Sometimes I Don't Know What to Poll: ILM Artist Poll #107 - Todd Rundgren - RESULTS

that '75 show very much worth seeking out btw

Shine on us all <3

Re: something/anything it was perverse of him to throw Hello It’s Me in the middle of the wtf-ness of side 4

Typical Todd.

Re. the Hammersmith Odeon show in '75, there are some videos of that lineup with Luther Vandross from that tour. The story Myers tells behind how Vandross ended up on the tour is interesting. Basically, two keyboardists from the first iteration of Utopia left -- partly bc Todd made the decision around this time to to relocate his main studio from NYC to upstate New York (Mink Hollow) and Moogy Klingman wanted to stay in the city. He apparently made Roger Powell audition for the band again because he had only done the weird synth stuff, not any of the keyboard or organ parts. Even tho he passed, Todd apparently wasn't sure the new version of the band could hack the vocal arrangements of these songs as a four piece, so he brought two of the guys from Another Live and added Luther.

#11 - 266 points - 12 votes
Runt - "We Gotta Get You a Woman" - from Runt, 1970
#20 on US Billboard

#10 -  266 points - 15 votes - 3 first place votes
Todd Rundgren - "Love of the Common Man" - from Faithful, 1976

Is Love in Action going to make the top 10? I think I have the rest figured out, but not sure if Love in Action will make it?

I guess Bang on the Drum All Day is another possibility too.

Probably not "Drunken Blue Rooster".

PISS AARON #1

#9 - 280 points - 15 votes
Todd Rundgren - "Can We Still Be Friends?" - from Hermit of Mink Hollow, 1978
#29 on US Billboard


I love the live version of this on the A Cappella tour with the chorus, but I can't find it on YouTube anywhere.

how did I forget to vote for Piss Aaron?

"Forget All About It" and Nazz Nazz were my #1s. I felt like they needed some love.

Also that Cheap Trick album has "I Can't Take It" which is my favorite of theirs.

“love of the common” man was my number 1, pure perfection

uh misplaced quotation mark

#8 - 280 points - 13 votes
Todd Rundgren - "It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference" - from Something/Anything?, 1972

#7 - 300 points - 15 votes - 1 first place vote
Todd Rundgren - "Sometimes I Don’t Know What To Feel" - from A Wizard, a True Star, 1973

This song is all about the line in which the car runs over his dog.

^^ absolutely and when he says about not wanting to admit to his friends about feeling confused...so devastating

I want to say something like this is the weirdest poll ever, maybe that's not the way to phrase it.

Like much more diverse results throughout, than the few other polls I've participated in.

such a great song

so dramatic when he goes from the optimistic “keep on keepin on” part back into the darkness of the chorus

my favorite part of “difference” is the swoopy synth arpeggio right before the last chorus

Sometimes I Don’t Know What to Feel was the one I forgot about, which is funny since it’s the poll title. That dog line has always bothered me - Todd’s a bit too intrinsically goofy to pull it off for me.

Yeah but it’s him in a nutshell again: this beautiful soulful tune about heartbreak ... over his dog getting flattened by a car.

my favorite part of “difference” is the swoopy synth arpeggio right before the last chorus

#6  371 points - 16 votes - 1 first place vote
Todd Rundgren - "A Dream Goes On Forever" - from Todd, 1974
#69 on US Billboard

The best-known song from what I think is his masterpiece – subtle little drum box and keyboard work, great background vocals and overall a nice refraction of his Nyro/King songwriting style.

Not on my ballot.

I really can’t think of another songwriter who absolutely expresses himself so eloquently and beautifully in a song...it’s that mixture of sadness and joy that always gets me in the pit of my stomach...I’ll shut up now

No! Please don't.

I think I voted for everything from 11 to 6.

Ok! So we're in the top 5 now. Here's a much belated summary of the countdown so far:

50. Tiny Demons 54
49. The Night the Carousel Burned Down 55
48. When the Shit Hits the Fan / Sunset Blvd. 59
47. You Cried Wolf 59
46. Hurting For You 63
45. Time Heals 63
44. Slut 69
43. Crybaby 70
42. Is It My Name? 73
41. All the Children Sing 77
40. Drive 82
39. Marlene 82
38. Determination 84
37. God Said 84
36. I Don't Want to Tie You Down 84
36. Wolfman Jack 84
34. Parallel Lines 88
33. Black Maria 92
32. Boat on the Charles 93
31. Hideaway 93
30. Cold Morning Light 94
29. Initiation 99
28. Zen Archer 99
27. Cliché 100
26. Don't You Ever Learn? 108
26. One More Day (No Word) 108
24. Be Nice to Me 113
24. Izzat Love? 113
22. Real Man 115
21. Wailing Wall 120
20. Heavy Metal Kids 125
19. Baby Let’s Swing/The Last Thing You Said/Don’t Tie My Hands 133
18. Forget All About It 149
17. The Verb "To Love" 156
16. Healing 166
15. Love Is the Answer 169
14. The Last Ride 174
13. Long Flowing Robe 175
12. Open My Eyes 264
11. Love of the Common Man 266
10. We Gotta Get You a Woman 266
9. Can We Still Be Friends? 280
8. It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference 292
7. Sometimes I Don’t Know What To Feel 300
6. A Dream Goes On Forever 371

