Quick! Pick yout FIVE favorite songs of all time without consulting your record collection

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cannibal ox- the f word
modern folk quartet- this could be the night
television- venus
underworld- juanita/kiteless/to dream of love
the walkmen- rue the day

t0dd swiss, Wednesday, 2 February 2005 03:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Alex: Yep. I don't even find it's all that overplayed, compared to say, "D'Yer Maker", which I hear all the time. Is it really that hard to understand, if you're picking "Prophet's Song"?

Bryan: Thanks. I'd honestly seriously considered just saying
"1-5) Superchunk - 'Slack Motherfucker'".

sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 03:46 (twenty-one years ago)

I did think about picking "The Lemon Song" instead (insane bassline - is this like harmolodic?) but it was supposed to be a quick choice... if you're just picking one, it's very complete and satisfying.

sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 03:50 (twenty-one years ago)

Award Tour - A Tribe Called Quest
Broke - Modest Mouse
Then He Kissed Me - The Crystals
Let's Get Incredible - Lifter Puller
Full Disclosure - Fugazi

Right now, at least

joygoat (joygoat), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 03:57 (twenty-one years ago)

this thread is really really fun

peter smith (plsmith), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 03:59 (twenty-one years ago)

The Spacemen 3 - Honey
Aphex Twin - Windowlicker
New Order - Perfect Kiss
My Bloody Valentine - Never Say Goodbye
My Bloody Valentine - Sunny Sundae Smile

...that was very, very hard

Aerodynamic (Aerodynamic), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 04:00 (twenty-one years ago)

otis redding - dock of the bay
nas - ny state of mind
gladys knight and the pips - midnight train to georgia
ccr - have you ever seen the rain
dr. dre - nuthin' but a g thang

Shmool McShmool (shmuel), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 04:04 (twenty-one years ago)

To try to pick out a couple of my favourite aspects (though I know too much has been written about it): the sighing slide guitar overdub in the guitar solo; the triumphant chorus of guitars pulling off suspensions on D just before the solo; the way that the imagery is thrown about in enough of an abstract manner as to avoid falling into traps of pseudo-medieval kitsch; how it manages to hint at disenchantment, a wish for change, and self-doubt without beating you with any of them.

4xpost

sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 04:07 (twenty-one years ago)

Except for maybe the recorder (?) and maybe the "piper" reference, it doesn't really rely on cliches from classical music or older linguistic/literary forms like a lot of prog and metal, even compared to "Prophet's Song". It evokes that sort of atmosphere using a harmonic (suspensions and a chromatic base for the initial guitar line) and literary vocabulary that was very contemporary.

sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 04:13 (twenty-one years ago)

"Sugar Sugar"-the Archies
"Spirit in the Sky"-Norman Greenbaum
"Goodbye to Love"-Carpenters
"Sweet Thing"/"Candidate"-David Bowie
"I Feel Love"-Donna Summer

Hot Bitch with an Electric Guitarthur (Arthur), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 04:39 (twenty-one years ago)

Kyu Sakamoto - "Sukiyaki"
Mobb Deep - "Shook ones ptII"
Townes van Zandt - "Rex's blues"
Rotary Connection - "Want you to know"
Lipps Inc - "Funkytown"

Jacob (Jacob), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 04:41 (twenty-one years ago)

I also love "Goodbye to Love".

sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 04:45 (twenty-one years ago)

I have to do this again -

Leon Russell - This Masquerade
Rolling Stones - Last Time
Jefferson Airplane - Don't You Want Somebody To Love
The Casinos - Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye
Neil Young - Cortez The Killer

jim wentworth (wench), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 05:08 (twenty-one years ago)

Another 5, then..

Kiley Dean, "Keep It Movin"
Hole, "Violet"
Mystikal, "Bouncin Back"
Delta 5, "Mind Your Own Business"
Jesus Lizard, "Puss"

daria g (daria g), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 05:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Chic - I Want Your Love
Tuxedomoon - Desire
Blur - This Is A Low
Dexys - Plan B
Life Without Buildings - Juno

The last one's always the hardest

Michael Philip Philip Philip Philip Annoyman v1.0 (Ferg), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 05:35 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, I didn't mean Juno, I meant Envoys

Michael Philip Philip Philip Philip Annoyman v1.0 (Ferg), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 05:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Brian Eno "spider and i"
Cure "homesick"
Stones "let's spend the night together"
joy division "transmission"
Big Star "stroke it noel"

Aaron A., Wednesday, 2 February 2005 05:47 (twenty-one years ago)

Jacob, have you heard Emmylou and Ramblin' Jack's cover of "Rex's Blues"? I have to say it's my fave versh.

Aaron A., Wednesday, 2 February 2005 05:48 (twenty-one years ago)

This thread is hard because I need about 20 more slots for my top five songs of all time. I read other peoples lists and I see something else I want to add to my top 5.

Disco Nihilist (mjt), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 05:54 (twenty-one years ago)

there is no Young Marble Giants yet

Aaron A., Wednesday, 2 February 2005 06:04 (twenty-one years ago)

that is good because they are over-rated and corny at the same time.

