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

"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!

a) it is not too slow to dance to
b) you CAN just mechanically change your tempo, that's what tempo markings are for
c) the attitude and sensibility are driven by the overall content/intent of the song, not just the tempo

Yeah, my point was just that b without c wouldn't work at all, and here it works perfectly.

I'm not going to be able to check in on the results until later on, I really hope Cameo win but really I can't complain about the three songs that are left. This whole top 10 has been fantastic. Excellent work everyone.

Can't remember where, but it was definitely in my top 10. What a track.

i only voted for one of the top five so that's my guess for no. 1

Rooting for chaka obv

"So "Smooth Criminal" didn't make it to the top 250 at all?! I was totally expecting it to be #4!

― Tuomas, Thursday, May 18, 2017 2:01 PM (six minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I did not expect any Bad tracks to show up in these results, and I was not disappointed by their absence.

So Chaka, MJ, and Cameo in some order are pretty much a given at this point?

Gotta be

Ha sssucker!

the mj needs to be "wanna be startin' something'"

What else could it be?

https://img.discogs.com/_q7HsAEvHNogcV_I0y7qhpwX1Bc=/fit-in/600x598/filters:strip_icc():format(jpeg):mode_rgb():quality(90)/discogs-images/R-876316-1353069026-7168.jpeg.jpg
3. Cameo - Word Up
1181 points, 18 votes
https://youtu.be/MZjAantupsA

I had a hunch WBSS would win this poll, and looks like it could happen. I wouldn't be disappointed with that, it is his best song, and he was the most emblematic R&B artist of the '80s. I Feel for You and Word Up! are both incredible performances, but as a pure song I think WBSS can't be beat, and it has an incredible performance too.

xmessage

Yes. Wanna Be Starting Something is undeniable.

"word up" is great and iconic but i like "candy" better

otm

I voted Single Life but should've gone with Candy

"Candy" > "Word Up"

that said, I rule karaoke with "Word Up"

I voted for 'Word Up' but it wasn't particularly high on my ballot.

Totes agree with Tuomas re: 'Wanna Be Startin' Something'. Nothing about the results of this poll has been at all predictable except which song would take the top spot.