Top 50 midnight corner store jams according to the customers

The King Crimson jams stick out considerably from the rest. I voted Fallen Angel

I’d love to know the reaction Leonard Nimoy or Television had.

hooked a regular that was a host/server for a couple fancy restaurants down the street with Bilbo Baggins and also Fallen Angel, would sing along while he shopped, great deep voice, we discussed putting a band together but that's a big ask

television's see no evil also was a big hit in general but was the favorite of one particular regular who was also the local mailperson, liked playing the lottery and somehow always seemed to come out ahead on his scratch-offs

playing Bilbo Baggins also led to several interesting wartime conversations as Nimoy

's parents were from Ukraine and there are weirdos in the world

There was a version of Trouble coming every day that Scott Turkey Bones of the Wild DEogs fame recorded with Chris Walsh of the Moodists and a few others. Never heard it but wonder if it still exists anywhere. Heard Scltt talk about it at the time which I think was before I'd become familiar with the original.
Think I had managed to pick up a compilation for a very reasonable price. & then only picked up a copy of Freakout when decent vinyl bootleg versions appeared a couple of years later.

great, wrong thread.

So many songs in here I’d feel pumped to hear. It’s gotta be Prince tho

Trying to imagine walking into Superamerica for chips and a soda and hearing "Indoor Games." So that one.

this is why i come to this website

voted Dee-lite

i would be so psyched to enjoy the weird dreamlike energy of hearing Neon Golden at 3:45am in a convenience store, inspired choice

Almost went with Dee-Lite, then Patsy Cline, but ended up voting for Prince - especially nice if you ever pick up a raspberry sorbet:

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81FwZn8qCyL._SL1500_.jpg

(that displayed much bigger than I thought it would)

Great concept for a list and many inspired choices, but I have to vote for Sade as I am getting married in 4 days, and By Your Side is the only one of these on the must-play list we gave our wedding DJ.

yea "Indoor Games" would be a very strange one to hear in public, curious what the reaction to that was

Convenience store customers OTM

Aaliyah - Rock the Boat
Dee-lite - Groove is in the Heart
Gene Wilder - Pure Imagination
Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out
Mya - My Love is Like…Wo
Prince - Raspberry Beret
Shanice - I Love Your Smile
Tevin Campbell - Can We Talk
The Bangles - Eternal Flame
Zapp & Roger - I Want to be Your Man

... with "Rock the Boat" the winner.

lots of good, unexpected songs. thinking "the breaks" or "beautiful stranger" but i do love "pure imagination"

continuing my Swingout Sister love here

a lot of good ones here but i remember the first time i heard "Cantaloop" at age 9 and I fucking adore that song.

biddybiddybop

voted beautiful stranger

Patsy, but many big tunes.

this is why i come to this website

― budo jeru, Tuesday, August 29, 2023 12:15 PM (two days ago)

seconded, voted Creedence, plz post stories

So many songs in here I’d feel pumped to hear. It’s gotta be Prince tho

Same!

voted for "the breaks"

what was the reaction to "babooshka"?

will never not love Something About You, especially the Shep Pettibone 12" version

Would be a late regular at this store. Voted Waitresses…

I want to shop here. Can't decide.

lol yeah I would love to run the ilx corner store, everyone could teleport in at odd hours of the night for snacks and a chat, we were born too early for that it seems but everyone could just relocate to Portland, Oregon

Indoor Games

By Your Side

Love this poll - voting Suzie Q , though Hands to Yrslf a close second. My fave retail ‘programmed music over the speakers sing along whilst shopping’ was in an anchor store Men’s department browsing for some office dress wear, is most def crooning Buck Owen’s ‘Tiger By the Tail’ with a older gent sales associate.

this is why i come to this website

― budo jeru, Tuesday, August 29, 2023 3:15 PM (two days ago) bookmarkflaglink

^^^
Favorite Prince v. Favorite Television, but I feel like voting for something else.

Raspberry Beret

Neon Golden

Babooshka

Suzie Q

that seems dismissive so I should add that I love Susie Q and have played it live several times and it is ok for me to say this because I am half white and have also tried meth

Would totally sing along with Star Wars as Nick the Lounge Singer from SNL in a convenience store late at night.

voted Bilbo because a friend covers this song as part of his live set, and it's fun to shout "Bilbo!" call & response style when you've had a few and are still drinking which is kinda the ~vibe~ of midnight corner store customer imo

Ok this is contender for best poll of 2023

Fun poll! There are lots of great songs on here, but I voted for Steppin' Out as it was one of the first song I remember really loving as a little kid and I've never lost any love for it.

I voted Stepping Out as well. It has a suitable late night corner store vibe, and it would gladden my heart if I heard it at a late night corner store.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Groove is in the Heart

this song also led to me learning that my former manager is closely related to the late NYC Queercore pioneer/icon Dean Johnson, who absolutely deserves a dedicated thread, there's been a documentary in the works but a thread on ilx at least good lord

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn4vkSH6Og8

If I had found myself in this store, I would have been helpless to prevent myself playing air guitar, bass, drums, Mellotron, cornet etc, for all six minutes of "Fallen Angel".

this is the only Deee-Lite (I forgot an e sorry) song I had heard prior to adding it to the rotation, and A LOT of people of a certain age (29-59?) responded so enthusiastically that I investigated further and now they are my favorite band, any live clip on youtube is just tremendous, so cool

this song also led to me learning that my former manager is closely related to the late NYC Queercore pioneer/icon Dean Johnson, who absolutely deserves a dedicated thread, there's been a documentary in the works but a thread on ilx at least good lord

Great post thank you.

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

whoops had no idea Dean Johnson totally has a thread will have to revive shortly thank you morbs

thanks everyone for voting (rock the vote!) did not earmark Steppin' Out to take this but it is kind of a perfect nighttime city song, always appreciated in store and very fun to see some customers hear it for the first time