In that case, Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well" becomes my new #20.

...and "Can I Change My Mind" becomes my #1 of 1968!

And finally the last results of the monthly poll before the final rounds (yes Nicolas, it’s coming, sorry for the delay). Now the best songs of 1969. We had a decline this time, with “only” 19 voters that however voted for a total of 186 (almost the same that last month with three voters more). This fact produced a widely spread distribution of songs, with 6 personal number ones that only received one vote and a Top 10 with less consensus than previous editions, except the number one that was voted by 15 voters with a total of 416 points. Some of the songs in the Top 10 were voted by 3 or 4 people only, including Pharoah Sanders that was able to get to the final round with both the “Karma” album and the song, which it’s almost the same (“The Creator Has a Masterplan” last for 32’14” and it’s one of the two songs of the album).
The final Top 10:

1. The Rolling Stones - Gimme Shelter
2. David Bowie - Space Oddity
3. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Fortunate Son
4. Led Zeppelin - Babe I’m Gonna Leave You
5. Nick Drake - River Man
6. The Jackson 5 - I Want You Back
7. The Beatles - Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End
8. The Stooges - I Wanna Be Your Dog
9. Pharoah Sanders - The Creator Has a Masterplan
10. Jane Birkin avec Serge Gainsbourg - Je t’aime... moi non plus

Yes, the song Nicolas chose as opener of his new blog about French music entered (deservedly) the final round.
And now like I did on previous editions I’m going to post the Top 30:

11. MC5 - Kick Out the Jams
12. The Who - We’re Not Gonna Take It
13. The Velvet Underground - Candy Says
14. Crosby, Stills & Nash - Suite: Judy Blue Eyes
15. The Beatles - Here Comes the Sun
16. Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds
17. The Velvet Underground - Pale Blue Eyes
18. Neil Young with Crazy Horse - Cinnamon Girl
19. Frank Zappa - Peaches En Regalia
20. The Band - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
21. David Axelrod - The Human Abstract
22. The Beatles - Something
23. The Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want
24. King Crimson - 21st Century Schizoid Man (Including Mirrors)
25. Love - August
26. Cream - Badge
27. Simon & Garfunkel - The Boxer
28. Scott Walker - The Seventh Seal
29. The Who - Pinball Wizard
30. Neil Young with Crazy Horse - Cowgirl in the Sand

All these songs (and every other voted by you in your Top 20s) can be heard in the “Results Live” threads, you can check the Top 100 (10/07/10), Top 125 (10/15/10) Top 150 (10/28/10) and Top 175 (11/01/10).

And the Excel file.

And that’s all, folks. Many thanks again for your votes and the final round begins... now. Well, tomorrow, give me a day please.

Firstly, let me say sorry for not voting, and there's a (slightly) legitimate reason for this. 1969 is just too damn good. I look at people's lists and I know the "classics" (Beatles/Stones/King Crimson etc), but most of the songs I've never heard of! I have no idea where to start! It would've been wrong for my ignorant tastes to bump up certified, tried-and-tested albums and songs, when there were so many underground classics - 1969 truly was a year for the small guns. Now I've "only" got 15 albums and 10 songs to listen to, which I will get onto as soon as possible, so that I can take part in the final vote.

Also, bit disappointed that King Crimson couldn't get into the top 10 with something, but I guess that just proves how good 1969 was.

I know that we'll still have the end rounds, but now that the final year poll is over I'd already like to give my regards to our host. You've done a fabul-tastic job Honorio! Thanks for all the time and dedication you put in it (the eligibility thread and stuff).
Also a pat on the back for Nicolas, Miguel, Sonofsamiam, Charlie Driggs, Henrik and Brad, the ones who did participate in all the polls, from 1950-52 till 1969. The 50s & 60s were quite an adventure, weren't they?!

Many many thanks for your kind words, Mindrocker. And yes, I’m really grateful to this selected group of people that voted from 1950 to 1969 that I will call from now on The Magnificent Seven. In fact I already wrote a few lines about you some months ago but I was waiting to post it next month with the final results of the 1950s poll (and I will do it then). Thank to you (and the other people who voted) this 50s poll has been a wonderful journey.
Seven thumbs up for Brad, Charlie Driggs, Henrik, Miguel, Mindrocker, nicolas and sonofsamiam

i think you forgot the eighth Magnificent : yourself

Thanks for all, but I'm sure there is a lot more to come...

