Tear Down This POLL - The Billy Ocean Greatest Hits Poll

Loverboy or Suddenly. Probably the former. Good groove, nice use of the production techniques of the time, far less embarrassing (lyrically and otherwise) than some of his later hits.

― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 6 December 2009 02:45 (3 years ago) Permalink

"Loverboy" is just awesome. And the video is Mos Eisley ripoff central. I still have the 45 somewhere.

― EZ Snappin, Sunday, 6 December 2009 02:49 (3 years ago) Permalink

I'm between "Loverboy" and "When the Going Gets Tough" meself.

― Hell is other people. In an ILE film forum. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 6 December 2009 02:52 (3 years ago) Permalink

haha great video.

i miss this type of early-MTV videos.

― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 6 December 2009 02:53 (3 years ago) Permalink

billy ocean was a badass for a minute there before this stuff. witness:

that's the answer to this poll

― andrew m., Sunday, 6 December 2009 03:23 (3 years ago) Permalink

Where's 1976's "Love Really Hurts Without You" which reached #22. Ocean made some great Radio singles. I love Caribbean Queen, Loverboy, Getta Outta My Dreams, Love Zone, When The Going Gets Tough, even the rather minor Mystery Lady was good. But for some reason his ballads have never done much for me. Anyway, voting Caribbean Queen.

― jetfan, Sunday, 6 December 2009 05:38 (3 years ago) Permalink

I can do without the last three cuts and "Nights" is my fave (different label hence not on this comp, I'm assuming). But definitely "Carribean Queen" here. It pushes forward where "When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going" strolls a bit too much for my taste. Simply awesome!

I asked a gal I used to work with if she had any guilty music pleasures. She said she did but wouldn't tell me. I kept at it but she wouldn't budge...for hours! Finally, she blurted out, all red-faced, "Ok fine! Billy Ocean!" "All that for Billy Ocean?!? Billy Ocean is amaaaaaaaaazing! I thought you were going to say something like Enya..."

Soto, your intro reads like a Book from The 1980s Hymnal. Amen, god bless, and all.

― Kevin John Bozelka, Sunday, 6 December 2009 08:50 (3 years ago) Permalink

Loverboy is flat-out epic.

― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Sunday, 6 December 2009 09:20 (3 years ago) Permalink

I was all set to vote "Love Really Hurts Without You" which is far and away his best track afaic, but now I'm a bit stuck. Probably gonna give the nod to "When the Going Gets Tough" but the guy needs a proper Best Of I reckon.

― SBanned of Brothers (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 6 December 2009 10:05 (3 years ago) Permalink

I was all set to vote "Love Really Hurts Without You" which is far and away his best track afaic

Seconded! It'll have to be Get Out Of My Dreams then.

― The people of Ork are marching upon us (Matt #2), Sunday, 6 December 2009 12:59 (3 years ago) Permalink

always thought "loverboy" was a nice match with teena marie's "lovergirl" (same year, i think).

― hellzapoppa (tipsy mothra), Sunday, 6 December 2009 16:17 (3 years ago) Permalink

"Carribean Queen" does one of my favorite things in pop music, and that is ending each line with a little sound effect summing up what he just sang. "She said I was the tiger she wanted to tame – *tiger growls*" "And I get so excited just from her perfume – *wolf whistle*" The best is after "electric eyes that you can't ignore" they throw in some DISCO LAZERS like you're going to get zapped by her disco lazer vision. Combine this with all the histrionic strings and his slightly casual vocals and you have one exciting, giddy pop song. The only thing I can think of that's comparable is "Smiling Faces Sometimes" by The Undisputed Truth.

― mascara and ties (Abbott), Sunday, 6 December 2009 17:32 (3 years ago) Permalink

Also, as KJB sort of noted, it has the amazing spoken word intro of "She is simply: awesome." It makes me grin like crazy every time.

