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Middle-aged Dummies are back and bursting at the "themes" to get going! Full theme ahead! (9 Viewers)

MADs adjacent article that I'm posting here rather than digging up the round where @kupcho1 did the Clash.

It's a "quantitative" ranking of all the songs on Sandinista! where the author polled 35 of his friends and compiled their rankings. The methodology assured the chalkier songs rose to the top but that doesn't matter as much as the writer's 21,000 words about all aspects of this fascinating and often puzzling album.

Man do I want that poster.

Great article. Their top 3 matched up with mine exactly; clearly they did something right.
 
These last few rounds had the most “known to me songs” than during any other incarnations (perhaps it’s recency bias) that I can remember.
I feel like I’ve known 80% + and know the areas where I’ll find some new to me songs: umlauts, afrobeat, boy/girl, surf…and a few other slots.
 
"Just Like Heaven" is a song by British alternative rock band the Cure. The group wrote most of the song during recording sessions in southern France in 1987. The lyrics were written by their frontman Robert Smith, who drew inspiration from a past trip to the sea shore with his future wife. Smith's memories of the trip formed the basis for the song's accompanying music video. Before Smith had completed the lyrics, an instrumental version of the song was used as the theme for the French television show Les Enfants du Rock.

"Just Like Heaven" was the third single released from their 1987 album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. The song became the Cure's first American hit and reached number 40 on the Billboard charts in 1988. It has been praised by critics and covered by artists such as Dinosaur Jr. and Katie Melua. Smith has said he considers "Just Like Heaven" to be one of the band's strongest songs.





Whether it was a club back then or a current day supermarket, Just Like Heaven is still one of my favorite songs.
 
El Floppo – Mallet Rock

I Will Follow - U2
#3

this was the first U2 song I ever heard, and might still be my favorite. (from Boy, 1980)

glockenspiel is used here, credited to The Edge, and works as an accompanying element to the melody off of Edges guitar. it's interesting to hear it more percussively as well, when it's not used melodically... matching the hammering guitar in a way. there are songs where the mallets are used like this where I can imagine the song without- that it's just there for how Bono describes below (and I love that description, btw... definitely how the instrument is used in a lot of songs)- but I can't imagine Follow without it.

"The song features a glockenspiel to provide what Bono called "underlying instrumental colouring"; it was added at his suggestion, and was played during the Boy recording sessions by him and the Edge"
The glockenspiel almost ruins the song for me.
In my U2 countdown where Krista had it #1 and 2 others did as well, I had it at #27 and considered rating it even lower.
I was used to the live versions where the glockenspiel isnt evident or not used. Its a top 10 U2 song like that
Then I gave Boy a good seeing to. Hang on that sounds bad.
I listened to Boy a lot.
But i had to skip that stupid out of rhythm banging on the glockenspiel.
Who rhymes something to a guitar? Stupid teenage boys, thats who. Like U2
But yeah, a great song (Live) or minus the mallet
"Just Like Heaven" is a song by British alternative rock band the Cure. The group wrote most of the song during recording sessions in southern France in 1987. The lyrics were written by their frontman Robert Smith, who drew inspiration from a past trip to the sea shore with his future wife. Smith's memories of the trip formed the basis for the song's accompanying music video. Before Smith had completed the lyrics, an instrumental version of the song was used as the theme for the French television show Les Enfants du Rock.

"Just Like Heaven" was the third single released from their 1987 album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me. The song became the Cure's first American hit and reached number 40 on the Billboard charts in 1988. It has been praised by critics and covered by artists such as Dinosaur Jr. and Katie Melua. Smith has said he considers "Just Like Heaven" to be one of the band's strongest songs.





Im on record as saying this is one of three songs that will be buried with me. Cranberries - Dreams and OMD - Maid or Orleans (Waltz Joan of Arc) are the other 2.
Just Like Heaven floated down from another dimension in music form. Simply beautiful.

My last two songs I doubt would be in anyone's top 2
Your list is magnificent, so maybe me.
 
I forget where I stopped listing songs, but I’ve been enjoying each list. I think it was the 12s.

