Top 120 Songs Under 120 Seconds (ILM Poll #95)

i am entering commute hell, will resume the rest of the countdown to #61 when i get back

The Way I Feel Inside is heavenly. Gave it a bag of points

Transmitting Live From Mars is one of my favorite tracks on that first De La Soul album, possibly my favorite.

I hadn't really considered this YLT song but the instrumental disc of Genius+Love might be my favorite "album" of theirs.

while working on this poll i have come to the conclusion that the mid to late 90s was a very, VERY bad time for publicity/PR photos for bands. especially in the UK. holy shit, there are a lot of really bad photos of 4 dudes standing around with their arms crossed while the lead man looks straight at the camera (or vice versa)

enjoying Karl's conclusion that Cian was the lead man in SFA

also you don't need good posing skills when you're sitting on a whole fucking tank that you've painted blue and driven to the gig to blast techno out of have Pete Fowler

Omg Zombies TOO LOW

i can hear the heart beating as one is such a sprawling and epic album that it can be easy to ignore 'return to hot chicken,' but it really does set a mood and it's very pretty in its own right.

"The Way I Feel Inside" was one of my best discoveries from the nominees playlist, and it fell - ooh, let's see - nine places short of my final fifty. Ditto Solange's "Rise", which was three places below that.

that daft punk track is about the most silent and atmospheric i have ever heard by them. somehow i expect at every second that this turns into a song by chicago. quite nice stuff, could listen to it for a whole night long.

The Way I Feel Inside was my number 1 without a second hesitation. I heard it first when I was 16 (through Von Trier and Vinterberg's 'Dear Wendy' of all things...) and never didn't listen to The Zombies after that. It is such an easy and devastating little song. Blunstone's voice is so haunting, and the little introduction of the organ comes so late and the sparseness is so beautiful. So, wow.

"return to hot chicken" somehow did not make my list. they used to be my fave band but i forgot to vote for them. i don't know why. glad they made it.

The De La track has big sentimental value personally - probably my first experience of being simultaneously annoyed and enchanted by a hip hop track (at least one with no rap). A great shortform intro to the surrealer side of the artform. Thanks to its inclusion in a piece on the group in a British documentary about dance music in the mid 90s, in my head it's since always been accompanied by grainy black and white footage of the trio walking around NY streets in super slow motion.

thats cool, dont think ive ever really given that track a 2nd thought.

https://i.imgur.com/03ng85l.jpg
67. Jorge Ben - Balança Pema (1:29)
0.4455 points
6 votes (1)

That was a very wholesome and lovely song

https://i.imgur.com/e6ygioe.jpg
66. Crass - Do They Owe Us A Living? (1:24)
0.4548 points
9 votes

^^very important to turn the volume up to 11 for this one^^

Thanks for the tip. Omg this is amazing

best band ever

take note imago

don't forget to chase it with the soft pink truth's version, which clocks in at an epic 4:44

see also:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNRVl7LUuI0

https://i.imgur.com/VqV34F0.jpg
65. Kenickie - Come Out 2nite (1:58)
0.4572 points
6 votes (1)

lol now that's a contrast

'Do They Owe Us A Living?' surprisingly low imo. Now I think about it, I'm surprised 'Nazi Punks...' wasn't higher too.

This is also excellent! It sounds like a sped-up Throwing Muses

I'm sure I'm not the only one to have had a roommate with a Crass tattoo. Everyone's had one at one point in their lives. But has anyone else once had a roommate with a Crass tattoo AND a drinking problem AND untreated tooth decay that kept him up at night moaning in pain while drunk and blasting Crass? Could never get into Crass for that reason, but I appreciated the few moments I got to spend with the Richard Kern photo book, Phil Ochs biography, and back issues of Adbusters he kept in the bathroom.

https://i.imgur.com/NdK9nZy.jpg
64. Vince Guaraldi - Linus and Lucy (Lost Cues, Vol. 2 version) (1:20)
0.4614 points
6 votes

impossible for me to objectively assess this song

The real version is longer than 2 mins, so I didn’t vote for it

yeah, same - i do like this version, but it's not the linus and lucy i hear in my head

Surprised to see Kenickie show up here! I voted for two of their songs (including this one) but I didn’t know how popular they were, then or now.

https://i.imgur.com/eKOUXt0.jpg
63. Belle & Sebastian - Simple Things (1:46)
0.4725 points
6 votes

Gee, a LOT of today's entries (Dilla, Byrds, Meat Puppets, DLS, Jorge Ben, Guaraldi) were things I eliminated while condensing ~75 into 50. So...yay! Glad they didn't particularly need my help.

