The 100 Greatest Songs of 1981 #1 Super Freak (1 Viewer)

[zamboni]

Worked with a guy who hated Men At Work but he loved this tune and said it was the only thing worth listening on that album.  

Nah. Nah.

 

[Doug B]

87. Foreigner “Waiting For a Girl Like You” (from 4)

https://youtu.be/5jhocSCSZzk

Very nice power ballad. One thing I learned for the first time when reading up on this song: that very distinctive synthesizer is by Thomas Dolby, then unknown. 
Earlier I praised Steve Perry as being one of traditional rock’s greatest vocalists, but Lou Gramm is certainly up there as well. Just a fantastic voice. 

I just learned the part in red in recent years myself. Cool bit of trivia.

...

I'm not sure about now, but as of my mid-1990s Joel Whitburn Top 40/Hot 100 Singles books ... "Waiting for a Girl Like You" held the record for most consecutive weeks at #2 on the Hot 100 without reaching #1: 10 weeks. I am curious if the songs that blocked "Waiting" will appear in this countdown. In a sense they kind of have to, but that will depend on how iconoclastic this list ends up being.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Diamond Dave was just a gigalo

Most rock critics don't have THIS choice charm dangling on their arm.

Add, worked at a restaurant and at times we'd have to wait for the last table to leave and some people would just not leave so we came up with a plan to loop:

Humala bebuhla zeebuhla boobuhla
Humala bebuhla zeebuhla bop

over and over and over and play it at max volume to force out people if they stayed too long.  

It was because of a glitch and so not on purpose, but many years ago I ate at a Chinese restaurant where "Torn Between Two Lovers" played over and over (it would cut out just before the end and start over). They must have had very quick turnover that day. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I just learned the part in red in recent years myself. Cool bit of trivia.

...

I'm not sure about now, but as of my mid-1990s Joel Whitburn Top 40/Hot 100 Singles books ... "Waiting for a Girl Like You" held the record for most consecutive weeks at #2 on the Hot 100 without reaching #1: 10 weeks. I am curious if the songs that blocked "Waiting" will appear in this countdown. In a sense they kind of have to, but that will depend on how iconoclastic this list ends up being.

That seems like an endless amount of time. 

 

[zamboni]

I just learned the part in red in recent years myself. Cool bit of trivia.

...

I'm not sure about now, but as of my mid-1990s Joel Whitburn Top 40/Hot 100 Singles books ... "Waiting for a Girl Like You" held the record for most consecutive weeks at #2 on the Hot 100 without reaching #1: 10 weeks. I am curious if the songs that blocked "Waiting" will appear in this countdown. In a sense they kind of have to, but that will depend on how iconoclastic this list ends up being.

I think CCR (five #2s without ever hitting #1) sends Foreigner a Christmas card every year.

 

[Bracie Smathers]

It was because of a glitch and so not on purpose, but many years ago I ate at a Chinese restaurant where "Torn Between Two Lovers" played over and over (it would cut out just before the end and start over). They must have had very quick turnover that day. 

You must have been feel'n like a fool when they were breaking all the rules.

 

[timschochet]

86. The Kinks “Destroyer” (from Give the People What They Want) 

https://youtu.be/_WJ6FbcWYRU

The Kinks were actually a pretty good 80s band, as Ray Davies still had some songwriting chops left in him. This song steals their classic riff from “All Day and All of the Night”, throws in some new lines about Lola, and focuses on that old Davies’ obsession, paranoia. What’s not to love? 

 

[Doug B]

Famous Songs with Misunderstood Titles

Not Bob Dylan's "Everybody Must Get Stoned", but "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"

Not Cream's "The Time You Drove in My Car" but "Badge"

Not Green Day's "Time of Your Life", but "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"

Not The Kinks' "Paranoia Will Destroy Ya", but "Destroyer"

 

[zamboni]

Famous Songs with Misunderstood Titles

Not Bob Dylan's "Everybody Must Get Stoned", but "Rainy Day Women #12 & 35"

Not Cream's "The Time You Drove in My Car" but "Badge"

Not Green Day's "Time of Your Life", but "Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)"

Not The Kinks' "Paranoia Will Destroy Ya", but "Destroyer"

Never heard the Cream misunderstanding before, but I’d say the granddaddy of them all is “Teenage Wasteland”/“Baba O’Riley”.

