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The 100 Greatest Songs of 1981 #1 Super Freak (2 Viewers)

timschochet said:
3. Depeche Mode “Just Can’t Get Enough” (from Speak & Spell) 

https://youtu.be/_6FBfAQ-NDE

Written by Vince Clarke, who left the band shortly thereafter (and later formed Erasure). But it was he that created the best and most famous keyboard riff of the era and perhaps synth-pop’s greatest dance song. Another classic that has stood the test of time. 
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So much wrong info this post

:nerd:

 
Encyclopedia Brown said:
I assume #1 is not the song with the title of one Humphrey Bogart movie that inexplicably has a chorus and a refrain that quotes an entirely different Bogart movie.

That has confused me for forty years. 
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Nope, it's the one you're thinking of. A decade or so later a rapper would hurtle into stardom by ripping off the bass line in his smash hit "You Can Touch This."

 
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1. Rick James “Super Freak” (from Street Songs) 

https://youtu.be/QYHxGBH6o4M

Supposedly Rick James wrote this quickly as an afterthought to the album because he “wanted a song that white folks would dance to.” Which they’ve been doing ever since. The Temptations were the backup singers (at one point Rick yells “Temptations SING!” 
The video was considered too racy for MTV despite James’ pleading- but there is also the fact that MTV had no black performers until Michael Jackson broke through with Thriller a couple of years later. 

 
timschochet said:
1. Rick James “Super Freak” (from Street Songs) 

https://youtu.be/QYHxGBH6o4M

Supposedly Rick James wrote this quickly as an afterthought to the album because he “wanted a song that white folks would dance to.” Which they’ve been doing ever since. The Temptations were the backup singers (at one point Rick yells “Temptations SING!” 
The video was considered too racy for MTV despite James’ pleading- but there is also the fact that MTV had no black performers until Michael Jackson broke through with Thriller a couple of years later. 
Click to expand...
It was 100% that. The average Duran Duran video was just as racy. 

 
Awesome list and thanks for putting this together. Van Halen was a bit underrepresented IMO but loved revisiting so many of these tunes. Great work. 

 
timschochet said:
1. Rick James “Super Freak” (from Street Songs) 

https://youtu.be/QYHxGBH6o4M

Supposedly Rick James wrote this quickly as an afterthought to the album because he “wanted a song that white folks would dance to.” Which they’ve been doing ever since. The Temptations were the backup singers (at one point Rick yells “Temptations SING!” 
The video was considered too racy for MTV despite James’ pleading- but there is also the fact that MTV had no black performers until Michael Jackson broke through with Thriller a couple of years later. 
Click to expand...
That is not a fact.  Videos by black artists were played on MTV before Thriller.  Not many, but some. I remember cause I watched MTV all the time when we first got cable. 

 
timschochet said:
3. Depeche Mode “Just Can’t Get Enough” (from Speak & Spell) 

https://youtu.be/_6FBfAQ-NDE

Written by Vince Clarke, who left the band shortly thereafter (and later formed Erasure). But it was he that created the best and most famous keyboard riff of the era and perhaps synth-pop’s greatest dance song. Another classic that has stood the test of time. 
Click to expand...
Did this get airplay on MTV because I'm sure I've never seen this video?

 
Ghost Rider said:
That is not a fact.  Videos by black artists were played on MTV before Thriller.  Not many, but some. I remember cause I watched MTV all the time when we first got cable. 
Click to expand...
Most document “Billie Jean” as the first video with heavy rotation on MTV, but I agree that there some black artists before that (agree not many). Pretty sure I remember seeing “Controversy” by Prince early on.

 
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timschochet said:
1. Rick James “Super Freak” (from Street Songs) 

https://youtu.be/QYHxGBH6o4M

Supposedly Rick James wrote this quickly as an afterthought to the album because he “wanted a song that white folks would dance to.” Which they’ve been doing ever since. The Temptations were the backup singers (at one point Rick yells “Temptations SING!” 
The video was considered too racy for MTV despite James’ pleading- but there is also the fact that MTV had no black performers until Michael Jackson broke through with Thriller a couple of years later. 
Click to expand...
I didn’t know one person that disliked Super Freak way back when. A true rarity in an time when most people stuck to their own genres 

 
zamboni said:
Most document “Billie Jean” as the first video with heavy rotation on MTV, but I agree that there some black artists before that (agree not many). Pretty sure I remember seeing “Controversy” by Prince early on.
Click to expand...
Heavy rotation, that is probably true.  I remember Pass the Dutchie getting played a ton when we first had MTV (which I believe was before Billie Jean broke, IIRC). 

 
zamboni said:
That’s the way we roll here and have done for years.
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again..meh...Tim put a lot of work into this, would be nice to be able to engage him on his selections and hear his thoughts on what we think the omissions were.  But I'll move on and let you guys enjoy the lack of further discussion to it's fullest.