Voted for Crass though. LOL. And B&S. (A track that was also just outside the top 60 in the B&S poll a few months ago.)

https://i.imgur.com/0EnI6hB.jpg
62. The Undertones - Here Comes the Summer (1:43)
0.4806 points
7 votes

https://i.imgur.com/FWarsag.jpg
61. Moondog - Lament 1 (1:45)
0.4809 points
7 votes

that's it for today! here are the songs of our lives, so far

Rank - Artist - Track - Length - Points - Votes

120 Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Love For Tender (1:58) 0.3 3
119 Sleater-Kinney - Little Mouth (1:45) 0.3036 5
118 Randy Newman - Dayton, Ohio - 1903 (1:53) 0.3042 5
117 James Brown - Think (from 'Live at the Apollo') (1:58) 0.3078 5
116 Beastie Boys - Flute Loop (1:55) 0.3126 7
115 Arthur Russell - Eli (1:56) 0.3141 4 (1)
114 Beck - Hollow Log (1:54) 0.3144 4
113 The Clash - Koka Kola (1:48) 0.3177 5
111 The Sea Nymphs - On the Dry Land (1:46) 0.3195 3
111 Minor Threat - Straight Edge (0:46) 0.3195 5
110 The Beach Boys - Caroline, No (a cappella, Pet Sounds, Disc 3) (1:54) 0.3237 5
109 The dB's - Big Brown Eyes (1:59) 0.3243 6
108 Boards of Canada - Olson (1:32) 0.3246 5
107 Liz Phair - Glory (1:30) 0.3258 5
106 Prince - I Wonder U (1:40) 0.3261 6
105 Elastica - Vaseline (1:20) 0.3285 5
104 Maurice Williams - Stay (1:34) 0.3288 4
103 Buddy Holly - Words of Love (1:56) 0.3297 6
102 Roxy Music - Tara (1:47) 0.3309 5
101 Minutemen - Political Song for Michael Jackson to Sing (1:31) 0.3318 5
100 Fats Domino - Walking to New Orleans (1:58) 0.3342 4
99 Noname - Self (1:35) 0.3384 4
98 Cardiacs - Horsehead (1:21) 0.3411 4
97 The Beach Boys - Our Prayer (1:10) 0.3432 5
96 Neil Young - Cripple Creek Ferry (1:33) 0.3435 6
95 V/A - Knight Rider Theme (1:17) 0.3495 5
94 DEVO - Too Much Paranoias (1:57) 0.3549 5
93 Neutral Milk Hotel - Communist Daughter (1:57) 0.3573 5
91 Napalm Death - You Suffer (0:02) 0.3672 8
91 Captain Beefheart - Frownland (1:39) 0.3672 5
89 Lizzy Mercier Descloux/Rosa Yemen - Rosa Vertov (1:48) 0.3675 5
89 Hüsker Dü - Never Talking To You Again (1:41) 0.3675 7
88 Scott Walker - 30 Century Man (1:28) 0.3681 5
87 Raymond Scott - Lightworks (1:40) 0.369 5
86 Bikini Kill - In Accordance to Natural Law (0:28) 0.372 4 (1)
85 John Barry Orchestra - James Bond Theme (1:50) 0.3729 8
84 Roger Miller - Dang Me (1:51) 0.3816 4
83 John Lennon - Hold On (1:52) 0.3819 6
82 Ray Charles - Hit the Road Jack (1:55) 0.3837 5
81 The Dicks - Dicks Hate the Police (1:58) 0.3855 4
80 Eddie Cochran - C'Mon Everybody (1:58) 1298 6
79 J Dilla - Stop (1:39) 1304 4
78 The Byrds - Time Between (1:54) 1313 6
77 Solange - Rise (1:42) 1333 8
76 Meat Puppets - Lake of Fire (1:57) 1334 7
75 Minutemen - Viet Nam (1:30) 1369 5
74 Dead Kennedys - Nazi Punks Fuck Off (0:58) 1385 7
73 Super Furry Animals - God! Show Me Magic (1:50) 1391 6
72 De La Soul - Transmitting Live from Mars (1:12) 1396 7
71 Sebadoh - License to Confuse (1:46) 1421 7
70 Daft Punk - Nightvision (1:44) 1427 7
69 The Zombies - The Way I Feel Inside (1:49) 1473 6 1
68 Yo La Tengo - Return to Hot Chicken (1:40) 1483 8
67 Jorge Ben - Balanca Pema (1:29) 1485 6 1
66 Crass - Do They Owe Us A Living? (1:24) 1516 9
65 Kenickie - Come Out 2nite (1:58) 1524 6 1
64 Vince Guaraldi - Linus and Lucy (Lost Cues, Vol. 2 version) (1:20) 1538 6
63 Belle & Sebastian - Simple Things (1:46) 1575 6
62 The Undertones - Here Comes the Summer (1:43) 1602 7
61 Moondog - Lament 1 (1:45) 1603 7