 

[Navin Johnson]

This list got not so good too soon.  Shouldn’t the songs be improving as we head towards number 1?

Isn't that the standard FFA schtick?

 

[Gr00vus]

94. Journey “Who’s Crying Now” (from Escape) 

87. Foreigner “Waiting For a Girl Like You” (from 4)

Thanks for bringing back the awkward/painful memories of the slow dance portions of every 7th grade dance I ever went to.

 

[zamboni]

Add, worked at a restaurant and at times we'd have to wait for the last table to leave and some people would just not leave so we came up with a plan to loop:

Humala bebuhla zeebuhla boobuhla
Humala bebuhla zeebuhla bop

over and over and over and play it at max volume to force out people if they stayed too long.  

Only the coolest customers would have ordered a bottle of anything...and a glazed donut. To go.

 

[timschochet]

Thanks for bringing back the awkward/painful memories of the slow dance portions of every 7th grade dance I ever went to.

Lol more coming up. Right away in fact! 

 

[timschochet]

85. Styx “The Best of Times” (from Paradise Theater) 

https://youtu.be/_fzJGxpcenc

Tommy Shaw is rolling his eyes somewhere: “Oh no, not another sappy ballad from ####### Dennis! Nobody is ever going to take us seriously! This is why the critics don’t treat us like Pink Floyd!” 

 

[zamboni]

85. Styx “The Best of Times” (from Paradise Theater) 

https://youtu.be/_fzJGxpcenc

Tommy Shaw is rolling his eyes somewhere: “Oh no, not another sappy ballad from ####### Dennis! Nobody is ever going to take us seriously! This is why the critics don’t treat us like Pink Floyd!” 

Haters be damned. This is a good tune.

 

[timschochet]

Haters be damned. This is a good tune.

I agree. I always thought Shaw was a bit pretentious with his “if it wasn’t for Dennis we’d be more respected” shtick. 

 

[zamboni]

Haters be damned. This is a good tune.

I agree. I always thought Shaw was a bit pretentious with his “if it wasn’t for Dennis we’d be more respected” shtick. 

And Shaw’s 401(k) balance would be a lot smaller without him.

 

[timschochet]

And Shaw’s 401(k) balance would be a lot smaller without him.

That’s for sure. 

 

[Ghost Rider]

James Young was far more vocal in a negative way of DDY’s softer tunes than Tommy was, which is worse since he only wrote one of their many well known classics, and even that is probably the least well known (Miss America). 

 

[timschochet]

James Young was far more vocal in a negative way of DDY’s softer tunes than Tommy was, which is worse since he only wrote one of their many well known classics, and even that is probably the least well known (Miss America). 

Love that song. 

 

[Doug B]

James Young was far more vocal in a negative way of DDY’s softer tunes than Tommy was ...

Tommy Shaw takes the brunt of the breakup because he was the one who walked off stage, in the middle of a live show, during the Mr. Roboto tour. VH1 played a clip of this during their Behind the Music series back in the 1990s, but weirdly I can't find a video of Shaw's walk-off today.

 

[Doug B]

85. Styx “The Best of Times” (from Paradise Theater) 

Haters be damned. This is a good tune.

Excellent album, as well. Four or five tracks from Paradise Theater could credibly show up on this list.

 

[Mookie Gizzy]

86. The Kinks “Destroyer” (from Give the People What They Want) 

https://youtu.be/_WJ6FbcWYRU

The Kinks were actually a pretty good 80s band, as Ray Davies still had some songwriting chops left in him. This song steals their classic riff from “All Day and All of the Night”, throws in some new lines about Lola, and focuses on that old Davies’ obsession, paranoia. What’s not to love? 

