Getcha passports ready - the middle-aged dummies are going to the British Isles! Top 31 song countdown. (11 Viewers)

[Hov34]

Thirty-Point Selections:

Oliver Humanzee:

Calvary Cross - Richard and Linda Thompson

Nice sitar at the beginning. But he's no George Harrison.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Going to post a little early about tomorrow's picks since most of us are getting ready for The Big Game.

A couple of firsts tomorrow:

- Our first Menage FaLaLa Trois of this countdown (a song selected by three different people at the same position). And oddly enough, it's from a song making its countdown debut.

- For the first time in Middle Aged Dummy history, an artist will have an octuple-up. And get this, the octuple-up will comprise seven different songs, with only one Deja Vote.

Time for everbody to drop those Radiohead points on the masses!!

Yeah, this hasn't aged well.

 

[krista4]

"Mama Told Me Not Come" with The Stereophonics.

This was terrific.

 

[Doug B]

Yeah, this hasn't aged well.

I thought Oasis would represent A LOT better. And U2 for that matter -- really did think they had a strong chance at the top-points position.

EDIT: And my pick for #1 song is 100 points back now

EDIT2: Actually .. 64 points back.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Huh. So apparently on Spotify if you scroll the progress bar to the end of a song, it saves you a skip.

 

[worrierking]

Huh. So apparently on Spotify if you scroll the progress bar to the end of a song, it saves you a skip.

Wait, you didn't want to listen to Gimme Shelter four times?

This is good info. I would not want them to think I didn't like it.

 

[Sullie]

I know both Sullie and Mt. Man had good suggestions for the term for a song getting picked four times on the same day, but I've lost track (and wading through my PM box is a chore at this point). I think in honor of @ditkaburgers bringing dance music to us, I'm going to call it "Four On The Floor." Or maybe I should call it The Square, representing the four equal sides of a quadrilateral, and also an old-timey term used by younger people for old-timey people like us.

Anyway, for the first time in Middle Aged Dummy history, tomorrow we will have a Four Square On The Floor. Will it decisively determine the "favorite song" winner? Let's just say that the contest ends up very close after a couple of other contenders get multiple 31-pointers, while this one doesn't.

Need a name for when two people rank a song at exactly the same spot. "Bingo" seems too boring. (And "Ringo Bingo" was used in Zegras's countdown.)

We have two different songs tomorrow that have two votes each. To be expected in the upper reaches (Classic Binky: nether regions) of the lists, but unusual down in the lower rankings where a lot of people are taking lesser-known favorites. One of the artists with a [Bingo] will be making their first appearance, while the other has shown up a bit already.

Also need a name for when three people rank a song at exactly the same spot, as we'll have a few of those later, too.

2 times - Deja vote or Double Tap if anyone's a Zombieland fan
3 times - Thrice as nice or Triple sec
4 times - Quadrophenia

 

[krista4]

Two of the big surprises for me are "Solsbury Hill" doing this well and "Imagine" doing this poorly. Not basing that on quality of the songs - I like "Solsbury Hill" a lot, and "Imagine" is barely hanging in my top 10 post-Beatles John songs - but I thought the latter was beloved, while I never hear people talk about the former. Apparently I just haven't been listening.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Yeah, this hasn't aged well.

I thought Oasis would represent A LOT better. And U2 for that matter -- really did think they had a strong chance at the top-points position.

EDIT: And my pick for #1 song is 100 points back now

EDIT2: Actually .. 64 points back.

I wasnt sure about Oasis, but honestly thought Radiohead and U2 would have stronger drafts.

 

[krista4]

Hmmm, just realized that a smart person who reads my posts should be able to figure a few things out about the final artist standings.

 

[Doug B]

I wasnt sure about Oasis, but honestly thought Radiohead and U2 would have stronger drafts.

I kind of remember an 'Oasis-mania' in some of our OLD music drafts ... like before 2010. Or maybe it was just a handful of bygone FFA participants that like them a lot and kept bringing them up.

