But some musical sins are so egregious that they’re unforgivable. I’m not talking about the latest crap from Black Eyed Peas – you’ve come to expect that, for every “Where Is The Love,” they’re going to release a musical black hole like “My Humps.” And I’m not talking about some lackluster effort like “Congratulations I’m Sorry,” the Gin Blossoms sophomore effort which seemed to prove that “New Miserable Experience” was a one-off.

I’m talking about artists with staying power who, for reasons unknown, vomit forth a single so bad it causes one to wonder whether Satan himself was behind the mixing board. So it is with great trepidation that theFiver presents:

Top 5 mortal sins committed by artists who should know better

1. “Silly Love Songs,” Paul McCartney and Wings
Paul, what the hell were you thinking? I know it was the ‘70s, man, but Christ-in-a-sidecar this song’s chorus sucks out loud. I’d expect this sort of thing from the Bee Gees, Sir Paul, but not from you.

2. “Bennie And The Jets,” Elton John
Sir Elton, you and Mr. Taupin would be flogged if this single were released in the middle ages. You give a bad name to stutterers and to those who sing falsetto.

3. “We Are The World,” U.S.A. for Africa
The road to hell is paved with good intentions, my friends. Endlessly repetitive and self-indulgent, some critics compared the title track to “We Are The World” to a Pepsi commercial. There’s no arguing with the song’s success insofar as sales were concerned, and it’s amazing that so many famous people could get crammed into the same studio (despite Waylon Jennings allegedly leaving because he wouldn’t sing in Swahili). Although millions of dollars were raised, caring for Africa seems to be a bit of a one-hit wonder. Despite subsequence attempts by Bono, Bob Geldoff and One.org, the industry has largely forgotten about Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Tunisia … need I go on?

4. “American Life,” Madonna
Madonna had not been socially relevant for years when 2003’s “American Life,” the album and single of the same name, were released. Yet, she still managed to boggle the mind by attempting to rap, violating several musical rules: #1: If you’re Madonna, you don’t rap. #2: If you do rap, you don’t rap about palates. You just … you just don’t.

5. “Miss You,” The Rolling Stones
A lot of rock bands tried to capitalize on the disco/funk sound of the late ‘70s/early ‘80s, often with disastrous results. Kiss tried it with the vomit-inducing “I Was Made For Loving You.” Queen still sounded British and white on their album “Hot Space,” half of which is devoted to funk. But The Rolling Stones’ “Miss You” takes the taco on this one, narrowly beating out “Hot Stuff,” another Stones number. There’s a reason disco died. A damn good one.

Top 5 mortal sins committed by artists who should know better

Speaking of Billboard, unsurprisingly, the King of Pop has once again crowned the charts, and he currently has the No. 1 digital album, The Essential Michael Jackson. Released in 2005, the 38-track retrospective covers much of his career.

Finally, Vibe magazine is reportedly closing. The New York Times reported June 30 that the publication, founded by Quincy Jones in 1992, was hit hard by a collapse in print advertising.

As hundreds of reporters mobbed the UCLA medical center, there are reports that fans have been trickling into Neverland, Jackson’s former estate.

Elsewhere, the Rev. Al Sharpton praised Jackson in a press conference today, and was quoted in reports stating: “No controversy will erase the historic impact. He learned how to create even beyond his own shortcomings. Michael Jackson made culture accept a person of color way before Tiger Woods, way before Oprah Winfrey, way before Barack Obama.”

On CNN.com, Dick Clark was quoted as saying: “I knew Michael as a child and watched him grow over the years. Of all the thousands of entertainers I have worked with, Michael was THE most outstanding. Many have tried and will try to copy him, but his talent will never be matched. He was truly one-of-a-kind.”

CNN also had this by Quincy Jones: “I am absolutely devastated at this tragic and unexpected news. For Michael to be taken away from us so suddenly at such a young age, I just don’t have the words. Divinity brought our souls together on ‘The Wiz’ and allowed us to do what we were able to throughout the ’80s. To this day, the music we created together on ‘Off The Wall,’ ‘Thriller’ and ‘Bad’ is played in every corner of the world and the reason for that is because he had it all … talent, grace, professionalism and dedication. He was the consummate entertainer and his contributions and legacy will be felt upon the world forever. I’ve lost my little brother today, and part of my soul has gone with him.”