11s and 10s that stood out to me:

kupcho1 – rain

Rainy Day Women #12 and 35 - Bob Dylan
Classic

Yo Mama – World’s Worst Superheroes

Piano Man - Billy Joel
A Top 3 Billy song

Pip’s Invitation – songs from albums produced and/or engineered by Todd Rundgren

Love My Way - The Psychedelic Furs

jwb – songs that sound great on a decent 2-channel system

Eminence Front – The Who
I forgot about this one. ☝️
scorchy – songs by Manchester(-ish) artists

The Promise - When In Rome
Was This on every mixed tape our generation made for girls we liked?

Charlie Steiner – songs from Mad Men

Reach Out Of The Darkness - Friend and Lover
New to me, 👍
Yambag – Metal songs from 1988-1992 that became the gateway into the world of music for a young Yambag

No More Tears - Ozzy Osbourne
Everyone loves OZzy!

Mrs. Rannous – umlauts

From Paris To Berlin – Infërnal
New 👍

Mt. Man – Number, Please

30 Days In The Hole - Humble Pie
Not new, classic

haos34 - Post Surf Rock Surf Rockish (80s fwd)

Black Memories - The Growlers

Another new!

Anonymous Mystery Theme Dictator - ???

Ray of Light - Madonna
I don’t like most of her stuff but this one is good.

MAC_32 – Songs to play during (and after) a funeral

The Dance - Garth Brooks

Possibly the biggest country song ever. Definitely one of his best.
 
OK, the five I haven't yet gotten around to:
Mt. Man – Number, Please

9 to 5 - Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton is not typically something I'd choose to listen to, but 9-5 is an exception. It is such a great song. And who knew (at time of release) that Dolly could act? Fantastic song for a movie. The movie isn't too bad either.

:thumbup:

scorchy – songs by Manchester(-ish) artists

Slide Away – Oasis
As I've stated previously, the 90s were mostly a miss for me musically, what with being newly married, young kids, etc. But I was at least aware of Oasis and their big hits. But I never got into the deep cuts (if you can call a song with 94 million + listens a deep cut). I like it and need to explore more of their catalog.

You've done a great job on Manchester (a city I've visited on business a number of times and enjoyed immensely).
Well done.

Ilov80s - One song from each of the 31 best albums of 1984

Take Me to the River (Live) - Talking Heads
It wouldn't even have occured to me to pull from a live album if I were putting together a best albums of 1984 list. But if you've been following the MAD countdowns, you know I'm a big Talking Heads fan from way back. Great choice.

John Maddens Lunchbox – Batman

Something in the Way (Spotify) – Nirvana
I was initially surprised by this choice of Nirvana song (not that I'm familiar with it and why would I be given it only has 1/2 a billion listens) but saw it falls into the Batman category. I haven't seen a writeup yet, so don't know the connection. Anyway, I like it.

I'd address more stuff from the 90s if they'd just quit releasing new music for a couple of years so I can catch up. I really shouldn't have (mostly) taken that decade off.

Mister CIA – Texas Places in Song Titles

LaGrange - ZZ Top
I had absolutely no idea La Grange was a real live place in Texas. Now I didn't sleep through the 70s and loved this song as a lad; guitar work and drums are top notch. Top notch I say!.
That's why it was my selection for ZZ Top on 1973 - The gangster of love.

I think that's everybody. Let me know if I missed a theme. I've enjoyed doing the theme countdown. This list has been stellar.

But I've got to give a special shout out to
Zegras11 – New wave

Just like Heaven - The Cure
I think we can all point to a year where we were "at the height of our powers." For me, that was 1987. Hearing Just Like Heaven takes me back to one of the most enjoyable times of my life. This was the linchpin song on a mixtape I made that year that was for me the soundtrack of the period. I've replicated it with 1987 - Spinning on that dizzy edge (gee, wonder where that playlist title came from?) but have probably added 2 additional hours of music as I'm not limited by a 90 minute cassette tape.
 
Raging weasel – name-checking Beatles or their songs

Shooting Star - Bad Company

This one reminded me of another MADs adjacent new release that I didn't mention last Thursday night. Lola Kirke, daughter of Bad Company drummer Simon Kirke, has a new album with a likeable country-rock vibe. She has a pleasant voice that's reminiscent of Jenny Lewis' if that signifies for you.

She's more convincing as a singer/songwriter than she was an orchestra conductor but I'm a big fan and suspect I was the high voter for Mozart in the Jungle in the TV poll (#26). She was OK in that but Gael Garcia Bernal's conductor was a great character that deserves a sitcom with Lydia Tar.

