HYPERBALLOT: ILM Artist Poll #88 -- Björk Resultsness

Perfect top two! My order:

Homogenic
Vespertine
Medulla
Post
Vulnicura
Debut
Biophilia
Utopia
Volta
SelmaSongs

I guess it's not surprising to still see the eternal divide 92-01 / 04-present in the perceptions of her career. At the same time, I sense a re-appraisal, a few years ago you still had whiners asking when she'd finally return to pop (these people need to be slapped) and beats; now more people reserve a good place for her later work, though it's curious how nobody quite agrees on which. For example, I had a second discovery of Björk at the time of Medulla and Volta, so these two hold a special place for me, Medulla especially but this one really stands alone, I think Volta really defined her later work: all those sound-landscape portraits, and the use of additional instruments (horns on Volta, then strings, then winds). At the same time, I was always cold to Biophilia, which I find too... abstract and cold in its style exercises. I was hoping to see even more points for Vulnicura.
Post and Debut are both unequal, but Debut has a lot of charm, and so does Post, maybe.
I can't deny that Homogenic and Vespertine still tower in her discography, including for me, although for a while Medulla was my official favorite. I still can't decide which I prefer of those two masterpieces, as they're really so different. I certainly wasn't expecting a 17-12 for Homogenic, I'd have imagined Vespertine coming on top actually, because of its sheer orchestrated / atmospheric / post-pop beauty. I guess Homogenic is the all-rounder, while Vespertine is the late night shivers.

Vespertine was my #1 but there was almost nothing separating the top three (Which included Vulnicura)

I should already be asleep but I think I'm going to...stick around for joy.

(adding to my post: *soundscapes and poetry really developed in Volta, the longer pieces too)
Anyone for a symbolic interpretation of Vespertine's cover ? Right now the swans and rapture are staring at me and striking me as a very unique and defy my thoughts.

Post
Homogenic
Vespertine
Debut
Vulnicura

any of those top 3 could be at the top on any given day, though

lol this was a pretty predictable top 5

Vulnicura almost squeaked in!

Full album results ...

Homogenic	301	33
Vespertine	287	33
Post	228	28
Debut	183	24
Medúlla	132	17
Vulnicura	123	18
Utopia	56	8
Biophilia	54	8
Volta	29	4
Selmasongs	20	3
Drawing Restraint 9	16	2
Vespertine Live	8	1
Telegram	7	1
Mount Wittenberg Orca	6	1

SUGARCUBES TRACKS

10. Eat the Menu -- 17 points; 2 votes

09. Water -- 20 points; 3 votes

(Not going to overwhelm the thread with YT links until we get to music videos, ftr.)

I didn't vote in the album poll (was a beyond-the-deadline voter), but Vespertine would've been my number 1. Post was 2 though, so I doubt it would've lead to a switch of those two.

Biggest surprise for is seeing Medúlla so high. Thought it'd place around 7th/8th, certainly not higher than Vulnicura and Biophilia!

08. Traitor -- 23 points; 3 votes

My albums vote

Homogenic
Vespertine
Vulnicura
Medúlla
Mount Wittenberg Orca

Did not vote for Sugarcubes tracks as I only know three. But will check out whatever comes up.

True confession, I've never checked out the Sugarcubes stuff

search the bonkers string-section remix of "Deus" for sure

07. Walkabout -- 34 points; 5 votes

06. Motorcrash -- 37 points; 5 votes

TOO LOW :)

Oops, "Traitor" and "Eat the Menu" had 1 first-place vote each

05. Mama -- 38 points; 5 votes

04. Planet -- 39 points; 5 votes

03. Deus -- 29 points; 7 votes; 1 first-place vote

02. Hit -- 63 points; 8 votes; 3 first-place votes
01. Birthday -- 99 points; 11 votes; 6 first-place votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58bAgVSYV1E

birthday is so brilliant, one of the best-ever basslines

(change "x" to "t" in link)

hxxps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HPHRHcwwbrg

("Deus" remix version)

looks like utopia is unpopular but I think it's my fav thing she's done since vespertine, glistening and supple and fresh. vulnicura otoh i haven't been able to get into at all

REMIXES

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSIPalML2_o

10. Isobel (Deodato Mix) -- 15 points; 2 votes (tie)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viX7tcKXehY

10. It's In Our Hands (Soft Pink Truth Mix) -- 15 points; 2 votes (tie)

These were the other six Sugarcubes songs that got votes:

Coldsweat	15	2
Pump	9	1
I'm Hungry	9	1
Delicious Demon	7	1
Tidal Wave	6	1
Regina	6	1

didn't vote for sugarcubes but birthday is all time of course

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48cuLlF5iqs

09. Family (Katie Gately Remix) -- 16 points; 2 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOwHxXiJXY4

06. Hyperballad (Brodsky Quartet) -- 17 points; 2 votes (tie)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5Y3mBFchvo

