awards season ramps up, we take a look today at the Top 13 Movies of 2009. The best offerings from the past year are all over the map and include releases from some of Hollywood's best and brightest creative forces - Pixar, the Coen Brothers, Spike Jonze, Quentin Tarantino, and James Cameron - as well as breakthrough films from rising stars like Kathryn Bigelow, Jason Reitman, and Neill Blomkamp. The Oscars have expanded the Best Picture category this year to ten nominees, but if we were in charge, these thirteen films would be in the running.Elvis Presley Songshttp://thetop13.com/elvis-presley-songs-L57/http://thetop13.com/elvis-presley-songs-L57/Thu, 07 Jan 2010 03:01:03 EDTTomorrow, Elvis Presley would have celebrated his 75th birthday. Unfortunately, he died in 1977 at the way-too-early age of 42. Still, he is the best-selling solo artist of all time, having sold as many as one billion records worldwide. He is also one of the 20th century's most influential musicians and important figures in pop culture history. So in honor of what would have been a milestone birthday for the King, The Top 13 takes a look at the best of Elvis' songs.Sitcoms of the Decadehttp://thetop13.com/sitcoms-of-the-decade-L44/http://thetop13.com/sitcoms-of-the-decade-L44/Wed, 06 Jan 2010 03:01:03 EDTToday, we take a look at the best sitcoms of the 2000s as chosen by you, our readers. For the most part, this list contains many of the same classic comedies that we selected, but there are a few notable differences. You didn't agree with our picks of How I Met Your Mother, Futurama, Reno 911!, or Trailer Park Boys; instead, you preferred Flight of the Conchords, The Sarah Silverman Program, Entourage, and Parks and Recreation. You also thought we overrated Curb Your Enthusiasm and shortchanged its distant spiritual cousin, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. We already told you why we liked most of the shows on this list, so we'll show you what the critics had to say about those. But for your new picks, we'll let you know why we think you made good choices.Music Festivals of the Yearhttp://thetop13.com/music-festivals-of-the-year-L37/http://thetop13.com/music-festivals-of-the-year-L37/Tue, 05 Jan 2010 03:01:03 EDTAfter a period of substantial growth in the music festival industry, 2009 saw the beginning of a potential market correction, as several annual festival decided to take the year off. Nevertheless, there was no shortage of great festival options in 2009. And The Top 13 loves music festivals. So we've combed through the lineups once again and present The Top 13 Music Festivals of 2009. The Top 13 Music festivals of the Year is brought to you in conjunction with <a href="http://consequenceofsound.net/" target="_blank">Consequence of Sound</a>, one of the Internet's fastest growing destinations for music news and reviews. It is also The Top 13's first destination for news and rumors about festival lineups.Albums of the Year (2009)http://thetop13.com/albums-of-the-year-2009-L31/http://thetop13.com/albums-of-the-year-2009-L31/Mon, 04 Jan 2010 03:01:03 EDTToday, we present the results of our favorite reader list: The Top 13 Albums of the Year. Your Top 13 includes seven albums that made our Top 13 and six that did not. While we don't agree with all your choices, we certainly understand them. A big thanks to a handful of our readers who contributed the commentary accompanying each of the entries on The Top 13. You can see the albums that finished 14-50 <a href=" http://www.thetop13.com/albums-of-the-year-2009/">here</a>. The Top 13 Albums of the Year project is brought to you in conjunction with <a href="http://themusicslut.com" target="_blank">The Music Slut</a>, a New York-based music site, which in 2007 was ranked by Billboard as the best music blog.Novels of the Yearhttp://thetop13.com/novels-of-the-year-L34/http://thetop13.com/novels-of-the-year-L34/Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:12:03 EDTIn a terrific year for the novel, The Top 13 struggled to whittle down our list to our standard baker's dozen. Ultimately, of course, we did it, and the resulting Top 13 offers a collection of fantastic books, including a pair of beautiful debuts and typically strong novels from a number of literary heavyweights. Webcomicshttp://thetop13.com/webcomics-L52/http://thetop13.com/webcomics-L52/Tue, 29 Dec 2009 03:12:03 EDTIn the past decade, webcomics have gone from the red-haired stepchild of syndicated newspaper strips to a serious way to make a living, not to mention one completely free of editorial restrictions. Along the way, a few strips have emerged as the definitive works of what will, in the future, be seen as the first generation of webcomics. From the strikingly gorgeous, to the positively hysterical, these are The Top 13 Webcomics.Pop Albums of the