U2, as well but to a lesser degree.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Hmmm, just realized that a smart person who reads my posts should be able to figure a few things out about the final artist standings.

Well, I am only batting 50% here. I will leave it to you to decide which.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Hmmm, just realized that a smart person who reads my posts should be able to figure a few things out about the final artist standings.

Good thing this thread consists entirely of middle-aged dummies who don’t read your posts.

 

[worrierking]

I thought Radiohead would be higher.

I believed U2 would be lower because everyone is still trying to get that darn Songs of Innocence album out of their iTunes account.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Two of the big surprises for me are "Solsbury Hill" doing this well and "Imagine" doing this poorly. Not basing that on quality of the songs - I like "Solsbury Hill" a lot, and "Imagine" is barely hanging in my top 10 post-Beatles John songs - but I thought the latter was beloved, while I never hear people talk about the former. Apparently I just haven't been listening.

Imagine seems to be one of those songs whose cultural value outweighs its musical value. And on the cultural front it’s more important to the boomers than to the succeeding generations. So I am not too shocked by its placement.

I have no explanation for Solsbury Hill. It’s one of Gabriel’s best and most popular songs, but I did not see it getting way more love than his other big songs. Kind of like Surrender from the US countdown.

 

[Doug B]

I thought Radiohead would be higher.

They're at least #15, which is respectable. They're not likely to catch Van Morrison or The Clash at #10 and #11 ... but they could pass The Cure for #12 with two songs selected tomorrow (assuming The Cure are done).

 

[KarmaPolice]

I thought Radiohead would be higher.

They're at least #15, which is respectable. They're not likely to catch Van Morrison or The Clash at #10 and #11 ... but they could pass The Cure for #12 with two songs selected tomorrow (assuming The Cure are done).

I really thought they'd be in the top 10. Certainly wouldn't have thought they would be neck and neck with The Cure with The Cure leading.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I guess I won't bother with my Radiohead top 31 countdown.

 

[Doug B]

I have no explanation for Solsbury Hill. It’s one of Gabriel’s best and most popular songs, but I did not see it getting way more love than his other big songs.

I've been trying to find our Next 100 Rock List** FFA thread from 2012, but the thread seems to have been lost with the forum upgrade.

Anyway, every artist got one song selected after a nomination/voting by a few dozen participants in the exercise. "Solsbury Hill" ended up as Gabriel's song, and it ended up placing pretty high, like #10 out of 100 or something.

** Cliffs Notes: UltimateClassicRock.com put out a one-song-per-artist Top 100 Classic Rock Songs list in 2012 (they did another one last September). We discussed it in the FFA, noted ALL the songs they shoulda had but missed, and then proceeded to do our own "Next 100" list of artists they didn't include. This was in April-May 2012. I know Jethro Tull finished #1 but I am blanking on the song.

 

[Ilov80s]

I guess I won't bother with my Radiohead top 31 countdown.

Or that means it’s very much needed

 

[krista4]

I guess I won't bother with my Radiohead top 31 countdown.

OK, OK, I'll tell you this just so you won't be sad. Radiohead gets a big bump tomorrow. Enough to make the top 10?

 

[Doug B]

I have no explanation for Solsbury Hill. It’s one of Gabriel’s best and most popular songs, but I did not see it getting way more love than his other big songs.

I've been trying to find our Next 100 Rock List** FFA thread from 2012, but the thread seems to have been lost with the forum upgrade.

Anyway, every artist got one song selected after a nomination/voting by a few dozen participants in the exercise. "Solsbury Hill" ended up as Gabriel's song, and it ended up placing pretty high, like #10 out of 100 or something.

** Cliffs Notes: UltimateClassicRock.com put out a one-song-per-artist Top 100 Classic Rock Songs list in 2012 (they did another one last September). We discussed it in the FFA, noted ALL the songs they shoulda had but missed, and then proceeded to do our own "Next 100" list of artists they didn't include. This was in April-May 2012. I know Jethro Tull finished #1 but I am blanking on the song.

