I POLLED the Megahertz - ILM Artist Poll #100 - Prefab Sprout - RESULTS

A bunch of first-place votes...

#8 (TIE)
Score: 5
Votes: 1 (0)

Her eyes china blue saucers, she's born that way
She tastes of apple strudel, you can tell she does
- Diana

If there ain't a heaven that holds you tonight they never sang doo-wop in Harlem
- Doo Wop in Harlem

Oh Anne Garland, You can't call this heartbeat a man
- Ghost Town Blues

Never let your conscience grow harmful to your health
Let no neurotic impulse turn inward on itself
- Life of Surprises

Daddies shook their fists at hidden communists
- Moondog

oh wait i forgot life of surprises!

The 'Diana' excerpt was mine, I believe. Must be -- not many seem to rate that slightly ludicrous song!

#6 (TIE)
Score: 5
Votes: 2 (0)

And there’s nothing pathetic
Listing clothes she’d wear
If it proves that I had you
If it proves I was there

- I Remember That

Life's not complete till your heart's missed a beat
And you'll never make it up, or turn back the clock

- Goodbye Lucille #1

NO YOU WON'T

xpost to some previous comments: For as much as some might say 'KIng of Rock and Roll' is Prefab Sprout's 'My Ding a Ling,' the lyrics are ace!

^ They are rather!

Given that I already said they were first-place votes up there, this is clearly how this bit should have read:

#8 (TIE)
Score: 5
Votes: 1 (1)

#5
Score: 5
Votes: 3 (0)

You surely are a truly gifted kid
But you're only good as the last great thing you did

- Moving The River

#4
Score: 6
Votes: 2 (0)

Paris, any music worth its salt is good for dancing
Paris, but I tried to be the Fred Astaire of words

- Paris Smith

Both of those are great lyrics and both feature in songs that have some serious clunkers in them too

#3
Score: 10
Votes: 2 (2)

Here she is with two small problems
And the best part of the blame
Wishing she could call him ‘Heartache’
But that’s not a boy’s name

- Appetite

The top 2 form another tie, perhaps unsurprisingly. I'll not attempt to build suspense...

#1 (TIE)
Score: 10
Votes: 3 (0)

I’ve got six things on my mind
You’re no longer one of them

- Desire As

"We were songbirds
We were Greek gods
We were singled out by fate
We were quoted out of context
It was great

- Electric Guitars

oh lol i voted for that "electric guitars" lyric too

I didn't vote, but this line from Moving the River was robbed!

But I'm turkey hungry, I'm chicken free
And I can't breakdance on your knee.

Oh yeah!

I've just been fiddling with the final tracks results. I think a top 60 is feasible, but I'll spread it out at fairly long intervals between now and Friday. Interested parties can tune in and out without much risk of missing massive chunks of concentrated posting. Besides, I can't do as many late nights for disparate timezones this time!

https://images2.imgbox.com/eb/2b/YTs5gdy4_o.jpg

https://images2.imgbox.com/6d/a9/qOEr500M_o.jpg

#60
TIFFANYS
from Protest Songs (1989)
Points: 59
Votes: 3 (0)
Youtube audio

The Spotify playlist is also being updated now. (Massive spoiler, for maybe three people: the dummy track that was in it originally is not going to place!)

Feels like I shouldn't use up my, too low straight away but I really love this one and I would have liked to see it higher. It's my favourite song on Protest Songs.

https://images2.imgbox.com/86/83/b15W78K0_o.jpg

#59
COULDN'T BEAR TO BE SPECIAL
from Swoon (1984)
Points: 61
Votes: 6 (0)
Youtube audio

Imagine making an album as great as Jordan: The Comeback and it legit definitely not being your best album.

https://images2.imgbox.com/46/8e/p2VJzfQx_o.jpg

#57 (TIE)
MACHINE GUN IBIZA
from Jordan: The Comeback {1990)
Points: 62
Votes: 4 (0)
Youtube audio

Hi, this is God here...

https://images2.imgbox.com/9a/82/JP6JmPnh_o.jpg

#57 (TIE)
ONE OF THE BROKEN
from Jordan: The Comeback {1990)
Points: 62
Votes: 4 (0)
Youtube audio

Wow i thought Tiffany's might be a Top 10 contender.