Decadehttp://thetop13.com/pop-albums-of-the-decade-L32/http://thetop13.com/pop-albums-of-the-decade-L32/Mon, 28 Dec 2009 03:12:03 EDTIf you've listened to the radio during the past decade, you are undoubtedly familiar with several dozen songs off the albums on today's Top 13 - Pop Albums of the Decade. We've taken a limited view as to what constitutes a pop album; as such, if you could fairly label an album hip hop, rock or country, you probably won't find it here.Christmas Movieshttp://thetop13.com/christmas-movies-L51/http://thetop13.com/christmas-movies-L51/Wed, 23 Dec 2009 03:12:03 EDTIt seems to us that no holiday has been used for a setting by more films than Christmas, and every year you're likely to see many Christmastime movies on your TV's guide. No matter what your religion, many of these films are classics and are worth your viewing time. With that in mind, we present the Top 13 Christmas Movies. We are defining a Christmas movie as any movie set at Christmas, whether or not the holiday is actually the subject of the film.Horror Movies of the Decadehttp://thetop13.com/horror-movies-of-the-decade-L49/http://thetop13.com/horror-movies-of-the-decade-L49/Tue, 22 Dec 2009 03:12:03 EDTAs we near the end of a scary decade in cinema, The Top 13 counts down the very best horror films of the 2000s. Our list includes a number of foreign films, a comedy, and a direct-to-video offering, not to mention a few absolutely terrifying movies that revolutionized the genre.Celebrity Deaths of the Yearhttp://thetop13.com/celebrity-deaths-of-the-year-L35/http://thetop13.com/celebrity-deaths-of-the-year-L35/Mon, 21 Dec 2009 03:12:03 EDTAs 2009 comes to a close, The Top 13 remembers some of the biggest figures in American history and culture who died this year. The ranking of this list - which includes musicians and actors, political figures and television hosts, among others - is based on the deceased's contribution to society and the public's response to his or her death. Athletes of the Yearhttp://thetop13.com/athletes-of-the-year-L48/http://thetop13.com/athletes-of-the-year-L48/Thu, 17 Dec 2009 03:12:03 EDTAs 2009 comes to a close, The Top 13 ranks the best individual athletic performances of the year. This list spans the globe and covers a wide array of sports. And while just about every athlete who we ranked appears to be on his way to a spot in his sport's respective hall of fame, no one on The Top 13 did more in 2009 to cement his status as one of the greatest of all time than Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao, who is The Top 13's athlete of the year.Animated Movies of the Decadehttp://thetop13.com/animated-movies-of-the-decade-L40/http://thetop13.com/animated-movies-of-the-decade-L40/Wed, 16 Dec 2009 03:12:03 EDTIn the animated movie industry, there's Pixar, and there's everyone else. That status was cemented this decade as the company produced six of the outstanding films on this list of The Top 13 Animated Movies of the Decade. No decade in the history of animated films has been so vastly different than those that came before it. Now, nearly all animated films are being produced with computer technology, though Disney has made an attempt to bring back the golden days of hand drawn animation with its current release, The Princess and the Frog, although it remains unclear whether that movie will be a box office success. Though only one of their films released this decade missed the list (sorry, Cars), Pixar is not the only production company consistently changing the animated landscape. Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and company at Studio Ghibli were also granted a couple spots on The Top 13.Readable Classics http://thetop13.com/readable-classics-L46/http://thetop13.com/readable-classics-L46/Tue, 15 Dec 2009 03:12:03 EDTBefore I was (vaguely) known for being a misanthropic basketball player, and long before I was (even more vaguely) known for being a music writer, I was a bookworm. The summers of my childhood were spent haunting the Topeka Public Library, searching for the biographies, adventure novels, and Hardy Boys books that made up my pre-teen reading menu. Middle school bus rides brought with them the discovery of John Grisham and Tom Clancy, contributing to my belief that those authors are perfect, if one has the brain of a 13-year-old boy. In high school, I found James Michener, James Clavell and John Jakes. So, while I was a voracious reader, I certainly wasn't reading the classics, as it were. When I got out of college with an engineering degree and almost no liberal arts experience, I resolved to give myself a literary education on my own. Part of that education, I thought, was an attempt at reading books by authors I'd long heard of, but who had always intimidated me: Dostoevsky, Dickens, Wolfe, and Roth. Many of those I picked up were impossibly dense or irredeemably