“Au premier tiers du film, il y a comme un trou noir, un truc cosmique, un météorite bizarre tombe dans le film, sur la scène du Woodstock et dans le salon d’Olive. Pendant dix minutes, le temps de deux chansons, il n’est plus du tout question de paix et d’amour. On entend d’abord comme le martèlement d’une enclume électrique, l’image fixe, puis saccadée, montre Pete Townshend qui bondit, habillé en pompiste, le bruit c’est sa guitare, il est en blanc contre le nuit bleue. Roger Daltrey, le chanteur, ne cause pas au public, il n’a pas l’air de beaucoup penser, non, il chante, les bras écartés, ses cheveux blonds et bouclés tombent sur sa veste blanche à longues franges, on dirait un archange, dit Boris. See me, feel me, touch me, heal me. Townshend l’épaule de sa guitare acérée, pour le refrain il chante une deuxième voix hyper aiguë, les muscles du cou tendus par l’énergie, le corps balançant d’avant en arrière, et à la fin ses fameux moulinets du bras droit. John Entwistle impassible joue de la basse comme on déplie un tapis rouge et Keith Moon, appliqué, enchaîne roulement sur roulement de batterie. Les Who ont débarqué, ils jouent We’re not gonna take it.
La scène est comme un navire pris par la tempête en plein nuit, ils enchaînent avec une reprise de Summertime Blues, à un moment ils se plantent, se rattrapent, tout n’est qu’énergie, sur le fil de rasoir.
Après le dernier morceau Townshend lance quelques derniers riffs isolés puis tout à coup il se redresse, s’avance vers le public, défait la bandoulière de sa guitare qu’il brandit à bout de bras, comme l’offrande d’un sacrifice. Il a quelques bonds furieux, car Keith Moon continue de labourer ses fûts, il se retourne, attrape sa gratte par la caisse, manche vers le ciel, prend son élan et frappe violemment l’instrument contre le sol. Les amplis renvoient des larsens, il retape une ou deux fois, laisse tout tomber et se casse, imité par les autres, main non, il fait demi-tour, revient sur scène, saisit négligemment sa Gibson, la lance dans la foule et repart, il a l’air super énervé, remarque Florence.
Les larsen continuent après leur départ, la scène est vide et on entend une voix toute grave qui dit: Ladies and gentlemen, THE WHO!"
(d’après "Le regarde-Belles", Nicolas Lejeune, Éditions Balland, 2000)


“In the first third of the movie, there is a kind of black hole, a cosmic thang, a bizarre meteorite that falls into the movie, into the stage of Woodstock and into the living-room of Olive. During ten minutes, the time of two songs, this is not a matter of peace and love anymore. First we can listen something like the hammering of an electric anvil, the fixed image, then jerky, shows Pete Townshend leaping, dressed as pump attendant, the noise is his guitar, he’s in white against the blue night. Roger Daltrey, the singer, don’t addresses to the audience, he don’t look like someone who thinks too much, no, he sings, his arms open, his blond and curly hair hanging over his white dress of long fringes, he looks like an archangel, said Boris. See me, feel me, touch me, heal me. Townshend, shouldered by his sharp guitar, sings for the chorus some backing vocals hyper acute, the muscles of his neck tightened by the energy, his body swaying backwards and forwards and finally his signature windmill move of his right arm. John Entwistle plays the bass impassive as if he was unfolding a red carpet and Keith Moon, hardworking, chains drum roll after drum roll. The Who has landed, they play We’re not gonna take it.
The stage is like a ship taken by the storm at night, they follow with a reprise of Summertime Blues, in a moment they stand up, they overtake it, everything’s energy, they’re on the razor wire.
After the last fragment, Townshend adds some last isolated riffs then suddenly he stands up straight, move forward to the audience, untie the strap and brandish his guitar with his arms up, just like the offering of a sacrifice. There are some furious bounds, because Keith Moon continues ploughing his trunks, he returns, grabs his guitar by its body, the neck pointing to the sky, he takes impulse and throws violently the instrument to the floor. The amps send feedback, he hits the guitar again once or twice, he let it fall and goes away, imitated by the others, but no, he turns back, he picks up carelessly his Gibson, he throws it to the crowd and leaves again, he looks on edge, Florence comments.
The feed-back continues after they leave, the stage is empty and a deep voice says: Ladies and gentlemen, THE WHO!”
(Taken from “The Belles gazer”, Nicolas Lejeune, Éditions Balland, 2000)




Hope my translation makes some justice to your passionate words, Nicolas

I forgot to thank you for this great quote and translation, so thank you very much Honorio !!

The translation was OK, with 2 little mistakes :

"à un moment ils se plantent, se rattrapent, tout n’est qu’énergie, sur le fil de rasoir."

"se planter" is French slang for "to fuck up", "to blow it", "to screw up", etc..

The right translation should be

"At a special moment they fuck up, then they catch up, everything’s pure energy, they’re on the razor wire."

(During the guitar break, if you listen carefully, you'll notice that Entwistle does the key change a little too soon (or Townsend plays one bar too many in the original key), then Entwistle catches up.)

the other slight mistake is "Il a quelques bonds furieux", which means "he (Townsend) makes a few furious bonds" rather than "there are some furious bonds"

But apart from that, great translation

Hey, Nicolas, glad that you liked the translation (it was quite difficult for a non-French). But the good thing is your text, you described the scene so eloquently. The whole book is great, I didn't understand every word (obviously I don't get many French slang words) but I truly got the feelings you wanted to transmit. When I was a teenager I shared the same two obsessions with Olive: music and women. And I still do.

01 Yesterday Once More
02 Scarborough Fair
03 Because I Love You
04 Love Story
05 Oh, Pretty Woman
06 Summer Kisses Winter Tears
07 Unchained Melody
08 Because You Loved Me
09 I Will Always Love You
10 Wind Flower
11 You're My Everything
12 4:55
13 Jambalaya
14 Rose Rose I Love You
15 I'd Love You To Want Me
16 Casablanca
17 The Sound Of Scilence
18 Say You, Say Me
19 Sealed With A Kiss
20 More Than I Can Say
21 Take My Breath Away
22 The One You'll Love
23 Let It Be
24 Careless Whispers
25 Memory
26 Without You
27 My Eyes Adored You
28 Puff
29 Right here waiting
30 Paloma Blanca