ILM POLLS THE 20TH CENTURY'S BEST TRACKS ››› YOUR RESULTS THREAD ‹‹‹

109. KATE BUSH "Wuthering Heights" (1978) [1,197 points, 13 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdmvs7r1u9c

I am way down with Kate Bush from, like, 1982 onwards. The really early stuff grates on me like a belt sander, though. More power to those of you who love it.

thx abanana!

Jenny Ondioline has pretty much everything that people who like Stereolab like about Stereolab while also appealing to indie rock people. Not all that surprising that it made the list IMO.

hah! There is no bigger Stereolab fan on this forum than me and it's almost the last track of theirs I'd vote for. Hopefully French Disko will be higher.

hurrah for "Wuthering Heights" though - the first thing on my ballot to make the countdown

Glad Stereolab made it, although I voted for 'French Disko' instead.

"I can totally see why people give their lives to jazz right now."

Totally. I wish I could get into it more.

Jenny Ondioline has pretty much everything that people who like Stereolab like about Stereolab while also appealing to indie rock people. Not all that surprising that it made the list IMO.

But is sounds so boring! There's no catchy melody, nor a groovy rhythm section, nor any sonic innovation. What's the point of listening to music like this?

I, too, would've voted French Disko if I'd voted for Stereolab. (Actually, I would've voted for Crest, but it wasn't nominated.)

There's no catchy melody

Yes there is.

nor a groovy rhythm section

Yes there is.

nor any sonic innovation.

Yes there is. (Although a lot less than later Stereolab, I will grant.)

The entire track is a groovy rhythm section. It's not like French Disko is Brill Building catchy either.

I thought Stereolab was supposed to be some kind of an experimental instrumental rock band, but I guess I'm mixing the up with something else? Anyway, very boring tune, I can't see how this is supposed to be the 110th best song of the century. It doesn't sound at all different from thousands of other indie songs like it.

― Tuomas, Monday, November 29, 2010 3:06 PM (11 minutes ago) Bookmark

xpost as far as "the point of listening to" it: the sharp contrast between the minimal verses and that "ooooooh-oooooooh" harmonized vocal part that comes in as a sort of refrain is the big musical payoff for me, and in general I find the sounds pleasant+dynamic

I can't seem to find the thread where I detailed turning my occasional affair with jazz into a loving marriage but guys ilm is a terrific place to learn and be helped into the many depths of the genre.

It was a real torment deciding how many and which Kate tracks to vote for. I didn't go for 'Wuthering Heights' in the end, even though sometimes the 'let me have it' is my favourite thing in all music.

"Born To Run" was the first song I thought "oh damn, I forgot that one" about after I submitted my ballot, so I'm glad to see it got in without my help. I didn't vote for "Straight Outta Compton" but it gives me a little hope that the 16 rap songs on my ballot weren't wasted effort.

The entire track is a groovy rhythm section. It's not like French Disko is Brill Building catchy either.

Really? Because to my ears the drums and bass are mixed pretty low compared to the rather monotone guitar and vocals, and they play the same tired rock rhythm all the way through with little variation or syncopation (except for some double time drumming when the chorus starts). That isn't my idea of "groovy".

I can't seem to find the thread where I detailed turning my occasional affair with jazz into a loving marriage but guys ilm is a terrific place to learn and be helped into the many depths of the genre.

― wheezy f baby (a hoy hoy), Monday, November 29, 2010 3:25 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark
cosign — ILM has turned me onto more amazing jazz albums than I could ever hope to recall

108. NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE "Cortez the Killer" (1975) [1,198 points, 11 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GDIkb5CDUY

another of my votes. at this rate levi 167 WILL make it as I am officially becoming an ilm tastemaker ;)

awesome song — one of my favorite extended neil jams — great lyric, skeletal but compelling — dunno what else to say

stereolab are one of my favourite bands, but i didn't vote for either of those songs. i do love 'jenny ondioline' though. would have voted for 'metronomic underground' in a heartbeat had it been nominated. and incidentally, they are a repetitive, rather monotone band by nature. very unique and distinctive, however, as far as contemporary "indie" groups go if you ask me.

i must have been extremely close to including 'wuthering heights' on my ballot. i had to double check whether i'd put it in there or not.

that still makes zero tracks so far that i voted for (including cortez)

I didn't vote for Stereolab because neither "Harmonium" nor "Super-Electric" were nominated. I do like "Jenny Ondioline" and I'm not sure what the point is exactly, but I likes me some drone and digs me some repetition, repetition, repetition. I'm not sure you can judge the mix based on a YouTube clip's sound. The LP version was 18 minutes long and included several different parts.

Got to agree with Tuomas here - they just seem to do so little with any of the elements compared to others. I mean, if drone is the thing, 'Tomorrow Never Knows' didn't even get nominated.

Did 'Cortez' get mentioned in that racist-songs-that-got-under-the-radar thread? I love the song to bits but I was just thinking about that terrible "he came dancin' across de water man" part.

Stereolab really is a tale of two sounds, though. There's a pre-Emperor Tomato Ketchup sound and a post-ETK sound (with ETK existing as the bridge between the two). Later 'Lab really is a lot more funky (I use the term loosely) whereas earlier 'Lab is monotone and driven.

I'm not a huge Stereolab fan or anything but f anyone bitching about a great song like "Jenny Ondioline"

The whole lyric in Cortez puzzles me now - 'war was never known' about the Aztecs?