dry. I celebrated when I finished each page of Crime and Punishment. It took me weeks to plod through Anna Karenina. I gave up on Moby Dick halfway through. And I figured out that Ernest Hemingway bores me like a sorority girl on tranquilizers. But I had more successes than failures. Surprisingly, those that deemed them "classics" were often right â�� these were arresting, universal stories that I was reading. And some of them were even fun. With that in mind, I present my Top 13 Readable Classics.Sitcoms of the Decadehttp://thetop13.com/sitcoms-of-the-decade-L43/http://thetop13.com/sitcoms-of-the-decade-L43/Mon, 14 Dec 2009 03:12:03 EDTAs we near the end of the decade, The Top 13 is taking a look back at the best sitcoms of the 2000s. We're defining "sitcom" broadly here - any 30-minute TV show with story-driven situational comedy, whether animated or live action, network or cable. Since some shows span multiple decades, we chose to look only at the years 2000-2009 in considering shows for this list. So even classic shows like The Simpsons, which peaked last decade, are absent here. With that in mind, we present The Top 13 Sitcoms of the Decade. Honorable Mentions: The Norm Show, Flight of the Conchords, Stella, Extras, and The Sarah Silverman ProgramDramas of the Decadehttp://thetop13.com/dramas-of-the-decade-L26/http://thetop13.com/dramas-of-the-decade-L26/Thu, 10 Dec 2009 03:12:03 EDTWe asked you all to submit your own lists of the Top 13 Dramas of the Decade, and we received an enthusiastic response. While you agreed with many of The Top 13's choices, there were a few significant differences. You thought we snubbed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Pan's Labyrinth, and Good Night, and Good Luck, and didn't think that Sexy Beast, Million Dollar Baby, or A History of Violence belonged on The Top 13. Plus, you thought we significantly underrated There Will Be Blood and overrated Munich. We already told you why we like most of the movies on this list, so we'll let the reviewers elaborate. But for your new picks, we'll let you know why we think you made good choices.Coming-of-Age Novelshttp://thetop13.com/coming-of-age-novels-L45/http://thetop13.com/coming-of-age-novels-L45/Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:12:03 EDTThe coming-of-age novel or "bildungsroman" could be the single most ubiquitous genre of modern literature. You may have read a number of The Top 13 throughout your adolescence, but many of these coming-of-age stories deserve a second look with the added wisdom gained by surviving the tribulations of your teenage years. We took an expansive view as to what qualifies as a novel and, accordingly, you'll find a novella, a graphic novel, and a series of books among the many more traditional novels ranked below. Movie Trailershttp://thetop13.com/movie-trailers-L42/http://thetop13.com/movie-trailers-L42/Tue, 08 Dec 2009 03:12:03 EDTWhen going to the movies, you might be inclined to arrive right at showtime and skip the previews. But here at The Top 13, we hate missing the trailers - they're sometimes the best part of the theater experience. We easily could have filled this list just with trailers for Stanley Kubrick and Alfred Hitchcock films, but that would have been a mistake. In fact, this past year alone has provided a few great trailers, two of which have made this list of The Top 13 Movie Trailers of all time. The trailers that made it are unique because they break from the tired "this is what happens" formula, contain footage shot exclusively for the trailer, or simply don't ruin the entire story of the film. Albums of the Year (2009)http://thetop13.com/albums-of-the-year-2009-L30/http://thetop13.com/albums-of-the-year-2009-L30/Mon, 07 Dec 2009 03:12:03 EDTIt's The Top 13's favorite time of year, but that has nothing to do with the holiday season. We love the end of the year because of how much we enjoy making our year-end lists, and the one we love the most is today's: The Top 13 Albums of the Year. With many fantastic albums to choose from, we're certain there will be substantial disagreement - both with those albums that we omitted and how we ranked the albums we included. With that in mind, we ask: Do you agree with our list? The Top 13 Albums of the Year project is brought to you in conjunction with <a href="http://themusicslut.com" target="_blank">The Music Slut</a>, a New York-based music site, which in 2007 was ranked by Billboard as the best music blog. In addition to our list, you also can check out The Music Slut's <a href="http://themusicslut.com/2009/12/the-music-slut-presents-matts-top-20-lps-of-2009/" target="_blank">Top 20 albums of the year</a>.Slasher Films http://thetop13.com/slasher-films-L28/http://thetop13.com/slasher-films-L28/Thu, 03 Dec 2009 03:12:03 EDTWe asked you to submit your own lists of the Top 13 Slasher