It has been a turbulent year for Suzan & Freek on a personal level and this has now been rewarded musically with high rankings in the Top 2000. But is that justified? Mark Koster doesn’t think so.
The idea behind the annual musical hit list Top 2000 is that it is a colorful collection of the very best music. However, the listener decides and then of course you quickly have to deal with popularity votes. Of course, you can also end up on the list because you have a zealous following, and not so much because you have a great record.
Emotional voters
With all due respect: even René Karst is now on the list. His death ensured that he made his debut with no fewer than two songs, namely Atje Voor De Sfeer and Liever Te Dik In De Kist. That first song even ranks 153. Is that really because it is such a strong record, or because people want to pay their last respects to him? The latter.
Suzan & Freek are also so high on the list because of the emotional voters, according to media columnist Mark Koster of De Telegraaf. He is annoyed that his cancer diagnosis immediately gives him a high place in ‘the list of lists’, he says in a number of messages on X. According to him, their music really isn’t that good.
“It’s sad!”
Mark points out that James Brown is not on the charts. “The Godfather of Soul is not in the Top 2000. That can happen. A country has its preferences. Therefore, here is a moment for people who may like Freek & Suzan a little less,” he writes with a video clip of the soul legend.
The Top 2000 reflects the ‘mental stupidity’ of our country, he believes. “The fact that Borsato was out was sad, that he returns even higher is even sadder. They had to filter out the emo factor. Just like in The Hague by the way.”
Taste of the Netherlands
Actually, someone should just present this to Suzan & Freek, says Mark. “René Karst is also in it. Twice. A nice question for Freek & Suzan would be: ‘You are in the Top 2000, James Brown and Ray Charles are not. To what extent does that say something about the taste of the Netherlands?’ An open question.”
Should NPO Radio 2 intervene? No, not that either, he continues. “Every year it is the anthropological-cultural highlight of the year. You look into the soul of a nation, a country without a soul. A country with a short-term memory full of false emo. Years later another cry song (or party). Form of bourgeois decadence.”
Handkerchief
According to Mark, you have to see the humor in it. “It gets a lot of laughs. Top 2000 makers don’t like you when you mention it. Holy stuff, just like crazy election results. Funny thing is, Freek & Suzan fans don’t miss James Brown, they wait with a handkerchief, and then on with health insurance. Worth a dissertation.”
He concludes: “The Top 2000 sound of a country full of short-term emotions and memory loss for quality. James Brown is better than Suzan & Freek. Musically, historically, influence. As long as we know that, there is nothing to worry about. Suzan & Freek know that they are Dutch stars of a temporary nature.”