Disco Nihilist (mjt), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 06:07 (twenty-one years ago)

There simply isn't a way to make an exact science out of this, so I'm not going to let it worry me too much:

1. New Order - Everything's Gone Green
2. Simple Minds - A Brass Band In African Chimes
3. The Past Seven Days - Raindance
4. Nick Drake - Hanging On A Star
5. Robyn Hitchcock - I Used To Say I Love You

10. "New Toy" by Lene Lovich

Yes. Makes me wish Thomas Dolby had done a whole album with her!

Bimble... (Bimble...), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 06:12 (twenty-one years ago)

1. "Wichita Lineman" - Glenn Campbell
2. "Uptown Top Ranking" - Althea and Donna
3. "Visions of Johanna"/"Idiot Wind" (tie) - Dylan
4. "I Put a Spell on You" - various versions, including Screamin Jay Hawkins (obv) and Nina Simone, maybe Nick Cave.
5. "Roads" - Portishead

No, that's all wrong. That's yesterday's list. Today's is:

1. "She's Lost Control" - Joy Division
2. "Ugly Face" - Nina Nastasia
3. "Plainsong" - The Cure
4. "Love Train" - The O'Jays
5. "Levi Stubbs' Tears" - Billy Bragg

Wait, what about tomorrow's list?

1. "The Partisan" - Leonard Cohen (version)
2. "Waterloo Sunset" - The Kinks
3. "Battle of Evermore" - Zeppelin (I know, I know, but I'm... just being honest)
4. "Hitherto" - Cocteau Twins
5. "Time is the Diamond" - Low

Ah, fuck it.

David A. (Davant), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 08:02 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost

"love train"? seriously? i mean, fun song and all that. i guess i've never paid close enough attention to it to consider it as among the best of anything... maybe I should?

polyphonic (polyphonic), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 08:45 (twenty-one years ago)

gordon lightfoot- carefree highway
bascom lamar lunsford- i wish i was a mole in the ground
butthole surfers- human cannonball
bert jansch- needle of death
spectrum- how you satisfy me

noizem duke (noize duke), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 09:03 (twenty-one years ago)

"love train"? seriously? i mean, fun song and all that. i guess i've never paid close enough attention to it to consider it as among the best of anything... maybe I should?

Yeah, I'm not even trying to be objective. It's entirely a subjective list. When I heard "Love Train", I was in a certain place and I felt a certain way and the song just rushed into me and stuck somewhere, a joyful glue aneurysm waiting to burst and stick to everything. A different day and I'd have put "Are Friends Electric?" or "Ring my Bell" or, fuck, I don't know, Shannon's "Let the Music Play" or something. Or some Dusty. Or some Al Green. Or some OutKast. Or some Streets. Or Smiths. Or Yes. Or the last Avril single that, inexplicably, I really love (the one about nobody being home or something along those lines). Or whatever. Ha, it just goes on and on, this music addiction thing and sometimes I wonder if I'll be personally strong enough to keep carrying it forward...

(Ahem *cough*)

David A. (Davant), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 09:09 (twenty-one years ago)

Missy Elliot - "Get UR Freak On"
Carter USM - "Let's Get Tatoos"
Girls Aloud - "No Good Advice"
Chuck Berry - "Johnny B. Goode"
Buzzcocks - "Boredom"

That is a very quick brainstorm and I would need more time to properly scan everything, but Missy is way out at the top.

Nick H (Nick H), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 15:43 (twenty-one years ago)

my favorite so far: Michael Daddino's first list

my new one:
Elis Regina & A.C. Jobim, "Aguas de Marco"
The Sugarcubes, "F***ing in Rhythm and Sorrow"
Sam & Dave, "When Something Is Wrong With My Baby"
Sweet, "Ballroom Blitz"
Parliament, "Flashlight"

The Obligatory Sourpuss (Begs2Differ), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 15:55 (twenty-one years ago)

More:

Johnny Cash - Cocaine Blues
Yo La Tengo - From A Motel 6
Funkadelic - You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure
NWA - Straight Outta Compton
Gang of Four - I Found That Essence Rare

joygoat (joygoat), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 18:39 (twenty-one years ago)

off teh top of my head

Underworld-Two Months Off
Misfits-Where Eagles Dare
Gang of Four-I Found That Essence Rare (I thought of it before I read the last post, I swear, that is a great choice though)
Takkyu Ishino-The Rising Suns
Clash-The Card Cheat

Allyzay Highlights The Fallacy of Radiohead (allyzay), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 18:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Ally, those Underworld and Misfits songs are amazing. The others may be too but I don't know them.

sundar subramanian (sundar), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 19:51 (twenty-one years ago)

Oh you should search out The Card Cheat, it's thoroughly ridiculous, Spectoresque type of LOUD WALL OF GIRL GROUP production and the lyrics reference at one point the Hundred Years' War and the Crimea (but the line about the opium dens and the barroom gin sounds better).