Here's one of the threads where we whittled down from a list of 300+ nominations down to 100-something. The OP has links to several other of the threads.

Looking for the final list.

EDIT: Here's the nomination thread. Post #2 has the full list of 300-something nominated songs. Binky, shuke, and zamboni participated for sure.

 

[AAABatteries]

I thought Radiohead would be higher.

They're at least #15, which is respectable. They're not likely to catch Van Morrison or The Clash at #10 and #11 ... but they could pass The Cure for #12 with two songs selected tomorrow (assuming The Cure are done).

I really thought they'd be in the top 10. Certainly wouldn't have thought they would be neck and neck with The Cure with The Cure leading.

If I’m being honest it kind of pleasantly surprises me because I for sure had them top 10 and it appears it will be the one I included that I shouldn’t. I say pleasantly because I’m just not a big fan but I’m blown away the FFA didn’t have them higher but I guess it’s a matter of their biggest fans being vocal and maybe some of them didn’t participate.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I guess I won't bother with my Radiohead top 31 countdown.

Or that means it’s very much needed

I guess I am curious why people left them off. If it's musicial style, then maybe a countdown or mix of their songs might get people interested. If it's because they hate Thom's voice, well then my songs will matter not.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Huh. So apparently on Spotify if you scroll the progress bar to the end of a song, it saves you a skip.

If you can live with yourself…

 

[AAABatteries]

Not sure if this is a good or interesting metric but I’m curious which artists had the highest points per song average and points per selection average.

A quick glance maybe The Cranberries for the former with 170 points but only 3 songs. No clue on the other - maybe The Smiths?

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Hmmm, just realized that a smart person who reads my posts should be able to figure a few things out about the final artist standings.

Anyone know anyone smart?

 

[rockaction]

I guess I am curious why people left them off

Because the majority of the participants in this survey were in their prime music listening years either in the '70s, '80s, or early '90s. That would seem to be the major reason.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I guess I am curious why people left them off

Because the majority of the participants in this survey were in their prime music listening years either in the '70s, '80s, or early '90s. That would seem to be the major reason.

Very fair point. I do forget I am on the younger end of the spectrum 'round these parts.

 

[rockaction]

This is what I wrote in the Punk Hundred write-up about my musical selection of the day

"God Save The Queen" - Sex Pistols

Why not the Ramones? Why have the Sex Pistols, talentless louts, sitting here in first place over the band responsible for them? Because of three things. Chops, outlook, and attitude. All three of these conspire to make the perfect punk rock song. Aimed at the most ossified of traditions and the most egregious of public families, Lydon cribs the traditional song in reverence of the Queen of England and skewers politics, society, and celebrity all in one fell swoop at the behest of the down and out. Steve Jones, mastermind of the hook and riff, solos and hooks his way into the intro, upon which a monster riff happens, beginning the song. Rotten pulls no punches:

God save the queen
The fascist regime
They made you a moron
Potential H-bomb

But it's not just raw anger. Rotten looks around, surveys the zeitgeist and sees so many inessential people living inessential lives in a republic with nowhere to go and nothing of meaning. He asks a question and shoves the point home with his own response:

When there's no future how can there be sin?
We're the flowers in the dustbin
We're the poison in your human machine
We're the future, your future

This capture's punk's bleak outlook and its nihilism in one fell swoop. If we are inessential, and there is no God, then nothing has meaning, and if nothing has meaning, there is no right and no wrong, no sin and no savior, merely action and reaction, chemical deposits in the nitrogen cycle.

And the song rips from there. With the conviction only young down-and-outers can muster, youngsters naive enough to think that a band and a plan and an ethos will change anything -- or more precisely, be so wrong that all that talent and drive will change nothing -- Rotten digs down, gets off beat and snarls over the lockstep riffage.

