I'm fond of Missy Elliott's entire cd, Under Construction. She knows how to craft a fine song.

Damn Mark, I see nothong to feel guilty about re any of those, some of the best pop songs of the last 20 years.

I love several Madonna ballads, but yours in the best.

"Justified" is a B-grade Michael Jackson album, nothing wrong with that.

"Knock On Wood" is a disco classic.

I'm not that big a fan of Mick and Mike's "State of Shock" but I like Mike and Dave's "Dancing In the Streets," especially the remix, just fine.

I like almost every Lionel Richie hit: his voice is very fine and mellow, his melodies are clean and memorable, some of the production is too much, but there are lots of nice elements too. The dude got a raw deal and I hope his comeback succeeds. So what if he looks like Dennis Johnson.

And so on with the rest of the list - not a fart in the remaining bunch, although I would have to draw the line at "Afternoon Delight" - but that's just me.

Let your pop flag fly, Mark!

Oooh, guilty pleasures... Hall & Oates definitely count as one of mine (m-e-t-h-o-d-o-f-l-o-v-e... great tune); saw them live back in '79 and they indeed rocked the house. Also check out the latest Simply Red single, "Sunrise," which shamelessly and cleverly reworks H&O's "I Can't Go for That." Almost as good as Hershey's Kisses.

I also have to admit to a guilty fondness for Justin Timberlake's "Rock Your Body" and "Cry Me a River." Don't let that get around, though, because I feel really guilty about that.

Same with the new treatment of Elvis Presley's "Rubberneckin'." As I've said many times before, he is in no way royalty to me, but I LOVE that remix and his voice on it. Mea maxima culpa...

Missy Elliot, however, I love openly and abashedly.

I own and enjoy at least 1/3 of the last Nickelback album. I love singing along to "Man, I feel Like a Woman!" (and the rest of Shania's hits-I especially love all the exclamation points in her song titles!!!!). Pink's "Mizzundastood"-pretty much dig the whole thing, as well as Xtina's latest. Past affronts: Debbie Gibson's first album, "I want it that way" by the Backstreet Boys, that one Spice Girls song that was popular, and I believe I mentioned somewhere else I like Milli Vanilli. Oh, and Mark, I loved "Hello"-another one of those memory evokers! And I will buy the Melissa Lefton CD if it is ever released. And oh yeah ZZ Top's greatest hits. But I guess I'm not really ashamed of anything I like. It's like, what I like, for now. And then maybe again someday.

Guilty pleasures for me has to be the Italian band Rhapsody. They play ridiculously overblown operatic pomp metal accompanied by orchestras and choirs, with ludicrous Dungeons and Dragons lyrics. They have songong titles like "The Ancient Forest of Elves", and record concept albums with plotlines that David Eddings fans would think are corny. But somehow they're just fun.

Their music is enough to make my brother run screaming from the room.

Exactly right Brickster: you like what you like and you may try to understand it or explain it, but there is no need to feel guilty or ashamed of it. I believe Mark's use of the term here is to connote a different set of criteria than for "serious" music, or whatever term fits better in place of "serious," and that is right also: we do use different criteria for different kinds of aesthetic experiences.

I can agree with the Hall & Oates (of course)...the rest? I can't go for that. No can do.

Jagger sounds like he's making fun of "State Of Shock." Imagining that he's trying to subvert MJ on his own song is the only entertainment I can get out of that tune.