 
#, Please # 3
Song: 9 to 5
Artist: Dolly Parton
Year: 1980


(Official Music Video) Dolly Parton - 9 To 5
(Live version) Dolly Parton - 9 To 5 (Live @ 53rd Academy Awards, Oscars 1981)

4 Lines:
But you've got dreams he'll never take away
In the same boat with a lot of your friends
Waitin' for the day your ship'll come in
And the tide's gonna turn an' it's all gonna roll your way


Number Theory:


I’ll assume that I don’t really have to explain the idea of “9 to 5” jobs out. Mind you, I’m one of those people that never had one of them. Shifts of 10pm-6am, 3pm-11 and more recently 11pm-7 have been equally if not more common.

Still, this song (and move) does take some inspiration from the organization also titled 9to5. It was formed in 1973 to promote fair pay and equal treatment for women in the workplace. Partially because of that, it’s become something of a feminine anthem

That aside, who can’t relate to this song? To the idea of trying to scrounge up the motivation to go to a tough job where you feel like things are stacked against you. Mind you, that’s not my current job, though there are still days where the sentiment of this song really feels true.

Significant Digits:
Off album#: n/a
Track #: Released as a SIngle
Charted #1 in U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and on Canada Top Singles.

Artist crossover with other playlists: 32
(Known: 30) Up to 1 full crossover!


Next on the countdown, we get closer to the end, by a matter of degrees.
 
I think we can all point to a year where we were "at the height of our powers."

1997-8. Heights heretofore unknown by man (or woman) were reached. It was a pinnacle and a zenith if the two can be combined. Wagner and the Beach Boys on the stereo and the neighbors (and once or twice the police) knocking on the door to wonder how stoned or stupid you had to be to have been listening to music so loudly at this godforsaken hour.

Cue the track, I'm going back.
 

Batman​

3 - Nirvana - Something in the Way​


The Batman Trailer - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mqqft2x_Aa4&pp=ygUSVGhlIGJhdG1hbiB0cmFpbGVy
Another Trailer - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-FZ-pPFAjYY&pp=ygUSVGhlIGJhdG1hbiB0cmFpbGVy

Relevant Lyric - Underneath the bridge, tarp has sprung a leak
And the animals I've trapped have all become my pets
And I'm living off of grass, and the drippings from my ceiling
It's okay to eat fish 'cause they don't have any feelings

Batman Vibe Score - 8/10 - Not until you seen how successfully this was used to market the vibe for this Batman movie, will you understand.

Where to Find - Nirvana - Nevermind. Despite launching the trailer and dominating prepublicity, this did not land on the score for The Batman.

Quick Hit Comment - Check out the mood pieces in the links.

From wiki
Never released as a single and never a consistent part of the band's live setlist, "Something in the Way" charted for the first time in August 2020, after appearing in the first trailer for the 2022 superhero film, The Batman. The song peaked at number two on Billboard's US Rock Digital Songs Sales chart, and number five on their US Alternative Digital Songs Sales charts. It also reached the top 20 in both Amazon Music's and iTunes' digital music charts.

On the week of March 26, 2022, the song entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 46, becoming the band's fifth entry on the chart and first since "You Know You're Right" in 2002. It also made the Top 40in Australia, Canada, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Lithuania, New Zealand, Wales and on the BillboardGlobal 200.

Next Up - Only two left, what will we see next?
 

Songs in D Minor​

3 - Derek and the Dominos - Layla​


Lyric - I tried to give you consolation
When your old man had let you down
Like a fool, I fell in love with you
You turned my whole world upside down

Source - https://www.hooktheory.com/theorytab/view/derek-and-the-dominos/layla
https://www.guitarmusictheory.com/a-lengthy-look-at-layla-and-modal-mixture-madness/

Sadness Quotient - 4/11

Comment - Clapton has his detractors in this forum and elsewhere. While i can usually separate an artist from his private life, he makes it harder than usual. This song however, an all time classic. The coda is magnificent.

Next Up - Probably my true number one song. An anthem for the ages.
 
Afrobeat

Atwer Abroba (Spotify) - Ebo Taylor (Ghana)
Ebo Taylor’s third appearance in my 31, and also the last of many trips to Ghana in my 31. Other ones that I’ve shared from Ebo Taylor could have been higher, but was spreading these out. If it’s not clear by now, I do love the Highlife/Afrobeat sounds of Ebo Taylor.

