Getcha passports ready - the middle-aged dummies are going to the British Isles! Top 31 song countdown. (2 Viewers)

[jwb]

You know, I feel I’m doing Into the Mystic a disservice calling it a whiskey song. It gorgeous. It poetry and possibly VM’s greatest song. It makes you contemplate life and love. It’s a perfect song.

It's almost the perfect the song. Good for Sunday morning drinking coffee and making breakfast. Good for drinking beers around a fire a night. Good for speeding down the highway in the summer with the windows down.

I think I have a lot of Van Morrison blind spots and this exercise may open them up, but until that happens there is only one song in my library. That one song also happens to be on at least a half dozen playlists. Like you said, it's beautiful and versatile. Now that we're talking about it my leaving this one off was a mistake.

Van has lots of top-shelf stuff and I expect him to appear more and more once we hit the top 15 or so.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

New-to-me favorites from #21:

Stockholm Syndrome -- Muse (KarmaPolice). As I said before, this is basically aggro Radiohead.
Tony Adams -- Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros (Eephus). As someone else said before, there's a direct line between Sandinista and this -- it's tighter than most of the stuff on that record, though.
Needle Through the Camel's Eye -- Brian Eno (OH). Not surprisingly sounds a bit like Roxy Music.
Uncertain Smile -- The The (Mister CIA). Nice groove. Really takes off in the second half with the piano solo.

 

[Ilov80s]

Before the new round, one last nod to my previous pick

… It's so easy to laugh
It's so easy to hate
It takes guts to be gentle and kind

good lyrics.

 

[krista4]

Running a bit late. Should have picks up within 30 minutes.

 

[krista4]

Twelve-Point Selections:


Pip’s Invitation:

Showdown - Electric Light Orchestra
(new song)


New Binky the Doormat:

Paper Sun - Traffic
(new song)


worrierking:

Shoot Out The Lights - Richard and Linda Thompson
(new artist)


titusbramble:

Local Boy In The Photograph – Stereophonics
(new artist)


simey:

The Ghost In You - The Psychedelic Furs
(duplicate - second vote)


Just Win Baby:

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
(duplicate - second vote)


Don Quixote:

Gloria - Them
(duplicate - second vote)


MAC_32:

Side - Travis
(new song)


timschochet:

And Your Bird Can Sing - The Beatles
(new song)


Yankee23Fan:

Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard
(duplicate - second vote)


Hawks64:

Gettin’ Tighter – Deep Purple
(new song)


jwb:

Evil Woman – Electric Light Orchestra
(duplicate - second vote)


DrIanMalcolm:

Son Of A Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
(duplicate – fourth vote)


Dr. Octopus:

Spanish Bombs - The Clash
(new song)


KarmaPolice:

Sultans Of Swing - Dire Straits
(new song)


shuke:

Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve
(duplicate - sixth vote)


Manster:

Zombie - The Cranberries
(duplicate - third vote)


scorchy:

War Pigs - Black Sabbath
(duplicate - third vote)


Sullie:

You Really Got Me - The Kinks
(new song)


Andy Dufresne:

True - Spandau Ballet
(duplicate - second vote)


Mister CIA:

Homicide - 999
(new artist)


Mrs. Rannous:

Total Eclipse Of The Heart - Bonnie Tyler
(new song)


higgins:

Imagine - John Lennon
(duplicate - second vote)


The Dreaded Marco:

Born Slippy – Underworld
(new artist)


simsarge:

Hysteria - Def Leppard
(duplicate - second vote)


Mt. Man:

Veronica - Elvis Costello
(new song)


landrys hat:

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - Elton John
(new song)

@falguy , I'm counting this version as a different song)


Westerberg:

The House Of The Rising Sun - The Animals
(new artist)


Eephus:

Crank Resolutions - Meursault
(new artist)


rockaction:

Elektrobank - The Chemical Brothers
(new artist)


falguy:

Eye In The Sky - The Alan Parsons Project
(duplicate - second vote)


Hov34:

My Finest Hour - The Sundays
(new song)


zamboni:

Care Of Cell 44 - The Zombies
(new song)


Doug B:

The Real Me - The Who
(new song)


Ilov80s:

Watching The Detectives - Elvis Costello
(new song)


Val Rannous:

Time Of The Season - The Zombies
(duplicate - second vote)


Chaos34:

So Alive - Love and Rockets
(new artist)


Chaz McNulty:

Let Her Go – Passenger
(new artist)


Zegras11:

Two Of Us - The Beatles
(new song)


AAABatteries:

Baby Blue - Badfinger
(new song)


Oliver Humanzee:

Substitute - The Who
(new song)


Mrs. Eephus:

She Said - Plan B
(new artist)


ditkaburgers:

Little Willy - Sweet
(new song)


cosjobs:

Is She Really Going Out With Him? – Joe Jackson
(duplicate - third vote)


krista4:

A Whiter Shade Of Pale – Procol Harum
(new song)

 

[falguy]

@falguy , I'm counting this version as a different song)

thank you. I will as well

 

[Mister CIA]

I'll bet we see a lot more of Whiter Shade of Pale.