Films of All Time, and you did so enthusiastically. While you agreed with many of the films that made our list, you replaced four of our choices. Excised were Audition, Candyman, Friday the 13th Part III, and Truth or Dare?: A Critical Madness; replacing them are your favorites the original Friday the 13th, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, The Burning, and Sleepaway Camp. You also strongly disagreed with how highly we ranked several films, including Black Christmas and Deep Red. We already told you why we like most of the movies on this list, so we'll let the critics tell you more. But for your new picks, we'll let you know why we think you made good choices.Steven Seagal Movieshttp://thetop13.com/steven-seagal-movies-L1/http://thetop13.com/steven-seagal-movies-L1/Wed, 02 Dec 2009 03:12:03 EDTTonight, we meet Steven Seagal the reality star, when A&E premieres Steven Seagal Lawman, which follows the former action star in his current job as a deputy sheriff with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office in Louisiana. Of course, before Seagal was locking up real criminals, he was breaking arms and capping bad guys on the big screen, where his movies have grossed more than $2 billion worldwide. Enjoying Seagal's movies was always like being in on an inside joke. So as Seagal makes his return to the spotlight on the small screen, The Top 13 counts down his best films. NBA Draft Bustshttp://thetop13.com/nba-draft-busts-L3/http://thetop13.com/nba-draft-busts-L3/Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:12:03 EDTEvery year, NBA teams spend months interviewing and working out draft prospects to identify the sure things. And every year, some teams miss badly on draft night. With the NBA season now in full swing, The Top 13 takes a look at the biggest busts in NBA draft history. As for this season's crop of rookies, our bet is on the Grizzlies' Hasheem Thabeet, drafted second overall, to be the biggest bust.Debut Albums of the Yearhttp://thetop13.com/debut-albums-of-the-year-L22/http://thetop13.com/debut-albums-of-the-year-L22/Mon, 30 Nov 2009 03:11:03 EDTAs the year has wound down, we've been considering what albums might make our year-end list of 2009's best. We found that there were many debut albums contending for spots on our final list, so we decided to also honor the year's best rookie artists and count down The Top 13 Debut Albums of the Year. The resulting list is certainly heavy on indie rock, though it features a wide range of sub-genres, including electronic, noise rock, Afro-pop, as well as a few straight-ahead rock and classic alternative albums.Hip Hop Albums of the Decade http://thetop13.com/hip-hop-albums-of-the-decade-L21/http://thetop13.com/hip-hop-albums-of-the-decade-L21/Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:11:03 EDTEarlier this month, Peter Rosenberg, one of the hosts of Hot 97's popular morning show, counted down his Top 13 Hip Hop Albums of the Decade. That day, we asked you to submit your lists, and many of you did. In the end, although our readers agreed with Rosenberg that The Blueprint was the decade's best hip hop album, there wasn't that much overlap between his list and yours. Your list is dominated by some of hip hop's heavyweights, including Jay-Z, Outkast, Kanye West, and Ghostface Killah, who each landed two albums on The Top 13. Funniest Photoblogshttp://thetop13.com/funniest-photoblogs-L39/http://thetop13.com/funniest-photoblogs-L39/Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:11:03 EDTWho doesn't love funny pictures of animals with ironic captions? Or a crazy person jumping into the back of what otherwise would be a perfectly lovely photo of a couple enjoying the sunset on the beach? Figuring we would save you the legwork of tracking images like those down, The Top 13 is counting down the funniest photoblogs on the web. We've also provided a sample of each photoblog to get you in the mood.Dramas of the Decadehttp://thetop13.com/dramas-of-the-decade-L25/http://thetop13.com/dramas-of-the-decade-L25/Mon, 23 Nov 2009 03:11:03 EDTWith the 2000s coming to a close, The Top 13 is taking a look at the best movies of the decade. Earlier this month, we ranked the best comedies of the decade, and our readers followed suit and submitted their own lists. Today, The Top 13 counts down the best dramas of this decade. Most of the films that made our list are dark and gritty tales of crime, violence, and vengeance that will keep you glued to the edge of your seat. Do you agree with The Top 13?Oprah Momentshttp://thetop13.com/oprah-moments-L38/http://thetop13.com/oprah-moments-L38/Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:11:03 EDTWith the news late yesterday that Oprah will announce the end of The Oprah Winfrey Show during today's episode, The Top 13 counts down the most notable moments during