Top 120 Songs Under 120 Seconds (ILM Poll #95)

little mouth is one of my fav SK songs. i wish it were higher, but i also have no idea what to expect from the results. so instead of shouting "too low," i'll just be happy a song placed.

https://i.imgur.com/iNUremO.jpg
116. Beastie Boys - Flute Loop (1:55)
0.3126 points
7 votes

love this one but did not vote for it

Agree that it's genuinely impossible to know what's going to break away from the pack at the top of the list here. I assume there'll be a lot of garage rock along the way tho.

hah, forgot about that Beasties track. excellent

https://i.imgur.com/qGgQndX.jpg
115. Arthur Russell - Eli (1:56)
0.3141 points
4 votes (1)

(the (1) by the vote total indicates the number of first place votes)

those first place votes are gonna go a long way in this poll

that's right, they're worth 0.1500 points!

Fifteen Per Cent for Nothing

https://i.imgur.com/LS1oEGl.jpg
114. Beck - Hollow Log (1:54)
0.3144 points
4 votes

i had completely forgotten about 'hollow log' - one of his very best

I voted for this, it is so goddamn good

omg these images haha

speaking of imago...

https://i.imgur.com/pFT3tcb.jpg
(tie) 112. The Sea Nymphs (1:46)
0.3195 points
3 votes

https://i.imgur.com/YvcYkPa.jpg
(tie) 112. Minor Threat - Straight Edge (0:46)
0.3195 points
5 votes

and speaking of images - it turns out there are exactly ZERO good photographs or videos of the sea nymphs. ever

Could not decide which Minor Threat song to vote for so I went for the first one I ever heard, "Filler."

Aaaaah our plane has landed JUST in time for my #2! Yay wow heavenly sound etc. It was also my #1 until a late change of heart so I'm glad to see it place!

*finishes orange juice* and as for the Sea Nymphs,

xp yeah me too, I expect that one to show later

this sea nymphs song is wild. it would be overwhelming if it were any longer than it is.

loving the images/cropping etc

it's still kinda overwhelming tbh

Wow, Sea Nymphs and SK on my ballot so far! The campaigning period also taught me that I probably like Elvis Costello way more than I ever expected.

https://i.imgur.com/w7HqnT3.jpg
110. The Beach Boys - Caroline, No (a cappella) (1:54)
0.3237 points
5 votes

the a capella version of Caroline, No is available on a Pet Sounds Box Set.

or on youtube

i only discarded "straight edge" at the last second from my ballot. i love the anger and power. great song.

"caroline, no" a cappella gives me even more the shivers than the normal version.

https://i.imgur.com/jDdIfit.jpg
109. The dB’s - Big Brown Eyes (1:59)
0.3243 points
6 votes

somehow i've never gotten around to giving the dB's a good listen, despite their label/scene proximity to r.e.m.
i made the mistake of listening to "neverland" first, which was so incredibly good that my first listen to "big brown eyes" was a bit of a disappointment in comparison. still, looking forward to giving them some more time!

xpost the dB's. Voted for Big Brown Eyes - fits perfectly the <2 min pop sound. If you like Neverland > Big Brown Eyes, then probably best to just check out their 2nd LP, Repercussion.

Will resume in about 45 minutes

"Straight Edge" is so great. The highest of the three Threat songs on my ballot!

karl, a small question. don't you like brandy numbers? where is no. 111?

Big Brown Eyes is definitely my favorite dB's song and I'm kicking myself for forgetting that it existed. i think it's listed as more than 2 mins on my iTunes, so i mentally discarded it before the nominations even ended.

