Thank you for your interest in the American Film Institute and thank you for watching AFI's 100 Years... 100 Songs. We appreciate and value your opinion. Let us explain the process:

AFI distributed a ballot with 400 nominated songs to a jury of 1,800 leaders from the creative community, including film artists (directors, screenwriters, actors, editors, cinematographers, musicians) critics and historians. Each jury member was also allowed to write in up to five songs that may not have been on the list. Since film is a subjective medium, there will always be debate about the selected songs.

The jurors were asked to consider the following criteria while making their selections:

Feature-Length Fiction Film: The film must be in narrative format, typically more than 60 minutes in length.

American Film: The film must be in the English language with significant creative and/or financial production elements from the United States.

Song: Music and lyrics featured in an American film that set a tone or mood, define character, advance plot and/or express the film's themes in a manner that elevates the moving image art form. Songs may have been written and/or recorded specifically for the film or previously written and/or recorded and selected by the filmmaker to achieve the above goals.

Cultural Impact: Songs that have captured the nation's heart, echoed beyond the walls of a movie theater, and ultimately stand in our collective memory of the film itself.

Legacy: Songs that resonate across the century, enriching America's film heritage and captivating artists and audiences today.

We hope this gives you some insight into the care taken in the process. We appreciate you writing to us on behalf of this wonderful song that unfortunately did not make it onto the list.

Best regards,

AFI Web Team

What do ya'll think? Do you think Purple rain met all these requirements?
[This message was edited Wed Jun 30 9:37:16 2004 by SquarePeg]

SquarePeg said:

Clearly Purple Rain fits these requirements. They distributed a ballot with 400 songs on - but who selected those songs? Was Purple Rain one of these 400? This reply does not answer that question...

Purple Rain, Let's Go Crazy, When Doves Cry ALL fit that criteria.

You know those lists aren't official or anything. They are just for fun.

[/quote]

Clearly Purple Rain fits these requirements. They distributed a ballot with 400 songs on - but who selected those songs? Was Purple Rain one of these 400? This reply does not answer that question...[/quote]


I used to work for the AFI... and by and large, it is run by an "older crowd" - more 'old Hollywood' than new progressive Hollywood, so it is possible (though I am speculating here) their "panel" was comprised similarly. However, not even considering "Purple Rain" is indeed an oversight on their part. Their lists are not to be regarded as some definitive opinion anyway - it's mostly done as an effort to draw attention to the Insitute, who is always looking for donations to remain solvent. As a non-profit in a country whose government really doesn't give a whole lot of support to the arts, the AFI relies mostly on private donations to keep it running as a film school with specialized programs.

list, schmist. ol' boy got his butt in the rock'n'roll hall of fame, so, ya know...i hope his tears over this don't get his oscar all rusty.

lovemachine said:

exactly.

SquarePeg said:

Considering songs from Footloose, Fame and Flashdance made the list, I don't see why not.

But the bulk of the list seems to represent a certain generation. Baby Boomers and those older seem to have been the main voters. But it's no big deal really.

I just looked up the list of the 400 songs that the AFI members voted on to come up with their top 100 songs, and the only Prince song among the 400 nominees was "Let's Go Crazy."

Let's Go Crazy, indeed...

Keith/Kacey

Anxiety said:

Exactly! lol!

Kacey725 said:

They probably only got 5 minutes into the film and switched it off - hence 'Let's go Crazy'. And it's one of the only songs in the film that doesn't really promote the plot! No wonder it didn't get in the top 100. These lists are for fun, yes, but they also help to promote things and get them into the psyche of everyone - Purple Rain was massive at the time yet it's largely forgotten about - it's a conspiracy I tell ya!

Who cares
Ask anybody out there that was into pop culture during the last 20 years
and they'd tell you Purple Rain should have definately been included

The majority of people who filled out ballots may have been of a different generation?

Supernova said:

yeah, but "lose yourself" from 8 Mile made the list....and that movie was INSPIRED by Purple Rain...so what gives? I guess its like someone said, generational, i.e., "white"

SquarePeg said:

co-sign!

SquarePeg said:

That too.

Yea, but did the songs really advance the plot? Did the movie even have a plot?

It was a pretty crappy movie, so maybe that is why. And we don't know who voted. I'm sure it was mostly old people who don't like Prince.