"This Is The One" is fantastic and it deserves its top 100 spot. To me the real surprise is "Stan". It's a good song but I never would have thought it would end up this high.
"This Is The One" is fantastic and it deserves its top 100 spot. To me the real surprise is "Stan". It's a good song but I never would have thought it would end up this high.
I definitely didn't mean to imply that I didn't think "This Is the One" is good -- it just seems that many more songs from that album tend to get praised in other places. It's certainly dramatic, exciting stuff.
As far as "Stan", I'm not much of a fan of either Eminem or Dido, but that song is pretty much undeniable.
I wanted to note my disappointment that "B.O.B." was so far behind both "Hey Ya" and "Ms. Jackson". All 3 are excellent, but "B.O.B.", to me, attains a whole other level entirely. It's pretty mind-blowing, and it makes me glad that something like this could still get on the radio, even in this era of airwave homogenization.
Wow!!! 3 Stone Roses songs in the top 100, is also nice to see 3 VU songs and Chuck Berry´s "Johnny B. Goode", "Stan" is good to but the best thing about this list is that my 2 favorite songs still dont come out
Let me guess- your other Parade track is "Sometimes It Snows in April". I adore that track as well- it's in my top 300.
Bingo! I did notice that it made your 300. I love Prince when he gets ethereal like that, particularly in his mid-'80s phase. "Power Fantastic" is similarly great.
060. The Modern Lovers / “Roadrunner”
059. John Lennon / “Imagine”
058. Bruce Springsteen / “Thunder Road”
057. Prince / “Sign 'o' the Times”
056. Lou Reed / “Perfect Day”
055. Leonard Cohen / “Suzanne”
054. Led Zeppelin / “Stairway to Heaven”
053. New Order / “Blue Monday”
052. Prince / “When Doves Cry”
051. R.E.M. / “Radio Free Europe”
Lots of great songs in there, though I don't like "Imagine" too much (I'm more of a "Jealous Guy" fan).
I think it's interesting that the Prince songs in the Top 100 are all very spare in their production. Just an observation. (They're all obviously great songs, too.)
I've changed "Made of Stone" in the last moment for "This Is the One". It's a really great song.
I'm really happy for the high placement of "Going Underground" and "Spanish Bombs".
Wow! Halftime and I already have 7+4+6+2+5 = 24 songs in the top 100!
I wonder what this means. I'd like to think that I have a great impact on your musical taste but it is probably more likely that the critics behind the Acclaimed Music lists have had a great impact on us all. All for the better I hope!?
I'm enjoying this soooooooooooooooooo much. I like to see some of my personal favourites ranking high (meaning that some other people all over the world are listening and enjoying the same songs I like). I like to re-think everything finding out some great tunes I passed over. But the thing I'm really having fun with is discovering some songs that I had to left out of my list in the last minute -and therefore got no points from me- appearing here and there.
Jeez, S.o.S, a measly day-and-a-half away from the computer, and you're already at # 51. Great fun to read up on, though!
It didn't occur to me to actually vote for Erik Satie, but I do enjoy the record of his that I have.
Both of my two Prince songs were in this last 60-51 batch PLUS Thunder Road, Perfect Day, Suzanne, and Radio Free Europe (if I remember correctly), so I can't complain :-)
Great plesure to see all those tracks that I love, but didn't vote for, show up. I gotta run off and switch on the record player :-)
I must admit that there's a song on the 100-51 section that I've never heard. I's "Another Girl, Another Planet" by The Only Ones. I neeeeed to hear it!
Sonofsamiam, I really look forward to seeing your personal list. It seems to be much more full of surprises than my list. I'm sure it will include a lot of great songs I haven't heard or paid enough attention to.
45 of my selections have made the list - but only three of those appear in the top 100.
On a list of this magnitude, it may seem a little silly and petty to focus on minor disappointments, but I do wish Mother by John Lennon would have finished higher. I think it's one of the most powerful songs ever recorded, and was sure it would be a top ten contender. I also expected to see a few more Randy Newman songs...
...but why focus on the negative. I've been absolutely ecstatic about some of the songs I listed that did make it, like Wire's Mannequin, The Fall's Cruiser's Creek, TWO Go-betweens songs, and Wide Open Road by the Triffids. Also, though I didn't vote for it, I was happy to see that Tindersticks track on here. I'd completely forgotten about that album.
Good comments, and thanks for the nice words, everyone! Definitely the best part of this exercise is seeing all the individual lists, and picking out things one hasn't heard from those. When you see a list full of good things (and the lists that came in were really, really good!), you can generally trust the taste of the listener -- it's better than a music magazine, really!
