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

Thanks to overplay in the last week, I keep praying that "Queen in the Black" will make it. Of course it won't.

happy that i helped "For Once In My Life" make it. i also voted for "Summer Soft" even though i'm not that wild about it out of respect for eric for doing the poll.

summer soft is outstanding u fools

also if i had more internet time in my life i would have voted the shit out of this poll :/

hey guess what i voted for "summer soft" and u didn't so who's the fool huh :folds arms:

I don't actually hate any of the songs that made the first batch of the countdown. "You Are the Sunshine of My Life" is the closest I think the entire top 40 has to a dud track.

Unlike the goddamned documentary poll.

There is a documentary poll?

I voted for "Sunshine.." I think it's far more complex that it gets credit for.

I voted for it too for basically that reason - it's constantly slightly surprising, where it goes.

Arch, the documentary poll was a couple of months ago -- An Impossible Job: ILX's 40 Favorite Documentaries

Forgot to say it yesterday, but "Heaven is 10 Zillion" is probably one of the only songs whose presence in the top 40 really outright puzzles me, even though I like it a lot. I say that knowing which of his enduringly popular ballads missed the list entirely, and knowing I browbeat voters to include "Summer Soft" in honor of me.

Aw no, it's great - not sure I'd ever paid it any heed before researching for this poll, and I certainly wasn't expecting much with that title, but it wowed me a bit.

FFF gets the least press of the major albums, so, yeah, I'm surprised too despite voting for it.

It is one a pretty oddity, tho. Somehow R&B spacey and lopingly Grand Ole Opry at the same time. One of the most jarring changes in his repertoire, too, when it diminishes as he reaches "but if there is a god."

Fantastic song, really.

it is one a pretty oddity.

PS I voted for Summer Soft too, and I never even noticed you shilling for it

XP - Thanks William for the link to the docu poll; some interesting titles there!

I didn't vote, have no idea what's expected to win, but hope Sir Duke places highly

Great list so far. Love's In Need Of Love Today was my number one. Really happy to see Blame It On The Sun and Zillion Light Years make it.

I'm really hoping some Syreeta pops up soon, not really sure which her most popular songs are though.

This process taught me that Sir Duke, amazing though it is, has a very clunky lyric. I'm grateful though - 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).

OK, let's go!

25. MASTER BLASTER (JAMMIN') (Hotter Than July, 1980) -- 181 points, 8 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uv_wZQJYlo0

I am the Blaster Master
― Mickey (modestmickey), Sunday, February 6, 2005 9:10 PM (6 years ago)

24. ANOTHER STAR (Songs in the Key of Life, 1976) -- 185 points, 7 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9KKBvWTdMQ

Wanted to dig up the clip of this song's appearance in an episode of Quantum Leap. Sam played a Chippendale's dancer who became infatuated with a deaf girl dancer after he observed her running through some moves to this song. Hit a lot of my buttons, you know?

I bet.

(Also, was a top 5 placer on my ballot.)

23. DO I DO (Original Musiquarium, 1982) -- 190 points, 10 votes, 1 #1 vote

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQEBZfG5SaY

I question the sanity of any voter who didn't include "Do I Do" in the top thirty.
― lumber up, limbaugh down (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), via email ballot

"Do I Do" was really the only song that ever replaced "Summer Soft" atop my list of all-time favorite Stevie joints for any extended period of time.

It seems his "September," his most purest expression of volatile joy.

The best scene in Michael Chabon's Mysteries of Pittsburgh unfolds in the novel's first third: our hero dances with a girl "to that summer's Stevie Wonder hit...something about chocolate kisses."

that "September" analogy is spot-on.

I don't think I paid attention to OM - I thought it was just a comp?

With two fantastic and two okay new songs.

oh, i guess i should check that out then :D still having new stevie to listen to after listening to like 40 hours of music = good times

Eh, what - Master Blaster only #25?!

im kinda glad mb(j) didn't come higher, even if i <3 it

22. VISIONS (Innervisions, 1973) -- 204 points, 9 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aya94fiCCs8

I love love love the interplay of guitars in "Visions", it is a total trip. The bass is stellar, too.
― m bison, Thursday, July 12, 2007 8:44 PM (4 years ago)

wonder if all of innervisions will make it

Those acoustic guitars are soooo gorgeous!

So, 'As' is regarded better than 'Another Star'? Hm.

21. BOOGIE ON REGGAE WOMAN (Fulfillingness' First Finale, 1974) -- 204 points, 13 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tCeAZ1nQjk

"Boogie On Reggae Woman" may be the most This Song Is About Fucking song ever recorded by someone other than Prince.
― Digable James Cobo, Tuesday, October 29, 2002 3:09 AM (8 years ago)

o_O at that vid

Boogie on Striped Pants

the song is about as fun as stevie got

Boogie on Maggie Thatcher

Boogie on Random Butts

20. THE TEARS OF A CLOWN (Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Make It Happen, 1967) -- 216 points, 10 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zww7FQILQec

the consolations of oldies radio

All I'm saying is if I hear "Tears of a Clown" one more time it's gonna get nasty.
― Gear! (Gear!), Thursday, March 11, 2004 1:28 PM (7 years ago)

Doh! Totally forgot that one!

Gotta say, for awhile, this was trending into the top 10.

jam. forgot to vote for it tho. only voted for one song where stevie wasn't the lead voice on it, and i bet i'm the only person to do so (busta's been through the storm).

Can neither confirm nor deny.

19. MY CHERIE AMOUR (My Cherie Amour, 1968) -- 221 points, 11 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI3tCJ1qbu8