Manic Street Preachers Destructive Alienating Cultural and Despair Filled Tracks POLL RESULTS

oh hello. shit juss got real.

Ha! I didn't think that would win.

allsimgonnasayandimgonnaberealbriefhereisthatireallyfuckinhatethatterriblegoddamnsongthereisaidit

Heard it a few too many times to vote for it, but I figured it'd place about there.

TOO LOW

It's not really a terrible song though, is it? It's not like we've just put symm in the top five.

"ADFL" isn't the best example, but I've always loved the sound of EMG, production-wise - somehow both shiny/colorful and ever-so-slightly raw.

no, we've put one of the best pop songs of all time in instead.

3. Yes (from The Holy Bible) [11 votes, 2 first place, 344 points, 1994]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mtwZaRObP8

Gah, I was hoping it'd win. What a track.

xp Ha, exactly - one of the greatest singles of the 90s. Not just a terrific lyric, melody and arrangement but a biopic-perfect break with the past and ideal introduction to Nicky's more humanist, melancholy, old-school socialist worldview. (Which was there previously but always overshadowed by Richey and never this beautifully executed.) I remember reading that when Nicky gave James the lyric he requested "a sense of melancholic victory" from the music. I think the lyric was originally longer but James pared it down to create a sense of space and grace in contrast to the scrunched-up verbosity of The Holy Bible.

The orchestral version of ADFL on Forever Delayed is really nice.

everyone i've loved or hated always seems to leave

and #2 is...?

2. Faster (from The Holy Bible) [11 votes, 3 first place, 347 points, 1994]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hMqpR9AogI

"just an ambulance at the bottom of a cliff " refers to a story involving a childs playground at the top of a cliff, people were worried that the children would fall off and die, but instead of erecting a fence they put an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff so that they could get them to hospital quickly. I havn't a clue if this is a true story but i think it reflect a lot in soceity and its twisted logic. Has anyone else heard this story and remember it more complete than myself?

xp

<3 <3 <3 FASTER <3 <3 <3

v close between 2 & 3 !

I agonised about Yes and This Is Yesterday for my no.1. If I'd gone with Yes it'd've been #2 (at least!)

Faster: Richey's best lyric? James' best treatment? Love the sheer - I gotta say it - manic braggadocio, something that simmers under most of the rest of THB, even the obvious victim songs like 4st 7lb or Yes. "Self disgust is self obsession", and though he seems to spurn the former here he obviously is still suffering from the latter.

I can't see that youtube right now, but I hope you've gone with the incredible Top Of The Pops performance.

yes it is and yes it was

I'm all in favour of bands coming across like a deranged terrorist cell. Faster is such a gloriously lean, hard, aggressive, brutal piece of music and polemic.

The narrator could be the son of the guy from First We Take Manhattan.

I. AM. AN. ARC-EE-TECT!

it's such a bold statement of personal agenda, an only slightly hysterical 'fuck you, i'm right, the world is wrong'. if he had had the faith in himself to really be this guy, who takes on the world, instead of the guy who is beaten down by it, i guess things would have turned out differently.

1. The Ballad Of The Bangkok Novotel (b-side to Found That Soul) [312 votes, 89 first place, 3001 points, 2001]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42955-rehKk

GET IN!!

it took me all day to register 88 socks but goddammit, now we are actually here, it was all worth it

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_WCQMmI1Oazc/TL73WQkGN4I/AAAAAAAAACA/-TEuBiY-FfI/s1600/headbang.jpg

http://www.socialmediascience.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/crowdsurf.jpg

sorry, just recalculated actually it's

1. Break My Heart Slowly (from Nicky Wire's classic I Killed The Zeitgeist) [400 votes, 94 first place, 3122 points, 2006]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ejh7Z0KmbBw

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_CdKESCVynAI/SbzlrtMjXuI/AAAAAAAACTg/6RMCOkDKTc4/s400/James%2BDean%2BBradfield1.jpg

http://i55.tinypic.com/18d4cj.jpg

ok ok

1. Motorcycle Emptiness (from Generation Terrorists) [15 votes, 2 first place, 424 points, 1992]

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

Ah, can't really argue. When we went to Japan on holiday, I made a point of getting a despondent photo of me framed in an alienating hotel window, a la Richey in the video. Would've done more at the ferris wheel, but it's in Yokohama and we didn't go there.

interesting, faster got more 1st places but for some reason a good chunk of voters didn't touch it, whereas nearly everyone voted for ME. as of course they should have. feels like being a teenager again.

thanks to everyone who voted and commented. if you want to know positions of any other tracks let me know...