 

[titusbramble]

Could have sworn I saw Total Eclipse of the Heart on an earlier day. Maybe I'm confusing it with a last five out list or other discussion

Cool to see more unused Clash songs

 

[timschochet]

Love Spanish Bombs

 

[Andy Dufresne]

Veronica is the one Costello song I do like.

The Real Me is a great display of Entwistle's talent.

Several other good songs. One of them that is not is Pour Some Sugar On Me.

 

[krista4]

Could have sworn I saw Total Eclipse of the Heart on an earlier day. Maybe I'm confusing it with a last five out list or other discussion

Cool to see more unused Clash songs

We did see a different Bonnie Tyler song yesterday. The Rannouses have cornered the market on her.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Could have sworn I saw Total Eclipse of the Heart on an earlier day. Maybe I'm confusing it with a last five out list or other discussion

Cool to see more unused Clash songs

One of Bonnie's other hits, Holding Out for a Hero, was chosen yesterday.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Could have sworn I saw Total Eclipse of the Heart on an earlier day. Maybe I'm confusing it with a last five out list or other discussion

Cool to see more unused Clash songs

We did see a different Bonnie Tyler song yesterday. The Rannouses have cornered the market on her.

And Jim Steinman compositions in general.

 

[krista4]

I'll bet we see a lot more of Whiter Shade of Pale.

I was shocked when I realized that mine was the first selection of it. This song belongs to me now!!!

I have no personal memory to share about this song. I just dig it.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

ditkaburgers:

Little Willy - Sweet

Didn't see this one coming. I'm really interested in her take on it.

 

[Mister CIA]

I'll bet we see a lot more of Whiter Shade of Pale.

I was shocked when I realized that mine was the first selection of it. It's my song now!!!

I have no personal memory to share about this song. I just dig it.

I do like to argue that it is the greatest prog rock song of all time.

 

[landrys hat]

I should've had a Sundays song on my list.

 

[titusbramble]

Could have sworn I saw Total Eclipse of the Heart on an earlier day. Maybe I'm confusing it with a last five out list or other discussion

Cool to see more unused Clash songs

We did see a different Bonnie Tyler song yesterday. The Rannouses have cornered the market on her.

Yeah, the alternative is that I don't remember correctly and the influence of intoxicating beverages had something to do with it

I could never pick the original of today's though. When I'm not wasting time watching sports, I occasionally speed run old Grand Theft Auto games, and a cover of TEOTH is on one of the custom radio stations of a "hard mode" mod, which is beautifully described in YouTube comments as what bad karaoke should sound like. Singer is Dutch so sadly ineligible

 

[krista4]

Yesterday was crazy-busy for me, so I didn't type anything about my selection of "Tempted." Always loved this song, but it might not have made my list, except that it is a song that both my brother and I loved at the time. We don't have much in common, so I wanted to give a little love to him with the pick.

 

[krista4]

We were a wee bit drunk here last night, too. Around midnight OH made a grilled cheese, using a Stouffer's mac-and-cheese as the "cheese."

Spoiler

It was delicious.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

The Dirty Dozen, starring Lee Marvin, Ernest Borgnine, Charlie Bronson, Jim Brown, Trini Lopez, and this soundtrack:

Paper Sun
Sultans Of Swing
Total Eclipse Of The Heart
The Real Me
Time Of The Season
Two Of Us
Substitute

 

[zamboni]

Big fan of Total Eclipse of the Heart.

The literal video makes it that much better.

 

[simey]

We were a wee bit drunk here last night, too. Around midnight OH made a grilled cheese, using a Stouffer's mac-and-cheese as the "cheese."

Spoiler

It was delicious.

Do you ever eat a grilled cheese with pickles on it? It's really good.

 

[simey]

I was shocked when I realized that mine was the first selection of it. This song belongs to me now!!!

We'll see about that.

 

[krista4]

It's pretty funny that the following Tweet went viral on the same day as The The was selected.