No future
No future
No future for you

And it's the pauses Rotten takes before the "no" in the dangerously sing-a-long nature of "no future" that establishes Rotten, as not just a great lyricist, but (if Eephus will pardon me) as a great phraser of lyrics, something in the mold of a traditional singer, but done atonally and arrhythmically. It menaces the entire last part of the song. When you thought there'd be an easy climax to it and a rousing send-off, there's Johnny, just a beat too slow and a beat too menacing not to notice.

And that is the Sex Pistols in a nutshell. Monster riffs with a cockney accent and an atonal twist, for you to dance the night away while fires blaze in the background. Enjoy. Punk 101.

 

[rockaction]

Very fair point. I do forget I am on the younger end of the spectrum 'round these parts.

They came around during my prime listening years and easily made the countdown. I'm also not a Radiohead honk, either. I don't necessarily see eye-to-eye with the social aspect of their lyrics, nor the political (though I do appreciate both sometimes, for sure), but they're still great enough, and inventive enough, and damn beautiful enough to make an all-time countdown. I'm sorry I didn't rank them higher, actually. I figured most everybody else would and pick up my slack. I didn't figure people like me would be a standard bearer for them.

 

[cosjobs]

Dr. Octopus:

Dear Mr. Fantasy - Traffic
(duplicate – second vote)

When the other Dr. took this song he called it the "Chalkiest" of Traffic songs. I can't really argue with that as it's an iconic song, that (as Dr.Ian also pointed out) was the opening theme to the biggest Marvel movie of them all. Lets just say I entered the theater pumped to see Endgame, and hearing the opening notes to Mr. Fantasy play was like stepping on the top of the gas pedal to get into passing mode while already going 80 miles and hour.

I had assumed Low spark of High heeled boys would be the most popular Traffic song. It was when I was in college. Not mine but it was up there, for me the John barleycorn album was their fastigium.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Very fair point. I do forget I am on the younger end of the spectrum 'round these parts.

They came around during my prime listening years and easily made the countdown. I'm also not a Radiohead honk, either. I don't necessarily see eye-to-eye with the social aspect of their lyrics, nor the political (though I do appreciate both sometimes, for sure), but they're still great enough, and inventive enough, and damn beautiful enough to make an all-time countdown. I'm sorry I didn't rank them higher, actually. I figured most everybody else would and pick up my slack. I didn't figure people like me would be a standard bearer for them.

Looking at the top 10 and my guesses, I wasn't that off. I knew Cream was a dart throw and wanted at least one of those in my guesses. I am sure it's more my dislike of the artists that provided the blind spot for Elton and The Clash when I was thinking about the contest. It seemed there was a lot of 90s represented in the US draft, so my thought process was that they would pick up that slack in this draft since I didn't think artists like Oasis or others would.

It seems I was on with most of my guesses but I had Radiohead and Cream instead of Elton and The Clash. We will see if anything changes tomorrow.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I guess I won't bother with my Radiohead top 31 countdown.

OK, OK, I'll tell you this just so you won't be sad. Radiohead gets a big bump tomorrow. Enough to make the top 10?

I mean, the guy whose username is a Radiohead song had to have picked a Radiohead song #1, right?

 

[cosjobs]

I've been out for a day and a half getting my other knee replaced, so I'm a having a hard time catching up. I'm back and even decided to buy a Spotify sub to discover all the cool stuff you middle aged kids are into.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I guess I won't bother with my Radiohead top 31 countdown.

OK, OK, I'll tell you this just so you won't be sad. Radiohead gets a big bump tomorrow. Enough to make the top 10?

If they don't do better than Elton, I will still be sad. I will be interested to see what other's might have picked for their RH pick at #1.

Spoiler alert: they are my #1, and if I am correct I will be the only one with that song in the draft.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I guess I won't bother with my Radiohead top 31 countdown.

