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

16 of my picks so far, um did anyone else vote for Magma - De Futura?

Yes, there were other votes for De Futura.

Other than Wire, Eno and possibly Autobahn I don't know where this coldness and distance is being manifested. Kate Bush and Queen/Bowie for example are supremely emotionally engaged records.

― State Attorney Foxhart Cubycheck (Billy Dods), Wednesday, December 1, 2010 1:12 PM (23 minutes ago) Bookmark

my point is being misconstrued. i originally mentioned ILX's predilection for elegant, cerebral art pop that indulges in or feigns histrionic emotionalism, even outright sentimentality (or else is robotically cold, a la kraftwerk). i'm not objecting to the dominance of the ILX house style because it is unemotional, but because the dominance is itself tedious.

2 wtf moments for me from today's results:

'under pressure' and that horrible, cloying cheap trick song.

my point is being misconstrued. i originally mentioned ILX's predilection for elegant, cerebral art pop that indulges in or feigns histrionic emotionalism, even outright sentimentality (or else is robotically cold, a la kraftwerk). i'm not objecting to the dominance of the ILX house style because it is unemotional, but because the dominance is itself tedious.

― phish in your sleazebag (contenderizer), Wednesday, 1 December 2010 21:47 (4 minutes ago)

that's hardly a 'dominant' tranche of this list however you cut it

ILX's predilection for elegant, cerebral art pop that indulges in or feigns histrionic emotionalism, even outright sentimentality (or else is robotically cold, a la kraftwerk)

I think your point is being misconstrued because why not just say 'elegant, cerebral art pop'? Although I would still take issue about whether all the bands you listed are in fact that, at least it would make sense. Because right now you seem to be saying '...art pop that is either emotional or not'.

Sorry if it annoys you Jordan but I didn't keep a text copy of my ballot and doing my own recap helps me see how many songs on my ballot have appeared so far.

21/100

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]
104. RON GRAINER & DELIA DERBYSHIRE "Theme From 'Dr. Who'" (1963) [1,219 points, 12 votes]
84. CLAUDE DEBUSSY "Clair de Lune" (1905) [1,301 points, 10 votes, 1 first place vote]
83. PRINCE & THE REVOLUTION "Kiss" (1986) [1,308 points, 14 votes]
81. MY BLOODY VALENTINE "Soon" (1991) [1,313 points, 11 votes]
79. (TIE) LED ZEPPELIN "When the Levee Breaks" (1971) [1,313 points, 13 votes]
73. IGGY & THE STOOGES "Search and Destroy" (1973) [1,351 points, 15 votes]
72. ELIS REGINA & ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM "Águas de Março" (1974) [1,352 points, 11 votes, 1 first place vote]
69. TOM TOM CLUB "Genius of Love" (1981) [1,373 points, 16 votes]
65. BJÖRK "Hyperballad" (1995) [1,397 points, 13 votes]
63. M|A|R|R|S "Pump Up the Volume" (1987) [1,402 points, 15 votes]
61. GIL SCOTT-HERON "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" (1971) [1,412 points, 14 votes]
59. KATE BUSH "Cloudbusting" (1985) [1,427 points, 13 votes]
57. (TIE) NINA SIMONE "Sinnerman" (1965) [1,447 points, 14 votes]
53. NANCY SINATRA & LEE HAZLEWOOD "Some Velvet Morning" (1967) [1,492 points, 17 votes]
51. DOLLY PARTON "Jolene" (1973) [1,493 points, 17 votes]

sad to see what's missing from the countdown. more interested now to see what placed 500-125. the rest of the list will not produce many surprises i wager.

Its like Jordan's plea went completely unviewed. I have to agree that its annoying to see these lists cluttering up an already packed thread.

well, stick an "often" in there if it pleases you.

if you'll forgive the redundancy and for purposes of clarification: i'm talking about the dominance of a cerebral, literary and often somewhat ironically distanced strain of experimental/art pop that equally often tends to emotionalism, the sentiment and intellectualism coexisting happily when they must. this was typically (though not always) guitar driven rock music prior to the late 70s, but becomes increasingly electronic and dance-oriented thereafter. it frequently displays a fascination with repetition, abstraction and the cultivation of atmosphere as an end in itself, though it remains steadfastly pop. it places a premium on aesthetic sophistication and elegance, though it can be quite fierce and even violent within those constraints.

for example: joy division, new order, bowie, eno, roxy music, pet shop boys, kraftwerk, radiohead, bjork, kate bush, wire, the smiths

i make the point about emotionalism and coldness because i'm talking not about the entire universe of art pop, which includes a great many other strains, but about a specific thread, and this thread, for whatever reason, gravitates to the poles of wrenching sentiment and icy intellection. the tension between these poles is what makes a song like "computer world" interesting, and this tension seems like a dominant theme in the music i'm discussing.

basically you're saying that low-grade aspergers informs our musical tastes

lol

Sorry I haven't been able to join in, but I wanted to listen to them all in order without spoilers and I can't do it in real time. This is really, really great though, thanks a bunch again for putting it together.