No, thank YOU. Go on, give us a full rundown.

yeah, it was cool to see the full list of positions/score/votes/#1s if you can just dump that stuff into a post.

thanks jamie, superb job.

okay here goes, everything voted for, don't have time to stick in the albums, years on the non 50 stuff though

114. Gold Against The Soul [1 votes, 12 points]
113. Let Robeson Sing [1 votes, 12 points]
112. Black Holes For The Young [1 votes, 13 points]
111. Born To End [1 votes, 13 points]
110. Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head [1 votes, 13 points]
109. To Repel Ghosts [1 votes, 13 points]
108. Australia [1 votes, 14 points]
107. Intravenous Agnostic [1 votes, 14 points]
106. Send Away The Tigers [1 votes, 14 points]
105. The Convalescent [1 votes, 14 points]
104. I'm Not Working [1 votes, 17 points]
103. Love Turn Us Under [1 votes, 17 points]
102. Teenage 20/20 [1 votes, 18 points]
101. Virginia State Epileptic Colony [1 votes, 18 points]
100. 4eva Delayed [1 votes, 19 points]
99. Automatik Technicolour [1 votes, 20 points]
98. Love's Sweet Exile [1 votes, 20 points]
97. Ready For Drowning [1 votes, 20 points]
96. Horses Under Starlight [1 votes, 21 points]
95. Door To The River [1 votes, 22 points]
94. Empty Souls [1 votes, 22 points]
93. I Live To Fall Asleep [1 votes, 22 points]
92. Postcards From A Young Man [1 votes, 22 points]
91. Second Great Depression [1 votes, 22 points]
90. Some Kind Of Nothingness [1 votes, 22 points]
89. This Joke Sport Severed [1 votes, 22 points]
88. Umbrella [1 votes, 22 points]
87. We Are All Bourgeois Now [1 votes, 22 points]
86. All Is Vanity [1 votes, 23 points]
85. Democracy Coma [1 votes, 23 points]
84. Emily [1 votes, 23 points]
83. Facing page:top left [1 votes, 23 points]
82. Indian Summer [1 votes, 23 points]
81. Marlon JD [1 votes, 23 points]
80. Strip It Down [1 votes, 23 points]
79. Underdogs [1 votes, 23 points]
78. Methodone Pretty [1 votes, 24 points]
77. SYMM [1 votes, 24 points]
76. The Love Of Richard Nixon [1 votes, 26 points]
75. You're Tender And You're Tired [1 votes, 26 points]
74. You Stole The Sun From My Heart [1 votes, 26 points]
73. Another Invented Disease [1 votes, 28 points]
72. Natwest Barclays Midlands Lloyds [2 votes, 28 points]
71. Me And Stephen Hawking [1 votes, 30 points]
70. Never Want Again [2 votes, 33 points]
69. Bag Lady [2 votes, 35 points]
68. Comfort Comes [2 votes, 35 points]
67. Patrick Bateman [2 votes, 35 points]
66. Solitude Sometimes Is [2 votes, 37 points]
65. William's Last Words (Underworld Remix) [2 votes, 38 points]
64. Condemned To Rock N Roll [2 votes, 39 points]
63. Crucifix Kiss [1 votes, 1 first place, 40 points]
62. The Girl Who Wanted to be God [2 votes, 41 points]
61. Yourself [2 votes, 42 points]
60. AutumnSong [2 votes, 43 points]
59. Tsunami [2 votes, 43 points]
58. Judge Yrself [2 votes, 44 points]
57. New Art Riot [2 votes, 44 points]
56. The Year of Purification [2 votes, 47 points]
55. The Masses Against the Classes [2 votes, 48 points]
54. Repeat (UK) [3 votes, 49 points]
53. 1985 [2 votes, 51 points]
52. The Intense Humming Of Evil [2 votes, 52 points]
51. Black Dog On My Shoulder [3 votes, 53 points]
50. Ocean Spray (from Know Your Enemy) [3 votes, 54 points, 2001]
49. My Little Empire (from This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours) [3 votes, 55 points, 1998]
48. Interiors (Song for Willem De Kooning) (from Everything Must Go) [2 votes, 56 points, 1996]
47. Spectators Of Suicide (from Generation Terrorists) [3 votes, 57 points, 1992]
46. Found That Soul (from Know Your Enemy) [4 votes, 58 points, 2001]
45. My Guernica (from Know Your Enemy) [3 votes, 60 points, 2001]
44. Epicentre (from Know Your Enemy) [2 votes, 1 first place, 62 points, 2001]
43. Archives Of Pain (from The Holy Bible) [3 votes, 64 points, 1994]
42. So Why So Sad (from Know Your Enemy) [2 votes, 1 first place, 65 points, 2001]
41. Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky (from Everything Must Go) [4 votes, 67 points, 1996]
40. Sepia (b-side to Kevin Carter) [3 votes, 68 points, 1996]
39. ifwhiteamericatoldthetruthforonedayit'sworldwouldfallapart (from The Holy Bible) [4 votes, 70 points, 1994] (tied with 37 & 38)
38. Revol (from The Holy Bible) [3 votes, 70 points, 1994] (tied with 37 & 39)
37. Your Love Alone Is Not Enough (from Send Away The Tigers) [3 votes, 1 first place, 70 points, 2007] (tied with 38 & 39)
36. Too Cold Here (b-side to Revol) [3 votes, 71 points, 1994]
35. Enola/Alone (from Everything Must Go) [3 votes, 81 points, 1996] tied with 34 & 33
34. Mausoleum (from The Holy Bible) [3 votes, 81 points, 1994] tied with 35 & 33
33. There By The Grace Of God (from Forever Delayed) [3 votes, 81 points, 2002] tied with 34 & 35
32. Dead Trees and Traffic Islands (b-side to A Design For Life) [4 votes, 82 points, 1996] tied with 31 & 30
31. Jackie Collins Existential Question Time (from Journal For Plague Lovers) [5 votes, 82 points, 2009] tied with 32 & 30
30. Theme from M.A.S.H. (Suicide Is Painless) (stand-alone single) [4 votes, 82 points, 1992] tied with 31 & 32
29. The Everlasting (from This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours) [4 votes, 83 points, 1998]
28. Peeled Apples (from Journal For Plague Lovers) [4 votes, 85 points, 2009]
27. She Is Suffering (from The Holy Bible) [4 votes, 91 points, 1994]
26. Prologue To History (b-side to If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next) [5 votes, 92 points, 1998]
25. Slash & Burn (from Generation Terrorists) [5 votes, 99 points, 1992]
24. No Surface All Feeling (from Everything Must Go) [4 votes, 109 points, 1996]
23. P.C.P. (from The Holy Bible) [6 votes, 110 points, 1994]
22. Elvis Impersonator: Blackpool Pier (from Everything Must Go) [5 votes, 111 points, 1996]
21. Roses In The Hospital (from Gold Against The Soul) [6 votes, 118 points, 1993]
20. Life Becoming A Landslide (from Gold Against The Soul) [6 votes, 120 points, 1993]
19. Everything Must Go (from Everything Must Go) [6 votes, 121 points, 1996]
18. Further Away (from Everything Must Go) [6 votes, 134 points, 1996]
17. Little Baby Nothing (from Generation Terrorists) [6 votes, 144 points, 1992]
16. If You Tolerate This, Your Children Will Be Next (from This Is My Truth, Tell Me Yours) [7 votes, 150 points, 1998]
15. Of Walking Abortion (from The Holy Bible) [7 votes, 151 points, 1994]
14. Stay Beautiful (from Generation Terrorists) [6 votes, 152 points, 1992]
13. Die in the Summertime (from The Holy Bible) [7 votes, 154 points, 1994]
12. Motown Junk (stand-alone single) [7 votes, 156 points, 1991]
11. You Love Us (from Generation Terrorists) [7 votes, 159 points, 1992]
10. La Tristessa Durera (Scream to a Sigh) (from Gold Against The Soul) [8 votes, 170 points, 1993] tied with 9
9. Sleepflower (from Gold Against The Soul) [7 votes, 170 points, 1993] tied with 10
8. From Despair to Where (from Gold Against The Soul) [9 votes, 189 points, 1993]
7. This Is Yesterday (from The Holy Bible) [7 votes, 1 first place, 202 points, 1994]
6. 4st 7lb (from The Holy Bible) [9 votes, 1 first place, 244 points, 1994]
5. Kevin Carter (from Everything Must Go) [9 votes, 1 first place, 252 points, 1996]
4. A Design For Life (from Everything Must Go) [11 votes, 2 first place, 275 points, 1996]
3. Yes (from The Holy Bible) [11 votes, 2 first place, 344 points, 1994]
2. Faster (from The Holy Bible) [11 votes, 3 first place, 347 points, 1994]
1. Motorcycle Emptiness (from Generation Terrorists) [15 votes, 2 first place, 424 points, 1992]