The Kinks are the most underrated band of all time. This whole album is great. More than a few songs belong in this countdown 

 

[timschochet]

84. Quarterflash “Harden My Heart” (from Quarterflash) 

https://youtu.be/OqeKV2UYq1Q

Quarterflash was Marv and Rindy Ross who are still together after all of these years so far as I know. Rindy was a mean saxophonist. 

 

[zamboni]

84. Quarterflash “Harden My Heart” (from Quarterflash) 

https://youtu.be/OqeKV2UYq1Q

Quarterflash was Marv and Rindy Ross who are still together after all of these years so far as I know. Rindy was a mean saxophonist. 

Rindy seemed to also cultivate the P__ B_____ look, but she had some pipes - and as you said, played a killer sax.

 

[Mr. Mojo]

Not even 20 picks in yet and it is already shaping up very nicely! 

 

[wikkidpissah]

my 3 most notorious song parodies, when i dabbled in them as a young man, were Tony Bennett crooning against the Vietnam War with, "I Left My Leg in Mekong Delta", a complete re-write of the Tull classic "Thick as a Brick" and an irredeemably filthy version of "Harden My Heart" that still makes my BFF giggle like a 12 yo.

 

[Dr. Octopus]

It was because of a glitch and so not on purpose, but many years ago I ate at a Chinese restaurant where "Torn Between Two Lovers" played over and over (it would cut out just before the end and start over). They must have had very quick turnover that day. 

https://youtu.be/Mw7Gryt-rcc

 

[Dr. Octopus]

86. The Kinks “Destroyer” (from Give the People What They Want) 

https://youtu.be/_WJ6FbcWYRU

The Kinks were actually a pretty good 80s band, as Ray Davies still had some songwriting chops left in him. This song steals their classic riff from “All Day and All of the Night”, throws in some new lines about Lola, and focuses on that old Davies’ obsession, paranoia. What’s not to love? 

If they had only released their 80s stuff, they still would have been a good band. The fact they have their 60s and 70s stuff in the catalogue is pretty amazing.

 

[FairWarning]

85. Styx “The Best of Times” (from Paradise Theater) 

https://youtu.be/_fzJGxpcenc

Tommy Shaw is rolling his eyes somewhere: “Oh no, not another sappy ballad from ####### Dennis! Nobody is ever going to take us seriously! This is why the critics don’t treat us like Pink Floyd!” 

I have this ablum signed by the band somewhere in my collection.  Styx was huge here, actually played my HS's prom in 1973.  My uncle represented Shaw in his divorce, that was how I got the album.  

 

[Encyclopedia Brown]

Harden My Heart is top 100 for the entire decade, let alone earning a ranking in the mid-80's in its release year.  

 

[jon_mx]

84. Quarterflash “Harden My Heart” (from Quarterflash) 

https://youtu.be/OqeKV2UYq1Q

Quarterflash was Marv and Rindy Ross who are still together after all of these years so far as I know. Rindy was a mean saxophonist. 

Underrated song and talent.  

 

[Gr00vus]

85. Styx “The Best of Times” (from Paradise Theater) 

https://youtu.be/_fzJGxpcenc

Tommy Shaw is rolling his eyes somewhere: “Oh no, not another sappy ballad from ####### Dennis! Nobody is ever going to take us seriously! This is why the critics don’t treat us like Pink Floyd!” 

Low grade schmaltz. If stuff like this crowds out stuff like what Bobby Chouinard's band put out this year, snits will happen.

 

[zamboni]

Low grade schmaltz. If stuff like this crowds out stuff like what Bobby Chouinard's band put out this year, snits will happen.

 

 

[Doug B]

Low grade schmaltz. If stuff like this crowds out stuff like what Bobby Chouinard's band put out this year, snits will happen.

Obligatory

 

[Ghost Rider]

Tommy Shaw takes the brunt of the breakup because he was the one who walked off stage, in the middle of a live show, during the Mr. Roboto tour. VH1 played a clip of this during their Behind the Music series back in the 1990s, but weirdly I can't find a video of Shaw's walk-off today.

