Tau837
Footballguy
I expect a couple more, but more than that would be a surprise. Too much other great stuff out there, and only 67 songs left.
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The 100 Greatest Songs of 1979 #1 “Comfortably Numb” Pink Floyd (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter timschochet
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Anarchy99
Footballguy
I personally prefer Let's Go, Candy-O, Dangerous Type, It's All I Can Do, and Night Spots more than Double Life . . . which is why I scratched my head wondering why that one was picked over the others.
Tau837
Footballguy
Anarchy99
Footballguy
It's all good. Tim's hot takes are always good for clicks. What fun would it be if there weren't pitches 8 feet of the plate getting called as strikes? We'd have nothing to get riled up over.I pretty much agree, but... it's a @timschochet list, so oddities are to be expected.
timschochet
Footballguy
67. Bette Midler “The Rose” (from The Rose- Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
https://youtu.be/aXXqDWsCzuk
As I remember it (I haven’t seen it in nearly 30 years) The Rose was a somewhat mediocre rock film based loosely on the life and death of Janis Joplin, and it was Midler’s first movie appearance- she would go on to a pretty prolific acting career. The title song was one of her very best, IMO, a nice ballad (especially the harmony parts) more of the Broadway variety (it sounds a bit like “What I Did For Love” from A Chorus Line) and I certainly can’t imagine Janis ever singing it. But I liked it, still do.
https://youtu.be/aXXqDWsCzuk
As I remember it (I haven’t seen it in nearly 30 years) The Rose was a somewhat mediocre rock film based loosely on the life and death of Janis Joplin, and it was Midler’s first movie appearance- she would go on to a pretty prolific acting career. The title song was one of her very best, IMO, a nice ballad (especially the harmony parts) more of the Broadway variety (it sounds a bit like “What I Did For Love” from A Chorus Line) and I certainly can’t imagine Janis ever singing it. But I liked it, still do.
timschochet
Footballguy
66. The B-52’s “Planet Claire” (from The B-52’s)
https://youtu.be/eOjAzI5zALo
Songwriting credits, in addition to the band, also goes to Henry Mancini, whose Peter Gunn theme was unabashedly ripped off.
I wonder what the folks in 1979 thought when this band first presented itself. So different from anything on the radio. And their lyrics are so incredibly silly. I love when, after it is suggested that “some say she’s from Mars...etc”, Fred angrily yells “BUT SHE ISN’T!!” So good.
https://youtu.be/eOjAzI5zALo
Songwriting credits, in addition to the band, also goes to Henry Mancini, whose Peter Gunn theme was unabashedly ripped off.
I wonder what the folks in 1979 thought when this band first presented itself. So different from anything on the radio. And their lyrics are so incredibly silly. I love when, after it is suggested that “some say she’s from Mars...etc”, Fred angrily yells “BUT SHE ISN’T!!” So good.
zamboni
Footballguy
zamboni
Footballguy
Awesome song. Remember hearing this at summer camp in 1979 or 1980 and was blown away like so many others. Like nothing ever heard on the radio before.
woodstock
Footballguy
Mudhoney covered this song on Sub Pop 200's compilation. Sounds interesting to this day.
A friend...
Is someone who knows
The song of your heart
And sings it to you
When you forget the words
Attack!
Mudhoney's grunge cover here
The nicest way of saying that your friend is crazy. The B-52's could only come from Atlanta and that sort of Hotlanta kitsch. It's hard to describe that, but it is. Great song. Fred Schneider looks so young in that video, and he always sort of looks pretty young for his age.
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Joe Summer
Footballguy
"I Can't Tell You Why" is a terrible song, a blatant attempt to pander to the housewife crowd.
HellToupee
Footballguy
Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
French Stewart just pretended he was Fred Schneider in 3rd Rock From The Sun...right?
zamboni
Footballguy
I’ve always really liked it. Tim Schmidt has a fantastic voice, plays a mean bass, and Frey has a couple of smooth, sensible solos.
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HellToupee
Footballguy
Mr. Mojo
Footballguy
Midler's best song and it's a great one.
