ILM Top 100 2005-2009: TRACKS

more than half of the songs so far are songs i've only heard of (as in I might know of the act, but not the song specifically) on ILM, or maybe glancing at Pitchfork or a couple other blogs maintained by ILM people.

I voted for this, mainly because I loved it at the time.

Also, TRIANGLE!

...i've only heard of ...on ILM ...or a couple other blogs maintained by ILM people

That's why this is the ILM poll and not the Guardian poll or Washington Post poll.

I can't believe this is the Washington Post.

i kind of assumed that everything nominated was a single in some capacity, i was just working from the nom list on this one

so if i voted for any album tracks i apologize

ugh i thought people would've been over justice by now, sp wrong that this placed ahead of an actual dance classic like "rej"

there's not much in music that i strongly dislike, but the overcompressed production on the justice album is up there

having experienced both in the right context (club dancefloor) and in the right ~state of mind~ i think the empirical evidence suggests that "rej" leads to total hands-in-the-air ecstatic moments while "d.a.n.c.e." leads to grimacing and maybe leaving the club

49. MARIAH CAREY "We Belong Together" (2005) [283 points, 13 votes, 1 first place vote]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0habxsuXW4g

really hoping that Kelley Polar will make the list but the increasing profile of the artists as it counts down makes that seem unlikely.

love love love love love that song

omfg omfg i didn't think that would place!!! "we belong together" - 3rd of my votes, such a perfectly-constructed, perfectly-delivered heartbreaker of a song

This is the only Justice that still stands up for me.

xp Lex - I don't think the right context really is a club dancefloor - it's a pop song dressed up in genre trappings, much closer to Lisztomania or Love Story than Rej.

the god performance

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLmbWXTJ18Q

xxxp yeah this is the sad point at which all the pet picks from your top 10 are pretty much confirmed no-shows

i still like "d.a.n.c.e" a lot, but haven't listened to the album in ages, don't think it would hold up

I don't think the right context really is a club dancefloor - it's a pop song dressed up in genre trappings, much closer to Lisztomania or Love Story than Rej.

it works even worse as a pop single

Can't get past his voice on Lisztomania, it's TERRIBLE, which is weird seeing as I love Too Young and If I Ever Feel Better.

DANCE is alright but if either In White Rooms or Body Language don't place it'll be a travesty.

48. ESTELLE ft. KANYE WEST "American Boy" (2008) [284 points, 12 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ic5vxw3eijY

gah

still great imo

i love how mariah constantly plays with the song's metre in "we belong together" - you feel like she's on the verge of tears but she's trying to hold back, trying to be restrained, hiccuping and stuttering and passing the narrative to the backing vox (which are all still her of course) and the radio, but there's always the big pay-off where she gives in to her emotions. and she doesn't belt properly until the final iteration of the chorus, which immediately fades out. best lines:

"i'm feeling all out of my element / throwing things / crying / trying to figure out where the hell i went / wrong, the pain inflicted in this song / it ain't even half of what i'm feeling inside / i need you, need you back in my life"

ayyyy "american boy" <3 <3

Haha okay Booka Shade probably aren't going to place in this are they?

I fear an imminent lack of Paavoharju (though they'd better turn up on the albums list)...

Justice is a terrible start to the top 50. Decent Mariah song. Love the Estelle/Kanye joint.

Maybe American Boy has just underperformed as I'd have had it as a lock for the Top 20.

top 20 will be GAPDY parade

xp I would've too. That's why I sacrificed ranking it super-high on my ballot because I figured others would pick up my slack. At least it placed in the top 50, but I was hoping for higher.

47. ERYKAH BADU "The Healer" (2008) [285.5 points, 12 votes, 1 first place vote]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuObEg9A2Ew

i never thought "american boy" would place highly - it took a last-minute nom from me to get it in the list at all

great to see erykah here, but i'm basically hoping new amerykah rights the wrongs of the 2008 poll and places FIRST in the albums

Love the Erykah track, glad it made the Top L.

Not so much commentary about Erykah, sooooo....

46. KANYE WEST "Flashing Lights" (2007) [288.5 points, 15 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-a--Pc7R8PU

I probably should just shut up because I didn't vote (lol) but all of these "oh I didn't vote for that because I figured someone else would" comments basically affirm my position that tactical voting is for suckas

Kanye, 3; Karin Dreijer Andersson, 3

Flashing Lights imo one of the greatest nothing songs in recent memory. I mean, it goes nowhere, but sounds completely wonderful doing it. Plus the video...bang!

killer backing track. Kanye is just OK.

Kanye's at four now, fwiw.

Flashing Lights
Gold Digger
Can't Tell Me Nothing
Love Lockdown

+ the Estelle track

ITS GAPDYX on ILM. We agreed on that after the ILM poll

I don't know. When I rank stuff by how much I want to see it rock the list, it usually produces an accurate list of my favorites anyway. For me, tactical voting=voting for "the best"

^^^Right!

Kanye, 4; Karin Dreijer Andersson, 3

there will be more Knife action to come, i assume

I have faith that this won't be too GAPDY heavy, it's only 2009 and there are other years that were much stronger. Plus there was non-GAPDY stuff that had a much higher showing in the 2009 poll. You guys are overestimating the impact of last year.

Early bet on I FEEL SPACE as a surprise entry into the Top 10.

calling it now: "My Girls" @ #1

"The Insistor" @ #2

45. MIDLAKE "Roscoe" (2006) [289 points, 13 votes, 1 first place vote]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDL9bXlwbM4

calling it now: "My Girls" @ #1

― ksh, Friday, July 2, 2010 6:13 PM (48 seconds ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

barf

prefer the btws remix of that song but still