― mascara and ties (Abbott), Sunday, 6 December 2009 17:33 (3 years ago) Permalink

andrew m is correct - Nights (Feel Like Gettin Down) completely owns but from the poll I vote Caribbean Queen

― chief rocker frankie crocker (m coleman), Sunday, 6 December 2009 18:08 (3 years ago) Permalink

Going with "Caribbean Queen," though I like a lot of these. (Weren't there also remixes called "European Queen" and things like that? Or did I just dream that once?)

Anybody ever heard his '70s stuff, btw? His first U.S. Top 40 was "Love Really Hurts Without You," which went #22 in 1976, and then he didn't chart again for another eight years -- weird.

― xhuxk, Sunday, 6 December 2009 18:37 (3 years ago) Permalink

No, you're right.

"Carribean Queen" does one of my favorite things in pop music, and that is ending each line with a little sound effect summing up what he just sang

Like Steve Miller's "Abacadabra."

― Hell is other people. In an ILE film forum. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 6 December 2009 20:41 (3 years ago) Permalink

xpost

Not remixes as such, I believe the song was originally called "European Queen" and he changed it to "Caribbean Queen" cos it sounded more exotic for the European market. Or maybe vice versa. But that's essentially what happened.

― SBanned of Brothers (Noodle Vague), Sunday, 6 December 2009 21:21 (3 years ago) Permalink

"Carribean Queen" all the way. Loved a couple of the ballads back then, but the faster ones have held up better.

― Tied Up In Geir (Geir Hongro), Sunday, 6 December 2009 22:31 (3 years ago) Permalink

And, yes, "European Queen" was the original. I believe he also made other versions in additions to those two. The only thing changed in those "mixes" were the titles in the chorus though.

― Tied Up In Geir (Geir Hongro), Sunday, 6 December 2009 22:32 (3 years ago) Permalink

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

― System, Saturday, 19 December 2009 00:01 (3 years ago) Permalink

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

― System, Sunday, 20 December 2009 00:01 (3 years ago) Permalink

Let's smoke out those who voted for "There'll Be Sad Songs."

― Hell is other people. In an ILE film forum. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 20 December 2009 00:09 (3 years ago) Permalink

Cripes, I forgot all about "Loverboy." Racking my brain, the first thing I thought of was Teena Marie, actually. Wow, "Loverboy." Produced by Mutt Lange!

1) "Loverboy" vs. "Lovergirl"

2) Mr. Show's "Operation Hell on Earth"

3) That "Loverboy" video is totally "All She Wants to Do is Dance" with aliens, isn't it?

― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 20 December 2009 00:42 (3 years ago) Permalink

was too busy to write when the poll was going on, but not too busy to vote; and I voted "Caribbean Queen" which I love love love; it keeps me on the lookout for painted-on jeans today. I remember reading that it was an obvious crib of "Billie Jean", maybe even down to the painted-on JEANS lyric. I guess I see that, but so what, it was fertile territory. On a good day I can sing this song pretty well and I sound as good as I can, so I love it for vanity's sake too.

― Euler, Sunday, 20 December 2009 08:15 (3 years ago) Permalink

Lovergirl > Loverboy any day imo

― Herodcare for the Unborn (J0hn D.), Sunday, 20 December 2009 08:18 (3 years ago) Permalink

IMO, too, which is why I had totally forgotten about the latter but remembered the former, even though I hadn't heard either in ... decades?

― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 20 December 2009 12:58 (3 years ago) Permalink

WHAT IS THE COLOUR OF LOVE?!

― Anakin Ska Walker (AKA Skarth Vader) (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 19 September 2011 18:11 (1 year ago) Permalink

"Suddenly": the poor man's "Hello".

― Corn Maze to the Dark Side (Eazy), Monday, 19 September 2011 19:26 (1 year ago) Permalink

I had no idea Billy Ocean had begun performing again! New look is badass, too:

― Josh in Chicago, Monday, 3 September 2012 14:05 (8 months ago) Permalink

"Suddenly": the poor man's "Hello".

― Corn Maze to the Dark Side (Eazy), Monday, September 19, 2011

hahahaha

― a regina spektor is haunting europe (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 3 September 2012 14:07 (8 months ago) Permalink