This one just has a mix of everything that I like about Ebo Taylor’s music: the horns, the bass, the guitar, the percussion, the synth. All just play off each other and seem to have their moment in this song.
 
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krista4 – Chicagoland

I Hate Chicago – Laura Jane Grace & the Devouring Mothers

Artist connection to Chicago (1-5 scale): 4 - Born in Florida as Thomas James Gabel and the leader of the band Against Me! She's now lived in Chicago for more than a dozen years and seems firmly entrenched here. Her solo works have been released on Chicago's Bloodshot Records label.
Song connection to Chicago (1-10 scale): 10 - Let's get this out of the way: she doesn't hate Chicago. She's stated in interviews that the song is meant in jest, "written in traffic, which is all the time in Chicago, as stress relief," and as evidenced in the lyrics it's a dig at her ex-wife who lived here. She feels the same way about Chicago as Chicagoans do (which is part of the reason I consider her a real Chicagoan now), which is a love for the city despite knowing its many faults. Maybe because of its many faults. It's her ode those faults, and her acknowledgement that we're sometimes at odds with the city but choose to live here. As the review of this album in the Chicago Tribune stated, "Take it or leave it, faults and all, is very much a Chicago attitude." Grace absolutely nailed it here, hilariously.

The bold is my favorite:

I hate the city of Chicago
Man, this place feels like nowhere
And the traffic makes getting nowhere take that much longer
I hate the Cubs, the Sox, the Blackhawks and the Bulls

I couldn't give a **** about the (Smashing) Pumpkins, Slint or Wilco
Learn to make a pizza you ****ing jack-offs
Say hello back when someone says hello, you *******

I hate O'Hare, I hate Midway, I can't stand Chicago

Oh, the best part is leaving
Cos maybe one day I'll never come back again
And If I die in this ****hole
Float my corpse down the Calumet
Cos I'd rather rot in Gary
Miller Beach may actually be paradise

(Alright. Christ, you caught me
This is actually just another divorce song)
Maybe it's not all of Cook County's fault
But it feels like another dogshit day in Suck City
Jesus Christ, could you ******** at least learn how to drive?

Yeah, **** XRT and **** Lollapalooza
You and all of your self-righteous hipster 'hoods can go to hell
I especially hate Bridgeport cos that's where she lives
For every reason that she loves it, I can't stand Chicago

When I head north on Lake Shore Drive, I fly and I close my eyes
And I reach the magic point
And I run for magic miles
When I head north on Lake Shore Drive, I fly and I close my eyes
And I reach the magic point
And I run for magic miles

Lake Michigan becomes an ocean and I know somewhere beyond it is waiting, just for me
No matter how high you dickheads build it
You'll only ever be in Illinois
And that'll always be way too ****ing close to Missouri!


Total: 14
 
Last edited:
Selections:

31. If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next - Manic Street Preachers

30. Hear The Drummer Get Wicked - Chad Jackson

29. Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band

Alright, alright… the Scrabble score guess got me playing around. Guess is descending Scrabble score based on artist, from 31-1.


Here’s the table with **song title, artist, and artist Scrabble score**:

| Song Title | Artist | Artist Scrabble Score |
|------------|--------|----------------------|
| If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next | Manic Street Preachers | 31 |
| Hear The Drummer Get Wicked | Chad Jackson | 30 |
| Pick Up The Pieces | Average White Band | 29 |
| Virtual Insanity | Jamiroquai | 28 |
| Another Chance | Roger Sanchez | 27 |
| Living On My Own | Freddie Mercury | 26 |
| Sharp Dressed Man | ZZ Top | 25 |
| Better Off Alone | Alice Deejay | 24 |
| Love Is The Drug | Roxy Music | 23 |
| By The Time I Get To Arizona | Public Enemy | 22 |
| I Kissed A Girl | Katy Perry | 21 |
| Goddess On A Hiway | Mercury Rev | 20 |
| Dark Therapy | Echobelly | 19 |
| Run To You | Bryan Adams | 18 |
| Inside You | Anthrax | 17 |
| There's Nothing I Won't Do | JX | 16 |
| You | Bad Religion | 15 |
| Don't Stop Me Now | Queen | 14 |
| Moving | Supergrass | 13 |
| The Time Is Now | Moloko | 12 |
| Ms. Jackson | OutKast | 11 |
| Ray of Light | Madonna | 10 |
| Winter Hill | Doves | 9 |
| Carnival de Paris | Dario G | 8 |
| Seven Days and One Week | B.B.E. | 7 |
| Coffee and Tea | Blur | 6 |
| Losing My Religion | R.E.M. | 5 |
| Word Up | Gun | 4 |
| Chandelier | Sia | 3 |
 
Selections:

31. If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next - Manic Street Preachers

30. Hear The Drummer Get Wicked - Chad Jackson

29. Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band

Alright, alright… the Scrabble score guess got me playing around. Guess is descending Scrabble score based on artist, from 31-1.