the show's 23-year run. Concert Filmshttp://thetop13.com/concert-films-L36/http://thetop13.com/concert-films-L36/Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:11:03 EDTThis Is It, the documentary featuring footage of Michael Jackson's rehearsals for the tour he was preparing at the time of his death, is raking it in at the box office. The success of that film got us thinking about the best concert films of all time. The resulting Top 13 spans four decades and features films about everything from hip hop to classic rock, from music festivals to shows at intimate venues.Comedies of the Decadehttp://thetop13.com/comedies-of-the-decade-L6/http://thetop13.com/comedies-of-the-decade-L6/Wed, 18 Nov 2009 03:11:03 EDTWe asked you all to submit your own lists of the Top 13 Comedies of the Decade, and you did not disappoint. There was significant overlap between our list and your collective choices, but there are four new films on this list. Gone are Walk Hard, Idiocracy, Team America, and Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back; replacing them are your favorites Superbad, Napoleon Dynamite, The Royal Tenenbaums, and Hot Fuzz. Once again, Anchorman reigned supreme. To that, we say: You stay classy, readers. We already told you why we like most of the movies on this list, so we'll let the reviewers elaborate. But for your new picks, we'll let you know why we think you made good choices. Coen Brothers Filmshttp://thetop13.com/coen-brothers-films-L29/http://thetop13.com/coen-brothers-films-L29/Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:11:03 EDTIt has been 25 years since Joel and Ethan Coen debuted as a writing, directing, and editing juggernaut with the ultra-low budget Blood Simple. So with the recent release of their newest film, A Serious Man, The Top 13 reflects back on their hilariously dark filmography. Sure, they have 14 features under their belt, but we are perfectly content leaving off The Ladykillers, perhaps the only misstep in their entire filmography. Believe it or not, they were finally awarded their first Best Picture and Best Directing Oscars just under two years ago (for No Country for Old Men), and two more brilliant Coen brothers' comedies have already hit the theaters since then.Saturday Night Live Digital Shortshttp://thetop13.com/saturday-night-live-digital-shorts-L24/http://thetop13.com/saturday-night-live-digital-shorts-L24/Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:11:03 EDTIn the midst of one of the worst Saturday Night Live seasons in recent memory, The Top 13 figured it was a good time to take a look at what has made SNL must see television over the past few years. We're counting down our Top 13 Saturday Night Live Digital Shorts. In December of 2005, SNL aired the first digital short from new cast member Andy Samberg's three-man comedy troupe The Lonely Island (Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer round out the trio), and for the first time in years became both relevant and incredibly quotable again. For a list of all digital shorts that SNL has aired, see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SNL_Digital_Short">here</a>.Slasher Filmshttp://thetop13.com/slasher-films-L27/http://thetop13.com/slasher-films-L27/Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:11:03 EDTHere at The Top 13, we're celebrating Friday the 13th a day early by presenting our Top 13 Slasher Films of all time. We've taken a somewhat broad interpretation of what exactly constitutes a slasher, but the hallmark of each of these movies is a psychopathic killer murdering people with a sharp object. The Top 13 features a wide variety of films within this sub-genre of the horror film genre, including some that were box office hits and others most people probably haven't heard of. For a fairly thorough list of all slasher films, see <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Slasher_films">here</a>.Worst Acts of Unsportsmanlike Conducthttp://thetop13.com/worst-acts-of-unsportsmanlike-conduct-L23/http://thetop13.com/worst-acts-of-unsportsmanlike-conduct-L23/Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:11:03 EDTBy now, many of us have seen the shocking video of New Mexico soccer player Elizabeth Lambert violently throwing down a BYU player by her ponytail, along with her repeated apologies since the game. But Lambert's actions, while deplorable, were not unprecedented in sports. Accordingly, we count down the Top 13 Worst Acts of Unsportsmanlike Conduct. This list does not include altercations between players and fans (those are for another Top 13), but only between players or between players and officials.Poker Players Who Have Never Won the Main Eventhttp://thetop13.com/poker-players-who-have-never-won-the-main-event-L16/http://thetop13.com/poker-players-who-have-never-won-the-main-event-L16/Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:11:03 