'Eli' made my longlist and it's pretty memorable of a song

Listening again, that Arthur Russell song is excellent! It sounds like Jeff Mangum mixed with Charlie Looker.

rarely has an xpost been met with such an indignant irl response

https://i.imgur.com/1wio59k.jpg
108. Boards of Canada - Olson (1:32)
0.3246 points
5 votes

karl, a small question. don't you like brandy numbers? where is no. 111?

two-way tie for 112!

that was a two-way tie for 111 if we're being super-duper pedantic

very very nearly made 'olson' my BOC choice but in the end opted for not having a BOC choice sorry. it is excellent tho

oh wait no

111 is missing. idk

that was a two-way tie for 111 if we're being super-duper pedantic

i blame myself for trying to figure that out at an hour when crazy murders happen and ghosts appear

i did it like this:

110 The Beach Boys - Caroline, No (a cappella, Pet Sounds, Disc 3) (1:54)
112 The Sea Nymphs - On the Dry Land (1:46)
112 Minor Threat - Straight Edge (0:46)
113 The Clash - Koka Kola (1:48)
114 Beck - Hollow Log (1:54)
115 Arthur Russell - Eli (1:56)

your heroic efforts to write the clash out of history have been recognised and you are in consideration for an imago award (an Imagar)

two-way tie for 112!

that is still a tie for 111 though lol. if it was the top two you wouldn't say a tie for second!

so where are the clash then?

er...here they are!

https://i.imgur.com/9IwTs3m.jpg
113. The Clash - Koka Kola (1:48)
0.3177 points
5 votes

Investigate 111

sorry everyone - this is actually a very busy day at work for me but i'm doing my best

just said "poor Karl Malone" to tt and she agreed so basically ur doing god's work and there is no pressure to get everything right

we'll still say though haha

Neil Young - Mexico

dang, missed this thread....

Bobby Smith & The Dreamgirls - now he's gone (1:59)

Sven Libaek - open sea theme (2:01)

this was a fun poll

It really was

word

Dead Milkmen - Filet of Sole (1:57)

also, I nominate/invite my friend's band (who worked real hard on their album) for this

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Lw0zldhiBk

Charles Sheffield - it's your vodoo working (1:49)

What, no “Der Weinerschnitzel”?

Should’ve made it less than one minute instead of two. So many of these songs are good hit songs that just happen to clock in at around 1:58 or 1:59, like “Hit the Road Jack” or “Lake of Fire” or “That’s Alright, Mana”.

i suggested a 90 second poll for that reason but alas. still was a really fun poll tho.

and i still regret not voting. my top 10 would have been something very close to this (sticking to a self-imposed 90 second rule):

moby grape - naked, if i want to
big star - ST 100/6
shuggie otis - happy house
gong - chainstore chant
wire - field day for the sundays
the beatles - her majesty
tom zé - complexo de épico
can - pnoom
de la soul - transmitting live from mars
dead kennedys - nazi punks fuck off

also the db's made the top 120 but where, i ask, where are the nerves ?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0kYiqWjkXM

fwiw I was one of 2 voters for Walking Out On Love by (Paul Collins) Beat

It's nominations day in Tom's World Cup of sub-2min songs, in case you're interested

This is the NOMINATIONS THREAD for the

WORLD CUP OF SHORT SONGS

You get 4 noms, each under 2 minutes and from a different decade. 1 track/artist!

Guidelines: https://t.co/8xYKFayUyE
Nominations List: https://t.co/kGhFTMYLQg pic.twitter.com/Y2vjmEUad7

— The World Cup Of 1977 (@peoples_pop) May 30, 2021

on further review, not including video game songs here definitely led to a drastically different selection. i assume SMB1 W1-1 would have won this.

Wow, Yummy Fur are criminally underrepresented here, they should own this

Yes

Anyway, um, "inspired" by this poll I've made a Twitter account where I'm posting a song of every length.

https://twitter.com/EverySecondSong

#170 The Beatles - I'll Follow the Sun (1:48) 3 votes

i love this song

Anyway, um, "inspired" by this poll I've made a Twitter account where I'm posting a song of every length.

https://twitter.com/EverySecondSong

― A viking of frowns, (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Wednesday, August 4, 2021 4:07 PM (five months ago) bookmarkflaglink

This is cool, I love this CaAL!

just listened to Final Day and got annoyed again about people not liking it on this poll lol.

shocked by this though!

"Hybrid Moments" isn't even in my top ten Misfits songs fwiw

― Emperor Tonetta Ketchup (sleeve), Friday, 12 April 2019 23:13 (three years ago) bookmarkflaglink

putting that on next

haha sorry!