500 Songs Discussion - Page 3

I'm more partial to S.O.S., but you can't go wrong with the Queen. Another group to strike off of my rapidly shortening list. Good call.

New day, new list.

Kool and the Gang - Hollywood Swinging This song is just the perfect representative of the 70s Funk genre.

If that's meant for me, well, I listen practically only to electronic music so all my favourites are in that genre anyway, here's another masterpiece I've added:

Cass & Slide - Perception
because it is one of those rare tracks that always gets me to dance yet is deeply emotional as well, it's a banging tune that's brought tears to my eyes more than once, because it's just one of the most perfect pieces pieces of music I've ever heard.

My justification for today's pick is "if you've never heard of this song, click on the link in my post in the list thread and read all of the lyrics, then imagine it with a smoothly seductive beat and an equally smooth vocal performance." Those lyrics could almost be to a Tom Waits song in some alternate universe.

No, It wasn't aimed at you, El Topo, sorry if you got riled.

If it's the electronic stuff that gets you going, then these are the songs you should put on the list, whoever gets annoyed by the lack of 'real' instruments. the criteria for this list is what us chewers really, genuinely like, rather than trying to get a representative cross section of genres.

I'm not riled Trinity, if I can stay zen at seeing so many Dire Straits and Springsteen songs then what chance have you got?

Oh god, Dire Straits!

People who dislike Springsteen fuel Satan's war-machine.

You missed my Croce song at 251... as did everyone else who misnumbered after Richard Dickson's selection.

No, I got Croce on there. Remember, artists are alphabitized by their last name.

You're right, my bad. Either I can't alphabetize (possible) or I was looking at yesterday's list. Sorry about that.

I was worried when I saw people mis-numbering that it might get left off.

Help me out with my pick here. Surprisingly, Nirvana only has Dumb on the list so far. While Dumb's a decent song, it's not the song that should represent Nirvana.

What should I put on the list?

Smells Like Teen Spirit
Come as You Are
Heart Shaped Box
Rape Me

I'm thinking it should be one of the first two. I figure Smells Like Teen Spirit deserves it most just for its place in history, but Come as You Are, in my humble opinion, is a much better song.

Please advise.

I thought about asking about that one, but I think Smells Like Teen Spirit and Come as You Are are a notch above it, if anything, for their place in music history.

I think 'Negative Creep' is a better song than all of those.

I totally disagree. I think one of the reasons the song is so popular is because it's poignant because of the man himself and that he recorded it in his later years. It's a good version, but Trent's original is much more emotional and, well, raw.

Agreed. But, really, both are great for different reasons.

Probably the biggest testament to how powerful Cash's version was is this.....

From Rolling Stone:

I'd probably have to pick "In Bloom" if I had to pick a Nirvana song. Either that or Polly.

I just picked "me and julio down by the schoolyard" by Simon, but it was rough. I almost picked his "The Obvious Child" instead, but I guess today I'm feeling more optimistic, and so I chose the more optimistic song. I highly recommend a download of "Obvious Child" though.

Hell, each pick is turning into like, a 5 song playoff before I post. I originall was going to pick "Still a Man" by Tony Toni Tone, and then thought that "Welcome to the Terrordome" would work better, then slid over to "5447/Ball and Chain" by Sublime, before stumbling onto the Simon and then deciding between those two.

It's been like that for almost every pick.

oh, and good call on "Hollywood Swinging" Werbal, but I'm still convinced the most nasty ass funk song Kool and the Gang ever did was "Jungle Boogie." Last New Years, I chained Flashlight, Jungle Boogie and More Bounce to the Ounce right in a row, and not a single person was anywhere BUT the center of the dancefloor. Crazy shit. NT is some great shit of theirs, too. Same with "Who's gonna take the weight." great drum breaks in there.

Speaking of Drum Breaks, I might want to nominate "Give it up, Turn it Loose" by James, because that's a fucking funk MONSTER.

Way to go, Guttenberg! Introducing Sly to the list so I don't have to.