But for some strange reason, she won the Grammy for her awful version of "Wind Beneath My Wings". No wonder I never liked the Grammys.
timschochet
Footballguy
I’m getting drunk again. This time it’s sangria. At Vaca, a Tapas restaurant.
Gr00vus
Footballguy
Happy Birthday man. As a present I won't engage in any additional razzing about how Walking On The Moon is better than just about every song you've ranked higher than it so far.
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
I Can't Tell You Why isn't bad, but not really a song I would ever listen to on purpose.
I have tried quite a bit of the early B-52's material, but not much of it has grabbed me at all. Bummer, as their music always sounds so fun.
I have tried quite a bit of the early B-52's material, but not much of it has grabbed me at all. Bummer, as their music always sounds so fun.
timschochet
Footballguy
65. Supertramp “Goodbye Stranger” (from Breakfast in America)
https://youtu.be/u8pVZ5hTGJQ
What a revelation Breakfast in America was! Supertramp had had a top ten album before (Crime of the Century in 1974) and a number of radio hits over the years (“Dreamer”, “Bloody Well Right”, “Give a Little Bit”) but this album simply exploded with 4 songs that were hugely popular, all of which will be featured on this list.
Following Breakfast in America, the band would have one more hit in 1982 before vanishing forever. 1979 was their supreme moment.
Most of Supertramp’s hits were written and sung by Roger Hodgson with his distinctive vocal stylings, but “Goodbye Stranger” was the product of the other singer songwriter in the band, Rick Davies, who was also responsible for “Bloody Well Right”. In this song Davies switches between his normal voice on the verses and a Barry Gibb like falsetto for the chorus, with very effective results.
https://youtu.be/u8pVZ5hTGJQ
What a revelation Breakfast in America was! Supertramp had had a top ten album before (Crime of the Century in 1974) and a number of radio hits over the years (“Dreamer”, “Bloody Well Right”, “Give a Little Bit”) but this album simply exploded with 4 songs that were hugely popular, all of which will be featured on this list.
Following Breakfast in America, the band would have one more hit in 1982 before vanishing forever. 1979 was their supreme moment.
Most of Supertramp’s hits were written and sung by Roger Hodgson with his distinctive vocal stylings, but “Goodbye Stranger” was the product of the other singer songwriter in the band, Rick Davies, who was also responsible for “Bloody Well Right”. In this song Davies switches between his normal voice on the verses and a Barry Gibb like falsetto for the chorus, with very effective results.
sho nuff
Footballguy
One of my favorite albums that was also in rotation with my Step Dad (and yeah, actually on vinyl. Leading me to pick it up later for myself on CD and now have several songs in my spotify playlists from it.
Andy Dufresne
Footballguy
I like the singing parts but the extended instrumental at the end is annoying. Kind of like every Rush song.
zamboni
Footballguy
Hope we see a few more from this album because there are better tunes IMO.
ETA: should have read write-up more closely.
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bushdocda
Footballguy
zamboni
Footballguy
It’s a high quality tune, but as mentioned above, I think there is at least one better song on the same album.
Tau837
Footballguy
IMO there are two better that have not yet been mentioned, and I am confident both will be included in the final 64.
Encyclopedia Brown
Footballguy
I thought for the longest time that Goodbye Stranger was a Harry Chapin song.
timschochet
Footballguy
64. X “Los Angeles” (from Yes LA)
https://youtu.be/fUiZHt6sqg4
Yes LA was a compilation album of local punk rock bands by the independent record company Dangerhouse which was released in 1979; the song from X, “Los Angeles”, was the overwhelmingly popular favorite and after the band signed with Slash Records, another independent label, it was added to their debut album released the following year and became the title of the album. But the song is from 1979.
