POLLTIME PARADISE: ILM Artist Poll #9 Results -- Stevie Wonder

Great song! Also the first one of my list to place.

You had "Sunshine" on your ballot, too.

Ah yes, you are right.

17. WE CAN WORK IT OUT (Signed, Sealed & Delivered, 1970) -- 231 points, 12 votes, 1 #1 vote

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cAItd_elNJ8

CREEPIN in a BEAST of a song.

If you don't like "Creepin'" you don't like things that are silky and sexy.

If someone doesn't like Creepin, well, I just don't think I'd like that person.

Pleased that WCWIO made it. One of the great Beatles Band covers.

always lol when stevie sings lyrics about seeing things. such a great cover; that funky distorted guitar!

16. SUPERWOMAN (WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I NEEDED YOU) (Music Of My Mind, 1972) -- 247 points, 13 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2lNf2WHxeI

I think I already mentioned this on some thread or another, but I regard the change from "Superwoman" into "Where Were You, et al" to be one of the greatest modulations in his entire songbook.

oof, we're up to #16 already => a whole bunch of tracks I thought would easily make the Top 40 apparently won't.

Superwoman at first seems not that great but with like every second it hypnotises you a little bit more. It becomes such a perfect moment that you kind of zone out.

Kinda worrying my #1 won't make it. It is a p prominant album cut but there are so many big name singles still to come that i dunno...

Need to take a lunch break. Remaining 5 in a little bit.

Also, I'll say it again. Some of the songs that fell outside of the top 40, much less top 20, really surprised me.

one song i am intrigued to see its overall ranking is happy birthday. i dont suppose it is anywhere near the top 15 but i kinda thought it would make the top 40

The last four songs were all on my ballot so I'm not too worried about the rest of the top 20. I only have big doubts for my number 2.

And I think we still have a lot of 60s singles to look forward to.

Uptight and....?

You serious? 'Shoo-be-doo-be-doo-da-day', 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered', 'If You Really Love Me', 'I Was Made to Love Her'... The list goes on and on.

... and on, indeed.

15. I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER (I Was Made To Love Her, 1967) -- 254 points, 15 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pYux5-d1Es

Nutso bassline.

ok yeah

you mean "Yeah ... yeah ... yeah!"

The bass on that is my first (or maybe second, after "Bernadette") pick for what to play for people who don't know who James Jamerson was, or what he did, or why he was a genius.

14. IF YOU REALLY LOVE ME (Where I'm Coming From, 1971) -- 268 points, 13 votes, 2 #1 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIFVh_5cfmw

Which is, despite '71 release, IMO the last great hurrah for '60s Stevie.

13. I BELIEVE (WHEN I FALL IN LOVE IT WILL BE FOREVER) (Talking Book, 1972) -- 274 points, 15 votes, 1 #1 vote

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls68jEnN7Ik

guess it's not fair to say anything is too low on this list, but Tears of a Clown and Do I Do really are

yay I Believe is my #1. I love that bit before the end chorus when it seems like the band is going to another verse and Stevie is like, naw I believe still! More chorus! And then in the end when Stevie goes all Super Saiyan....!

High Fidelity did good by including it in the soundtrack.

Sometimes I wonder how much that movie is responsible for my generation's veneration of that particular ballad. It's never been my favorite, I regret to say, but maybe it'll click for me.

12. YOU HAVEN'T DONE NOTHIN' (Fulfillingness' First Finale, 1974) -- 278 points, 17 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DclVLRhlX3g

Oh man I love watching Andy Williams bopping to the intro of this one.

Sometimes I wonder how much that movie is responsible for my generation's veneration of that particular ballad. It's never been my favorite, I regret to say, but maybe it'll click for me.

Frears chose wisely though. I remember how shocked I was in the theatre (I had one of those "Yeah!") moments. It'd be churlish of me to wish he'd picked "Maybe Your Baby" instead.

And wrapping up for today:

11. HE'S MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL (Innervisions, 1973) -- 317 points, 13 votes, 2 #1 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AajR5MjMK4

Hats off to the other Stevie Wonder fan with the impeccable taste to rank this first.

i have a feeling it was my #2 maybe

Is "You Haven't Done Nothin'" Stevie's most openly political song?

Maybe the most directly aimed at an individual. "Big Brother" seems a lot more overall political.

Hey, kornrulez, that was yours truly--I see I am in fine company myself!

Yes! It should have been everybody's favorite.

But when you say they're voting wrong, they tell you they know they're voting right.