Here’s the table with **song title, artist, and artist Scrabble score**:

| Song Title | Artist | Artist Scrabble Score |
|------------|--------|----------------------|
| If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next | Manic Street Preachers | 31 |
| Hear The Drummer Get Wicked | Chad Jackson | 30 |
| Pick Up The Pieces | Average White Band | 29 |
| Virtual Insanity | Jamiroquai | 28 |
| Another Chance | Roger Sanchez | 27 |
| Living On My Own | Freddie Mercury | 26 |
| Sharp Dressed Man | ZZ Top | 25 |
| Better Off Alone | Alice Deejay | 24 |
| Love Is The Drug | Roxy Music | 23 |
| By The Time I Get To Arizona | Public Enemy | 22 |
| I Kissed A Girl | Katy Perry | 21 |
| Goddess On A Hiway | Mercury Rev | 20 |
| Dark Therapy | Echobelly | 19 |
| Run To You | Bryan Adams | 18 |
| Inside You | Anthrax | 17 |
| There's Nothing I Won't Do | JX | 16 |
| You | Bad Religion | 15 |
| Don't Stop Me Now | Queen | 14 |
| Moving | Supergrass | 13 |
| The Time Is Now | Moloko | 12 |
| Ms. Jackson | OutKast | 11 |
| Ray of Light | Madonna | 10 |
| Winter Hill | Doves | 9 |
| Carnival de Paris | Dario G | 8 |
| Seven Days and One Week | B.B.E. | 7 |
| Coffee and Tea | Blur | 6 |
| Losing My Religion | R.E.M. | 5 |
| Word Up | Gun | 4 |
| Chandelier | Sia | 3 |

WE HAVE A WINNER!
 
Now, I will give you until 1 pm CDT in which to guess who the Mystery Theme Dictator was. And if you get that right, I'll add another $100 to the donation.
 
Now, I will give you until 1 pm CDT in which to guess who the Mystery Theme Dictator was. And if you get that right, I'll add another $100 to the donation.

Oh, since you're still in the thread, make that noon CDT. :) I wanted to give time for you to come back if you weren't here, but you are.
 
[geraldfordvoice] Our long national nightmare is over. [/geraldfordvoice]

I really thought someone would get it right away when Mrs. R posted about the Scrabble scores, and I gave the "thinking" reaction and told people to go back and read the posts from that day.
 
Selections:

31. If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next - Manic Street Preachers

30. Hear The Drummer Get Wicked - Chad Jackson

29. Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band

Alright, alright… the Scrabble score guess got me playing around. Guess is descending Scrabble score based on artist, from 31-1.


Here’s the table with **song title, artist, and artist Scrabble score**:

| Song Title | Artist | Artist Scrabble Score |
|------------|--------|----------------------|
| If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next | Manic Street Preachers | 31 |
| Hear The Drummer Get Wicked | Chad Jackson | 30 |
| Pick Up The Pieces | Average White Band | 29 |
| Virtual Insanity | Jamiroquai | 28 |
| Another Chance | Roger Sanchez | 27 |
| Living On My Own | Freddie Mercury | 26 |
| Sharp Dressed Man | ZZ Top | 25 |
| Better Off Alone | Alice Deejay | 24 |
| Love Is The Drug | Roxy Music | 23 |
| By The Time I Get To Arizona | Public Enemy | 22 |
| I Kissed A Girl | Katy Perry | 21 |
| Goddess On A Hiway | Mercury Rev | 20 |
| Dark Therapy | Echobelly | 19 |
| Run To You | Bryan Adams | 18 |
| Inside You | Anthrax | 17 |
| There's Nothing I Won't Do | JX | 16 |
| You | Bad Religion | 15 |
| Don't Stop Me Now | Queen | 14 |
| Moving | Supergrass | 13 |
| The Time Is Now | Moloko | 12 |
| Ms. Jackson | OutKast | 11 |
| Ray of Light | Madonna | 10 |
| Winter Hill | Doves | 9 |
| Carnival de Paris | Dario G | 8 |
| Seven Days and One Week | B.B.E. | 7 |
| Coffee and Tea | Blur | 6 |
| Losing My Religion | R.E.M. | 5 |
| Word Up | Gun | 4 |
| Chandelier | Sia | 3 |

WE HAVE A WINNER!
Congrats and thank you for saving me more time and agony.
 
