Michael Stipe vs. Debbie Harry

Debbie all the way. Such a better songwriter. Stipe got some cool films made, which is maybe the most important thing in his favor in my estimation, but that doesn't beat Heart of Glass.

Our Rush Rush.

Or

I think I'd probably go with Debbie just because Blondie didn't even start until she was 30. THIRTY! That's an advanced age to be starting a new band, even now, but especially then. So she fucking rules.

Anyone who votes for Stipe in this poll is someone super-boring that I don't want to have sex with.

This was actually a pretty big debate between me and my brother-in-law, whose tastes at the time were REM and Replacements while mine were Blondie and B-52's. I've gotten to like some REM over the years, but this isn't anywhere near close.

Debbie duh

TS: "Radio Song" vs "Rapture"

This would probably be a less one-sided poll elsewhere on the internet.

blondie definitely had the better crossover single on their third album

What was R.E.M.'s third album crossover single? Can't Get There From Here? Driver 8?

I think I like Blondie more than REM, but I just find Michael Stipe endlessly charming and hilarious and mesmerizing so I have to vote for him

i was referring to the one with the horn section, johnny.

I think there's something just naturally funny about Stipe, in a good way. I mean, just look at him!

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=michael+stipe&safe=off&biw=1600&bih=799&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=i3RqVN3NJsL3av3lgMAG&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ

he reminds me a little of Buster Keaton sometimes, he has a kind of silent movie comedian face

and Can't Get There From Here is my favourite 80s REM single

This is like polling Jesus vs Mohammed in a baptist church

lol u right

There are many more R.E.M. songs I love than there are Blondie songs tbh, but Debbie oh Debbie.

maybe michael stipe v david byrne would have been a fairer fight? voting debbie, some arty alt rock dork vs coolness personified doesn't seem like much of a contest

Voted Stipe: Parallel Lines is the only Blondie I own, and I like it, but I've listened many times to every REM album (+ Chronic Town[/i) up through [i]Monster.

Chris Stein vs Peter Buck

rem has definitely had more significance personally and would probably have to vote for them over blondie, but stipe's given me enough "ugh" moments over the years (printing lyric sheets after saying they're no more important than the bass tabs, reading said lyric sheets from a laptop on screen while facing sideways, presenting at the vh1 fashion awards, adding "COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL" to "man on the moon" etc) that i'm inclined to go with harry

sic's assessment is a truth bomb imo

Chris Stein is cooler than Peter Buck but Michael Stipe is cooler than Debbie Harry

it's not really about quantity for me. one of them does ravishing beauty, the other sang shiny happy people xps

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KWKX3_FAW1Q/TYOE74ElqNI/AAAAAAAABJQ/hWHr7Whum4Q/s1600/msMichael_Stipe_001_280808.jpg

would probably vote buck, mills, berry over stein, whoever plays bass for blondie & clem burke respectively, with clem and bill being the closest finish

Will vote for dork over coolness personified every time.

Gonna hold you to that on TS: Urkel & The Fonz

Clem vs Bill in use of hi hat patterns

they are both good celebrities for the GIS era, I think. hours of fun to be had looking at old pictures of them

Oh, well, DH obv wins that particular contest.

but

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-KWKX3_FAW1Q/TYOE74ElqNI/AAAAAAAABJQ/hWHr7Whum4Q/s1600/msMichael_Stipe_001_280808.jpg

I'll keep the money
you can have the fame

I just heard an imaginary version of Blondie doing "It's the End of the World as We Know It" in my head and it was the fucking best.

with those Clem Burke fills

Do the uninformed regard Stipe = REM to anywhere the same extent Harry = Blondie?

I probably like more REM songs than Blondie ones overall but like that actually matters because Debbie Harry is one of the ten best pop stars ever.

i don't think they've ever had to say "REM IS A GROUP" but i'm sure plenty of people see REM as "that guy and some dorks behind him."

sic's assessment is a truth bomb imo

i dunno, there are lots of possible reasons one would prefer a blonde bombshell to a fashion-forward henry fonda type and i wouldn't say they all improve one's fuckability

I guess I could've chosen Robert Plant or Roger Waters and/or David Gilmour, as I've heard people refer to them as "Led Zeppelin" and "Pink Floyd" respectively.

or is Stipe a lispless Franklin Pangborn

Gonna hold you to that on TS: Urkel & The Fonz

lol

adding "COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL" to "man on the moon"

This was always so rad imo.

http://31.media.tumblr.com/fefc606610e03e0a7a337eaac18b3d30/tumblr_mut3ltJOvw1rqyxf8o1_500.gif

michael stipe is not a henry fonda type

he's a billy corgan type

ok that's wrong. he's definitely not a henry fonda type though. stop fucking with me!

Ha, I forgot that Harry was in Videodrome. That brings her up several notches.

Bring her up a few more:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH2ResrRr_A

Family Fodder - "Debbie Harry" vs P - "Michael Stipe"

Her age was sort of mentioned above, but it still weirds me out that Harry is just a couple years younger than Mick Jagger.

I'd rather spend time with Debbie Harry, but I'd rather listen to R.E.M.

Stipe is lame Debbie is dead cool, voted Stipe

stipe seems like an ok dude, but still voted debbie.

Debbie Harry without a doubt.

Debbie, hands down.

Blondie is one of the best bands ever

REM has some good tunes

Debbie easy

Voted Debbie Harry. She is sexy and rocks. Michael Stipe has his feelings.

if I was told that Debbie Harry had become the new singer for REM I would be excited to hear that, but if I found out that Michael Stipe had become the new lead singer of Blondie that wouldn't sound appealing at all

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

i really don't understand the basis of the poll

REM a much more important band for me than Blondie however

dear debbie harry, i love you but i've chosen stipe

I can agree with saying both transcended their bands, but I'd add they were much more reliant on them than what one would think by looking at their photoshoots. Many of Blondie's best stuff came from Destri or Stein, and R.E.M. stopped being worthwile the moment they became the Michael Stipe band. R.E.M. especially, right from the start they had this tight sound where Stipe's voice was just a part of the picture, and the fact that they were such a compact unit is one of the reasons why they were able pull out the transition from indie rockers to stadium-fillers so successfully.

I'd also argue there's very few other prominent frontmen as dependent on their bands band as Stipe. And it's not that there's anything wrong about it, it makes sense when your band is as good as R.E.M. was.

I guess I could've chosen Robert Plant or Roger Waters and/or David Gilmour, as I've heard people refer to them as "Led Zeppelin" and "Pink Floyd" respectively.

Very surprised to hear that anyone sees Plant this way. I thought that if anyone was seen as a leader within the band, it was Page.

By people, I mean one of my mother's friends when I was in high school.

(Actually, she's responsible for both instances.)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/sexymollusk/shinyhappynewflesh_zpsa804b335.jpg

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

In your face Stipe