050. David Bowie / “Five Years”
049. David Bowie / “Moonage Daydream”
048. Bruce Springsteen / “Born To Run”
047. Jimi Hendrix / “All Along the Watchtower”
046. The Rolling Stones / “Sympathy for the Devil”
045. Donna Summer / “I Feel Love”
044. The La's / “There She Goes”
043. Nirvana / “Smells Like Teen Spirit”
042. Nick Drake / “River Man”
041. The Velvet Underground / “Waiting for the Man”
I really love the peculiarities of tallying lists like this -- for example, 2 non-singles from the same album appearing right next to each other near the top of the list.
Also, I love seeing Donna Summer edging out 3 classic rock staples (go Disco!). And "River Man" is a brilliant song -- fantastic to see it so high.
Well there's my no. 2 (Waiting for the man), my no. 1 only made it to # 359. And I sure don't expect to see my no. 3 in the top 40 :-)
Actually a full five of these were in my list (also Five years, Born to Run, Hendrix' Watchtower, and Sympathy), whereas I had only two songs in all of 100-61. I wonder what that means ...
040. Oasis / “Wonderwall”
039. The Beatles / “I Am the Walrus”
038. The Beatles / “Revolution”
037. Stevie Wonder / “Superstition”
036. The Clash / “London Calling”
035. Pink Floyd / “Wish You Were Here”
034. Pixies / “Monkey Gone to Heaven”
033. The Doors / “Light My Fire”
032. The Beatles / “Something”
031. The Rolling Stones / “(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction”
Probably no big surprises here, as the Beatles and Stones continue their dominance. And I'm sure Jacek will be pleased with the Pixies' placement!
Sadly (to me at least), out of this group I voted for none. (Though I did vote for other Stevie Wonder songs, so I'm really glad to see him make a showing!)
I had the same problem with Nick Drake: Right now I can't for the life of me say why I didn't vote "River Man" (I chose "Time has told me"), but to me his songs don't divide into hits and filler, they're more or less all excellent expressions of the same feeling.
Now I wonder, was that Moonbeam's one single 60'es top 200 song there in slot # 33?? I voted for that one too + "Revolution" and "Monkey gone to heaven". All fine stuff, though.
030. The Specials / “Ghost Town”
029. Spiritualized / “Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space”
028. Blur / “Song 2”
027. The Sex Pistols / “Anarchy in the U.K.”
026. Love / “Alone Again Or”
025. The Velvet Underground / “Sunday Morning”
024. Echo and the Bunnymen / “The Killing Moon”
023. Kraftwerk / “The Model”
022. The Beatles / “Nowhere Man”
021. R.E.M. / “Losing My Religion”
If you'd asked me ahead of time to guess the final Top 30, the only ones of these I might have come up with are "Anarchy in the U.K." and "Losing My Religion". I might have guessed "Sunday Morning", but I'm probably giving myself too much credit.
Still ... The Specials, Spiritualized, Love, Echo and the Bunnymen, and Kraftwerk all in the Top 30? Very, very cool....
Eh, I just took a little nap and you're already at number 21. I think the last batch was the most interesting so far. It's great to see Spiritualized this high, but all the songs are great. The ones that I know anyway, there are still some I haven't heard like the La's for instance.
I voted for 4 of this last group “Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space”, “The Killing Moon”, “Losing My Religion” and my #1 “Song 2”, I was expecting all this songs but I also think it was unpredictable, all the others songs was a sorprise for me even “Nowhere Man” (“Anarchy in the U.K.” was the only exception)
Yes, "Nowhere Man" surprised me, too -- if I'd had to guess beforehand what song from Rubber Soul would make it, I would have surely thought "In My Life".
020. Pink Floyd / “Echoes”
019. Sam Cooke / “A Change Is Gonna Come”
018. The Rolling Stones / “Gimme Shelter”
017. David Bowie / “Life on Mars?”
016. The Beatles / “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”
Some really fantastic stuff in here ... I was especially surprised (and pleased!) to see "Echoes" so high. Also, Sam Cooke in the Top 20 is a wonderful thing.
I used the word shocking for "I Feel Love", but I have to take that back. I didn't know what would come...
"Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space" ending up this high is definitely the biggest surprise to me. I don't think I have ever seen the song in a critics list! I suppose "Ladies..." was never released as a single and it is very exciting that it's possible for a lot of album tracks to end up this high.
Doesn't look like it -- though it is my fave Floyd album. Even the silly stuff on there works for some reason; it's refreshing to hear them when they didn't take themselves so seriously all the time.
