Critical acclaim and the pop duo Hall & Oates never really seemed to go hand in hand, at least among the inner circle of critics. But now comes a defining column -- published on LATimes.com -- that finally puts arguments to rest.

The duo so famous for blue-eyed soul of the 1970s and early 80s isn't merely worthy of our guilty pleasures; it's time for them to be recognized as essential pop listening for anybody in 2008.

Critic Ann Powers not only examined the duo's eagerness to achieve both artistically and commercially, but she touched on the way the R&B and even hip-hop communities revere them.

Praise flowed from hip-hop artists too -- Chicago crew Gym Class Heroes even went so far as to record a "matchup" album, combining their songs with H&O classics, though a legal notice from Atlantic Records (not from H&O, who fully endorse the project) has put it on hold for now. This overflow of love for H&O has been taken up by music writers, who’ve dug into the group’s deep catalog and discovered that its merits extend beyond the forced frivolity of camp.


The H&O revival is deserved on artistic terms, but there's a deeper story here. In particular, two qualities that characterize the hits of this long-lived band resonate with younger listeners: their truly equal footing in both rock and R&B and their belief that accessible and artistically adventurous music could be one and the same.

Have to say this does my musical heart a ton of good. I'd suggest the same type of column could be penned about Phil Collins whose work in the early 1980s, particularly, is among the finest blue-eyed soul ever recorded.

But in the spirit of celebrating this reemergence of H&O, how about one of my patented Top 5 lists, the very best of Hall and Oates.

5. One On One. While Hall & Oates' choruses were often simple, their verses are where the music theory magic usually happened. Not sure how to describe it except that the changes in this verse make the entire song.

4. She's Gone A song 35 years old isn't supposed to sound this good today. For anybody who comes to ryanwelton.com for Idol updates, get a feel for what great music sounds like.

3. Sara Smile Ditto. Paired with "She's Gone," this coupling of 1970s soul ballads is on par with anything the decade produced. Anything.

2. Rich Girl. According to Powers, Brandon Flowers of the band The Killers calls this late-70s hit "the most instructive pop single ever written."

I have a feel for what he meant by that. It's both minimalist and over-produced at the same time, with the opening super basic and the chorus sugary sweet. However, all Hall & Oates songs were rife with great, great choruses.

1. I Can't Go For That (No Can Do I) - This song has been sampled numerous times by artists of all stripes for one reason: The groove. While the type of hat-tip a sample provides must be flattering to the duo (not to mention profitable), there is some semblance of sacrilege to it.

It's hard for me to approve of anybody messin' with a classic this classic. Nevertheless, the most sure-fire way to keep this music alive is to just roll with it and embrace the newfound appreciation everybody seems to be having for probably the greatest musical duo of our lifetime.