[geraldfordvoice] Our long national nightmare is over. [/geraldfordvoice]

I really thought someone would get it right away when Mrs. R posted about the Scrabble scores, and I gave the "thinking" reaction and told people to go back and read the posts from that day.
Took me a few days to find time to play around with it and come to something.

As for dictator, maybe Chaos34? Felt like he knew something letting on when talking about using AI to help solve. But maybe not.
 
As for dictator, maybe Chaos34? Felt like he knew something letting on when talking about using AI to help solve. But maybe not.

Plus, he's just cruel enough to do this. ;)

Alas, that's incorrect. Our Anonymous Mystery Theme Dictator was none other than...

🥁🥁🥁

@titusbramble !!

As a thank-you to titus for the effort, I am also donating the same amount (which amount I will have to go look up because I don't remember) to his charity, Tabby Teas.

Please let me know what your charity is. :)
 
As for dictator, maybe Chaos34? Felt like he knew something letting on when talking about using AI to help solve. But maybe not.

Plus, he's just cruel enough to do this. ;)

Alas, that's incorrect. Our Anonymous Mystery Theme Dictator was none other than...

🥁🥁🥁

@titusbramble !!

As a thank-you to titus for the effort, I am also donating the same amount (which amount I will have to go look up because I don't remember) to his charity, Tabby Teas.

Please let me know what your charity is. :)
Think I opted for @bigbottom ‘s Chance for Hope the last time that I won the MAD charity contest. Let’s do it again.
 
Alright, alright… the Scrabble score guess got me playing around. Guess is descending Scrabble score based on artist, from 31-1.


Here’s the table with **song title, artist, and artist Scrabble score**:

Excellent job. I could have played along for another whole year and not have gotten what the heck this was getting at. Scrabble scores? You nerdling gamers.
 
Excellent job. I could have played along for another whole year and not have gotten what the heck this was getting at. Scrabble scores? You nerdling gamers.

I had highlighted a couple of times that this guess from landrys hat was "getting warmer":

"the song/artist contains the letter J, K, Q, V, W, X, Y or Z"

Then on Friday Mrs. R pointed out that all of those letters scored 4 or more points in Scrabble. DQ took that and ran walked slowly with it to today. Team effort!
 
Alright, alright… the Scrabble score guess got me playing around. Guess is descending Scrabble score based on artist, from 31-1.


Here’s the table with **song title, artist, and artist Scrabble score**:

Excellent job. I could have played along for another whole year and not have gotten what the heck this was getting at. Scrabble scores? You nerdling gamers.
Same, although I’d start to wonder when the last artist is R or B.
 
Alright, alright… the Scrabble score guess got me playing around. Guess is descending Scrabble score based on artist, from 31-1.


Here’s the table with **song title, artist, and artist Scrabble score**:

Excellent job. I could have played along for another whole year and not have gotten what the heck this was getting at. Scrabble scores? You nerdling gamers.
Same, although I’d start to wonder when the last artist is R or B.

Yes, I thought tomorrow's two-letter artist and the one-letter #1 artist might give it away at that point.

titus offered to do a Last Five Out if still no one had it after #1, which I thought might also help a bit.
 
I had highlighted a couple of times that this guess from landrys hat was "getting warmer":

"the song/artist contains the letter J, K, Q, V, W, X, Y or Z"

Then on Friday Mrs. R pointed out that all of those letters scored 4 or more points in Scrabble. DQ took that and ran walked slowly with it to today. Team effort!

Yes, you did. I definitely remember thinking, "This is nuts. What on earth is she getting at here?" Then my head would spin if I thought about it. I really thought this was a narrative arc to something, not a very cleverly coded cipher-esque (it's not really a cipher, but I love that word) type of riddle or whatever one would call it correctly.

Now that I know, it's very cool.

Nice job, k4 and titusbramble, and thanks for donating to the charities, k4. That's awesome.
 
All right, there didn't seem to be much interest in a contest, so I won't put the time into it. However...

