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

7 for me tonight, including 2 from my top 5 ('groove is in the heart' and 'there is a light...')

I'm gonna go ahead and look in my crystal ball....
1. Michael Jackson - Billie Jean

Contenderizer, 'Roadrunner' obviously does a lot of what 'Autobahn' does as far as the whole pop music/fast car metaphor goes, but I guess it's a good illustration of your distance and coldness vs. warmth and immediacy thing from upthread.

agreed, and i voted for "autobahn" too

49. THE VELVET UNDERGROUND "Sister Ray" (1968) [1,551 points, 12 votes, 1 first place vote]

eight today:

46. DESMOND DEKKER & THE ACES "Israelites" (1968) [1,591 points, 15 votes]
45. CHIC "Good Times" (1979) [1,604 points, 18 votes]
43. NEW ORDER "Temptation" (1982) [1,629 points, 14 votes]
38. DEEE-LITE "Groove Is in the Heart" (1990) [1,732 points, 16 votes]
37. THE SMITHS "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (1986) [1,787 points, 17 votes]
35. SONIC YOUTH "Teen Age Riot" (1988) [1,865 points, 21 votes]
32. JOY DIVISION "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (1980) [1,909 points, 18 votes]
31. THE BEATLES "A Day in the Life" (1967) [1,933 points, 18 votes]

trax from today I would have voted for if I hadn't overlooked them while making my list:

50. SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS "I Put a Spell on You" (1956) [1,495 points, 17 votes]
34. THE FLAMINGOS "I Only Have Eyes for You" (1959) [1,867 points, 17 votes, 1 first place vote]

er.. nine, it seems

34. THE FLAMINGOS "I Only Have Eyes for You" (1959) [1,867 points, 17 votes, 1 first place vote]
33. FUNKADELIC "Maggot Brain" (1971) [1,908 points, 16 votes]
32. JOY DIVISION "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (1980) [1,909 points, 18 votes]
31. THE BEATLES "A Day in the Life" (1967) [1,933 points, 18 votes]
30. THE JACKSON 5 "I Want You Back" (1969) [1,953 points, 18 votes]
29. THE MODERN LOVERS "Roadrunner" (1972) [1,957 points, 18 votes]
28. SAM COOKE "A Change Is Gonna Come" (1964) [1,968 points, 21 votes]
27. ? & THE MYSTERIANS "96 Tears" (1966) [1,987 points, 17 votes]

really really loved this stretch

i had never heard the modern lovers song before & i was about to preemptively bitch about it beating "i want you back" but damn

the whole modern lovers album is str8 classic

beat by four points! they're pretty much tied. xp

I want at least one version of "Lush Life" to chart.
Best song to live by
or maybe to kill yourself to
but definitely to listen to.

btw, I found a few threads on the 50s and one film poll about the 50s on ILE, but no poll for 50s tracks. If anyone knows for sure that it existed and how to find it, point me there.

ppl bitching about the inevitable slant toward the last third of the century should just do a pre-60s or first half of the century poll already.

I was thinking about it a little while ago and concluded that, as much as we'd all like to represent for a lot of pre-1960 music, there's just SO MUCH of it (60 years' worth) and not everyone has had the time or will to go back and really familiarize themselves with enough of it for it to become instinctual to vote for. That's fair. Artists from the '60s and '70s are still in the public consciousness today, whether we're hearing them on the radio or reading their obits in the paper, or hearing covers of their songs by present-day artists. Pre-1960 music is generally relegated to radio stations that our grandparents listen to, isn't much talked about or regarded in day-to-day life, and really only captures our attention when used strategically in a film (like "Cheek to Cheek" was in The Green Mile, for example).