#5  - 377 points - 15 votes - 2 first place votes
Todd Rundgren - "Couldn't I Just Tell You" - from Something/Anything?, 1972
#93 on US Billboard

I want to say something like this is the weirdest poll ever, maybe that's not the way to phrase it.

― It Is Dangerous to Meme Inside (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, March 26, 2021 7:33 PM (forty-seven minutes ago)

Like much more diverse results throughout, than the few other polls I've participated in.

― It Is Dangerous to Meme Inside (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, March 26, 2021 7:36 PM (forty-three minutes ago)

I would say I mostly agree -- tho I think a big part of that is that he has a very, very large catalogue.

Scott Miller calls this the greatest powerpop song of all time in his book.

The odd rhythmic phrasing of "Couldn't I just tell you/The way I feel/I can't keep it bottled up inside" is fascinating to me -- it's like he completely internalized the quirkiest aspects of early Who/High Numbers and then processed it into his own thing.

#4 - 379 points - 15 votes
Todd Rundgren - "International Feel" - from A Wizard, a True Star, 1973

“Couldn’t I Just Tell You” was my Number One.

It was my #5. And ofc I voted for "Intl Feel" as well so I am 100% hivemind as far as this poll is concerned.

For a time "International Feel" was my first place vote. It's just the perfect opener to one of the greatest albums and a total statement of purpose for Todd's post Something/Anything? career.

Funny note about this one: according to Myers: "The first version was with all instruments played by Rundgren alone, whereas the second, 'La Feel Internacionale,' was a full-band remake with Moogy & The Rhythm Kings, including John Siomos on drums, Ralph Schuckett on keyboards, and John Siegler on bass."

They sound completely identical to me.

#3 - 387 points - 17 votes - 3 first place votes
Todd Rundgren - "Just One Victory" - from A Wizard, a True Star, 1973

LOCKJAW'S COMIN'! LOCKJAW'S COMIN'!

(this was a close one)

#2 - 389 points - 16 votes - 1 first place vote
Todd Rundgren - "I Saw the Light" - from Something/Anything?, 1972
#16 on US Billboard, #36 on UK Singles Chart

I have to be honest there are going to be a few songs I would of thought were bonafide tracks in his canon that aren’t going to be on here...but fair enough...vive la difference

Yep -- you are not wrong.

I will spare you all the "Ping Me" joke:

#1 - 490 points - 18 votes - 1 first place vote
Todd Rundgren - "Hello It's Me" - from Something/Anything?, 1972
#5 on US Billboard

1. Hello It's Me 490
2. I Saw the Light 389
3. Just One Victory 387
4. International Feel 379
5. Couldn't I Just Tell You 377
6. A Dream Goes On Forever 371
7. Sometimes I Don’t Know What To Feel 300
8. It Wouldn't Have Made Any Difference 292
9. Can We Still Be Friends? 280
10. We Gotta Get You a Woman 266
11. Love of the Common Man 266
12. Open My Eyes 264
13. Long Flowing Robe 175
14. The Last Ride 174
15. Love Is the Answer 169
16. Healing 166
17. The Verb "To Love" 156
18. Forget All About It 149
19. Baby Let’s Swing/The Last Thing You Said/Don’t Tie My Hands 133
20. Heavy Metal Kids 125
21. Wailing Wall 120
22. Real Man 115
23. Izzat Love? 113
24. Be Nice to Me 113
25. One More Day (No Word) 108
26. Don't You Ever Learn? 108
27. Cliché 100
28. Zen Archer 99
29. Initiation 99
30. Cold Morning Light 94
31. Hideaway 93
32. Boat on the Charles 93
33. Black Maria 92
34. Parallel Lines 88
35. Wolfman Jack 84
36. I Don't Want to Tie You Down 84
37. God Said 84
38. Determination 84
39. Marlene 82
40. Drive 82
41. All the Children Sing 77
42. Is It My Name? 73
43. Crybaby 70
44. Slut 69
45. Time Heals 63
46. Hurting For You 63
47. You Cried Wolf 59
48. When the Shit Hits the Fan / Sunset Blvd. 59
49. The Night the Carousel Burned Down 55
50. Tiny Demons 54

Great top 5.

My six year old daughter loves the start of International Feel - it sounds like 30 seconds of flatulence, but in the best possible way.