American POLL Posse - ILM Artist Poll #91 - TORI AMOS - Results

Unrepentant Geraldines is fine but just sort of a lesser Scarlet's Walk. I understand what you mean with Native Invader, like Reindeer King is one of the most Kate Bush songs she's ever done but it's also one of her best since ADP and the whole album's pretty solid, it almost made my albums ballot.

I was one of the two voters for Unrepentant Geraldines - I gave it a listen when it came out and was surprised how much I enjoyed it, having not heard anything post-Choirgirl Hotel at that point (I still haven't heard Night of Hunters or a couple of the others that aren't listed here). Agree with the top two.

My ballot was [quick math] 47% Little Earthquakes, and that tends to be the only Tori album I go back to with any regularity, so I didn’t know what the more devoted fans considered her best anymore. I do remember From the Choir Girl Hotel being hailed by some as her greatest around the time it was released, but I didn’t know how much of that to attribute to new-album-enthusiasm (see also, OK Computer topping a Q readers poll of the greatest albums ever in late ‘97/early ‘98). Boys For Pele at #1 makes sense, though; it was a dense, difficult album that felt almost calculated to shed her fan base of casual admirers who’d come to her from MTV or Rolling Stone. I do remember mainstream critics typically being baffled by it at the time.

BFP came out at the height of my fandom. i remember finding out about it in December ’95 from the list of forthcoming releases at the mall (not sam goody. record town?) and scarfing it down the day it came out. the 2 star Rolling Stone review prompted a hastily scrawled letter to the editor. XD

i guess i’ve only dabbled but never been convinced there’s anything post-TVAB that approaches what she achieved on the first four albums. i’d be happy to be proven wrong but i’m skeptical.

I straight up just don't like BFP all that much, and if FTCH hadn't been as good as it was, I probably would've stopped following her at that point altogether.

I'm the other unrepentant Geraldines voter, I'll admit I also don't really get it as an album but I love pretty much every song on it.

And like Gavin I hadn't heard anything since Choirgirl at that point -- maybe that was the key?

TBH I'm a little bit surprised with the praise ADP is getting here. It was definitely a more exciting project than the snoozefest of The Beekeeper but it's waaay too long (26 songs?!) and plenty of tracks have some embarrassing lyrical clunkers (Yo George, Dark Side of the Sun etc.). But the worst offender is IMO the actual sound of the record -- it's just so toothless. I know she was going for a rock band vibe but somehow she ended up with Guitar Hero production, lifeless vocals, and tinny drums. Weird, given the fact how brilliantly she managed to incorporate some unhinged rock/electronic/full band elements on Choirgirl and Venus. ADP sounds like a muzak version of them.

Or maybe it's just my ears. Anyway, can't wait to see the songs poll results.

there were only three remix ballots so here are the remixes that got more than one vote:

3. God (The Rainforest Resort Mix by Carl Craig)
12 points, 2 votes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nb7rVlHV0DI

2. Ambient Raspberry Swirl (Scarlet Spectrum Feels)
14 points, 2 votes, 1 #1 vote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt-LKsyT1qc

1. Professional Widow (Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' Mix)
24 points, 3 votes, 1 #1 vote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sl9DkcBreNw

and the full remix and album results:

1	Ambient Raspberry Swirl (Scarlet Spectrum Feels)	14	2	1
2	God (The Rainforest Resort Mix by Carl Craig)		12	2	0
3	Kingdom - Red Baron Juke				10	1	1
4	God (The Thinking Mix 2 by Carl Craig)			8	1	0
5	Hey Jupiter (Dakota Version)				6	1	0
6	Talula (BT's Synethasia Mix)				2	1	0
8	Mainline Cherry (Ambient Spark)				2	1	0
8	Mainline Cherry (Ambient Spark)				2	1	0
1	Boys for Pele			100	12	5
2	From the Choirgirl Hotel	88	12	3
3	Little Earthquakes		66	10	3
4	Under the Pink			64	13	0
5	To Venus and Back		26	5	1
6	Scarlet's Walk			12	2	1
7	Night of Hunters		10	2	0
8	Unrepentant Geraldines		8	2	0
9	American Doll Posse		6	3	0
10	Strange Little Girls 		2	1	0