If a bunch 70 and 80 year olds were voting in this poll, I wouldn't expect to see a single Prince or Joy Division song make the cut, but a whole lot of Nat King Cole and Rosemary Clooney instead.

omg 50-26 are all the greatest songs ever (even the ones I didn't vote for, tho I voted for like half of them). loving ya lots right now, ILM

xp. i think that is very true. for example I can glance at a list of 12 Bowie songs and I know my favourites, but I'm not familiar enough with Ellington or Armstrong to do the same... even though I dig them both lots.

i'm kinda curious how different it would be if there were no nominations, just write-in votes. other than being a nightmare to rank, of course.

there'd be even more tracks tied with one vote, but maybe some different things would slip through.

I'd like to see these in the top 25 tomorrow:

The Mamas and The Papas — California Dreamin'
Michael Jackson — Billie Jean
Gladys Knight and The Pips — Midnight Train to Georgia

I'm not sure what else on my ballot to be hopeful about.

It's weird looking back at my ballot and seeing that I did not in fact vote for things that I had assumed I did, but then I remembered that part of my strategy was that Prince, Madonna, and the Beatles weren't going to need my help getting on this list.

I'd like to see these in the top 25 tomorrow:

The Mamas and The Papas — California Dreamin'
Michael Jackson — Billie Jean
Gladys Knight and The Pips — Midnight Train to Georgia

"Billie Jean" might. Pretty sure the others will not be there.

Billie Jean almost certainly will.

"Strange Fruit" has gotta make an appearance at some point.

i'm hoping some ray charles recordings made it

Great results today! Actually, 6 that I voted for, including 26-28. And I really love even almost all the songs I didn't vote for. Still, steeling myself to be pissed at some of the stuff that didn't make it.

A 50s poll was discussed but never undertaken. I think it could be very interesting, although ideally there would be plenty of time for people to campaign and familiarize themselves with things they haven't heard.

I think the next poll should be a band/artists of the 20th century poll.

did someone say there is only one remaining pre-1950 track? gotta be strange fruit if that's the case...

we might wanna take it easy w/ the polls for a little after the 2010 polls

http://version1.itsnicethat.com/images/608.jpg

oops, wrong thread.

strange fruit amirite

we might wanna take it easy w/ the polls for a little after the 2010 polls

Yeah, I earlier put the 50s poll on my to-do list for 2011, but even then I'm talking more like mid-2011.

How about a worst songs of the 20thC poll?

Or would that erupt into a shitfight.

OH THAT WOULD BE FUN!!!

About the 50s poll, though, I'm really intrigued by the idea of it. There's so much 50s music that I've heard in passing over the years, but comparatively little of it that I've actually sat down and absorbed, studying the intricacies and what have you. "I Only Have Eyes for You," for example, was a song I'd heard countless times, but never really listened to. It's actually pretty mindbending.

Did someone already mention the recent Christgau's Favorite '50s Songs poll? It was very limited--20 or 30 songs, I think (and not, stricltly speaking, his favorites).

Could a list be made out of this showing most popular bands/artists? Shouldn't be too much more work ?? Therefore artists that got lots of noms, therefore lots of vote splitting would show up. For example there might be a large amount that voted for Hank Williams but they were split evenly between the tunes so he doesn't show. Seems ridiculous that he isn't anywhere so far.

I wish ILX had pages.. too many youtubes. :(

USE FUCKING BOOKMARKS

jesus...

people who don't use bookmarks & then complain about the length of threads would be like if you had a car but constantly complained about not being able to get anywhere

bookmarks arent working for me actually

Have you tried using a different browser? Seriously though, bookmarks will change your life.

x-post to Geir. If you can say with confidence that "Midnight Train to Georgia" isn't gonna show in this poll - not the simple reality that it won't have placed afterall, but to say that we already know it is just not going to show at this point - then I think something is really fundamentally wrong with this place. I honestly can't think of a more deserving track.

I'm sorry. I'm trying to be open-minded to other tastes, but the idea that Midnight Train to Georgia isn't an obvious contender for the top 25 is really upsetting to me at the moment. Maybe I'm being ridiculous.