 
BassNBrew said:
again..meh...Tim put a lot of work into this, would be nice to be able to engage him on his selections and hear his thoughts on what we think the omissions were.  But I'll move on and let you guys enjoy the lack of further discussion to it's fullest.
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:goodposting:

Turns out there was a lot less overlap in my quickly generated playlist than I expected. Will try to revisit later and not really worried about overlap with Bracie tbh.

 
BassNBrew said:
again..meh...Tim put a lot of work into this, would be nice to be able to engage him on his selections and hear his thoughts on what we think the omissions were.  But I'll move on and let you guys enjoy the lack of further discussion to it's fullest.
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Most of us know Tim’s taste and he shared his thoughts with each of his selections.  He’s also welcome  to share his thoughts on why he didn’t pick something that Bracie does.

 
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zamboni said:
Most document “Billie Jean” as the first video with heavy rotation on MTV, but I agree that there some black artists before that (agree not many). Pretty sure I remember seeing “Controversy” by Prince early on.
Click to expand...
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/david-bowie-rips-into-mtv-for-not-spotlighting-black-artists-62335/amp/

The great David Bowie sneak attacks some poor VeeJay, who is forced to come up with reasons why black artists only getting played late at night. 

 
zamboni said:
As per upthread, there’s at least one more group of 100 to come (by @Bracie Smathers) So best not to mention any that weren’t picked by Tim. 
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Eh, seems silly to me. “Hey, let’s not discuss the ones that didn’t make it until someone else discusses the 100 honorable mentions.”  But whatever. I saw no mention of it in the OP that someone else was doing another 100. :shrug:

 
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Ghost Rider said:
Eh, seems silly to me. “Hey, let’s not discuss the ones that didn’t make it until someone else discusses the 100 honorable mentions.”  But whatever. I saw no mention of it in the OP that someone else was doing another 100. :shrug:
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Was mentioned several times, including me who was going to do one but don’t have the time. Bracie said he’d do it.

Bracie does a magnificent job with his write ups - let him have his glory.

ETA: Bracie, I shouldn’t be so presumptuous - you are a dude, right? :unsure:

 
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timschochet said:
Talk to Ya Later” The Tubes 

“Hang Fire” The Rolling Stones 

“Stone In Love” Journey 

“You Better You Bet” The Who

“Woody and Dutch On the Slow Train to Peking” Rickie Lee Jones
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Great list Tim.

Impressed the most with these songs that made the list since they weren't biggies outside of You Better You Bet which I hadn't heard in awhile and its better than I remember.

RLJ tune is one I had completely forgotten.

I 'may' be doing something different with my list since I kept missing entire albums by days that I thought I had but 'just missed' my cut off date.  Happened at least a half dozen times. 

I could fill the gaps in my list with one album from that year since I like every tune but decided against that so I 'may' do something different with my next-list which may not be 100 even though I could fill with tunes that I don't like but that isn't fun.

Once again good job Tim. 

 
BassNBrew said:
again..meh...Tim put a lot of work into this, would be nice to be able to engage him on his selections and hear his thoughts on what we think the omissions were.  But I'll move on and let you guys enjoy the lack of further discussion to it's fullest.
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whoa ...just to be clear, the post was solely an excuse to quote an Ozzie song that was left off Tim's list that Ghost Rider was "bummed" about.  

dad humor.

we do have 101 - 200 songs for 1981 and sometimes a 3rd 100 songs ...so throw out stuff at your discretion knowing that 

 
I have to say, it is surprising how good songs are often left off of "Best of year XXXX" lists found online.

It is difficult making sure you have a "complete" list of songs from which to choose. 

 
Ghost Rider said:
Eh, seems silly to me. “Hey, let’s not discuss the ones that didn’t make it until someone else discusses the 100 honorable mentions.”  But whatever. I saw no mention of it in the OP that someone else was doing another 100. :shrug:
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:confused:

Listing songs that didn't make the list that one thinks belonged is bad manners?

Is that correct?

 
zamboni said:
Was mentioned several times, including me who was going to do one but don’t have the time. Bracie said he’d do it.

Bracie does a magnificent job with his write ups - let him have his glory.

ETA: Bracie, I shouldn’t be so presumptuous - you are a dude, right? :unsure:
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Glory Days wasn’t till ‘84. ;)

 
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