She Thinks SHE'S The Pollsionate One: THE SWEET SINGLES POLL

"Fox on the Run" and "Little Willy" are my favorites.

In North America (or maybe just Canada), "Ballroom Blitz"/"Fox on the Run" was a double-A single, so that'd be an easy pick, not to mention one of the finest 45s of the 70s. But "Fox" all itself has it all - the stomp, the crunch and Moog throb.

and "chop chop" wasn't on a single oh no!?

o well. "the six teens", then.

Euros Childs has been covering "Chop Chop" in his recent live shows. Voted for "Fox On The Run".

"Fox on the Run" and "Little Willy" are my favorites.
Same for me, but I may end up voting for "Action."

OK, I voted for the one I liked in junior high school and not the one I liked in elementary school

You know, it's the obvious choice, but Ballroom Blitz is one of the half dozen songs I don't seem to be able to tire of. Stick it on, and I'll turn it up. Stick it on repeat, and I'll stay for the duration. Most of the other songs like there were composed in flares as well.

Yeah, I went for "Action" too.

When I was a kid, the next door neighbours once drove home, came in, played "Blockbuster" at full blast, then got back in their car and left. Like they were out somewhere and had an unstoppable craving to hear that song. So I voted for that one, although tempted by Wig Wam Bam.

Wow! Who ever knew that Nigel Tufnel was a member of the Sweet?

"Action"!!!

They really were such a great junior high band, though--"Love is Like Oxygen" was totally my jam in 7th/8th grade.

I don't remember "Funk It Up (David's Song)." Seems like it barely cracked the top 100 over here.

I never know what metric to use in 2-sided single polls (i.e., to balance off B-sides when I've never thought of most of these as 2-sided singles anyway), so I just decided to go with "Ballroom Blitz," one of my favorite songs of all time (even though a lot of other singles above that are great as well.)

closet runner-ups, fwiw (not in order):

Wig Wam Bam/New York Connection (4) Sep 1972
Block Buster/Need A Lot Of Lovin' (1) Jan 1973
Hellraiser/Burning (2) Apr 1973
Teenage Rampage/Own Up, Take A Look At Yourself (2) Feb 1974
The Six Teens/Burn On The Flame (9) Jul 1974
Fox On The Run/Miss Demeanour (2) Mar 1975

Aww, man, was just blasting Sweet Fanny Adams yesterday, and now I've got A.C.D.C. stuck in my head. Where's that one?

"Are you ready, Steve? Aha. Andy? Yeah! Mick? OK. Alright, fellas, let's go!" is one of my favorite pop music moments. It's SO fey and awesome at the same time.

"Action" is a front runner! Who'd a thunk!

It's SO fey and awesome at the same time.

As if the two were mutually exclusive! Feyness is almost ALWAYS awesome.

(The) Sweet were the greatest band of all-time WITHOUT the word "new" in their name. "Wig Wam Bam" for me because it doubles as a song about the overwhelming experience of listening to a Sweet song. They have at least ten songs that make me tear up. They were just so...so.

Check out the crazy dances to "Chop Chop" here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rd-1eVamQY

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Unsurprising but satisfying spread. I didn't quite realize how much "Fox On The Run" love there was..!

How many bands are better than The Sweet? Five? Ten maybe? No more, though.

Oh God, reading this title just made me think of what an idea a Paul's Boutique sample poll would be, but alas, I could never possibly compile it. . .

Compile away, baby! But lo - The Veastie Boys are nowhere near as genius as The Sweet. Come on - how many bands were better than them? How MANY?
?

Maybe zero!

Beastie, that is

I'm bettin' you were drunk when ya wrote that, Kevin--weren't ya?

Hang on, only two for "Action"? There were at least four votes declared here!

fox on the run

I'm bettin' you were drunk when ya wrote that, Kevin--weren't ya?

Hammered. But the sentiment still holds.

Just bought a greatest hits to celebrate quitting a really shitty job, and it's sounding ggggggggggggreat. Just one punchy, roaring sing-along after another. "Blockbuster" maybe kicking the most ass so far, but I haven't gotten to "Fox on the Run" and I have a feeling that's going to be the icing on the cake of this day.

awwwwwwwwwwwwww yeah, there it goes.

Many bands go their whole careers without anything as awesome as the "fuH-FOX-EE" part when they're repeating the chorus.

oh shit but ACTION is up next!

polltor pollsino really is the king of bad poll thread titles

This was one of my early greats!

Man, that greatest-hits is the gift that keeps on giving. Has anyone ever written on Johnny Rotten's debt to Brian Connolly as lead vocalist? There's a real Pistols-esque snarl to, e.g., "And LLLIFE! GOES ON!" on "The Six Teens" - compare to "LLLIKE! E-M-IIII!" etc. The ability to hint at a little bit of real destructive rebel menace amidst the punchy, junior-high-candy hooks was pretty essential to both bands, I think.