EDTTonight, ESPN airs the final table of the World Series of Poker Main Event, although it was played during two sessions over the past week. The last player standing will collect more than $8.5 million. Of the players at the final table, one name stands out above all others - Phil Ivey. Considered by many to be the greatest poker player in the world, Ivey started the final table in seventh place. Nevertheless, he was the favorite to win his first Main Event championship. Even though Ivey wasn't able to win it all, all eyes were on him until he busted out. So as viewers get a look at Ivey and the rest of the November Nine tonight, we take a look at The Top 13 Poker Players Who Have Never Won the Main Event.Hip Hop Albums of the Decadehttp://thetop13.com/hip-hop-albums-of-the-decade-L20/http://thetop13.com/hip-hop-albums-of-the-decade-L20/Mon, 09 Nov 2009 03:11:03 EDTAs the decade comes to a close, Peter Rosenberg counts down his Top 13 Hip Hop Albums of the Decade. While his Top 13 includes a few of the decade's most critically acclaimed and best-selling hip hop albums, it also includes some underground albums that you might not have expected or even have heard of. Albums of the Decadehttp://thetop13.com/albums-of-the-decade-L8/http://thetop13.com/albums-of-the-decade-L8/Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:11:03 EDTAs the end of the decade neared, The Top 13's predecessor site sought submissions from music fans to see what they collectively believed were The Top 13 Albums of the Decade. More than 360 people answered the call and the result, we think, is pretty fantastic. Your Top 13 includes five albums that made our Top 13 and a whole bunch of others that just missed the cut. The commentary with each album is comprised solely of quotes from those participants who ranked that particular album at or near the top of their lists. You can see the albums that finished 14-50 <a href=" http://www.thetop13.com/albums-of-the-decade">here</a>.World Series Momentshttp://thetop13.com/world-series-moments-L10/http://thetop13.com/world-series-moments-L10/Wed, 04 Nov 2009 03:11:03 EDTWith Game 6 of this year's Fall Classic scheduled for this evening, The Top 13 takes a look at The Top 13 World Series Moments. Not surprisingly, neither team playing tonight is a stranger to great moments in World Series history. Indeed, the Bronx Bombers lead the way with four appearances in The Top 13. Fans of the Phillies surely are hoping their team avoids the fate it suffered in its sole appearance on this list.2012 Republican Presidential Hopefulshttp://thetop13.com/2012-republican-presidential-hopefuls-L2/http://thetop13.com/2012-republican-presidential-hopefuls-L2/Tue, 03 Nov 2009 03:11:03 EDTIt's Election Day. But this year's Election Day - aside from gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia and a few big city mayoral elections - lacks the excitement of last year's historic day. Nevertheless, because The Top 13 takes its civic duty seriously, we're acknowledging Election Day by taking an early look at the current Top 13 2012 Republican Presidential Hopefuls. As of today, these are the 13 Republicans most likely to win that party's 2012 presidential nomination.Comedies of the Decadehttp://thetop13.com/comedies-of-the-decade-L5/http://thetop13.com/comedies-of-the-decade-L5/Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:11:03 EDTAs we near the end of the decade, The Top 13 takes a look at the funniest comedies of the 2000s. These are not necessarily the best movies that are comedies, just the ones that bring the most laughs. One thing is clear - this decade was dominated by a few individuals, most notably Will Ferrell and Judd Apatow, who collectively had a hand as an actor, producer, or director in more than half of the films on this list. There is a fine line between clever and stupid, and many of these films deftly walk that line. For a list of all comedies released this decade, see <a href=" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_comedy_films_of_the_2000s">here</a>.Albums of the Decadehttp://thetop13.com/albums-of-the-decade-L7/http://thetop13.com/albums-of-the-decade-L7/Sun, 01 Nov 2009 03:11:03 EDTWith less than two months remaining in the decade, The Top 13 takes a look at the best albums of the 2000s. While many have said that this decade saw the death of the album format in favor of track-by-track downloads, this list is proof that the album is far from dead. Listeners just accessed and consumed it differently than they did in the 90s. On Thursday, we will publish the collective Top 13 of the more than 360 people who submitted their Top 13 albums lists to our predecessor site. While there is certainly collective wisdom in that list, we think that these were the 13 finest albums of this groundbreaking decade.