My new pick -
Richard Hell and the Voidoids' "Blank Generation"

The fast and noisy side of 70s punk gets all the play sometimes. The first thing to come to mind isn't necessarily Television, or the Talking Heads, or Patti Smith, or these guys. But Hell not only practically invented the ripped t-shirt looks, but, with Robert Quine, came up with a sound completely different than the rest. The jagged guitars, jerky rhythms, and off-key vocals are unmistakeable, and, as far as I know, he was the first to sound the way he did in rock. I can hear Hell's vocal influence in everything from the Cure to Dexy's Midnight Runners to Hot Hot Heat. This song encapsulates a lot of what was cool about the artier NY side of punk to me.

Simon Definitely deserves a large presence. I'm a huge fan so I'm biased, but I'll applaud any addition of his solo or S&G work because he's just that damn talented and influential.

I'd Like to see "My little Town" get up there, as well as Mrs. Robinson, America and some other standards that really deserve it.

Also Randy Newman's Dixie Flyer is great but "Short People" and "Political Science" Need to be up there too. I hope I get a few more turns.

Do I really have to justify the New Pornographers?

"Late in the Evening" is on my list, because that song is flat out brilliant, but yeah, "Obvious Child" is also great. It's funny, I can listen to Graceland all the way through and never skip a song, but if I put Rythym of the Saints in the CD player, I just put that one song on repeat for about 10 times and never get tired of it.

Justifying makes for a more interesting exercise, I'd say. Simply listing songs is pretty much worthless. I can list songs all day. Songs I love, songs I hate, songs I've never even heard, but know the titles of. But why would you want to read (or contribute to) such a list?

If nothing else, the justifications give us an idea of what other people like about a song which might prompt the decision to give the song a listen or, if you've already heard it, another shot. I've come around on plenty of bands I initially hated based on other people's excellent endorsements. Another person's perspective can give you the opportunity to hear something with new ears. Unless you're completely close-minded to the idea from the outset, of course.

I'm not a huge Dire Straits fan. So someone give me a reason why I should give something of theirs another listen. Maybe I completely missed what you find amazing about the song.

BTW, New Pornographers' "Letter From an Occupant" was going to be my pick this or next round, but I figured they wouldn't hit the list for a while, anyway. Now, I feel they're adequately represented, thanks to Charles. Hell, I'd say give the song a justification even if it's pretty obvious to some of us, just for the benefit of the folks who haven't yet heard the band, but it's your call.

Heh, actually I prefer Lenny Kravitz' cover of Deuce, and justify it with Stevie Wonder's jamming on harmonica for 5 minutes. Transcendent.

All right: Earth, Wind & Fire might have bigger hits than "September," more soulful slow-grind make-out behind-the-couch tunes and plenty more popular dancefloor jams, but this track... It's just impossible to be in a bad mood by the end of it. It's a perfect blend of everything I love about EW&F.

The Temptaions can't be kept off of any list, and I suddenly had fears of "My Girl" popping up. Lovely song, but you'd think it was all they ever recorded or sounded like. "I Can't Get Next To You" is my favorite of their funk, fun as hell, impossible not to sing along with, and the lyrics are simple and simply brilliant.

There was nothing like KC & The Sunshine Band before they arrived, and pop music's still trying to catch up in a lot of ways. To borrow from some Rhino liner notes, for all the flak they took for being non-progressive and dumbed-down pop, they were well ahead of their time. Damn close call between "Get Down Tonight" and "Boogie Shoes," but the former's innovative production -- when that unique sped-up guitar starts up, backs are off the walls and feets are on the floor -- I had to go with the party fave for my party day.

But, man, for every track I shortlist I come up with five that keep bucking for attention along with reams of their own justifications... Trying to settle on potentially only 3 or 4 more songs is killing me!

Edited for some embarrassingly dumb typos. Also, seems there's a difference between the words "former" and "latter." Dumbass.