OK, OK, I'll tell you this just so you won't be sad. Radiohead gets a big bump tomorrow. Enough to make the top 10?

I mean, the guy whose username is a Radiohead song had to have picked a Radiohead song #1, right?

I was going to post that I am really going to be salty with her if the "big bump" is only the 31points from me that we know is coming.

 

[krista4]

I guess I am curious why people left them off

Because the majority of the participants in this survey were in their prime music listening years either in the '70s, '80s, or early '90s. That would seem to be the major reason.

Very fair point. I do forget I am on the younger end of the spectrum 'round these parts.

You're older than OH. But he hates Radiohead.

As for me, they weren't on my list because I had 31 other songs I liked better than any one of theirs? I do think they're a great band, and I enjoy them a lot. They were more like Led Zeppelin for me - I love many Zeppelin songs but there's not one that stands out for me enough to make my list.

ETA: I'd love a countdown.

 

[simey]

I've been out for a day and a half getting my other knee replaced, so I'm a having a hard time catching up. I'm back and even decided to buy a Spotify sub to discover all the cool stuff you middle aged kids are into.

Did the surgery go well?

 

[cosjobs]

I've been out for a day and a half getting my other knee replaced, so I'm a having a hard time catching up. I'm back and even decided to buy a Spotify sub to discover all the cool stuff you middle aged kids are into.

Did the surgery go well?

Yes. But it's only 30 hours old. But I feel very confident. Seems to be as good as the last one. The oxycodone almost makes the pain worthwhile.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I guess I am curious why people left them off

Because the majority of the participants in this survey were in their prime music listening years either in the '70s, '80s, or early '90s. That would seem to be the major reason.

Very fair point. I do forget I am on the younger end of the spectrum 'round these parts.

You're older than OH. But he hates Radiohead.

As for me, they weren't on my list because I had 31 other songs I liked better than any one of theirs? I do think they're a great band, and I enjoy them a lot. They were more like Led Zeppelin for me - I love many Zeppelin songs but there's not one that stands out for me enough to make my list.

ETA: I'd love a countdown.

Why does he hate them?

Not enough angry bass?

 

[krista4]

Why does he hate them?

Not enough angry bass?

I don't actually know. I'm afraid to ask, lest I get a 15-minute rant.

 

[KarmaPolice]

Why does he hate them?

Not enough angry bass?

I don't actually know. I'm afraid to ask, lest I get a 15-minute rant.

Now I am even more curious, but I just get the short version here through you.

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Huh. So apparently on Spotify if you scroll the progress bar to the end of a song, it saves you a skip.

If you can live with yourself…

I wouldn't HAVE to use up all my skips were it not for Bittersweet Symphony.

 

[Ilov80s]

I guess I won't bother with my Radiohead top 31 countdown.

Or that means it’s very much needed

I guess I am curious why people left them off. If it's musicial style, then maybe a countdown or mix of their songs might get people interested. If it's because they hate Thom's voice, well then my songs will matter not.

Probably age demographics as someone pointed out.

 

[titusbramble]

I thought Radiohead would be higher.

Patience

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Why does he hate them?

Not enough angry bass?

I don't actually know. I'm afraid to ask, lest I get a 15-minute rant.

FIZZY!
FIZZY!

 

[KarmaPolice]

Huh. So apparently on Spotify if you scroll the progress bar to the end of a song, it saves you a skip.

If you can live with yourself…

I wouldn't HAVE to use up all my skips were it not for Bittersweet Symphony.

Yeah, I guess I wasn't expecting 90% of the 90s output for this draft to be that song and Zombie.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I didn’t have Radiohead on my list because they weren’t top of mind. And they haven’t been for a while. In Rainbows and its successors don’t interest me as much as their earlier stuff.

But I did put Knives Out in my last 5 out. I took it in the Desert Island Draft I did on another board a while ago.

 

[KarmaPolice]

I thought Radiohead would be higher.

Patience

Not eligible.