going to start counting down the top 40 tracks soon, starting with 40-31 today

uh that's

1	Professional Widow (Armand's Star Trunk Funkin' Mix)	24	3	1
2	Ambient Raspberry Swirl (Scarlet Spectrum Feels)	14	2	1
3	God (The Rainforest Resort Mix by Carl Craig)		12	2	0
4	Kingdom - Red Baron Juke				10	1	1
5	God (The Thinking Mix 2 by Carl Craig)			8	1	0
6	Hey Jupiter (Dakota Version)				6	1	0
8	Talula (BT's Synethasia Mix)				2	1	0
8	Mainline Cherry (Ambient Spark)				2	1	0

https://i.imgur.com/SjhNkA6.jpg
40. Yes, Anastasia
84 points, 2 votes, 1 #1 Vote

we’ll see how brave you are

https://i.imgur.com/GuI650e.jpg
39. Little Earthquakes
86 points, 2 votes

https://i.imgur.com/ZBHwnWc.jpg
38. The Waitress
86 points, 3 votes

https://i.imgur.com/J7WULvM.jpg
37. Space Dog
86 points, 6 votes

Wanted to add "Little Earthquakes" to my ballot after I sent it, but didn't want to make trouble for ufo. Glad it squeaked in.

i love the whole last two minutes of Space Dog, whenever she does her overlapping vocals it's incredible

https://i.imgur.com/i0RmKOR.jpg
36. Baker Baker
88 points, 4 votes

https://i.imgur.com/PoJvr6S.jpg
36. Taxi Ride
88 points, 4 votes

I love Taxi Ride so much, it's like a midpoint of Cocteau Twins and Fleetwood Mac lol

Didn’t vote (sorry!) because I didn’t feel knowledgeable but loving the images! Great job

"taxi ride" just missed my ballot (or rather i couldn't in good conscience vote for both it and "secret spell" since they're doing near-identical things) so i'm glad it's here

also these images rule thank you ufo

Secret Spell is so much more driven and it's almost a power pop thing while Taxi Ride is extremely dreamy soft rock so there's not much connection between the two to me except they're both highlights of her 00's albums

and i'm glad people are enjoying the images!

Secret Spell is so much more driven and it's almost a power pop thing while Taxi Ride is extremely dreamy soft rock so there's not much connection between the two to me except they're both highlights of her 00's albums

― ufo, Wednesday, September 12, 2018 8:34 AM (two minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

ah i get this but i group them together anyway, both choruses are sugar

https://i.imgur.com/BDEksXJ.jpg
34. Cloud On My Tongue
90 points, 6 votes

"cloud on my tongue" has like at least fifteen melodies in it, each of which could support their own song

https://i.imgur.com/KX74F1I.jpg
33. God
92 points, 3 votes

God has a great groove and when everything drops out except for the intentionally heavenly backing vocals in the chorus is a highlight

that trill downwards on "fi-hi-hind"/"ni-nine iron"

https://i.imgur.com/cVDpdhb.jpg
32. Concertina
92 points, 4 votes

aw it's so nice this made it! one of my favorite venus songs that also dropped off the end of my ballot at the last minute

"i know the truth is in between the first and fortieth drink" is prob my favorite lyric she's ever written, a stark sudden depiction of alcoholism in a song that i can't otherwise make heads or tails of

and the last one for today

https://i.imgur.com/lu5TRli.jpg
31. Bells for Her
96 points, 3 votes

Love the images, ufo!

"Yes, Anastasia" was my #1, glad to see it made the list.

so much of under the pink already!

Yes, Anastasia just missed my ballot and I was surprised it didn't get more votes, it's a real epic

God that low is a shocker, but small pool of ballots makes things unpredictable I guess. (It was my #2)

I've no idea what the consensus favourites from TVaB are so I'm happy to see 'Concertina' place.

great images again ufo!

https://i.imgur.com/J6Uui39.jpg
30. Twinkle
96 points, 4 votes, 1 #1 vote

doing 30 to 16 today

Twinkle is my favourite album closer and just missed my ballot

https://i.imgur.com/XNr3pUG.jpg
29. Northern Lad
114 points, 3 votes, 1 #1 vote

https://i.imgur.com/PHvnQCO.jpg
28. Putting the Damage On
114 points, 4 votes, 1 #1 vote

three of the best songs ever made in a row, none of which made my ballot lol

personally "putting the damage on" is wayyyy too tied to my first relationship and being 15 and feeling bad all of the time and at this point it feels like the song belongs to a different person than who i am now. still devastated every time i hear the chorus or "it's just your ghost passing through / and... now... i'm... quite... sure"