Oh I love the smell of rockism in the morning...

Glad Stereolab made it, although I voted for 'French Disko' instead.

― emil.y, Monday, November 29, 2010 3:19 PM (28 minutes ago)

Me too, I put it really high on my list. Not sure if I can see them having two songs on the list though.

that 3 minute short version of Jenny Ondioline does sound kind of unimpressive when compared to the much longer LP version

I am agreeing with Tuomas about 90% here (except I don't understand how Fleetwood Mac gets lumped in with Motorhead and the Pixies).

I've always been annoyed by the lyrics to Cortez. Much prefer the live version posted above than the Zuma version, can kind of see why people voted for it.

feel like tuomas has already claimed his place as thread clusterfucker, excited for what's to come

107. BOBBY WOMACK "Across 110th Street" (1972) [1,203 points, 11 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js6r-1BcrrA

I can think of about 10 other Bobby Womack songs I'd have voted for ahead of this one, yet I still like this one just fine. Bobby Womack is vastly underappreciated.

dude i'm just warming up xp

ooh! an OLD SONG! haha

I mean, yeah the lyrics to "Cortez" are kinda objectionable — dunno if 'racist' is exactly the term for it but w/e — as I said upthread tho, what I like about them is their sparseness, which works well with the song — it achieves an overall mood that, to me, is something totally sui generis and wonderful

I took Across 110th Street off my list right at the end, glad to see it make an appearance. This was the song that got me really into Bobby Womack. Woman's Gotta Have It is probably the only song of his I like more.

actually, shit man i could have very easily voted for 'french disko' on another day. listening to it now and it's incredible.

Bernard, my is-this-not-somewhat-racist? query was solely about Neil's v. embarrassing accent in the segment that starts at around 6:22 in the clip above and goes through to the end of the song.

I'm gonna take a short break now and come back with more later...after this...

106. KRAFTWERK "Computer Love" (1981) [1,209 points, 10 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtWTUt2RZh0

tarentino taint pt. 2

fuckin' jam

To recap

125. JOHNNY CASH "Folsom Prison Blues" (1955) [1,153 points, 13 votes]
124. FLEETWOOD MAC "Go Your Own Way" (1977) [1,155 points, 10 votes]
123. MOTÖRHEAD "Ace of Spades" (1980) [1,159 points, 13 votes]
122. STAN GETZ & ASTRUD GILBERTO "The Girl From Ipanema" (1964) [1,160 points, 11 votes]
121. PIXIES "Debaser" (1989) [1,161 points, 11 votes]
120. HENRY MANCINI & JOHNNY MERCER "Moon River" (1961) [1,165 points, 9 votes]
119. 10CC "I'm Not in Love" (1975) [1,167 points, 12 votes]
118. LINK WRAY & HIS RAY MEN "Rumble" (1958) [1,170 points, 12 votes]
117. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN "Born to Run" (1975) [1,175 points, 10 votes]
116. PRINCE "Controversy" (1981) [1,176 points, 9 votes]
115. THE BEACH BOYS "Surf's Up" (1971) [1,184 points, 10 votes]
114. THE ROLLING STONES "Paint it Black" (1966) [1,185 points, 12 votes]
113. MILES DAVIS "Shhh/Peaceful" (1969) [1,186 points, 11 votes]
112. N.W.A "Straight Outta Compton" (1988) [1,195 points, 11 votes]
111. JOHN COLTRANE "My Favorite Things" (1961) [1,195 points, 12 votes]
110. STEREOLAB "Jenny Ondioline" (1993) [1,197 points, 11 votes]
109. KATE BUSH "Wuthering Heights" (1978) [1,197 points, 13 votes]
108. NEIL YOUNG & CRAZY HORSE "Cortez the Killer" (1975) [1,198 points, 11 votes]
107. BOBBY WOMACK "Across 110th Street" (1972) [1,203 points, 11 votes]
106. KRAFTWERK "Computer Love" (1981) [1,209 points, 10 votes]

Agree CtK isn't racist, more a case of "I don't know anything about the Aztecs but I'll write a song about them anyway".

it's racist in a good way, cause he thinks they were a lot nicer than they actually were

can't remember if I voted for that kraftwerk track but it's a good one. Then again they almost all are.

That was the Kraftwerk one I went for. Good list!

Again, I only used that term about his Jamaican(?) accent in that clip (does he only do that on the Live Rust version? I can't remember) Have no idea how to unpack the itself song. xps

I think the only time I've ever heard Cortez the Killer was Built to Spill's live version. /indie

Marissa Nadler does a nice cover that I actually prefer over the original.

I dunno, even the accent in that video just seems sorta goofy to me; not sure what to make of it

Off my list so far:

122. STAN GETZ & ASTRUD GILBERTO "The Girl From Ipanema" (1964) [1,160 points, 11 votes]
121. PIXIES "Debaser" (1989) [1,161 points, 11 votes]
120. HENRY MANCINI & JOHNNY MERCER "Moon River" (1961) [1,165 points, 9 votes]
113. MILES DAVIS "Shhh/Peaceful" (1969) [1,186 points, 11 votes]
110. STEREOLAB "Jenny Ondioline" (1993) [1,197 points, 11 votes]
106. KRAFTWERK "Computer Love" (1981) [1,209 points, 10 votes]

Mmmm... will we get any classical love further on? Splitting the poll into 1900-1950 / 1951-1999 would've been interesting.