A POLL Bizarre ~~~ It's the ILM 80's R&B TRACKS POLL ~~~ RESULTS THREAD!!!

I feel like Janet should have placed more, but I don't think anything will beat "When I Think Of You" here. I prefer "Nasty" and "Miss You Much".

And no Jody Watley :-(

The biggest shockers here from my view are no Sylvester and no Maze.

guessing jody got vote-split to hell. i personally had trouble deciding which of her songs to vote for

no Maze

oh shit! fuck this poll imo

As we're talking about big omissions, I'm disappointed Nona Hendryx didn't place anywhere on the list.

Solo Jody Watley is fine but she's not top 300 of the decade material imo.

speaking of not nearly enough shalamar placed

maze another victim of voters' tendency to overlook 'adult'/quiet stormish stuff that wasn't anita baker or sade (or "moments in love" lol)

xxpost Contrasted with her vocals on, say, 'Second Time Around', her solo stuff sounds so...muted? Restrained? Something.

it is! that's part of the appeal imo

Few songs have the same effect on my favorite old folks as "Before I Let Go."

i saw an entire field of ppl lose it to "before i let go" recently; i'm ashamed to admit that i *forgot* to vote for it, even though i placed "back in stride" really high in my ballot

I'm ashamed it only managed to get onto the lower unranked half of my ballot.

https://img.discogs.com/yIqjxuknFAbP64NV_HHbB7HVW_I=/fit-in/600x597/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-163681-1268922360.jpeg.jpg
6. Rufus & Chaka Khan - Ain't Nobody
1031 points, 17 votes, 1 number one
https://youtu.be/ZhU_jZeSy9w

FINALLY!

classic! but didn't have room for it on my ballot lol

My number 1 until a last minute swap out to George Benson because I always have this as number 1 when I make lists that it's eligible for.

I'll take number 6 I guess

should be no. 1

My number 1! Great to see it this high up.

So far nothing's gotten more than 1 #1 placement

I like this better than her version of "I Feel For You". I like "I Know You, I Live You" better than either, but that's not gonna place.

"I Know You" and "wha'cha Gonna Do" both deserved top 50 slots

This should have a couple really xxp

Quiet storm, apart from anything that crossed over to AC radio (or what my mom listened to on most car trips when I was a kid) is a huge blind spot for me. I don't typically love R&B ballads unless the chord changes are really rich - my dream is for someone to make me a playlist of 80s quiet storm stuff with lots of minor 7th and minor 9th chords.

https://img.discogs.com/a6R0D7BxluWRJFopxWS1DwuAa7U=/fit-in/551x543/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-6646834-1423783804-8360.jpeg.jpg
5. Taana Gardner - Heartbeat
1092 points, 17 votes, 1 number one
https://youtu.be/QjpELZNsTD4

xpost re: Chaka, That one is a pleasant surprise. It unfortunately dropped off the bottom of my ballot, but I'm glad y'all are here to make up for my unfortunate lapses in character.

Aaaaand I don't think I know what the #5 best r&b song of the '80s even is.

Well it's your lucky day then

Yay for Heartbeat! Never dreamed it would place this high, but what a beat, what a groove, what a time to be alive!

The high placement of this is probably my biggest surprise of the whole poll. It deserves to be here.

yes!!

Now you know this don't make no kinda sense!

the part in the middle where everything drops away but the heartbeat gives me chills every time

The thing is, the idea of slowing down a disco tune to a heart beat sounds like obvious and easy, but it isn't. You can't just mechanically change your tempo, you gotta slow down your tone, your attitude, your whole sensibility. And no one has done it as perfectly as she and her backing here. It's too slow to dance, but it's too natural not to dance!

The bassline in Heartbeat is all-time.

My #2. I only wish I could hear Heartbeat for the first time again.

well now I've got "Buddy" stuck in my head

https://img.discogs.com/0wzbg5esA4omTYqiMiQOq4T5MqQ=/fit-in/600x593/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-77433-1261768569.jpeg.jpg
4. Neneh Cherry - Buffalo Stance
1126 points, 17 votes
https://youtu.be/JWsRz3TJDEY

I cannot be mad at this at all, incredible song.

Not thrilled, ILM.

Perfect song.

Hey, all right!

But hey, I got to witness "Deeper and Deeper" land #3 on a Madonna poll. So my quota on poll happiness has been filled.

Holy shit!!

oh wow nice :) a surprise toward the top

Okay, I have seven from my top 25 that still haven't placed, two are definitely going to show up, and roughly 3-4 of those remaining are just absolutely shameful omissions from the top 300. Shaaaaameful.

The thing is, the idea of slowing down a disco tune to a heart beat sounds like obvious and easy, but it isn't. You can't just mechanically change your tempo, you gotta slow down your tone, your attitude, your whole sensibility. And no one has done it as perfectly as she and her backing here. It's too slow to dance, but it's too natural not to dance!

Sorry, accidentally posted that twice.

wtf are you talking about, though

"Buffalo Stance" is a total surprise, wow! So "Smooth Criminal" didn't make it to the top 250 at all?! I was totally expecting it to be #4!