ANNOUNCE!!!111

We will be having a "mini-contest." An Anonymous Mystery Theme Dictator will be submitting a list based on a theme...but what is the theme?

That will be for you to figure out!

Each time I post a song, you will have the opportunity to guess the theme. One guess per participant per song posted. First person to post the correct theme will win $200 to a charity of their choosing. (Sorry, I'm kinda poor right now.)

Found the amount. $200 to each of the two charities. :)
 
Selections:

31. If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next - Manic Street Preachers

30. Hear The Drummer Get Wicked - Chad Jackson

29. Pick Up The Pieces - Average White Band

Alright, alright… the Scrabble score guess got me playing around. Guess is descending Scrabble score based on artist, from 31-1.


Here’s the table with **song title, artist, and artist Scrabble score**:

| Song Title | Artist | Artist Scrabble Score |
|------------|--------|----------------------|
| If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next | Manic Street Preachers | 31 |
| Hear The Drummer Get Wicked | Chad Jackson | 30 |
| Pick Up The Pieces | Average White Band | 29 |
| Virtual Insanity | Jamiroquai | 28 |
| Another Chance | Roger Sanchez | 27 |
| Living On My Own | Freddie Mercury | 26 |
| Sharp Dressed Man | ZZ Top | 25 |
| Better Off Alone | Alice Deejay | 24 |
| Love Is The Drug | Roxy Music | 23 |
| By The Time I Get To Arizona | Public Enemy | 22 |
| I Kissed A Girl | Katy Perry | 21 |
| Goddess On A Hiway | Mercury Rev | 20 |
| Dark Therapy | Echobelly | 19 |
| Run To You | Bryan Adams | 18 |
| Inside You | Anthrax | 17 |
| There's Nothing I Won't Do | JX | 16 |
| You | Bad Religion | 15 |
| Don't Stop Me Now | Queen | 14 |
| Moving | Supergrass | 13 |
| The Time Is Now | Moloko | 12 |
| Ms. Jackson | OutKast | 11 |
| Ray of Light | Madonna | 10 |
| Winter Hill | Doves | 9 |
| Carnival de Paris | Dario G | 8 |
| Seven Days and One Week | B.B.E. | 7 |
| Coffee and Tea | Blur | 6 |
| Losing My Religion | R.E.M. | 5 |
| Word Up | Gun | 4 |
| Chandelier | Sia | 3 |

WE HAVE A WINNER!
gtfo
 
Alright, alright… the Scrabble score guess got me playing around. Guess is descending Scrabble score based on artist, from 31-1.


Here’s the table with **song title, artist, and artist Scrabble score**:

Excellent job. I could have played along for another whole year and not have gotten what the heck this was getting at. Scrabble scores? You nerdling gamers.
I never would have got this either.
 
Single (Named) Lady #3 - Adele - "To Be Loved" (2021)
Full name: Adele Laurie Blue Adkins

This century is racing by. I still think of Adele as kind of a new artist even though she had her first hit 17 1/2 ago. It's been so long that she appeared on the same episode of SNL as Sarah Palin and her first album was released before Clayton Kershaw's MLB debut. Adele has had a spectacular average almost one Grammy award (16) per year for her career. There have been some outstanding voices in this countdown but I think Adele may be the most talented singer of the bunch. She nails the technical aspects (range, pitch, etc.) but also is exceptionally soulful.

"To Be Loved" is a torch song written the wake of her divorce. Adele balances on an emotional tightrope for almost seven minutes with only minimal piano chords for accompaniment. She has turned in more polished vocals in her career but none with the honesty and vulnerability that's on display here.

The video was made during the pandemic and is just Adele singing the song in her home. It's a live performance to a tape of the original piano part. It's not professionally recorded so there's quite a bit of clipping but it's a magnificent vocal. Other than this version on social media, she's never performed "To Be Loved" live; she says she has to leave the room if she hears it because she gets choked up just thinking about it.
 
I still think of Adele as kind of a new artist even though she had her first hit 17 1/2 ago.

Interesting that you think of her as so contemporary. She's sort of a distant memory for me. I remember listening to her, but really can't remember what the songs were or how they went. I think I used to listen to her back when I was working out in, like, 2011 (I was late to the game with Adele) when I still lived in Connecticut. Anyway, she has a singular voice and you're right about the soulful aspect of her singing. She brings it.
 

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