Putting the Damage On has a really great vocal performance and I love the horn arrangement

boy you still look pretty

https://i.imgur.com/7UaG5x6.jpg
27. Cooling
118 points, 4 votes

somehow, a song too intense to make the tracklist of boys for pele

xpost: yeah only 14 ballots total, rather low unfortunately, it seems Tori only has a small following here

my ballots:

Father Lucifer
Hotel
Tear in Your Hand
Silent All These Years
iieee
Marianne
Spark
Mother
Pretty Good Year
Playboy Mommy
Taxi Ride
Icicle
Liquid Diamonds
Raspberry Swirl
Caught a Lite Sneeze
Winter
God
Siren
In the Springtime of His Voodoo
Cornflake Girl
Carbon
Doughnut Song
Precious Things
Cloud on My Tongue
Twinkle

From the Choirgirl Hotel
Boys for Pele
Little Earthquakes
Under the Pink
Scarlet's Walk

Twinkle
Tear in Your Hand
Marianne
Beauty Queen/ Horses
Doughnut Song
Bells for Her
Alamo
Northern Lad
Mother
Not the Red Baron
Cruel
Pretty Good Year
Space Dog
Liquid Diamonds
Past the Mission
iieee
Purple People
Here. in My Head
Precious Things
Icicle
Baker Baker
Father Lucifer
Cloud on My Tongue
Butterfly

Albums:

Boys for Pele
Under the Pink
From the Choirgirl Hotel
Little Earthquakes

never need to hear the LI and UTP singles again.
I regret not voting for She's Your Cocaine. only recently realized how savage the lyrics are lol.
Twinkle became my favorite in the past few years. the piano alone kills me, simple as it is. all the live performances i've seen on Youtube (mostly from the 00s and beyond) don't quite get it right--just a little too fast or busy.

this, on the other hand...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9hjw20vifI

My ballot:

Songs:

1. Yes, Anastasia
2. In the Springtime of His Voodoo
3. Liquid Diamonds
4. Cooling
5. Precious Things
6. Blood Roses
7. Hotel
8. Cloud on My Tongue
9. Pandora's Aquarium
10. Spring Haze
11. Caught a Lite Sneeze
12. i i e e e
13. Doughnut Song
14. Juarez
15. Mother
16. Spark
17. Baker Baker
18. Crucify
19. Pretty Good Year
20. Cornflake Girl
21. Gold Dust
22. Hey Jupiter
23. Strange
24. Flying Dutchman
25. Reindeer King

Albums:

1. From the Choirgirl Hotel
2. Boys for Pele
3. Under the Pink
4. Little Earthquakes
5. To Venus and Back

Great poll and images ufo!

My songs ballot:

Liquid Diamonds
Tear In Your Hand
Doughnut Song
Icicle
In The Springtime of his Voodoo
Mother
Pretty Good Year
Playboy Mommy
Marianne
Honey
Father Lucifer
Hotel
Silent All These Years
Gold Dust
Dragon
iieee
Caught A Lite Sneeze
Precious Things
Cornflake Girl
Sister Janet
Putting The Damage On
Here In My Head
Space Dog
Taxi Ride
Horses

^ This feels like I was being too harsh on TVAB, but while I love that album I just realised I don't feel as close to any of its songs (even "Datura", my favourite) as to the above. But that's not a diss given I didn't even vote for, like, "Girl" or "Baker, Baker" or "Cloud On My Tongue" or "Sugar" or "Cooling" or "Carbon" or...

Albums

1. Boys For Pele
2. Little Earthquakes
3. Under The Pink
4. From The Choirgirl Hotel
5. American Doll Posse

Songs

1. Pretty Good Year
2. Icicle
3. Doughnut Song
4. Crucify
5. Little Earthquakes
6. Caught A Lite Sneeze
7. Hungarian Wedding Song
8. Hotel
9. Liquid Diamonds
10. The Waitress
11. Mother
12. Twinkle
13. Father Lucifer
14. The Pool
15. Cooling
16. Father Jupiter
17. Silent All These Years
18. Cornflake Girl
19. Purple People
20. Josephine
21. Dragon
22. Past The Mission