I'd never heard 'Sinnerman' before, but good lord what a song! Miles beyond anything else in the rundown so far imo, and now that I've heard it the only one there that might genuinely be the best track of the century.

Wow! Can't believe you never heard of Sinnerman before. Heard any other Nina Simone tracks? I honestly thought that one would make it to the top 20.

Anyway if you like that one I'd recommend: Funkier than a mosquito's tweeter, See-line Woman, Love Me or Leave Me, I ain't got no.

She's totally passed me by, but not for much longer I see. I thought 'Sinnerman' was familiar when I heard the tinkly intro (gets used in a car ad here if I'm right) but nothing to prepare me for what was about to drop - you don't get a pleasure like that very often.

fourteen for me

125. JOHNNY CASH "Folsom Prison Blues" (1955) [1,153 points, 13 votes]125. JOHNNY CASH "Folsom Prison Blues" (1955) [1,153 points, 13 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]
112. N.W.A "Straight Outta Compton" (1988) [1,195 points, 11 votes]
110. STEREOLAB "Jenny Ondioline" (1993) [1,197 points, 11 votes]

94. (TIE) CAMEO "Word Up" (1986) [1,275 points, 12 votes]
86. AL GREEN "Let's Stay Together" (1971) [1,299 points, 14 votes]
85. MADONNA "Into the Groove" (1985) [1,300 points, 12 votes]
81. MY BLOODY VALENTINE "Soon" (1991) [1,313 points, 11 votes]
77. KRAFTWERK "Autobahn" (1974) [1,331 points, 12 votes]

66. GETO BOYS "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" (1991) [1,395 points, 13 votes]
61. GIL SCOTT-HERON "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" (1971) [1,412 points, 14 votes]
53. NANCY SINATRA & LEE HAZLEWOOD "Some Velvet Morning" (1967) [1,492 points, 17 votes]
51. DOLLY PARTON "Jolene" (1973) [1,493 points, 17 votes]

I've had ten place so far. Will protect delicate souls by not listing 'em, but the highest by a distance was my no.4 'Move On Up' - much as I love that, it seems like kiddies' stuff after Nina.

(7/75)
106. KRAFTWERK "Computer Love" (1981) [1,209 points, 10 votes]
92. THE VINCE GUARALDI TRIO "Linus and Lucy" (1964) [1,280 points, 13 votes]
89. THE BEATLES "Penny Lane" (1967) [1,290 points, 11 votes]
75. BRIAN ENO "St. Elmo's Fire" (1975) [1,339 points, 12 votes]
72. ELIS REGINA & ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM "Águas de Março" (1974) [1,352 points, 11 votes, 1 first place vote]
67. YES "Close to the Edge" (1972) [1,386 points, 12 votes]
59. KATE BUSH "Cloudbusting" (1985) [1,427 points, 13 votes]

the happiest thing to show up which I didn't vote for is Bjork

plus will someone turn off the commentary for kornrulez6969?

Loved 'Águas de Março' btw, it was a joy. I knew it from covers but not the original.

the biggest disappointment so far (besides not having better Nirvana, King Crimson, Fleetwood Mac, and Cheap Trick tracks) is Radiohead - Paranoid Android

That song just reminds of the first thing dicks learn how to play after a year of practicing acoustic guitar

attachments...

also while I'm voicing my opinions - "Awaken" is not better than "Close to the Edge" and WOOOH for that Brian Eno track being the one to show up (I don't know the cover btw)

So far, I've voted for these eight:
122. STAN GETZ & ASTRUD GILBERTO "The Girl From Ipanema" (1964) [1,160 points, 11 votes]
119. 10CC "I'm Not in Love" (1975) [1,167 points, 12 votes]
109. KATE BUSH "Wuthering Heights" (1978) [1,197 points, 13 votes]
99. (TIE) THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" (1968) [1,223 points, 12 votes]
89. THE BEATLES "Penny Lane" (1967) [1,290 points, 11 votes]
81. MY BLOODY VALENTINE "Soon" (1991) [1,313 points, 11 votes]
63. M|A|R|R|S "Pump Up the Volume" (1987) [1,402 points, 15 votes]
60. RADIOHEAD "Paranoid Android" (1997) [1,417 points, 13 votes, 1 first place vote]

and thought I'd also voted for these four, but having double-checked I realise they got eliminated from the final cut, but were bubbling under in the 100-120 positions:
103. THE KINKS "You Really Got Me" (1964) [1,220 points, 12 votes]
94. (TIE) CAMEO "Word Up" (1986) [1,275 points, 12 votes]
87. ABBA "Dancing Queen" (1976) [1,297 points, 12 votes]
68. JOY DIVISION "Transmission" (1979) [1,379 points, 14 votes]