It seems like there are some people around reading and commenting, so I'm gonna carry on!
015. The Kinks / “Waterloo Sunset”
014. Radiohead / “Paranoid Android”
013. Television / “Marquee Moon”
012. Bob Dylan / “Tangled Up in Blue”
011. Joy Division / “Love Will Tear Us Apart”
Now THERE'S 5 great songs. No big surprises here, but considering the quality, I'm certainly not one to complain.
It's soooooooooo good to see Marquee Moon up there. On the other hand I never understood what's so special about Tangled Up in Blue. Idiot Wind, which I'm sure will make the list as well, is exactly 7,13 times better.
On the other hand I never understood what's so special about Tangled Up in Blue. Idiot Wind, which I'm sure will make the list as well, is exactly 7,13 times better.
Hmmm -- I guess I much prefer the lovely, perfectly wrought storytelling of "Tangled..." to the unfettered bile of "Idiot Wind", but obviously they're both masterworks.
Top 10 soon -- I'm gonna count it down one by one. Stay tuned!
I'm just wondering who else voted for the KLF's what time is love? It was No.50 in my top 50 songs. And I'm really chuffed that it made it into the top 200.
"What Time Is Love?" is one of those tracks that gets me thrilled of pleasure every time I see it in a critics list. Unfortunately though, it doesn't happen too often.
It's just great to see they're still remembered for some of the most catchiest dance tunes ever. Not just for their wacky stunts (which are great though).
I didn't vote for any Smiths tracks in my top 50 even though I'm a fan. I'm surprised There is a light... is that high, Whereas This charming man is quite low in the poll than expected.
Sonofsamiam, do you allow us to try to guess, for example, numbers 1 to 5?
Feel free to guess any of the remaining songs! I'm not going to give anything away until I add them, of course, but it would be fun to see how close some of you come to predicting it!
#1 The Beatles - A day in the life
#2 Bob Dylan - Like a rolling stone
#3 The Beach Boys - Good vibrations
#4 Aretha Franklin - Respect
#5 The Beatles - Strawberry fields forever
Ugh, "Strawberry Fields Forever" is very unremarkable if you ask me. I don't know why people love it so much.
I don't find it "unremarkable" per se -- it's a pretty and very inventive song, esp. re production and that oddly funky outro -- but I do agree with you to the extent that I think it's somewhat overrated.
But The Beatles have been utterly dominant thus far in the poll, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise!
I may be completely out to lunch, but considering what topped the albums poll, I thought perhaps one more Radiohead song might be hiding up there in the top 5?
I really love Strawberry fields forever. It was MY personal #5. If you listen to the acosutic version on Beatles anthology 2 you'll find a wonderful little song. And then, those arrengements and production made it grow up, up...
(Was that "numero 7" instead of "number 7" related with myself being a Spaniard... in the works?)
Maybe I'll just keep plugging away -- it would be nice to wrap up the countdown today, and then post individual lists, plus other goodies, on later days.
I'll go more quickly between posts so it doesn't get too tedious though!
Interestingly, "God Only Knows" held a pretty strong lead on "Good Vibrations" until the final day, on which Good Vibes made a strong run and overtook the Pet Sounds classic. I guess we can all agree that Brian Wilson had a pretty good year in 1966....
Well, it's possible I've heard it somewhere but I didn't know it was by the La's. It happens all the time - I buy an album by a new group, start listening to it and suddenly realize I know some of the songs. Is "Here She Comes" played on the radio?
Jacek, you might know "There She Goes" by the Sixpence None the Richer cover (which was a mild hit here in the U.S. at least, but which isn't a patch on the original).
"There She Goes", and The La's in general, certainly helped set the table for the Britpop explosion, along with the Stone Roses and a few other groups.
This got a whopping 12 votes (quite a percentage considering 20 voters) for 1,620.5 points:
003. David Bowie / “ ‘Heroes’ ”
Again, I'm quite pleased with this placement. It's absolutely essential, and in my Top 20. It's one of those great songs that appears to be long on the tracklisting, but is so stirring it whizzes by as if time just stood still for it.
Well, I've got nothing to prove it, but I was thinking about "Heroes" and "God Only Knows". However, I also considered other alternatives, I am quite surprised that there is no "Respect", "You Really Got Me" or "Fake Plastic Trees" in the top 418.
"There She Goes" is a song that appeared in some movies or maybe even commercials, it is still being played by even some Polish radio stations and strange institutions like MTV Classic. The La's made only one record but it is very important for britpop groups of the 90's and many new bands like The Coral too.