One of the broken is way too low, it’s a beautiful lyric and it arrives at the point of the album where you might actually believe paddy is singing with the divine provenance

it's also one of paddy's own favorites, and who am i to argue with the man himself

Here's Paddy talking about 'Jordan: The Comeback' (available as a double LP for the first time) and how the tracks at the end helped define the final sound of the album.

What's your favourite track from the album?

Pre-order your copies here: https://t.co/uKNWtH6Kkq pic.twitter.com/jL47lTKGG7

— Prefab Sprout (@Prefabsprout) September 5, 2019

lol i can’t tell you how baffled i was the first time i listened to jordan and heard “hi, this is god here...”

beautiful song i didn’t vote for

https://images2.imgbox.com/fa/20/MQnd2HeF_o.jpg

#56
WEIGHTLESS
from Andromeda Heights (1997)
Points: 64
Votes: 4 (0)
Youtube audio

lol i can’t tell you how baffled i was the first time i listened to jordan and heard “hi, this is god here...”

it's a hilarious line on its face--i mean, if god were really addressing you, you'd probably know it. but he says it like a radio dj would.

https://images2.imgbox.com/55/1a/j0PWKrp1_o.jpg

#55
DIANA
from "When Love Breaks Down" single (1984), re-recorded for Protest Songs (1989)
Points: 65
Votes: 4 (0)
Youtube audio - single version
Youtube audio - album version

Definitely preferring the Protest Songs version here. They single version sounds too much like The Smiths were the backing band.

"weightless" sounds better outside of the context of andromeda heights

Love the breadth of the lyrical nominations.

https://images2.imgbox.com/46/39/bPQ0KQeC_o.jpg

#54
GOD WATCH OVER YOU
from Let's Change the World with Music (2009)
Points: 68
Votes: 5 (0)
Youtube audio

my first vote to show up!

the chorus is wonderful and i love the synth strings

Hi, this is God here, watching over you, with my majestic grey beard.

I might have to retire at #51, I'm afraid. My brain is *really* saying no to a late night!

https://images2.imgbox.com/40/12/10U2IR8B_o.jpg

#53
CORNFIELD ABLAZE
from The Gunman and Other Stories (2001)
Points: 71
Votes: 5 (0)
Youtube audio

https://images2.imgbox.com/b8/ea/hOXLhMsp_o.jpg

#52
BILLY
from Crimson/Red (2013)
Points: 74
Votes: 4 (0)
Youtube audio

"cornfield ablaze" may be the best later-prefab sprout song

billy is a nice song, glad it placed around here

https://images2.imgbox.com/68/3f/r1np9DJt_o.jpg

#51
DONNA SUMMER
from "When Love Breaks Down" single (1984)
Points: 75
Votes: 6 (0)
Youtube audio

^ Last one for the moment. Give me maybe 7 hours and should be able to drop a few more!

donna summer is the first from my ballot to place! really amazing b-side, feels like a slightly softer and dreamier cousin of "hallelujah"

I didn't end up voting for any B-sides. If I'd had another 20 places I would have found room for Donna Summer and a couple of others.

Couldn't Bear To Be Special is one of the songs that really stood out when I first got Swoon about 15 years ago. I'd already had Steve McQueen for years, but weirdly it was Swoon that made me get obsessed with them. This song in particular just got into my head. It's brilliant they put such a strange downbeat song out as a single (although it I guess that was fairly common in the early 80s). I love the way he sings, "I couldn't bear.. RIGHT!" with that noise that follows.

Cornfield Ablaze just missed my list. Definitely the standout from their weakest album.

"You overwhelmed agricultural man,/You wild pyromaniac daughter of Pan"
Magnificent.

Billy was a late cut for me. Was scrambling around for reasons to trim, and it feels a bit lopsided - third verse hasn't got much new, and the coda strolls along amiably enough for too long. BUT it's brought SO much joy by then - the flickering between bill, billy, william, "her smile is like a fairground", and that "Trumpets come and trumpets go/Amazing what gets left out in the snow".