Good to see the Undertones this high.

Revealing the real points tally there, KM?

whoops! yeah, i didn't mean to do that! i hid the wrong column. the secret sauce for the low points is just the real points x .0003

corrected:

80 Eddie Cochran - C'Mon Everybody (1:58) 0.3894 6
79 J Dilla - Stop (1:39) 0.3912 4
78 The Byrds - Time Between (1:54) 0.3939 6
77 Solange - Rise (1:42) 0.3999 8
76 Meat Puppets - Lake of Fire (1:57) 0.4002 7
75 Minutemen - Viet Nam (1:30) 0.4107 5
74 Dead Kennedys - Nazi Punks Fuck Off (0:58) 0.4155 7
73 Super Furry Animals - God! Show Me Magic (1:50) 0.4173 6
72 De La Soul - Transmitting Live from Mars (1:12) 0.4188 7
71 Sebadoh - License to Confuse (1:46) 0.4263 7
70 Daft Punk - Nightvision (1:44) 0.4281 7
69 The Zombies - The Way I Feel Inside (1:49) 0.4419 6 1
68 Yo La Tengo - Return to Hot Chicken (1:40) 0.4449 8
67 Jorge Ben - Balanca Pema (1:29) 0.4455 6 1
66 Crass - Do They Owe Us A Living? (1:24) 0.4548 9
65 Kenickie - Come Out 2nite (1:58) 0.4572 6 1
64 Vince Guaraldi - Linus and Lucy (Lost Cues, Vol. 2 version) (1:20) 0.4614 6
63 Belle & Sebastian - Simple Things (1:46) 0.4725 6
62 The Undertones - Here Comes the Summer (1:43) 0.4806 7
61 Moondog - Lament 1 (1:45) 0.4809 7

I can only talk about "Here Comes The Summer" in terrible cliches like 'blast of pure joy' and 'sound of summer fun'. When Sharkey kicks it up a notch for the chorus after the solo... goosebumps.

Undertones was only the second of my votes to place, after Liz Phair. It'd be bizarre if, say, 30 of the other 48 would now miraculously form half the rest of the list. But conversely, it would be bizarre if these 30 *didn't* show up.

so that song i've heard 1 trillion times is by Moondog

I was trying to be chill about this poll but the Zombies should have been #1, now I hate you all

so that song i've heard 1 trillion times is by Moondog

― to halve and half not (voodoo chili), Tuesday, April 9, 2019 4:52 PM (two minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

otm. had no idea

I probably should have voted for Moondog.

Fun fact: "Simple Things" was not merely "just outside the top 60" in the B&S poll; turns out it was precisely #63 there as well. Exactly the same placement in polls 94 and 95. Spooky.

Aw yeah Moondog.

Moondog was a late cut! Weirdo jazzy thing IIRC.

Oh wow, I'm really surprised to see Kenickie make it. That was my number one. The first album has aged really well and that's the standout.

Voted for SFA, Solange and Daft Punk as well. Devo and Belle & Sebastian were two of the last cuts from my list.

I'm happy to see any songs from Donuts make the list. I couldn't separate the songs personally, but he definitely deserves to be here.

Loving the rollout so far. Probably the most unpredictable list we've had on here.

Super stoked at the halfway point. Louis harden the first ohmy play that again now thank you voters