Allyzay Highlights The Fallacy of Radiohead (allyzay), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 20:00 (twenty-one years ago)

Saint Etienne - Nothing Can Stop Us
Pulp - Common People
Cristina - Don't Be Greedy
The Shangri-Las - Out In The Streets
Girls Aloud - No Good Advice

Alex in Doncaster (Alex in Doncaster), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 20:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Peter Murphy - "Cuts You Up"
Echo & the Bunnymen - "The Killing Moon"
This Ascension - "August Rain"
Nick Drake - "Which Will"
The Chameleons - "In Answer"

Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 3 February 2005 00:13 (twenty-one years ago)

(That's probably not accurate.)

Curt1s St3ph3ns, Thursday, 3 February 2005 00:13 (twenty-one years ago)

fIve? Just like that? right here goes, right now, no cheating.another five in five seconds....
Whatever...Husker du
My Bloody Valentine...Swallow
Fila Brazillia..a Zed and Ls
God, I'm panicking and trying not to pause, honest...Wire....the 15th
erm, Ramones ...don't wanna go down to the Basement.

did my head in and i lied and cheated am not happy with my list.

hull hole (hull hole), Thursday, 3 February 2005 00:26 (twenty-one years ago)

uh
mississippi john hurt 'nobody's dirty business'
minutemen 'my heart & the real world'
nirvana 'negative creep'
black sabbath 'supernaut'
can 'vitamin c'

Ian John50n (orion), Thursday, 3 February 2005 02:32 (twenty-one years ago)

"LOUD WALL OF GIRL GROUP"

great band name, by the way!

scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 3 February 2005 02:41 (twenty-one years ago)

My Bloody Valentine, "To Here Knows When"
Parliament, "Ride On"
Sonic Youth, "Schizophrenia"
Primal Scream, "MBV Arkestra (If They Move, Kill 'Em)"
David Banner, "Fuck 'Em"

Matt Chesnut, Thursday, 3 February 2005 02:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Here's a quick 5 with my tastes 14 years ago as the theme!

Rush - Tom Sawyer
Butthole Surfers - P.S.Y
Police - So Lonely
Residents - Lizard Lady
Voivod - The Unknown Knows

PiersT, Thursday, 3 February 2005 02:54 (twenty-one years ago)

My 5 favorites in 1985 would have been:

1. Beatles, "Penny Lane"
2. Styx, "Music Time"
3. Marty Balin, "Hearts"
4. Barry Manilow, "Daybreak"
5. Billy Joel, "Pressure"

Joseph McCombs (Joseph McCombs), Thursday, 3 February 2005 03:02 (twenty-one years ago)

The Fauves - Dwarf on Dwarf
You Am I - Jaimme's got a Gal
The Stones - Cant ya hear me knockin'
The Replacements - Answering Machine
AC/DC - Whole Lotta Rosie

The Velvet Overlord (The Velvet Overlord), Thursday, 3 February 2005 03:08 (twenty-one years ago)

prefuse 73 - nuno
pavement - father to a sister of a thought
pet shop boys - west end girls
bill frisell - something representative off of the first buster keaton soundtrack disk
essex green - last track on 'everything is green'

arjun (arjun), Thursday, 3 February 2005 04:14 (twenty-one years ago)

without thinking at all, I'm sure some of these are more like #15:

Scala - I Touch Myself
Belle & Sebastian - Century of Fakers
Gareth Gates - Unchained Melody
Baxendale - Music for Girls
The Hacker - Fadin' Away (Dima remix)

Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 3 February 2005 04:22 (twenty-one years ago)

my bloody valentine -- "soon"
frank zappa -- "peaches en regalia"
gary numan -- "are 'friends' electric?"
geto boys -- "mind playin' tricks on me"
david bowie -- "space oddity"

Eisbär (llamasfur), Thursday, 3 February 2005 04:28 (twenty-one years ago)

Would Be Goods - The Camera Loves Me
Galaxie 500 - Oblivious
Stone Roses - Sally Cinnamon
the Kinks - Two Sisters
Emitt Rhodes - Fresh as a Daisy

youn, Thursday, 3 February 2005 04:28 (twenty-one years ago)

"Rosa Parks" - Outkast
"Transmission" - Joy Division
"Airbag" - Radiohead
"Cruisers Creek" - The Fall
"Debaser" - The Pixies

Jessie, Thursday, 3 February 2005 04:55 (twenty-one years ago)

It's weird how little these seem to have to do with what you actually listen to.

Gravel Puzzleworth (Gregory Henry), Thursday, 3 February 2005 04:56 (twenty-one years ago)

Another 5:

Elvis - Long Black limousine
Beatles - I'm Only Sleeping
De La Soul - I Am I Be
Prince - Darling Nikki
Marvin Gaye - I Heard it through the grapevine

Shmool McShmool (shmuel), Thursday, 3 February 2005 05:19 (twenty-one years ago)

Liliput, "Split"
James Brown, "Get Up, Get Into It and Get Involved"
Stereolab, "Jenny Ondioline"
The Art of Noise, "Close-Up"
Brian Eno, "Seven Deadly Finns"

Douglas (Douglas), Thursday, 3 February 2005 05:24 (twenty-one years ago)


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