06. Isobel (Transfunk Remix) -- 17 points; 2 votes (tie)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-nS15CbtmI

06. Violently Happy (Masters at Work 12") -- 17 points; 2 votes; 1 first-place vote (tie)

I really like that Katey Gately remix of Family! The original is also one of her most amazing songs, I think

The MAW mix is excellent indeed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivqs5AoQ8sY

05. Big Time Sensuality (The Fluke Minimix) -- 19 points; 2 votes; 1 first-place vote

isobel transfunk remix is the truth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqD1Qd3EMD4

04. The Dull Flame of Desire (Modselektor Remix for Girls) -- 21 points; 3 votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Avp_164pXD4

03. Who Is It (Vitalic Mix) -- 22 points; 3 votes

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

02. One Day (Springs Eternal Mix) -- 26 points; 3 votes; 2 first-place votes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5shxIz6sXY

01. Human Behavior (Underworld Mix) -- 29 points; 4 votes

So literally all of these got first place votes that were also their only votes:

All is Full of Love (Howie's Version)
All is Full of Love (Plaid Remix)
All is Full of Love (Video Version)
Anchor Song, The (Strings Version)
Blissing Me (serpentwithfeet Remix)
Crystalline (Omar Souleyman Remix)
Earth Intruders (xxxchange mix)
Pagan Poetry (Infusion Mix)
Sun in My Mouth (recomposed by Ensemble)
Virus (Hudson Mohawke Peaches & Guacamol Remix)
Who Is It (Bogdan Raczinski)

Full results:

Human Behavior (Underworld Mix)	29	4
One Day (Springs Eternal Mix)	26	3
Who Is It (Vitalic Mix)	22	3
Dull Flame of Desire, The (Modeselektor Remix for Girls)	21	3
Big Time Sensuality (The Fluke Minimix)	19	2
Hyper-ballad (Brodsky Quartet)	17	2
Isobel (Transfunk Remix)	17	2
Violently Happy (Masters at Work 12")	17	2
Family (Katie Gately Remix)	16	2
Isobel (Deodato Mix)	15	2
It's In Our Hands (Soft Pink Truth Mix)	15	2
Big Time Sensuality (Justin Robertson Lionrock Wigout Vox)	14	2
I Miss You (Sunshine Mix)	12	2
All is Full of Love (Howie's Version)	10	1
All is Full of Love (Plaid Remix)	10	1
All is Full of Love (Video Version)	10	1
Anchor Song, The (Strings Version)	10	1
Blissing Me (serpentwithfeet Remix)	10	1
Crystalline (Omar Souleyman Remix)	10	1
Earth Intruders (xxxchange mix)	10	1
Pagan Poetry (Infusion Mix)	10	1
Sun in My Mouth (recomposed by Ensemble)	10	1
Virus (Hudson Mohawke Peaches & Guacamol Remix)	10	1
Who Is It (Bogdan Raczinski)	10	1
All is Full of Love (In Love with Funkstörung)	9	1
Come To Me (Black Dog Mix)	9	1
Cover Me (Dillinja Mix)	9	1
Hidden Forest, A (Björk vs. The Cure)	9	1
Hidden Place (Knick & The Enemy Remix)	9	1
Human Behavior (Speedy J Remix)	9	1
Mutual Core (These New Puritans remix)	9	1
Violently Happy (Fluke - Even Tempered)	9	1
Virus (Matthew Herbert's Fever Mix)	9	1
Black Lake (Viola Organista Version)	8	1
"Declare Independence (Mark Stent Instrumental)
Declare Independence (Mark Stent Instrumental)
Declare Independence (Mark Stent Instrumental)
Declare Independence (Mark Stent Instrumental)
Declare Independence (Mark Stent Instrumental)"	8	1
Hunter (µ-Ziq Remix)	8	1
Hyper-ballad (Tee's Freeze Mix)	8	1
Kindness Kind (Delikate Impostors Remix)	8	1
Possibly Maybe (Brodsky Quartet Live at Union Chapel)	8	1
Sacrifice (Death Grips Remix)	8	1
Violently Happy (Basso Hitto Dubbo)	7	1
Arisen My Senses (Lanark Artefax Remix)	7	1
Big Time Sensuality (Plaid Remix)	7	1
Hyper-ballad (Girls Blouse Mix)	7	1
Hyper-ballad (Over the Edge Mix)	7	1
Joga (Introvert Breaks Mix)	7	1
Pagan Poetry (Matthew Herbert Handshake Mix)	7	1
All is Full of Love (Cass Breaks Remix)	6	1
Big Time Sensuality (Morales Def Club Mix)	6	1
Hollow (16-bit Remix)	6	1
Mutual Core (Matthew Herbert's Teutonic Plates Mix)	6	1
Stonemilker (Forest Swords Remix)	6	1

Which brings us to ...

