Bushisms. Sex Scenes. Evil Tech Companies. Slate’s Ranked It All.

Sign up for the Slatest to get the most insightful analysis, criticism, and advice out there, delivered to your inbox daily. Much in the same way Slate was early to formats that would come to dominate digital publishing—explainers, deliberately counterintuitive arguments, chat podcasts—so too were we early progenitors of the internet listicle. In our very first year, we kicked off the Slate 60, an annual ranking of the 60 most generous philanthropic donors in the United States that ran every year up through 2011, as a counter to the Forbes list of the 400 richest Americans. (The concept was then brought back with a twist in 2018, as seen below.) Not long after, we began Jacob Weisberg’s yearslong tabulation of the George W. Bush gaffes known as “Bushisms,” as well as another Forbes spoof, the 80 Over 80 (which ran from 2008–10 and saw a brief revival in 2020, as seen below). Slate’s three decades have seen countless beginner’s guides, staff recommendations, tabulations of game-night commercials, and “Completist” roundups of everything from Pepperidge Farm cookies to Super Bowls. As such, some exclusions were necessary to make this List of Lists work, including year-specific rankings, gift ideas, and stuff that’s simply far too outdated. Still, the following 60(!) lists and rankings from over the years will give you a good sense of Slate’s canon-making, provocative, whimsical approach to one of digital media’s most stubbornly persistent constructs. The Top 25 Bushisms of All Time Year: 2009Compiled by: Jacob WeisbergOf note: Selected from more than 500 Bushisms collected from 1999–2009, many of which were also printed in a book. The Five Greatest Movies About the End of Summer Year: 2011Compiled by: David Robert MitchellOf note: Commissioned to commemorate Mitchell’s debut feature film, The Myth of the American Sleepover, years before he would really break out with It Follows. The Gayest and Straightest Super Bowl Halftime Shows Year: 2012Compiled by: Tom ScoccaOf note: Evaluated via the Kinsey scale. The Shortz List of Crossword Celebrities Year: 2012Compiled by: Matt GaffneyOf note: Decided by “Shortz Factor,” an equation formulated by Gaffney and named for the famous puzzle master, in order to rank famous people who are “better known by regular crossword-solvers than by the general population.” The Eight Times the Vice President Did Something That Mattered Year: 2012Compiled by: Katy WaldmanOf note: Commissioned in recognition of then–VP Joe Biden’s professed support for marriage equality. Appropriately, an updated version of this list would have to include Mike Pence’s refusal to challenge Biden’s 2020 victory. An Alternate List of 50 Great Films From the 1990s Year: 2012Compiled by: Aisha HarrisOf note: Written as a counter to the A.V. Club’s very white, very male list of the best of the ’90s; many of the selections here would later make it into Harris’ Black Film Canon (see below). James Gandolfini’s Best (Non-Tony) Roles Year: 2013Compiled by: Slate StaffOf note: Published in honor of Gandolfini after the Sopranos star’s untimely death. Lost Viral Hits of the Pre-YouTube Era Year: 2013Compiled by: Slate StaffOf note: Per the subheading, this encompasses “almost-forgotten moments” from recent history “that would have ‘won the Internet’ if they happened today.” Everyone Remixed “Drunk in Love” Over the Weekend. Who Did It Best? Year: 2014Compiled by: Forrest WickmanOf note: Each remix was rated on a scale of “surfborts.” Who Is the Greatest Birdman of All Time? We Ranked the Top 12. Year: 2014Compiled by: Forrest Wickman and Ellie SkrzatOf note: The rapper Birdman is ranked near the bottom, a fact that I personally resent. The New Yorker Stories You Should Read Before the Paywall Goes Up Years: 2014Compiled by: Eliza Berman and Slate StaffOf note: Other Slate-curated reading lists exist for Gawker, the Toast, and the Awl/the Hairpin. Was John Hancock’s Signature Too Big? Or Was Everyone Else’s Too Small? Year: 2014Compiled by: Ben BlattOf note: Every Declaration of Independence signatory is ranked here by how many square inches their name takes up. Our Ultimate Holiday Playlist, for Slate Plus Members Year: 2014Compiled by: Slate StaffOf note: The first year of Slate Plus! The Five Best Songs in Phineas and Ferb Year: 2015Compiled by: Dana StevensOf note: Written in commemoration of the show’s finale, although the Phineas and Ferb movies that have been released since then may necessitate a reassessment. [Editor’s note: My daughter and I think the omission of “Squirrels in My Pants” is criminal. —Hillary Frey] If Every State Had an Official Word, What