RE: "New Year's Day"

I was remiss to include another U2 song, but they're inarguably one of the most important bands of the last 20 years and this song is their most resonant to me, even moreso than "Sunday Bloody Sunday". It should definitely be on any list of this kind in place of that fucking abysmal Batman soundtrack song, at the very least. "New Year's Day" is an important song because of its subtext, its timeliness and its fire. The song, and the album "War" on the whole, captures the band at the absolute zenith of their powers as a young, brash group of politically-minded rockers, before the segue into the pop juggernaut we witness today. "New Year's Day" is my favorite U2 song because, quite simply, it's stunning. There is a weird beauty to be found in its immediacy and urgency; that instantly-recognizable intro, with its juxtaposition of chilling piano with one of Bono's very best howls and the Edge's jagged, staccato riffs never ceases to give me goosebumps. And that fucking solo, man...just incredible. It's hands-down my absolute favorite bit of guitarwork in the Edge's career. It's a perfect, cathartic release of the song's tension, each soaring note speaking volumes. So yeah, it's a relatively conventional U2 choice and it was on Rolling Stone's list, but I couldn't sleep at night if it was left off of this one.

Yando my friend, you just made the pick o' the day. Funny, that song wasn't even on my radar for today's pick, but once I saw it...

Whew.

"You're All I've Got Tonight" is the best (and strangely underplayed) track on one of the greatest pop albums ever.

Bravo.

Now, gushing outta the way...

My pick is one I'm particulrly proud of. Depeche Mode weren't pioneers or world-changers, but they did put out consistently GREAT music. "The Sweetest Perfection" is the best cut on their best album; a smooth, smoky, seductive piece of erotic hypnosis. Every time I hear it, I envision an amazing woman in a low-cut black dress with a generous slit walking into my favorite scotch mill, sitting down next to me, lighting a cigar, and asking me what I think of the French New Wave, Godard in particular, as she violates me with deep dark eyes.

Yowzas.

Dumb is much better than decent in the grand scheme of things, but otherwise I agree. Smells Like Teen Spirit and Heart Shaped Box. One, if not both of those, have to be on the list.

regarding the 'Hurt' pick:
Respect to Trent Reznor, but Johnny Cash took that song and made it for the ages.

regarding Dire Straits:
What's with the antagonism towards D.S? They have just as much a right to be on the list as anyone else, and my own pick was due to the simple, quiet power that song has on me, and it's underlying message.

Don't get me wrong, I really like the NIN version. Its a great song. But Cash's voice, the added pounding piano, and the build at the end I think makes an emotional song even more so. It all comes down to personal taste, but I think Cash was almost more suited for the song. Coming as it did as a capstone to an amazing, but difficult, life and career makes it all the more poignant. Yes, I think Cash the man had a lot to do with its reception, but it would have been one of his best songs if it had been done 10 years ago.

I feel so obligatory with my pick.

Yep

Music's just one of those things.

I picked Dumb because its one of my favorite songs ever. I do agree that maybe in the grand scheme of things, a few other Nirvana songs place ahead of it, but to me personally, that song is close to their best. What puts it ahead of the other close calls to me (Teen Spirit, Serve the Servants, Aneurysm, Verse Chorus Verse, and Lithium) is the poignancy and immediate impact of the first two lines: "I'm not like them, but I can pretend."
...yeah.
s'just good.

I'd probably put "Sugar, Sugar" as the greatest pop song ever and "Eagle" as my favorite ABBA song, but that's just quibbling.

About the only issue one could take with "Dancing Queen" is the fact it's getting grossly overplayed while the rest of ABBA's spectacular catalog molders.

::sigh::

And people ask why Earth (particularly US) is in the state we're in.... Thanks poop.

Not that I mind more CCR on the list, but wasn't "Up On Cripple Creek" by Robbie Robertson & The Band?

DaveB has made me feel guilty, so when the list is done I'll go back and list my reasoning for all my picks.