MUSIC VIDEOS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1QtZqCiP7s

10. Isobel (1995) -- 33 points; 4 votes; 1 first-place vote

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

10. It's Oh So Quiet (1995) -- 33 points; 4 votes (tie)

And Bjork seriously needs to improve the quality of her videos on YouTube. 360p? It's 2018.

Damn. Fast moving poll is moving fast.

I'll be stretching the 60 tracks across 4 days, so it'll slow down considerably soon enough.

ty be still my beating heart

It's Oh So Quiet is one of those videso that really adds to my appreciation of the song

yowza i missed a bunch

kinda surprised vespertine almost caught homogenic! esp considering everyone assumed a homo-post-debut finish? or at least someone did in the other thread and i just assumed they'd be right because it was the first prediction i read?

i was out on sugarcubes and i didn't think the remixes thru too well but i am looking fwd to listening to both of those lists!

v excited for these music videos, idk if there is an artist with more good vids than bjork, gonna say no

and i don't even like gondry videos that much!

That Mark Bell "Bachelorette" remix is sheen.

ok so maybe i was a bit too dismissive of the rest of The Best Mixes (and didn't realize Ned wrote the allmusic review for it, just saw it)

but the Black Dog "Come To Me" is the one i immediately turn up when it comes on. if the original is being enveloped in this warm, glowing (yet almost suffocating) blanket of safety then the black dog version is the other end of it, the person to whom the song is addressed, completely surrendered, in a trance of not worrying. which could be seen as unsettling - but that's what the Sabres version is to me, it's the person realizing the suffocating aspect of it.

as for Human Behaviour it's nice but just feels a bit too "Underworld remixes Bjork" by numbers. i'd actually prefer if Sabres remixed it instead! just think of what Weatherall could do with it.

i really wish she had a follow up to The Best Mixes / Telegram, or a singles box set..

I like the Speedy J remix of Human Behaviour more than the Underworld one. Reminds me of The Shamen, oddly enough.

My ballot; Isobel and Hunter might have placed too high, but Hyperballad was an easy pick for #1.

1. Hyperballad
2. Possibly Maybe
3. Isobel
4. Hunter
5. Enjoy
6. Venus as a Boy
7. History of Touches
8. All Neon Like
9. Army of Me
10. Pluto
11. New World
12. 5 Years
13. It's Oh So Quiet
14. Like Someone in Love
15. Unravel
16. Immature
17. Human Behavior
18. Bachelorette
19. Aurora
20. The Gate
21. Joga
22. Black Lake
23. Arisen My Senses
24. In the Musicals
25. The Modern Things
26. Come to Me
27. Big Time Sensuality
28. Stonemilker
29. Violently Happy
30. Alarm Call

Albums

Homogenic
Post
Vulnicura
Utopia
Debut

i thought i'd never want to hear her voice ever again but i listened to Black Lake because of this poll and I liked it. i still don't want to hear her singing ever again though.

AHAHAHAHHAHAHAH omg you guys Mark Bell made a fucking Miami Bass remix of "Bachelorette" I am SCREAMING!!

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

@BradNelson

have been listening to the Spotify, great job as always ILM.

my ballot

Tracks:

Come To Me
Play Dead
Enjoy
Hyper-ballad
Possibly Maybe
Isobel
Immature
My Snare/Nature is Ancient
Pagan Poetry
Undo
Pleasure is all mine
So Broken
Sod Off
Stonemilker
Tabula Rasa
Triumph of the heart
Where is the line
Unison
venus as a boy
wanderlust
who is it
it's in our hands
you've been flirting again
joga
unravel
bachelorette
5 years
hidden place
scary
one day

Albums:

#1 Homogenic
#2 Vespertine
#3 Selmasongs
#4 Telegram
#5 Utopia

remixes

#1 pagan poetry herbert mix
#2 plaid all is full of love
#3 soft pink truth it's in our hands

music videos

#1 joga
#2 bachelorette
#3 isobel
#4 human behaviour
#5 i miss you

hey, i voted Come to Me #1 too! *high five*

such a lovely song

Debut turns 25 today.

listening to "come to me" with the most respect

Been listening again to this ranking and I love this poll’s results.

Aww, me too.

Funny, I was listening to this as well yesterday.

I found myself here just the other day because I had "Scary" swimming around inside my head and wondered whether it got an appropriate amount of love here. (It was on a few ballots, at least!)

TTL has all the old Bjork vinyls in stock, FYI

https://www.turntablelab.com/search?sort=best-selling&type=article%2Cpage%2Cproduct&q=bjork&_=pf&pf_v_artist_manufacturer=Bjork&pf_v_artist_manufacturer=The%20Sugarcubes&pf_st_stock_status=true&goal=0_8b218d7604-bbb69b2476-31345977&mc_cid=bbb69b2476&mc_eid=365684acc9