Sad that Carbon didn't make the top 40, despite three votes. Glad to see that mine wasn't the only vote for Purple People. Weird that Josephine didn't get more votes! my favourite track from TVAB

I think The Waitress is one of her top 10 songs, too, but has been somewhat tarnished (in my mind, anyway) by its live version which I find gruelling

If I voted for covers (I didn't) I'd have voted for "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" lol

I don't know why I didn't top 10 "Silent All These Years".. I think there's a comparative simplicity to its composition that makes me rank it lower within Tori's oeuvre.. but if I were to include a Tori song on a list of "best songs of the 90s" it'd be my pick

glad to see the other dragon voters here

Just home from work and catching up with the top 15 -- great choices everyone! I'm a bit surprised that nothing post-90s cracked the top 35, though I suppose it's just a matter of a consensus-averse artist's later work being even less prone to consensus (and, uh, slightly less amazing).

Howdy @ my fellow "Wild Way" voter, whoever you are.

1. Girl
2. Crucify
3. Jackie's Strength
4. Little Earthquakes
5. Black-Dove (January)
6. Hey Jupiter
7. Winter
8. Putting the Damage On
9. Bells for Her
10. Promise
11. Caught A Lite Sneeze
12. Tear in Your Hand
13. Cloud Riders
14. Concertina
15. Past the Mission
16. Your Cloud
17. Father Lucifer
18. The Waitress
19. Hotel
20. Wild Way
21. Space Dog
22. Frog On My Toe
23. Bouncing Off Clouds
24. Wednesday
25. Rose Dover

1. Little Earthquakes
2. From the Choirgirl Hotel
3. Boys for Pele
4. Unrepentant Geraldines
5. Under the Pink

felt a little guilty putting "Girl" and "Crucify" at 1 and 2, though not enough to start my own religion

btw i didn't mention this during the countdown but "mother" is one of my least favorite tori songs! idk why!!!!!

Thanks for running this ufo! My ballot:

1. Northern Lad
2. Father Lucifer
3. Pretty Good Year
4. Blood Roses
5. Marianne
6. Jackie's Strength
7. Beauty Queen/Horses
8. Caught a Lite Sneeze
9. Silent All These Years
10. Space Dog
11. Liquid Diamonds
12. Cornflake Girl
13. Black Dove (January)
14. Weatherman
15. Bells for Her
16. Real Men
17. Winter
18. Hey Jupiter
19. Cooling
20. Wild Way
21. Honey
22. Concertina
23. Spark
24. Secret Spell
25. 16 Shades of Blue

Albums:
1. Boys for Pele
2. From the Choirgirl Hotel
3. Under the Pink
4. Unrepentant Geraldines
5. Little Earthquakes

Xpost whut brad that is insane

Seconded!

Tracks (ranked)

Take to the Sky
God
Mother
Spark
A Sorta Fairytale
Wings
Precious Things
Pretty Good Year
Bliss
Cool on Your Island
Silent All These Years
Raspberry Swirl
Sugar
Tear in Your Hand
Honey
Bouncing Off Clouds
Hey Jupiter
Hotel
Talula

Albums (ranked)

Little Earthquakes
From the Choirgirl Hotel
Under the Pink

idk i can't help it, at some point when i was a kid i convinced myself the lyric was just a little less sure-footed than the rest of le and that feeling persisted even though it doesn't matter! lovely music behind it ofc

It definitely points forward to a more oblique lyrical style than the rest of the album. "Somebody leave the light on / just in case I like the dancing / I can remember where I come from" isn't top-tier. But man.. the sudden shift in tone on "he's gonna change my name" wow

he's gonna change my name is outstanding yes, maybe i should work hard at changing my relationship with this song lol

Surprised by how low yes Anastasia and putting the damage charted

My ballot would have snuck Past the Mission into the top 40 too :)

Datura

Criminally underrated

Is there a spotify playlist of the results?

Thanks very much to everyone who participated in this - I listened to Little Earthquakes a lot in college but never went much beyond that, and have really enjoyed discovering everything else in this poll.

Tori influenced my writing to an incredible degree. When she says Ed is watching my every move, that is such an abstract lyricism - perhaps it is Ed the Horse, but Tori always wrote lyrics that allowed one to transpose themselves onto them. Even if she did not give background to these lyrics, she respects the intelligence of the listener to take away their own meaning (much like Lynch). I am grateful she exists and her music changed my life