I think we need immediate justification for whoever it was that put the fucking theme song from Friends on the list. If that's not a joke, may God have mercy on your soul.

i thought that too. this is turning into a real CCR love in.

also: Video killed the Radio Star is a better pop song than Dancing Queen because it has a greater melancholy underneath the shiny surface. it makes you giggle and cry at the same time. and pop songs are best when they are sung by ugly people.

edit: i notice Nick put a van halen song on the list. i am not respecting his choices at all.

Great call on the Van Halen tune by Nick. The opening guitar riff on that thing could be used for demolishing buildings.

As for my latest pick, "Town Called Malice" could be the best thing put to record in the entire decade of the 80s. A lyrically dense, rollicking song that kicks you in the head with the opening bass riff and just doesn't stop. I would have sex with this song.

Damn, I do have a version of the song that was attributed to CCR and it sounded an awful lot like them but maybe it was just mislabeled. I guess I'll pick another song then.

I'm gonna go post my favorite pop-dance number now. I'm pretty sure it puts me just an inch inside of gay.

Proud Mary - Because when you take an already classic song, and blow it up to create an even better tune that all of a sudden puts the original to shame, you deserve the recognition.

There is some real crap jumping on the list now.

I think we need a lot more justifying on this here forum...

I've picked an odd song or two, but I've also done my best to explain them. On the other hand, if you post Michelle Branch and don't explain why, that raises some questions.

Whew! You people are killing me! I added all the songs for the day and cleaned up the list alphabetically so it should be easier to read.

It was featured in a great Buffy episode. And it is Barry W. The song will be trimmed when 600 is trimmed to 500. Otherwise The Super Bowl Shuffle would make the list.

Not to be a jackass, bu isn't this idea still under discussion?

Werbal your efforts are genuinely appreciated. big up respect and that.

and hey, someone added Pressure Drop! my favourite from the San Andreas soundtrack! now is that 3 or four from the game?

Says the guy who adds Ben Folds Five to the list without explanation.

And for my next pick, the Superbowl Shuf...

Ah, it was tempting, and I bet I could have justified the hell out of it, but instead I'll ramble on about...

Freedy Johnston's "Bad Reputation." Johnston inexplicably didn't get the fame he deserved for the three near-perfect albums he released in the early 90s and with the artistic slide he took in the years following, he seems all-but-forgotten now (review of an outtakes collection on Pitchfork today, though, coincidentally).

But at his peak, he wrote some of the best narrative songs ever. In his songs, the characters had depth, and melodrama was often eschewed in favor of smaller revelations and realizations. I picked this one because it has a universal sentiment (missed opportunity, etc.), it's moving and catchy, and it's pretty representative of his work at the time. But hearing one of his songs is like reading one story out of a Carver collection. Each has its own subtle charms.

And props to Eyeball who chose the exact Tom Waits song I was originally going to pick this round.

You're going to hate that I stuck "Hot for Teacher " on there then

I honestly think that song is the EPITOME of Van Halen. Breakneck speed, ridiculous guitar masturbation by Eddie, idiotic yowling by David, and lone guitar breakdowns so the band can catch its breath before it goes upside your fucking head again. it's loud, silly, stupid, and fun as a motherfucker. "Hot for Teacher" is the definition of Van Halen, I think.

And someone needs to justify ".45" by Shinedown because that song is unfiltered colon blow. Honestly. The band is the second coming of Creed, with their over-earnest suckage, the lyrics are the most inane, maudlin hallmark card garbage, and the band doesn't even play it's simple, slogging chords well. I know I've thrown some stuff up there that's questionable, and making these comments DIRECTLY after nominating Van Halen seems suspect, but I honestly believe that song is pretty easily the WORST song to make this list.

I debated adding "Song for the Dumped" myself. That shit is classic, to me.

"So you wanted
to take a break
slow it down some
and have some space?
Well fuck you too.
Give me my money back
Give me my money back,
You bitch."

Also, couldn't believe "Proud Mary" by Ike and Tina was left off the Rolling Stone list. even Fogerty recognizes Ike and Tina fucking owned that bitch when they did it. I'm glad to see it show up here.

and Trav: Atomic Dog is solo George Clinton, not Parliament.