Raindrops was mine, surprised noöne else voted for it. I also voted for Repeat. Apart from them, everything else made the fifty.

my fallen soldiers:

8. Methadone Pretty
11. New Art Riot
12. Love's Sweet Exile
14. Teenage 20/20
16. Condemned To Rock 'N' Roll
19. Born To End

looks like i was the only person to vote for 4 of these (love's sweet exile??) but then i did have all of the top 3 in my top 5 so i can't complain.

So just me voting for 4Ever Delayed then. Other non-placers: William's Last Words, Comfort Comes, Solitude Sometimes Is.

And thanks Jamie. That was fun. More fun even than The Intense Humming of Evil.

Thanks! This was a fun poll with a ton of Youtube material to check out after the fact.

Mine that didn't place:

6 You're Tender and You're Tired
11 Horses Under Starlight
12 Tsunami
16 Nat West-Barclays-Midlands-Lloyds
17 Repeat (UK)

Did any other Americans vote in this? I gotta admit a lack of familiarity with a whole lot of B-sides (which is not totally surprising, considering).

Cheers Jamie!

My sole non-placer: 72. Natwest Barclays Midlands Lloyds [2 votes, 28 points]. Everything in the top seven was in my top seven but I had first and second place swapped.

Really wish Horses Under Starlight had placed. love it.

I didn't vote, but I'd have stuck Raindrops pretty high

(Motorcycle Emptiness) feels like being a teenager again.

Yus indeed - Can't listen to it without being transported back to Hatfield Forum indie night.

yay, someone else voted for "Never Want Again"!