Still hoping "You Will Know" will place

If you haven't heard the bootleg of SW at the Rainbow Room, NYC in 1973, it's unsurprisingly incredible
http://bootlegsfrombucklberry.blogspot.com/2009/03/stevie-wonder-new-york-1973.html

...Sir Duke... I've had the tune stuck in my head forever, but never actually found out what it was until this poll (I'd been 99% sure it was Stevie, I'd just never pinned it down before).

Ditto, but for Master Blaster

11. HE'S MISSTRA KNOW IT ALL (Innervisions, 1973) -- 317 points, 13 votes, 2 #1 votes
12. YOU HAVEN'T DONE NOTHIN' (Fulfillingness' First Finale, 1974) -- 278 points, 17 votes
13. I BELIEVE (WHEN I FALL IN LOVE IT WILL BE FOREVER) (Talking Book, 1972) -- 274 points, 15 votes, 1 #1 vote
14. IF YOU REALLY LOVE ME (Where I'm Coming From, 1971) -- 268 points, 13 votes, 2 #1 votes
15. I WAS MADE TO LOVE HER (I Was Made To Love Her, 1967) -- 254 points, 15 votes
16. SUPERWOMAN (WHERE WERE YOU WHEN I NEEDED YOU) (Music Of My Mind, 1972) -- 247 points, 13 votes
17. WE CAN WORK IT OUT (Signed, Sealed & Delivered, 1970) -- 231 points, 12 votes, 1 #1 vote
18. CREEPIN' (Fulfillingness' First Finale, 1974) -- 225 points, 14 votes
19. MY CHERIE AMOUR (My Cherie Amour, 1968) -- 221 points, 11 votes
20. THE TEARS OF A CLOWN (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Make It Happen, 1967) -- 216 points, 10 votes
21. BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN (Fulfillingness' First Finale, 1974) -- 204 points, 13 votes
22. VISIONS (Innervisions, 1973) -- 204 points, 9 votes
23. DO I DO (Original Musiquarium, 1982) -- 190 points, 10 votes, 1 #1 vote
24. ANOTHER STAR (Songs in the Key of Life, 1976) -- 185 points, 7 votes
25. MASTER BLASTER (JAMMIN') (Hotter Than July, 1980) -- 181 points, 8 votes
26. HEAVEN IS 10 ZILLION LIGHT YEARS AWAY (Fulfillingness' First Finale, 1974) -- 174 points, 9 votes, 1 #1 vote
27. YOU ARE THE SUNSHINE OF MY LIFE (Talking Book, 1972) -- 170 points, 11 votes
28. TOO HIGH (Innervisions, 1973) -- 167 points, 14 votes
29. LOVE'S IN NEED OF LOVE TODAY (Songs in the Key of Life, 1976) -- 155 points, 7 votes, 1 #1 vote
30. JESUS CHILDREN OF AMERICA (Innervisions, 1973) -- 148 points, 9 votes
31. LOVE HAVING YOU AROUND (Music of My Mind, 1972) -- 140 points, 7 votes
32. BIG BROTHER (Talking Book, 1972) -- 140 points, 6 votes
33. IT'S A SHAME (The Spinners, 2nd Time Around, 1970) -- 137 points, 6 votes
34. PASTTIME PARADISE (Songs in the Key of Life, 1976) -- 135 points, 9 votes
35. (tie) UNTIL YOU COME BACK TO ME (Aretha Franklin, Let Me in Your Life, 1973) -- 131 points, 7 votes
35. (tie) BLAME IT ON THE SUN (Talking Book,, 1972) -- 131 points, 7 votes
37. SUMMER SOFT (Songs in the Key of Life, 1976) -- 128 points, 9 votes, 1 #1 vote
38. FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE (For Once in My Life, 1968) -- 111 points, 9 votes
39. ALL IN LOVE IS FAIR (Innervisions, 1973) -- 103 points, 7 votes
40. ORDINARY PAIN (Songs in the Key of Life, 1976) -- 100 points, 8 votes

Is "You Haven't Done Nothin'" Stevie's most openly political song?

― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Monday, October 10, 2011 4:15 PM (2 hours ago) Book

"Skeletons" too.

"It's Wrong (Apartheid)"
"Livin' for the City"
"Higher Ground"

Also, "Happy Birthday" and "Cash in Your Face."

Also: I'm gay, so every love song is political.

More like sci-fi to me. A solid match with the Clavinet lines.

Was out golfing, so missed today's countdown...I think four of my top five showed up today.