This week’s NME features a supplement called The Ultimate Playlist: “75 songs that made rock’n’roll”. I’m reliably informed that one band is conspicuously absent: an obscure Liverpudlian beat combo by the name of The Beatles.

It’s hard to imagine any list of songs that made rock’n’roll not including the Beatles, but the NME supplement manages it. NME, where is Beatles band? Nowhere!

There’s another place where you’ll be asking, “where is Beatles band?” – iTunes. Spookily, the NME supplement is sponsored by iTunes. Hence the lack of Beatles band: they’re not on iTunes*, so they can’t possibly be one of the bands who “made rock’n’roll”. Oasis, on the other hand, are on iTunes, so of course they’re on the list.

Oasis more important than the Beatles? On what planet?

As I’ve written before, I hate advertising that pretends not to be advertising, and the NME supplement falls into that category. I think the reason it’s raised my hackles so much is because the packaging suggests that it’s the cover feature, which implies it’s proper journalism rather than a lengthy sales pitch for a single shop. We used to call them “catalogues” or “brochures”.

Ever had the feeling you’ve been cheated?

* Bar tribute bands and about three tracks that feature on compilation albums