APStylebook
@APStylebook
·
9h

We recommend avoiding general and often dehumanizing “the” labels such as the poor, the mentally ill, the French, the disabled, the college-educated. Instead, use wording such as people with mental illnesses. And use these descriptions only when clearly relevant.

Do we have to update our lists to krista? I did take The Kinks today. I have a few more The bands coming up.

Oh please god no.

 

[krista4]

Dr. Octopus:

Waterloo Sunset - The Kinks
(new song)

I’d say I’m surprised no one has listed this song - but then I realize that the Kinks have so many great songs and this song is so great some one else may have it even higher.
While I wouldn’t say this is a happy song - it makes me so happy when I hear it.

It's my second-favorite Kinks song for the same reason that it just makes me happy. Before I decided to limit to one per artist, this was in my 31.

 

[krista4]

You know, I feel I’m doing Into the Mystic a disservice calling it a whiskey song. It gorgeous. It poetry and possibly VM’s greatest song. It makes you contemplate life and love. It’s a perfect song.

It's almost the perfect the song. Good for Sunday morning drinking coffee and making breakfast. Good for drinking beers around a fire a night. Good for speeding down the highway in the summer with the windows down.

I think I have a lot of Van Morrison blind spots and this exercise may open them up, but until that happens there is only one song in my library. That one song also happens to be on at least a half dozen playlists. Like you said, it's beautiful and versatile. Now that we're talking about it my leaving this one off was a mistake.

Never too late to make a change!

 

[Hawks64]

Twelve-Point Selections:


Pip’s Invitation:

Showdown - Electric Light Orchestra
(new song)


New Binky the Doormat:

Paper Sun - Traffic
(new song)


worrierking:

Shoot Out The Lights - Richard and Linda Thompson
(new artist)


titusbramble:

Local Boy In The Photograph – Stereophonics
(new artist)


simey:

The Ghost In You - The Psychedelic Furs
(duplicate - second vote)


Just Win Baby:

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
(duplicate - second vote)


Don Quixote:

Gloria - Them
(duplicate - second vote)


MAC_32:

Side - Travis
(new song)


timschochet:

And Your Bird Can Sing - The Beatles
(new song)


Yankee23Fan:

Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard
(duplicate - second vote)


Hawks64:

Gettin’ Tighter – Deep Purple
(new song)


jwb:

Evil Woman – Electric Light Orchestra
(duplicate - second vote)


DrIanMalcolm:

Son Of A Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
(duplicate – fourth vote)


Dr. Octopus:

Spanish Bombs - The Clash
(new song)


KarmaPolice:

Sultans Of Swing - Dire Straits
(new song)


shuke:

Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve
(duplicate - sixth vote)


Manster:

Zombie - The Cranberries
(duplicate - third vote)


scorchy:

War Pigs - Black Sabbath
(duplicate - third vote)


Sullie:

You Really Got Me - The Kinks
(new song)


Andy Dufresne:

True - Spandau Ballet
(duplicate - second vote)


Mister CIA:

Homicide - 999
(new artist)


Mrs. Rannous:

Total Eclipse Of The Heart - Bonnie Tyler
(new song)


higgins:

Imagine - John Lennon
(duplicate - second vote)


The Dreaded Marco:

Born Slippy – Underworld
(new artist)


simsarge:

Hysteria - Def Leppard
(duplicate - second vote)


Mt. Man:

Veronica - Elvis Costello
(new song)


landrys hat:

Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me - Elton John
(new song)

@falguy , I'm counting this version as a different song)


Westerberg:

The House Of The Rising Sun - The Animals
(new artist)


Eephus:

Crank Resolutions - Meursault
(new artist)


rockaction:

Elektrobank - The Chemical Brothers
(new artist)


falguy:

Eye In The Sky - The Alan Parsons Project
(duplicate - second vote)


Hov34:

My Finest Hour - The Sundays
(new song)


zamboni:

Care Of Cell 44 - The Zombies
(new song)


Doug B:

The Real Me - The Who
(new song)


Ilov80s:

Watching The Detectives - Elvis Costello
(new song)


Val Rannous:

Time Of The Season - The Zombies
(duplicate - second vote)


Chaos34:

So Alive - Love and Rockets
(new artist)


Chaz McNulty:

Let Her Go – Passenger
(new artist)


Zegras11:

Two Of Us - The Beatles
(new song)


AAABatteries:

Baby Blue - Badfinger
(new song)


Oliver Humanzee:

Substitute - The Who
(new song)


Mrs. Eephus:

She Said - Plan B
(new artist)


ditkaburgers:

Little Willy - Sweet
(new song)


cosjobs:

Is She Really Going Out With Him? – Joe Jackson
(duplicate - third vote)


krista4:

A Whiter Shade Of Pale – Procol Harum
(new song)

The #20s worth a dozen playlist.

