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

First track I utterly utterly love (didn't vote for it though).

I guess I should get around to hearing the Surf's Up album, huh? (I'd never even listened to Pet Sounds until about 10 years ago.)

I actually did NOT vote for this but for about a year it was my favorite track. I won't listen to any Smile mix that doesn't end with Surf's Up. Check out the version on Unsurpassed Masters 16 for an extra minute or so.

Yay, "Controversy"! That's probably my favourite Prince tune of them all, at least among his dancefloor oriented material. It was in my top 20; too bad it didn't make the actual top 100, but I guess it was inevitable the better known hits (I assume both "Kiss" and "Doves" are still to come) would place higher.

Prince! Didn't vote for it but Prince! :)

Wonder how the 'only vote once for each artist' will effect prince because i didn't vote for controversy or the two tuo listed. (/replace prince's name for other canon artist you may care more about)

The Surf's Up album definitely worth hearing as a demonstration of the good, bad and ugly of post-Brian Wilson Beach Boys. It has some of the highest highs and lowest lows of the BBs catalog. 'Til I Die is pretty unimpeachable along with Surf's Up if the lyrics don't bother you, and Feel Flows was on the Almost Famous soundtrack IIRC. On the other hand there are Disney Girls, which I used to love Disney Girls which I can barely get through now, the proto-Love You track Take a Load Off Your Feet, and Student Demonstration Time is legendarily horrible.

*which I used to love but can barely get through now

I voted for a coupla Beach Boys tracks but I kind of dislike "Surf's Up."

Prince was the only artist that had 3 songs in my top 100 - I tried to cut them down to 2, but I just didn't have the heart to do it.

Surf's Up... seems like it has the traits of the Beach Boys I like the least on first listen. Where are the hooks and craziness?

oh there's definitely craziness as far as i can tell.

yeah, about to say, that track is brimming with craziness.

114. THE ROLLING STONES "Paint it Black" (1966) [1,185 points, 12 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv65gOE8QNY

What a shame to press that "Controversy" 12" at 33 1/3. It would have been phatter at 45.

"Rumble" is totally awesome. My first exposure would have been the Adam & the Ants rip-off/homage "Killer In The Home."

I'm surprised at the 10cc hate. It was in my long shortlist like several others here.

xp - The Smile-related material is a bit like the Beach Boys' "There's a Riot Going On" for me - epic but dissolute, barely even pretending to be a proper group anymore, with all bravado replaced by vulnerability.

paint it black is dope as fuck.

I don't really get the Rolling Stones at all, but Paint it Black is ok.

Didn't vote for any Stones, but I've got a lot of time for 'Paint it Black'.

voted for two stones, neither of which were 'paint it black'. only one of them has a chance of popping up later.

I love "Paint it Black" too, but I would assume it's been discussed to death at one point or another by everyone here, so...

113. MILES DAVIS "Shhh/Peaceful" (1969) [1,186 points, 11 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5lAYwYtvoX8

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOy-pJ1xQe0

awesome! i nommed that miles, but incredibly didn't end up voting for it. great to see it place.

I didn't know what Miles to vote for and so I didn't but In A Silent Way is the fucking nuts and everyone should own a copy.

Beautiful. If we ever do an artist of the century poll, I think maybe Miles would get my vote.

I'm much more familiar with bebop Miles and not very familiar at all with more freeform/experimental/fusion Miles. I guess In a Silent Way is as good as any place to dig in.

I have 3 songs I've voted for make the list so far, and generally enjoy the other songs that have made the list to this point, except the boring Springsteen cut.

If we ever do an artist of the century poll

Don't be giving me ideas!

I assumed albums were next...

No interest here, but if someone else does that I'll vote.

Shhh/Peaceful is my first vote to appear so far - though I would have voted for something off Bitches Brew instead if any had been nominated. What's the opposite of vote-splitting? Vote-fusion?

would vote dj premier in such a poll.

112. N.W.A "Straight Outta Compton" (1988) [1,195 points, 11 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MrQtOoQRpc

Fuck yes! This track still hits like a sledgehammer 22 years after the fact.

i honestly don't think i've played that record in almost 10 years, but yeah killer track.

"Born to Run": okay, but the Frankie Goes to Hollywood version is better.

― Tuomas, Monday, November 29, 2010 1:16 PM (1 hour ago)

I love the Frankie version it manages to sound even more exciting than the original.

Great to see Surf's Up and Controversy, they are my favourite songs by each artist and my first votes to appear.

I was surprised that I only ended up voting for one Prince song but a lot of my favourite songs of his weren't nominated, If I Was Your Girlfriend, She's Always In My Hair, The Cross, I Would Die 4 U and When You Were Mine would have made my list.

What's the opposite of vote-splitting? Vote-fusion?

looooooool excellent work

okay, nommed on the last day(and subsequently voted for) 'Straight Outta Compton' so glad that it got some love here.

Paint It Black one of the two Stones tracks I voted for but that's the only 2 of mine to appear thus far.

111. JOHN COLTRANE "My Favorite Things" (1961) [1,195 points, 12 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQsvMf8X0FY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qt9iLDmaQwk

Spotify playlist, for the Europeans: http://bit.ly/fdTfYf

just realised that maybe 2 of mine total will make it

So glad to see the Miles... its was either my #1 or 2, can't remember. Straight Out of Compton was also high on my ballot.

Compton isn't that good. *ducks and covers*. In fact that whole album is kinda lame, NY was so ahead in '88 that it sounds really dated. *prepares for sb fever*

My Favourite Things! One of the two Coltrane's I voted for! That guy can fucking PLAY.

Awww, if I'd have ordered my ballot, 'My Favorite Things' would've got like another 100 points out of me. Love the rumbling of the thunderstorms brewing in the rhythm section. Beautiful playing by McCoy as well. Could have gone for a wilder Trane tune, but that song already has a lot of the ingredients in it that I love him for. Worth hunting down some of the footage of the band playing this on YouTube though.

Awww, if I'd have ordered my ballot, 'My Favorite Things' would've got like another 100 points out of me.

That would've put it in the 80s, fwiw.

110. STEREOLAB "Jenny Ondioline" (1993) [1,197 points, 11 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qEq4mAnV64

(I'd never actually seen the video before just now.)

10cc are of course not "shitty soft rock". Not that there's anything wrong with soft rock in the first place, but 10cc were a lot more detailed and basically more "prog" than, say, Boston or Chicago or Journey have ever been.
That said, they made better, more complex and proggier songs than "I'm Not In Love" although I'm afraid none of them are in the top 125 (except for maybe "I'm Mandy Fly Me", which I know has some ILM'ers loving it)

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.

Stereolab got a lot more bleepy-bloopy with the Dots and Loops album a few years after this. They started out very straightforward.

Johnny, I am loving this list so far! Well done stretching it to 125. 'My Favorite Things' sounds like the best music ever. I can totally see why people give their lives to jazz right now.