The lyrics would not be acceptable today. But back then they were regarded as poetry and compared favorably to Los Angeles crime writers Raymond Chandler and Charles Bukowski set to punk rock music expertly played by rockabilly great Billy Zoom on guitar and DJ Bonebrake on drums, and featuring the dual off kilter lead singing of John Doe and Exene Cervanka. The debut album was produced by former Doors member Ray Manzarek but I don’t know if that includes this song or not.
https://youtu.be/fUiZHt6sqg4
Yes LA was a compilation album of local punk rock bands by the independent record company Dangerhouse which was released in 1979; the song from X, “Los Angeles”, was the overwhelmingly popular favorite and after the band signed with Slash Records, another independent label, it was added to their debut album released the following year and became the title of the album. But the song is from 1979.
The lyrics would not be acceptable today. But back then they were regarded as poetry and compared favorably to Los Angeles crime writers Raymond Chandler and Charles Bukowski set to punk rock music expertly played by rockabilly great Billy Zoom on guitar and DJ Bonebrake on drums, and featuring the dual off kilter lead singing of John Doe and Exene Cervanka. The debut album was produced by former Doors member Ray Manzarek but I don’t know if that includes this song or not.
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Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
He said it’s one of four songs from the album that will make the list so you’ll get three more.
Gr00vus
Footballguy
timschochet
Footballguy
63. Sister Sledge “We Are Family” (from We Are Family)
https://youtu.be/uyGY2NfYpeE
Written by that great duo of 1979, Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. We will be hearing from them again. The girls have a cool dance on the video; this song is a disco classic.
But whenever I think of this song, only one thing comes to mind: the 1979 World Series and the Pittsburgh Pirates coming back from a 3-1 deficit to win. Willie Stargell and Dave Parker. I was not a Pirates fan, though I loved the Steelers even back then, but I think a lot of America became Pirates fans that fall because it was such an unlikely, exciting run. And they just kept playing this tune over and over...
https://youtu.be/uyGY2NfYpeE
Written by that great duo of 1979, Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers. We will be hearing from them again. The girls have a cool dance on the video; this song is a disco classic.
But whenever I think of this song, only one thing comes to mind: the 1979 World Series and the Pittsburgh Pirates coming back from a 3-1 deficit to win. Willie Stargell and Dave Parker. I was not a Pirates fan, though I loved the Steelers even back then, but I think a lot of America became Pirates fans that fall because it was such an unlikely, exciting run. And they just kept playing this tune over and over...
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
woodstock
Footballguy
Great song. I think of the same thing, too. Growing up and being six or so at the time, the Pirates were a wonder, as was the song. Everything was cool, except for the fact my damn Yankees or Red Sox weren't in it that year (yes, I rooted for both at the time. I was six and lived in the Northeast. I had no conception of rivalries, really. I just knew the players were my heroes).
timschochet
Footballguy
62. The Charlie Daniels Band “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” (from Million Mile Reflections)
https://youtu.be/wBjPAqmnvGA
The lyrics are really cheesy. The song has been incredibly overplayed over the years. These days Daniels is a hanger on at conservative mass gatherings and he always invites prominent types to come on stage with him, so you might get to hear Sean Hannity or Laura Ingraham help sing this tune, which, to be blunt, doesn’t exactly improve the listening.
But on the other hand: the fiddle playing is fantastic. Daniels is part of a great bluegrass tradition, though he chose to veer off in a more pop/country rock direction. His skills are flawless and he displays them well here, and that’s what makes this song, despite everything, a true classic.
https://youtu.be/wBjPAqmnvGA
The lyrics are really cheesy. The song has been incredibly overplayed over the years. These days Daniels is a hanger on at conservative mass gatherings and he always invites prominent types to come on stage with him, so you might get to hear Sean Hannity or Laura Ingraham help sing this tune, which, to be blunt, doesn’t exactly improve the listening.
But on the other hand: the fiddle playing is fantastic. Daniels is part of a great bluegrass tradition, though he chose to veer off in a more pop/country rock direction. His skills are flawless and he displays them well here, and that’s what makes this song, despite everything, a true classic.
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
Charlie Daniels Band is a bit too country rock for me, but it's still hard to not like The Devil Went Down to Georgia.
Back to Supertramp, Crime of the Century was their obvious classic album, but Breakfast in America was the biggie as far as hits went. Goodbye Stranger is probably my 2nd favorite of the four hits from that record, and one of the major Supertramp classics that wasn't played when I saw Roger Hodgson two years ago since he doesn't play the Rick Davies tunes.