 

[jwb]

DrIanMalcolm:

Son Of A Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
(duplicate – fourth vote)

Only the fourth time, huh? For some reason it feels like this song is picked daily.

 

[Hawks64]

I'm really a bit surprised at the number of times we've seen Bitter Sweet Symphony picked, as well as Son of a Preacher Man.

 

[jwb]

Pip’s Invitation:

Showdown - Electric Light Orchestra
(new song)

Fantastic start to the list.

 

[Leroy Hoard]

DrIanMalcolm:

Son Of A Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
(duplicate – fourth vote)

Only the fourth time, huh? For some reason it feels like this song is picked daily.

Always sweet talking son of the preacher man.

 

[krista4]

We were a wee bit drunk here last night, too. Around midnight OH made a grilled cheese, using a Stouffer's mac-and-cheese as the "cheese."

Spoiler

It was delicious.

Do you ever eat a grilled cheese with pickles on it? It's really good.

I've had this at a restaurant and don't know why I don't do this at home. Thanks for the reminder.

 

[krista4]

I'm really a bit surprised at the number of times we've seen Bitter Sweet Symphony picked, as well as Son of a Preacher Man.

The people who chose these for the Ace Award knew what they were doing...halfway.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Pip’s Invitation:

Showdown - Electric Light Orchestra
(new song)

IMO this is Jeff Lynne's best fusion of classical and rock, in the wake of the Beatles. (ELO's career makes the most sense if you realize that Lynne's goal was to recreate I Am the Walrus in different ways.) The strings are key to the melody and structure of the song, but the beat never takes a back seat, and Lynne's guitar solo, brief as it is, may be his best. I am also fascinated by the sense of vague apocalyptic dread that the song conveys.

I was first introduced to the song by the video of a live version from 1978 that got played on MTV in its early years. It's faster than the studio version.

 

[krista4]

My special shout-out today goes to @Chaos34 and "So Alive" by Love and Rockets, though I'm a little afraid to give Chaos the special shout-out since last time I did, he came in and dissed his own song. This song still sounds fresh to me, and I love it as much today as I did when it was out.

Another shout-out to the selection of "Veronica" as I love the Spike album and didn't expect it to get a selection (plus it's another backdoor vote for Paul McCartney). Love the other Costello today, too, as well as the Badfinger and Beatles songs, obviously. Happy to see Richard and Linda Thompson show up for some love, too. They were very close to making my list, and Richard unofficially did make it.

 

[Chaz McNulty]

I'm really a bit surprised at the number of times we've seen Bitter Sweet Symphony picked, as well as Son of a Preacher Man.

What can you say? Mick and Keith wrote a great tune.

 

[Mister CIA]

We were a wee bit drunk here last night, too. Around midnight OH made a grilled cheese, using a Stouffer's mac-and-cheese as the "cheese."

Spoiler

It was delicious.

I like to coat the outside of my grill cheese with shredded cheese.

 

[falguy]

Spreadsheet updated. Please let me know if you see anything that looks incorrect.

I may try to add some new tabs for other useless stats if I have time this afternoon or weekend.

 

[Don Quixote]

We were a wee bit drunk here last night, too. Around midnight OH made a grilled cheese, using a Stouffer's mac-and-cheese as the "cheese."

Spoiler

It was delicious.

Do you ever eat a grilled cheese with pickles on it? It's really good.

On the grilled cheese talk, I put some chopped Hatch green chiles in one the other day — good to add a bit of a kick to it.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

New Binky the Doormat:

Paper Sun - Traffic
(new song)

Arguably the best use of sitar in pop music. Also a great kickoff to the American version of Mr. Fantasy, which I find much better than the British version. Adds Paper Sun, Hole in My Shoe and Smiling Phases, deletes two mediocre songs, and presents a more coherent running order.

worrierking:

Shoot Out The Lights - Richard and Linda Thompson
(new artist)

Obviously I'm partial to this because Bob Mould covered it. Odd that this is credited to Richard and Linda because I don't hear Linda anywhere. The whole album's about their divorce, so presumably they interacted as little as possible while making it.

Just Win Baby:

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison
(duplicate - second vote)

There are some songs that are so overplayed but I don't care because they are just that great/offer something new with every listen. This isn't one of those. I don't care if I ever hear it again. Sorry, guys.

timschochet:

And Your Bird Can Sing - The Beatles
(new song)

I ranked this #22 in the Zegras/Krista Beatles countdown extravaganza.

