Shouts & Murmurs

The Hundred Best Lists of All Time

  1. Generations of Adam (Genesis)*

  2. Satchel Paige’s “How to Keep Young”

  3. The Crain’s New York Business “40 Under 40”

  4. Gentlemen Golfers of Leith’s “Articles & Laws in Playing at Golf”

  5. The World Rock Paper Scissors player’s responsibility code

  6. Maxim’s “Hot 100”

  7. Benjamin Franklin’s “Thirteen Virtues”

  8. Benjamin Tusser’s “Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandrie”

  9. The Rules

  10. U.S. News and World Report’s best-college rankings

  11. McDonald’s Big Mac-ingredients commercial

  12. Mel Kiper’s N.F.L.-draft Big Board

  13. People’s “Most Beautiful People”

  14. People’s “Sexiest Man Alive”

  15. Carter Chambers’s bucket list from “The Bucket List”

  16. Stanley Coren’s dog-breed intelligence ranking

  17. Wine Spectator’s “Top 100”

  18. Maimonides’s “13 Principles of Faith”

  19. Maria Kutchera’s “My Favorite Things” (“The Sound Of Music”)

  20. Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”

  21. Dr. James Naismith’s original 13 Rules of Basket Ball

  22. Rules, Regulations, & Laws of the Sheffield Foot-Ball Club

  23. The Sporting News’ “Rules of Scientific Heckling”

  24. Van Halen’s 1982 tour-provisions “rider”

  25. Restaurant’s “50 Best Restaurants”

  26. Modern Library’s “100 Best Novels”

  27. ESPN.com’s “Top 100 North American Athletes of the (20th) Century”

  28. American Film Institute’s “100 Years, 100 Movies”

  29. The Economist’s “Big Mac Index”

  30. Casey Kasem’s “American Top 40”

  31. William the Conqueror’s “The Domesday Book”

  32. Inc. 5000

  33. Emily’s List

  34. Lloyd’s List

  35. National Register of Historic Places

  36. Guest List, The Marriage of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales with the Lady Diana Spencer

  37. Vietnam Veterans Memorial

  38. Associated Press Top 25 Football Poll

  39. Billboard’s “Top 100”

  40. Fortune 500

  41. Rosanne Cash’s “The List”

  42. Social Register

  43. Mrs. Astor’s 400

  44. Mayflower passenger list

  45. Classic Ruy Lopez Chess Opening, a.k.a. The Spanish Opening

  46. Pablo Picasso’s “Recommendations for 1913 International Exhibition of Modern Art”

  47. Major Reforms Section, Republican Contract with America

  48. U.S. Department of Defense’s “Iraqi 55” Most-Wanted Playing Cards

  49. Catholic Online’s Saints & Angels database

  50. U.S. Department of State’s designated foreign terrorist organizations

  51. U.S. Department of State’s current travel warnings

  52. 1927 Yankees’ opening-day lineup

  53. Money’s “Best Places To Live In America”

  54. The Michelin Red Guide

  55. Fundamental Principles of Olympism

  56. “Late Show With David Letterman” Top Ten

  57. George Carlin’s “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Network Television”

  58. The New York Times’ best-sellers list

  59. Mr. Blackwell’s worst-dressed list

  60. The Dewey Decimal System

  61. Delmonico’s Menu

  62. Richard Nixon’s “Enemies List”

  63. Facebook friends list

  64. Shit List

  65. The F.B.I.’s ten-most-wanted-fugitives list

  66. The Beatles' set list, Majestic Ballroom concert in Luton, U.K., April 17, 1963

  67. Wilshire 5000 Total Market Index

  68. Russell 2000 Index

  69. Standard & Poor’s 500

  70. Dow Jones Industrials

  71. “The Nifty Fifty”

  72. “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”

  73. Forbes 400

  74. The UNESCO “World Heritage List”

  75. “The Spy 100”

  76. The Apollo 11 surface checklist

  77. Warren Buffett’s “Investment Criteria Checklist”

  78. This grocery list

  79. Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation

  80. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

  81. The U.S. Declaration of Independence list of grievances

  82. The Fibonacci Sequence

  83. Santa’s List!

  84. Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “How Do I Love Thee?” (Sonnet 43)

  85. Hasbro’s “2-Letter Scrabble Words List”

  86. Kelley Blue Book

  87. Dante Alighieri’s nine circles of Hell

  88. Schindler’s list

  89. “The Twelve Days of Christmas”

  90. Marquess of Queensbury Rules

  91. Robert’s Rules of Order

  92. The World Wildlife Fund (endangered) species directory

  93. Alcoholics Anonymous’ twelve steps

  94. Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

  95. Martin Luther’s "95 Theses on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences"

  96. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

  97. The Ten Commandments

  98. Craigslist

  99. The Bill of Rights

  100. The Periodic Table of Elements*

  • 1 and 100 may be switched in certain states.

Illustration by Barry Blitt.