Would It Be? Year: 2015Compiled by: Matthew J.X. MaladyOf note: My home state’s appropriate word? Yooper. All the Sex Scenes in Jonathan Franzen’s Purity, Ranked by Plausibility Year: 2015Compiled by: Laura BennettOf note: Although the numerical scale spanned from 1­–10, one particularly ignominious scene earned a score of −1. The First-Person Industrial Complex Has Its Problems, but It Brought Us These Great Essays Year: 2015Compiled by: Laura BennettOf note: Accompanied Bennett’s classic cover story “Why Did the Harrowing Personal Essay Take Over the Internet?” What’s the Best Christmas Horror Movie? A Genre Guide, From Krampus to Killer Santas. Year: 2015Compiled by: Jeffrey BloomerOf note: Yes, Gremlins is on here. Which State Did the Best Job Bragging at the RNC? Slate’s Definitive Ranking. Year: 2016Compiled by: Jonathan L. Fischer, Ian Prasad Philbrick, and Daniel HubbardOf note: The state represented at No. 1 has not given its electoral votes to a Republican presidential candidate since George H.W. Bush. What Is It About the Coen Brothers’ Movies That Makes Everyone Want to Rank Them? Year: 2016Compiled by: Gabriel RothOf note: Both a “definitive list of reasons the films of Joel and Ethan Coen seem to beg us to organize them by perceived merit” and a personal ranking of said filmography by Roth. The Black Film Canon: The 50 Greatest Movies by Black Directors Year: 2016Compiled by: Aisha Harris and Dan KoisOf note: Earned a sweeping update and expansion in 2023 as The New Black Film Canon. A Complete, Scientific Ranking of This Election’s Celebrity Get-Out-the-Vote PSAs Year: 2016Compiled by: Marissa Martinelli and David CanfieldOf note: Includes at least two Hamilton cast members. A Scientific Ranking of the Winners and Losers of the La La Land/Moonlight Best Picture Fiasco Year: 2017Compiled by: Josh Levin and Marissa MartinelliOf note: The No. 1 pick really captures how things felt after the 2016 election. The Other Terrible Movies That Deserve Disaster Artist–Style Biopics Year: 2017Compiled by: Slate StaffOf note: Sadly, none of these terrible movies has ever earned a Disaster Artist–style treatment. There’s still time! I Spent 48 Hours Listening to Nothing but Covers of Donny Hathaway’s “This Christmas.” Here’s What I Found. Year: 2017Compiled by: Lawrence WareOf note: Number of a cappella groups represented in this list: 1. The Songs We Banned From Our Weddings Year: 2018Compiled by: Slate StaffOf note: One entry here bans an entire group. Which of Today’s Hits Will Be Tomorrow’s Classics? Introducing the New American Songbook. Year: 2018Compiled by: Several music critics (all ballots here)Of note: Accompanied by two playlists that exclusively feature covers of all the listed future classics. Introducing the Slate 90: A Dive Into the Multibillion-Dollar Nonprofit Sector Year: 2018Compiled by: Felix Salmon and Slate StaffOf note: “The Slate 90 represents the top 10 American nonprofits by revenue in nine categories: arts, culture, and humanities; education; environment and animals; health; human services; international, foreign affairs; mutual/membership benefit; public, societal benefit; and religion-related.” Ranking Harry Kane’s Impressive Haul of Unimpressive Goals Year: 2018 Compiled by: Nick GreeneOf note: The English football star is now considering a career in American football. The Essential SpongeBob SquarePants Episodes, as Chosen by Millennials Who Grew Up on Them Year: 2018Compiled by: Slate StaffOf note: Assigned in remembrance of SpongeBob creator Stephen Hillenburg, who’d died that year at the age of 57. The 40 Greatest Family Games Year: 2018Compiled by: Noel MurrayOf note: Accompanied by “The 10 Worst Family Games,” as well as myriad individual tributes to the games named on both lists. A Definitive Ranking of the Avengers’ New Hairstyles in Endgame Year: 2019Compiled by: Inkoo KangOf note: Essential enough to the plot of the film to warrant a spoiler disclaimer up top. The 25 Most Important Characters of the Past 25 Years Year: 2019Compiled by: Slate StaffOf note: No. 1 is not Donald Trump. The Lines of Code That Changed Everything Year: 2019Compiled by: Slate Staff, myriad tech expertsOf note: Later expanded into a book, edited by former Future Tense editor Torie Bosch. The 50 Best Nonfiction Books of the Past 25 Years Year: 2019Compiled by: Dan Kois and Laura MillerOf note: Earned a formal objection from the Church of Scientology over the inclusion of Lawrence Wright’s Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief. Dolittles, Ranked Year: 2020Compiled by: Matthew DessemOf note: Other classic Dessem rankings include “Eccentric Vicars in British Pathé Newsreels” (2020) and “Joker Laughs” (2019). Which Tech Company Is Really the Most Evil? Year: 2020Compiled by: Slate Staff, tech expertsOf note: OpenAI is not on this list. A Video of Celebrities Singing “Imagine” So Bad It Can Bring Us All Together in Hatred Year: 2020Compiled by: Heather SchwedelOf note: Yes, all 22 celebrities in That Video are ranked. All 349 “Murmurs” in the Twilight Saga, Charted and Ranked Year: 2020Compiled by: Rachelle HamptonOf note: The graphics in this one are legit stunning. All 55 NES Games on the Switch, Ranked Year: 2020Compiled by: Ryan VogtOf note: Written in observation of the NES’s 35th birthday. The 80 Most Influential Americans Over 80 Year: 2020Compiled by: Molly Olmstead, Slate StaffOf note: Published to coincide with Dr. Anthony Fauci’s 80th birthday. The Dumbest Moments of the Trump Presidency Year: 2020Compiled by: Henry Grabar and Ben Mathis-LilleyOf note: The result of a Google Doc the co-authors had updated throughout the first term. Obviously, it’s time for a new one. The Sexy Beasts of Netflix’s Sexy Beasts, Ranked by Sexiness Year: 2021Compiled by: Sofia AndradeOf note: “These were our three main criteria: how well-made their prosthetic mask is; how likeable the person under the mask is, and how likely we are to go out with that person based on said mask and likability.” Every Single Olympic Event—All 339 of Them—Ranked From Worst to Best Year: 2021Compiled by: Mike CanterOf note: This ranking had to be split up into four separate pieces, and was later followed up by Justin Peters’ 2026 ranking of each Winter Olympics sport “by the likelihood of canine success.” Who Is the Least Despicable Person on Fox News Now? Year: 2021Compiled by: Justin PetersOf note: With the exceptions of No. 3 (Neil Cavuto) and No. 1 (Geraldo Rivera), each of these talking heads is, remarkably, still employed by Fox. The Iconic Objects of the Jan. 6 Hearings Year: 2022Compiled by: Slate StaffOf note: Later followed up by “The Choicest Quotes From the Final Jan. 6 Hearing.” The 50 Greatest Fictional Deaths of All Time Year: 2022Compiled by: Dan Kois and Slate StaffOf note: Accompanied by several supplemental essays, including a ranking by Chris Molanphy of “The Top 5 Mob Movie Deaths of All Time.” A Definitive Ranking of the Grossest Candy Cane Flavors Year: 2022Compiled by: Cheyna RothOf note: The flavors include such choice options as “Caesar salad.” A List of All the Things George Santos, the Scamming Congressman-Elect, Has Lied About Year: 2022Compiled by: Shirin AliOf note: Santos would later be expelled from Congress, sentenced to prison, and pardoned by President Donald Trump. A Brief History of Eric Adams Holding Up Random Stuff to Make a Point Year: 2023Compiled by: Nitish PahwaOf note: The disgraced ex-mayor is still holding various objects aloft. An Ode to 27 of Succession’s Greatest Supporting Characters Year: 2023Compiled by: Slate StaffOf note: Like many of our peers in media world, we really loved this show. The 33 Things Wrong With Fall Out Boy’s Updated “We Didn’t Start the Fire” Year: 2023Compiled by: Slate StaffOf note: “ ‘Shinzo Abe blown away’—come on, man.” The Greatest Fast-Food Napkins Year: 2023Compiled by: Cleo LevinOf note: A part of “Fast-Food Week.” An Only Slightly Cursed Quest to Find a Good Hard Seltzer Year: 2023Compiled by: Donny Bridges and Kate DoyleOf note: Lotta cool graphs in this one! The 40 Greatest Stand-Alone TV Episodes Year: 2023Compiled by: Jenny G. Zhang, Slate StaffOf note: Accompanied by a version of this list “as chosen by TV writers and showrunners.” An Entirely Objective Ranking of the Brit Crew Year: 2024Compiled by: Former ICYMI co-hosts Rachelle Hampton and Candice LimOf note: The only podcast episode on this list. Ten Ways the Heat Is Changing Us—Some Small, Some Horrifying Year: 2024Compiled by: Slate StaffOf note: Sadly, still very relevant. The 25 Greatest Picture Books of the Past 25 Years Year: 2025Compiled by: Dan Kois and Rebecca OnionOf note: Was evaluated on the record by picture-book creators Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen. The Ultimate Slop-Bowl Ranking Year: 2025Compiled by: Nadira GoffeOf note: “I judged each place on four different criteria: taste, presentation, satiation (how long will it keep you full), and a deviation for any outstanding aspects. Deviations include a wide range of considerations; for example, if the bowl is cheaper than other bowls I might throw it a point … or, if the brand has undergone significant controversy, I would factor that into the overall score as well.” Trump Brain: The President’s 25 Greatest Obsessions Year: 2026Compiled by: Slate StaffOf note: Published to coincide with Trump’s 80th birthday.