Zegras11:

Two Of Us - The Beatles
(new song)

I ranked this one #35.

Yankee23Fan:

Pour Some Sugar On Me - Def Leppard
(duplicate - second vote)

Thanks for the offer, but I'm too far into middle age for the strip club.

jwb:

Evil Woman – Electric Light Orchestra
(duplicate - second vote)

The Evil and Sweet Talkin' women are my #2 and #3 ELO.

Dr. Octopus:

Spanish Bombs - The Clash
(new song)

Span-eeesh BOMBS in An-DA-lu-SEE-a is a fun thing to bellow when you're drunk. You should try it sometime.

Doug B:

The Real Me - The Who
(new song)

John Entwhistle puts on an absolute CLINIC on bass.

shuke:

Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve
(duplicate - sixth vote)

Is EVERYONE going to draft this?

krista4:

A Whiter Shade Of Pale – Procol Harum
(new song)

I dunno if this would have made the cut for me, but it was a mistake not to even consider it.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Pip’s Invitation:

Showdown - Electric Light Orchestra
(new song)

IMO this is Jeff Lynne's best fusion of classical and rock, in the wake of the Beatles. (ELO's career makes the most sense if you realize that Lynne's goal was to recreate I Am the Walrus in different ways.) The strings are key to the melody and structure of the song, but the beat never takes a back seat, and Lynne's guitar solo, brief as it is, may be his best. I am also fascinated by the sense of vague apocalyptic dread that the song conveys.

I was first introduced to the song by the video of a live version from 1978 that got played on MTV in its early years. It's faster than the studio version.

Abbey Road, too

 

[worrierking]

worrierking:

Shoot Out The Lights - Richard and Linda Thompson
(new artist)
Obviously I'm partial to this because Bob Mould covered it. Odd that this is credited to Richard and Linda because I don't hear Linda anywhere. The whole album's about their divorce, so presumably they interacted as little as possible while making it.

The whole album is phenomenal and I could have picked at least a couple of other songs from it. Yes, Linda did not appear on three or four songs on the album, but the ones she sings are amazing.

 

[Yankee23Fan]

I'm really a bit surprised at the number of times we've seen Bitter Sweet Symphony picked, as well as Son of a Preacher Man.

Me too

 

[zamboni]

I'm really a bit surprised at the number of times we've seen Bitter Sweet Symphony picked,

You’ve got a lot of verve.

 

[Tau837]

My top 10 from the 12 point round, excluding my own selection:

1. @KarmaPolice : Sultans Of Swing - Dire Straits
2. @Sullie : You Really Got Me - The Kinks
3. @shuke : Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve
4. @Chaos34 : So Alive - Love and Rockets
5. @simsarge : Hysteria - Def Leppard
6. @falguy : Eye In The Sky - The Alan Parsons Project
7. @Mrs. Rannous : Total Eclipse Of The Heart - Bonnie Tyler
8. @Westerberg : The House Of The Rising Sun - The Animals
9. @Pip's Invitation : Showdown - Electric Light Orchestra
10. @Val Rannous : Time Of The Season - The Zombies

This round wasn't as strong for my taste as other recent rounds. I did really appreciate the inclusion of So Alive, though. Couldn't fit it into my ranking, but big fan of that song, which reminds me of good times in college.

 

[Tau837]

Just Win Baby:

Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

Easy explanation for why this song will always be meaningful to me -- my wife has beautiful brown eyes, and this song has been on our playlist for 32 years and counting.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

Could have sworn I saw Total Eclipse of the Heart on an earlier day. Maybe I'm confusing it with a last five out list or other discussion

Cool to see more unused Clash songs

I think each of the Rannouses took it.
They’re a voting block.

 

[Don Quixote]

Don Quixote:

Gloria - Them
(duplicate - second vote)

I don’t think I’ve heard the version of this song included in the Spotify playlist — it looks like that is the original B side single; I was just familiar with album version. Fine enough, but I do prefer the album version with things kicked up a notch.

I probably could have gone a dozen different ways with a Them / Van Morrison pick. Some days I just feel like screaming Gloria.

 

[Eephus]

I'll bet we see a lot more of Whiter Shade of Pale.

I was shocked when I realized that mine was the first selection of it. This song belongs to me now!!!

I have no personal memory to share about this song. I just dig it.

Scorsese made great use of it in New York Stories/Life Lessons.