76. DAVID BOWIE "Life on Mars?" (1973) [1,336 points, 13 votes]

I expect my only 2 hip hop votes to show up in the top 50 (can you guess which?).. I'll just say it "The Message" and "93 'Til Infinity"

I'm a kind of bummed "West End Girls" already placed, though at the same time glad it placed at all. But I guess this means "Always On My Mind" has no chance.

I honestly don't mind people posting tallies of their votes that have placed, because I keep bookmarking this thread all over the place. I never see most of them more than once.

Thanks also for the chance to hear 'Under Pressure' with new ears. I had it and another Queen on my list of 140, but cut them cos I thought they weren't actually that good - but no, they are.

I'm still gushing about 'Sinnerman' tbh. It sort of makes me want to withdraw my ballot, it feels invalidated now. I wrote before about looking for transcendent moments above everything else, and voting for wherever I found them. Now I feel a bit stupid giving points to 'Transmission' for its hi-hat, or 'West End Girls' for the lyric, when here's ten minutes of ecstacy and i'd never heard of it.

So far we've introduced one person to "Word Up" and another to "Sinnerman". That's really the most important thing here, amirite?

in voting for "sinnerman" i have not just done the right thing, i have transformed another human life. feels good. like being clean.

Kind of jealous of Ismael's little epiphany here! Honestly thrilled at yr response to that song.

ok, so 9 tracks i've voted for have appeared so far along with 2 tracks i nominated (i know this is superfluous information, but i'm noting it down for my own record)

Things I've voted for that have turned up: 21CSM, CTTE, Paranoid Android

now prog off everyone

(Nice to see Map Ref - great fucken song - but having placed I Should Have Known Better at 4th spot I kinda exhausted 154's voting privs)

*amends DN*

Seriously, for all your talk of "art" music, do you not see how something like 'Pump Up the Volume' is so much more inventive, interesting and just more generally compelling than your picks that have placed so far?

i'm pretty shocked that 'outdoor miner' isn't the highest placed wire song (god knows i gave it a pretty solid nudge, voting it at #2 and all), but it's fantastic to see two of their songs in the top hunge.

with only 50 songs left, the air up there is pretty thin. heaps of goodies are going to miss out, alas.

well I've had 3 picks place and two of them were very low down my ballot - PUTV isn't something I've heard. everyone approached the voting list from a position of partial ignorance. I will go through this listening to everything unheard and educate myself; in the meantime, cut the snark!

xp

Yeah, sorry, realised it was overly snipey after hitting submit. But it was something I was thinking about myself, to be honest, with all the talk of 'art pop' being bandied about on the thread. It seems to be losing all meaning it may ever have had.

Also, I'm kicking myself for not voting for PUTP.

I have to wonder if "Pump Up the Volume" will change a life in 2010 like it did in 1987. Somehow, I think it probably would not have the same impact.

PUTV is one of those tracks I said was important because of its timing and what it represents - the whole sampling thing, in this case.

I didnt get round to voting at all, so if O Superman doesn't place I am going to cut you all out of my will.

'pump up the volume' is pretty good. i mean, i'm happy it wasn't 'pump up the jam' instead.

JF: yeah I agree with you - but thats because when it came out, there wasnt much like it around.

"Pump Up the Jam" is classic

I completely agree about 'art pop' losing its meaning, which is why I was thoroughly laying into all the 'art pop' on this thread for basically being very conventional music with a customisation! Good songs, but conventional ones. The genuine avant-garde isn't getting any sort of a look-in.

As I've said, O Superman will be top 20 (and the best thing in the top 20)

True. Aside from a little bit of sample-based rap at the time, I hadn't heard anything that had been made almost entirely from other things. And it was so beautiful and amazing and everytime I listened to it I saw stars and rainbows.

Okay, that sounds ridiculous, but "Pump Up the Volume" was pretty transformative to a 13 year-old me.

You guys are going to be so surprised when Les Rallizes Dénudés are #1!

shhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!