Back to Supertramp, Crime of the Century was their obvious classic album, but Breakfast in America was the biggie as far as hits went. Goodbye Stranger is probably my 2nd favorite of the four hits from that record, and one of the major Supertramp classics that wasn't played when I saw Roger Hodgson two years ago since he doesn't play the Rick Davies tunes.
Parrothead
Footballguy
granny does your dog bite? no child, no
zamboni
Footballguy
For some reason, I always think of this old commercial when I hear the song: https://youtu.be/LhmKxxQrXkc
Zegras11
Footballguy
timschochet
Footballguy
61. Earth, Wind & Fire “After The Love Has Gone” (from I Am)
https://youtu.be/CUCLNPOjPZw
Written by the legendary David Foster, produced and arranged by the legendary Maurice White, this is pretty classic late 70s r & b. Just as with “Goodbye Stranger” we get falsettos in the chorus; that seems like it was a big deal in 1979, and what’s wrong with it anyhow?
https://youtu.be/CUCLNPOjPZw
Written by the legendary David Foster, produced and arranged by the legendary Maurice White, this is pretty classic late 70s r & b. Just as with “Goodbye Stranger” we get falsettos in the chorus; that seems like it was a big deal in 1979, and what’s wrong with it anyhow?
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
I can't go that far. Crisis? What Crisis? does have Sister Moonshine, which is one of my favorite Supertramp tunes, but I can't say anything else there is as great as School, Hide in Your Shell, Rudy or the song Crime of the Century.
Zegras11
Footballguy
I like all the songs on both of them and all the songs on Moments.
BinA is just too commercial for me. The good songs got overplayed.
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
I hear ya. I don't care if I ever hear The Logical Song or the title track again, but even though they are very overplayed, I never get tired of hearing Goodbye Stranger and Take the Long Way Home.Getzlaf15 said:
From ...Moments, I don't bow down to Fool's Overture like a lot of prog fans do, but I like it. Give a Little Bit is like Dreamer (from Crime...) for me: decent, but I'd never listen to it on purpose. From Now On has long been my go-to from that record.
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timschochet
Footballguy
What defines “commercial”? Popular? I see what you’re saying but Ive struggled with this idea in terms of song evaluation.Getzlaf15 said:
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
I know you didn't ask me, but for me, a good song is a good song, regardless of how much mainstream success it ends up getting.
timschochet
Footballguy
As a Rush fan, were you one of those who were contemptuous of casual fans like me for enjoying “Tom Sawyer” and “Limelight”? I’m known a few guys like this, even one who claimed that those songs aren’t really Rush songs.
Ghost Rider
Footballguy
No, not at all. Anyone who would claim those aren't really Rush songs is a moron. If someone like just the classic rock mainstays like Tom Sawyer and Limelight, cool by me, and if someone likes those enough to dig deeper and ends up liking a lot more, even better. Fans who get pissy when "their" band gets more popular are the worst. It reminds me of the Metallica fans who threw in a fit in the early 90's when many jumped on to the bandwagon thanks to the success of the self-titled Black Album. Those fans thought the band was "theirs" and theirs only.
Edit: as much as I love Rush, a lot of their fans are dopes. There is a segment of online Rush fans who hate the Eagles because Don Henley once said something disparaging about the band. OH NO, EVERYONE DOESN'T LOVE RUSH!! Morons. I am not going to suddenly stop liking the Eagles songs I do because one of their members doesn't like Rush. That is beyond idiotic.
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Zegras11
Footballguy
compared to the prior albums, this one seemed like it was made for Top 40 stations.
Before this album, you never heard School or Bloody Well Right on the radio.
timschochet
Footballguy
Zegras11
Footballguy
Uruk-Hai
Footballguy
EWF was probably the most versatile band of the '70s. They did guitar-based jams, drop-your-underwear ballads, sweaty party funk, all manner of international sounds.timschochet said:
And their records still sound great. So, of course, George Clinton hated them and blasted them as sterile imposters on his P Funk album covers.
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