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

Best thing about Penny Lane is that you can polka to it if you'd like.

If that's the very best thing about it...

87. ABBA "Dancing Queen" (1976) [1,297 points, 12 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFrGuyw1V8s

(I really wish someone would've nom'ed "Knowing Me, Knowing You" so I could've voted for ABBA.)

Waaay to low!!!!

Overexposed but it deserves to be here.

Waaay to low!!!!

John McCain's favorite song is reportedly "Dancing Queen."

Yeah, I love "Dancing Queen" as much as anybody does, especially when I break it down in my head ("I love that part...oh wait, I love THAT part too!"). I guess if you had to sum up ABBA's identity in a single track, "Dancing Queen" is probably that track.

It seems too low, but ABBA may have had a bit of vote splitting. I, for one, voted for a different ABBA track over it, though it was probably mostly due to the overplaying of "Dancing Queen". Glad to see it here.

Much of this list is just the more popular songs of artists I voted for (foggy notion, whatever biggie I voted for etc.)

This list is kinda disappointing IMO. Was hoping it would look less like mojo arranged it, down to the token non classic rock choices.

Dancing Queen is terrific and ABBA break my heart

xp - Kind of agree, kind of don't. Anyway, I blame the voters.

The ways lists like these are great: We find validation in knowing that other people like the things we like.
The ways lists like these aren't great: Things a lot of people like a little aren't as varied as the things people like a whole lot.

Hard to blame the voters, the canon choices are the ones that have to make it in a consensus list like this. Everybody has their own idiosyncratic choices, but what makes them non-canon is that by definition not a lot of people are going to vote for them.

xp - It's just that this always happens because the intersection between everyone's tastes is similar to the "canon". I wish there was less classic rock too, though.

oh c'mon y'all. almost nothing on this list so far isn't awesome; and besides there are 86 songs left to go so hold yr butthurtness for a few minutes ok?

The individual lists are always more interesting to me than the consensus list for projects like this, IMO.

85. (TIE) AL GREEN "Let's Stay Together" (1971) [1,299 points, 14 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVzYxqG9N1c

I need a suit like Mr. Green's!

For a canon/consensus list, I think this one is way above average.

xp- See!

I think I voted "Love and Happiness" instead, but it was a tough choice.

I voted "Belle". This is still great.

what's interesting to me are the ways a more personal ILX canon peeks out from within the larger list of agreed-upon classics. like "word up", "i'm not in love", "linus & lucy", "outdoor miner" acing "penny line", that kind of thing. even when i'm not crazy about the songs in question.

i mean, should i have avoided voting for certain tracks due to my suspicion that they might appeal to the hated mojo readership?

"Penny Lane" was one of the few Beatles songs on my longer shortlist and is one of the few Paul McCartney songs I can stomach. I didn't vote for any Beatles in the end, but "A Day in the Life," "Happiness Is a Warm Gun," "She Said She Said," & "Strawberry Fields Forever" were the others I considered. I probably would have voted for "Nowhere Man" if it had been nominated.

I voted for one Beatles track, hopefully it will make it.

Overdosed on Outdoor Miner a while ago (the extended version btw which I believe was the single). Still a good song

Don't care at all for Abba but dig Dancing Queen

Love The Clash of course, voted Train In Vain.

This is probably the last showing for Reverend Green. Way too low. Voted "Here I Am" so I take some of the blame.

I'm very afraid of the Beatles at this point. We should have made an agreement to all vote only "No Reply"

This list is definitely more idiosyncratic than any music magazine's would be, but at the same time there is also only so much it can diverge from one as well, because taken in aggregate people just tend to appreciate the same shit. Blame society!

'Smells Like Teen Spirit' didn't even crack the all-time metal tracks top hundred poll, so I'm pleased to see us doing right by it here.

85. (TIE) IGGY & THE STOOGES "Search and Destroy" (1973) [1,299 points, 14 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDHdleEX6-s

xpost Maybe because it's not metal?

had to happen i guess, even with the ridiculous number of Stooges songs nominated

No lie. First time I ever heard this song was in a Nike commercial.

outdoor miner too low. don't think i'll ever tire of it - certainly not in the way i'm sick to death of smells like teen spirit and penny lane.

yeah, search and destroy is pretty damn cool. i remember it kicked my ass the first time i heard it.

Yes! Was worried this was going to get vote split out of the top 100.

we used to play this track over and over again on the free jukebox in the basement of the college Jewish center after smuggling in 40s to pregame and play pool in their game room. Memories!

still hoping for either of the funhouse tracks i spent my stooge money on

Very surprisingly not bad cover of "Search and Destroy"? EMF.

84. MADONNA "Into the Groove" (1985) [1,300 points, 12 votes]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRfz5f6HZW0

I guess "Penny Lane" in the Top 100 means "Strawberry Fields Forever" will do even better. Which is good.

killer run!

I love "Into the Groove" so so so much, but I really wish I could've voted for "Papa Don't Preach" (it wasn't nominated).

Second song I voted for to make it. THE 80's disco masterpiece? Or is it actually "Holiday" (not nominated!!)?

Yeah, this and Holiday are my favourite Madonnas. Can't remember whether I voted for it though.

Into the Groove, the best Madonna song?

In the case of "Into The Groove", I didn't vote for it, but it's a great song. I would say the only case where Stephen Bray really got his production right.
I guess my main problem about Stephen Bray is that he is not quite pop and not quite dance, instead sitting in-between ending up with a style that is neither fish nor flesh, and also sounding very dated today (although "Into The Groove" is again one obvious exception). I prefer a more one-directional approach, like the dance producers that IMO have done the best work for Madonna have been Reggie Lucas, Jellybean, William Orbit, Mirwais and Stuart Price. Whereas Patrick Leonard is the one that more than anyone else managed to get her pop style right (particularly on the "Like a Prayer" albums). And, also Nile Rodgers (he may be more famous for his dance oriented work, but I would say his work on the "Like a Virgin" is more pop than dance).

(And I may be the only one in the world who thinks this, but I think Madonna peaked with the medley of "Dear Jessie" and "Oh Father" ;) )

This has been an amazing run.

I voted for Outdoor Miner, wonder if that will their only entry?

Can't remember which Madonna was nominated now, Burning Up is my favourite song of hers.

on Into the Groove, I can never decide between the single and the album version. The edit is obviously tighter once it gets going but the introduction is not very effective IMO.

Oh Father still boggles my mind with regard to it being released as a single (was it successful? I don't recall.) It's in a non-standard time signature, not at all a happy song, and a very subdued arrangement, even for a ballad. That was at the point in time when Madonna could do anything she damn well pleased, though.