I used to use them, but its not working this week

xp

34. THE FLAMINGOS "I Only Have Eyes for You" (1959) [1,867 points, 17 votes, 1 first place vote]

hell yeah.. i thought it would be top 10 but 34 isn't bad.

Here's the list again so far for people who can't bookmark:

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]
105. THE SUPREMES "You Keep Me Hangin' On" (1966) [1,216 points, 13 votes]
104. RON GRAINER & DELIA DERBYSHIRE "Theme From 'Dr. Who'" (1963) [1,219 points, 12 votes]
103. THE KINKS "You Really Got Me" (1964) [1,220 points, 12 votes]
102. TALKING HEADS "This Must Be the Place (Naive Melody)" (1983) [1,221 points, 10 votes]
99. (TIE) THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" (1968) [1,223 points, 12 votes]
99. (TIE) KING CRIMSON "21st Century Schizoid Man" (1969) [1,223 points, 12 votes]
99. (TIE) MOTT THE HOOPLE "All the Young Dudes" (1972) [1,223 points, 12 votes]

98. THE VELVET UNDERGROUND "Heroin" (1967) [1,231 points, 11 votes]
97. THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. "Juicy" (1994) [1,266 points, 11 votes]
96. BOB DYLAN "Tangled Up in Blue" (1975) [1,268 points, 11 votes]
94. (TIE) NIRVANA "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (1991) [1,275 points, 12 votes]
94. (TIE) CAMEO "Word Up" (1986) [1,275 points, 12 votes]
93. CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL "Fortunate Son" (1969) [1,276 points, 14 votes]
92. THE VINCE GUARALDI TRIO "Linus and Lucy" (1964) [1,280 points, 13 votes]
91. TOOTS & THE MAYTALS "Pressure Drop" (1970) [1,282 points, 13 votes]
90. THE CLASH "(White Man) In Hammersmith Palais" (1978) [1,287 points, 11 votes]
89. THE BEATLES "Penny Lane" (1967) [1,290 points, 11 votes]
88. WIRE "Outdoor Miner" (1978) [1,296 points, 11 votes]
87. ABBA "Dancing Queen" (1976) [1,297 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]
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]
82. THE SMITHS "How Soon Is Now?" (1985) [1,311 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]
79. (TIE) NEW ORDER "Ceremony" (1981) [1,313 points, 13 votes]
78. KRAFTWERK "Trans Europe Express" (1977) [1,325 points, 14 votes]
77. KRAFTWERK "Autobahn" (1974) [1,331 points, 12 votes]

76. DAVID BOWIE "Life on Mars?" (1973) [1,336 points, 13 votes]
75. BRIAN ENO "St. Elmo's Fire" (1975) [1,339 points, 12 votes]
74. ROXY MUSIC "Virginia Plain" (1972) [1,346 points, 12 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]
71. THE ZOMBIES "Care of Cell 44" (1968) [1,355 points, 13 votes]
70. BIG STAR "Thirteen" (1972) [1,362 points, 14 votes]
69. TOM TOM CLUB "Genius of Love" (1981) [1,373 points, 16 votes]
68. JOY DIVISION "Transmission" (1979) [1,379 points, 14 votes]
67. YES "Close to the Edge" (1972) [1,386 points, 12 votes]
66. GETO BOYS "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" (1991) [1,395 points, 13 votes]
65. BJÖRK "Hyperballad" (1995) [1,397 points, 13 votes]
64. WIRE "Map Ref. 41°N 93°W" (1979) [1,401 points, 14 votes, 1 first place vote]
63. M|A|R|R|S "Pump Up the Volume" (1987) [1,402 points, 15 votes]
62. CURTIS MAYFIELD "Move on Up" (1970) [1,407 points, 14 votes]
61. GIL SCOTT-HERON "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" (1971) [1,412 points, 14 votes]
60. RADIOHEAD "Paranoid Android" (1997) [1,417 points, 13 votes, 1 first place vote]
59. KATE BUSH "Cloudbusting" (1985) [1,427 points, 13 votes]
57. (TIE) DR. DRE ft. SNOOP DOGG "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang" (1992) [1,447 points, 14 votes]
57. (TIE) NINA SIMONE "Sinnerman" (1965) [1,447 points, 14 votes]
56. THE BEACH BOYS "Wouldn't it Be Nice" (1966) [1,460 points, 12 votes]
55. QUEEN ft. DAVID BOWIE "Under Pressure" (1981) [1,475 points, 12 votes, 2 first place votes]
54. PET SHOP BOYS "West End Girls" (1985) [1,491 points, 14 votes, 1 first place vote]
53. NANCY SINATRA & LEE HAZLEWOOD "Some Velvet Morning" (1967) [1,492 points, 17 votes]
52. CHEAP TRICK "Surrender" (1978) [1,493 points, 15 votes]
51. DOLLY PARTON "Jolene" (1973) [1,493 points, 17 votes]

50. SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS "I Put a Spell on You" (1956) [1,495 points, 17 votes]
49. THE VELVET UNDERGROUND "Sister Ray" (1968) [1,551 points, 12 votes, 1 first place vote]
48. SLY & THE FAMILY STONE "Family Affair" (1971) [1,558 points, 15 votes]
47. NEW ORDER "Blue Monday" (1983) [1,571 points, 14 votes]
46. DESMOND DEKKER & THE ACES "Israelites" (1968) [1,591 points, 15 votes]
45. CHIC "Good Times" (1979) [1,604 points, 18 votes]
44. PULP "Common People" (1995) [1,625 points, 13 votes]
43. NEW ORDER "Temptation" (1982) [1,629 points, 14 votes]
42. DEPECHE MODE "Enjoy the Silence" (1990) [1,640 points, 14 votes]
41. PRINCE "Little Red Corvette" (1982) [1,651 points, 15 votes]
40. PUBLIC ENEMY "Bring the Noise" (1987) [1,659 points, 16 votes]
39. THE UNDERTONES "Teenage Kicks" (1978) [1,703 points, 17 votes]
38. DEEE-LITE "Groove Is in the Heart" (1990) [1,732 points, 16 votes]
37. THE SMITHS "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" (1986) [1,787 points, 17 votes]
36. MARVIN GAYE "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" (1968) [1,863 points, 16 votes]
35. SONIC YOUTH "Teen Age Riot" (1988) [1,865 points, 21 votes]
34. THE FLAMINGOS "I Only Have Eyes for You" (1959) [1,867 points, 17 votes, 1 first place vote]
33. FUNKADELIC "Maggot Brain" (1971) [1,908 points, 16 votes]
32. JOY DIVISION "Love Will Tear Us Apart" (1980) [1,909 points, 18 votes]
31. THE BEATLES "A Day in the Life" (1967) [1,933 points, 18 votes]
30. THE JACKSON 5 "I Want You Back" (1969) [1,953 points, 18 votes]
29. THE MODERN LOVERS "Roadrunner" (1972) [1,957 points, 18 votes]
28. SAM COOKE "A Change Is Gonna Come" (1964) [1,968 points, 21 votes]
27. ? & THE MYSTERIANS "96 Tears" (1966) [1,987 points, 17 votes]
26. BOB DYLAN "Like a Rolling Stone" (1965) [2,025 points, 19 votes]

(I'm always scared when I do that I might accidentally post the next day's results too.)

I'm sorry. I'm trying to be open-minded to other tastes, but the idea that Midnight Train to Georgia isn't an obvious contender for the top 25 is really upsetting to me at the moment

I'd never even heard it til just now and it sounds like a pretty bog-standard R&B/discoey kind of track to me. Nothing special, and the kind of thing I find really boring in all honesty.

If it had been a part of your life for 30+ years, you'd feel differently. Maybe positive, maybe negative, but definitely differently.