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

amazing picture btw, never see that one before

i think it's from the Hard Art book about DC punk which came out a few years ago

Referring back to earlier in the list, I can now reveal that Delia was the only artist I voted for twice under the same name (I think I voted for Jun Togawa in three different guises). 'Ziwzih...' was my number one, but I couldn't not vote for the Dr Who theme.

https://i.imgur.com/ZlaAdB5.jpg
13. Vashti Bunyan - Diamond Day (1:47)
0.8751 points
13 votes

awww

Ziwzih is my favourite discovery of this poll. I need to listen to a lot more Delia.

https://i.imgur.com/os0V8KO.jpg
12. The Box Tops - The Letter (1:53)
0.8796 points
12 votes (1)

great song, totally forgot about. amazing that alex chilton sounded so much older at 16 than he ever did again

was thinking the same thing

Alright! The Letter was my #1. I was starting to get pretty worried it wouldn't place. Love the vocal, love the song, the stabbing horns that come in on the second verse, the way the chorus sounds like a bridge.

i voted for i'm in love with a girl in my top ten, was starting to get worried. the saddest/most longing big star songs hit me like very few other things in music

Pretty much every song that rolls out which I didn't vote for, I'm thinking "yep, I really should have voted for that one".
Loving this poll.

six of my top ten have made it in, and im expecting definitely one more, would be thrilled to see two more

The Letter is my favourite thing in the top twenty so far!

i was in a band that used to do the joe cocker version. a much worse version, but as a keyboard player, i didn't complain about doing a leon russell impression

https://i.imgur.com/MHStoTY.jpg
11. Elvis Presley - That's All Right (1:55)
0.9489 points
12 votes (1)

scotty moore >>>>>

Hah, I didn't know if "Accordion" would place, since I have no clue what the consensus is for Madvillainy -- I like the song because I like the eponymous instrument!

The Vashti is a new find for me, I've probably listened to one of her records before to little effect, but "Diamond Day" is just a startlingly beautiful jewel that's perfect from every angle.

i think accordion has become the popular pick for madvillainy, it's the second-most played on Spotify (behind All Caps, which is over 2 mins) and it inspired that Neneh Cherry cover (https://youtu.be/jovsxh8FeYo)

https://i.imgur.com/azUBSVx.jpg
10. Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues (1:57)
1.0050 points
18 votes

not to complain too much or anything but this top twenty sure is raiding the archives

I figured "The Letter" might have had a shot at winning the whole thing

whoa I thought 1 point was the max

not to complain too much or anything but this top twenty sure is raiding the archives

songs were a bit shorter "back in the day"

like you can fit 30 Elvis #1s onto one CD and still have enough time left over for Paul Oakenfold to take a dump on them

time to do a quick "best <2 minute artist" sub-poll rundown!

4-way tie for 4th place, with 2 votes each
Rudimentary Peni
Elvis Presley
Ramones
They Might Be Giants

RP forever!

I've always kind of hated "The Letter"...A couple of other Box Tops songs I love, though.

you gotta graduate to elaborate peni one day

3-way tie for 3rd place (3 votes each)
Guided by Voices
Pixies
Elvis Costello

yess Rudimentary Peni <3 <3 <3

I remember hearing "The Letter" for the first time after getting into Big Star and even though I thought the song was pretty good, I thought Alex's voice was just dumb. Like, he's obviously frontin'. Don't front, Alex.

Still, easier to like than anything Elvis Presley ever did. Man, what a dork that guy was.

Hey, what's the over/under on Game of Pricks to take it all?

Both RP votes emanating from a coordinated campaign at a single London address tbf

I think I cut Game of Pricks in favour of some hardcore punk or twee song that was never going to place

GET MUELLER ON THE CASE OF THESE COLLUSIONS.

fwiw tt and I shared less than half of our main ballots (24/50 songs)

Fully exonerated.

wtf i don't vote tactically!

― imago, Friday, July 27, 2018 10:39 AM

no collusion! you're the puppet!

― 16, 35, DCP, Go! (sic), Friday, July 27, 2018 10:50 AM

no, collusion! you're the puppet?

oh wait it's 25/25. MURKY

Outdoor Miner is gonna take it all

yeah you're probably right

if indeed that happens I know I for one would love to see a congratulatory post from ILX poster outdoor_miner commenting on the occasion

Sorry, I’m stuck in a neverending meeting :-/

fun fact: when i was in high school, i was on the flag team. while i was eventually kicked off the team*, my final semester (fall of my junior year) we did a dance routine to "great balls of fire". hard to believe that song is <2 min when it felt like it would never end. memorable bc the experience of doing a dance routine in front of bleachers full of high schoolers (and their parents) is something i only got to do that once.

in spite of my preexisting associations with that song, i am glad it distinguished itself further by placing itself among such great shorties in this poll! also i didn't know "outdoor miner" or "velocity girl" were songs til this rollout. lol.

tons of love for the letter, another green world, diamond day, big star (two very different chilton sounds!!) even thinking about these songs is making me happy! :)

*removed for my bad attitude/refusal to smile, haha!

great song, totally forgot about. amazing that alex chilton sounded so much older at 16 than he ever did again

― to halve and half not (voodoo chili), Friday, April 12, 2019 6:25 PM (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

he looks twice that age in the photo. sort your hair out alex.

Sorry, I’m stuck in a neverending meeting :-/

― these are not all of the possible side effects (Karl Malone), Friday, April 12, 2019 8:39 PM (fifteen minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

have you not told them that no meeting this week can last longer than 119 seconds?!

The Letter is my favourite thing in the top twenty so far!

― imago, Friday, April 12, 2019 6:34 PM (two hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

had you heard it before this poll imago?

I might have done. Sounded great just earlier though

ok, back to the long-delayed <2 minutes artist sub-poll!

Second place, 6 votes
Wire

like you can fit 30 Elvis #1s onto one CD and still have enough time left over for Paul Oakenfold to take a dump on them

― frogbs, Friday, April 12, 2019 7:27 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

post of the day.