True, and of course when he later mocked Babe on stage with Damn Yankees, when Jack Blades also mocked Sister Christian.  I am sure Tommy wasn't keen on DDY's ballads at the time, but he wanted them to be Styx songs and knew it would make the band bigger. 

84. Quarterflash “Harden My Heart” (from Quarterflash) 

https://youtu.be/OqeKV2UYq1Q

Quarterflash was Marv and Rindy Ross who are still together after all of these years so far as I know. Rindy was a mean saxophonist. 

Love this song.  Reminds me of being a kid.  

 

[Gr00vus]

In truth, this is, as always, a thankless task Tim has taken on. You could probably go a few hundred deep song wise. Please don't take my schtick seriously here. Except for The Police. I'm deadly serious about that. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

Rindy seemed to also cultivate the P__ B_____ look, but she had some pipes - and as you said, played a killer sax.

I'm not entirely sure what belongs in the blanks. Is this a way of saying she had RBF? 

 

[wikkidpissah]

I'm not entirely sure what belongs in the blanks. Is this a way of saying she had RBF? 

Riboflavin?

#atenatar

 

[northern exposure]

I'm not entirely sure what belongs in the blanks. Is this a way of saying she had RBF? 

I'm glad you asked because I'm lost too. The B word is the same in zamboni's fill in the blanks and your acronym, but what's the P word? Pouty?

ETA - now wikkid has weighed in and I think it is Mrs. Neil Giraldo. zamboni didn't want to spotlight I guess.

 

[Pip's Invitation]

I'm glad you asked because I'm lost too. The B word is the same in zamboni's fill in the blanks and your acronym, but what's the P word? Pouty?

ETA - now wikkid has weighed in and I think it is Mrs. Neil Geraldo. zamboni didn't want to spotlight I guess.

My guess was Pouty The B Word, but I wasn't aware that was an expression we all should know. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

ETA - now wikkid has weighed in and I think it is Mrs. Neil Geraldo. zamboni didn't want to spotlight I guess.

I never thought of her that way at all. But it's been a long time since I thought about her or her band. 

 

[Doug B]

I'm not entirely sure what belongs in the blanks. Is this a way of saying she had RBF? 

Northern exposure got it. Think of the beginning of Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

 

[zamboni]

I'm glad you asked because I'm lost too. The B word is the same in zamboni's fill in the blanks and your acronym, but what's the P word? Pouty?

ETA - now wikkid has weighed in and I think it is Mrs. Neil Giraldo. zamboni didn't want to spotlight I guess.

Correctamundo.

Gonna try to avoid any more spotlighting, particularly if I’m going to do the next batch.

 

[HellToupee]

Harden My Heart is top 100 for the entire decade, let alone earning a ranking in the mid-80's in its release year.  

And yet I hate the song 

 

[HellToupee]

Correctamundo.

Gonna try to avoid any more spotlighting, particularly if I’m going to do the next batch.

I read it as a cat  made no sense to me. Glad it’s cleared up

 

[timschochet]

83. The Police “Spirits in the Material World” (from Ghost in the Machine) 

https://youtu.be/BHOevX4DlGk

Really more of a solo effort by Sting: that’s him on vocals, synthesizer, and bass. Summers and Copeland were barely involved. A complex melody, and later in his career Sting would sing a slow jazz version in concert which I actually preferred a little more. 

 

[Pip's Invitation]

83. The Police “Spirits in the Material World” (from Ghost in the Machine) 

YES!

 Summers and Copeland were barely involved. 

No.

 later in his career Sting would sing a slow jazz version in concert which I actually preferred a little more. 

NO!!!!

 

[northern exposure]

Northern exposure got it. Think of the beginning of Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

I didn't get it, wikkidpissah gave it to me. #

 

[Dwayne Hoover]

86. The Kinks “Destroyer” (from Give the People What They Want) 

https://youtu.be/_WJ6FbcWYRU

The Kinks were actually a pretty good 80s band, as Ray Davies still had some songwriting chops left in him. This song steals their classic riff from “All Day and All of the Night”, throws in some new lines about Lola, and focuses on that old Davies’ obsession, paranoia. What’s not to love? 

Great song