And, of course, the people who voted for that particular poll are all disgraceful plebians and philistines who probably only buy one record a year and haven't bought a single (great or not) since Lennon died.
Anyway... My first suggestion is...
I Want You Back by The Jackson 5.
― Nick Southall, Sunday, 9 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― JoB, Sunday, 9 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― dave q, Sunday, 9 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Douglas, Sunday, 9 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― DavidM, Sunday, 9 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
That being said, one vote for "Heroes and Villains."
― Keiko, Sunday, 9 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― helen fordsdale, Sunday, 9 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Simon, Sunday, 9 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 9 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Arthur, Sunday, 9 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― sundar subramanian, Sunday, 9 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Matt DC, Sunday, 9 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
The Smiths - "Reel Around the Fountain" NWA - "Gangsta Gangsta" Donna Summer - "Love to Love You Baby" Rush - "Limelight"
― Justyn Dillingham, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
"Dark Was The Night (Cold Was The Ground)" by Blind Willie Johnson.
― K Nakerzyiad, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
Tears Of A Clown - Smokey Robinson and The Miracles
All Around The World - The Jam
Time Goes By So Slow - Distractions
Lost In Music - Sister Sledge
True Faith - New Order
Take on Me - A-Ha
Outside Chance - The Turtles
Looking From A Hilltop - Section 25.
See My Friends - The Kinks
Coup - 23 Skidoo
The Liquidator - Harry J's All Stars
You To Me Are Everything - The Real Thing
Come Up and See Me - Steve Harley and Cockney Rebel
Identity - X-Ray Spex
Where Where You? - The Mekons
Duel - Propaganda
The Town Aint Big Enough For The Both of Us - Sparks
Eight Miles High - The Byrds
Up Town Top Ranking - Althea and Donna
Ambition - Subway Sect
White Man in Hammersmith Palais - The Clash
Billie Jean - Michael Jackson
Golden Years - David Bowie
Typical Girls - The Slits
Freaky Dancin'- Happy Mondays
Shot By Both Sides - Magazine
Erase You - ESG
Blockbuster - The Sweet
Roxette - Dr. Feelgood
― Dr. C, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Nick, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― sundar subramanian, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― RW, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
Dr.C's list is very Dr.C :-), but good choices nonethless.
― Jeff W, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
Singles *very* high on my list (an increasingly high proportion of which would be from the 1980s):
Scritti Politti, "Wood Beez (Pray Like Aretha Franklin)".
Prince and the Revolution, "Raspberry Beret".
The Associates, "Club Country".
Erasure, "Blue Savannah".
Hot Chocolate, "Put Your Love In Me".
― Robin Carmody, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
Sam Cooke: "A Change is Gonna Come" The Incredible Bongo Band: "Apache" Funky 4 + 1: "That's the Joint" Nirvana: "Smells Like Teen Spirit" The Flamingos: "I Only Have Eyes for You" James Brown: "Get Up I Feel Like Being a Sex Machine" The Jackson 5: "I Want You Back" The Sex Pistols: “God Save the Queen” Donna Summer: “I Feel Love” Little Eva: “The Loco-Motion” Augustus Pablo: “King Tubby’s Meets Rockers Uptown” Prince & the Revolution: “Kiss” Beltram: “Energy Flash” Grandmaster Flash & the Furious 5: “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers: “Roadrunner (Once)”/“Roadrunner (Twice)” Taana Gardner: “Heartbeat” Chic: “Good Times” Temptations: “Just My Imagination (Running Away with Me)” Toots & the Maytals: “Pressure Drop” Link Wray: "Rumble" Yoko Ono: “Walking on Thin Ice” Blackstreet: “No Diggity”
― M. Matos, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― David Raposa, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Tracer Hand, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
Iron Maiden - Can I Play With Madness?
Aqua - Doctor Jones
Backstreet Boys - I Want It That Way
Effiel 65 - Blue
Starship - Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now
Berlin - Take My Breath Away
Alice Cooper - Poison
― james, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
Guns 'N' Roses - Paradise City Guns 'N' Roses - November Rain Guns 'N' Roses - Welcome to the Jungle Metallica - The Unforgiven Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer Sum 41 - Fat Lip
I really am revealing the music I would play at a Christmas Party!
― Mark Dixon, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Tadeusz Suchodolski, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― nickn, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― daria gray, Monday, 10 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
What's 'very Dr. C' then, Jeff? ;)
Thank you, Robin.
M.Matos's choices are ace too.
― Dr. C, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
BILL ALY - ROCK ARAHND THE CLOCK this all started all you wouldnt ave no sexual pistols withaht the guvnah
ELVIS THE KING - YOU WAS ALWAYS ON MY MIND he woz the getest king of rocrol and i cry over this song cos of Sharon my missus who walked aht on me with ver kidz Lee and Tracy only cos I kept puttin her in casualty didnt mean i dont love er not my fault she didnt put no dinner on me table when i come back from the footie pub at 11 pm on Satdiz oh you shoddnt ave left me Sharren innit
JERRY PACEMAKERS - YOLL NEVER WALK ALONE oh i cry when i ear abaht them kids in illboro they wus only there for the footie an should have let em in withaht tickits
TYPICAL TROPICAL - WO I'M GOING TO BARBADOS this is fun song go to Costa Brava playing on plane all way there an it take the piss out of lucozades don't get me wrong not a racialist but them people asylum seekers should be fried for Xmas dinner for ver kids and leave them poor turkeys alone they never not hurt no one.
WHITEY HOUSTON - I WILL ALWAYS LOVE YOU this is for my second missus Sharron who said shed stand by me last time i were in Maidstone nick but then she ponced off with Arry whos gonna get his face opened up if I eva see kunt again. Oh Sharone you should bin true to me
SELENE DION AND THE BELMONTS - MY HEART WHEEL GO ON TITANIC this is song from the heart and they wos sinkin on boat and singing this to watery gravesend its real music from ert and sole an not yer techno shit lik Vanity Fair no tunes
RUSSELL "THE VOICE" WATSON NISSAN DORMOUSE gratist song ever sung by MAN OF THE PEOPLE e never forget iz roots but never as good as the KING
FRANK THE GUVNOR - I DID IT MY WAY don't need to say no more e wos the guvnah as opposed to the King cos that was Elvis n that
― Chingford Tor Ascender, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
Here, in alphabetical order are:
(I bet the formatting messes up)
― Jeff W, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
Your list is quality, Jeff. (If we gloss over numbers 08 and 44 ;))
Blind Willie Johnson - Dark Was The Night (Cold Was The Ground)
Louis Armstrong - West End Blues
Duke Ellington - Ko-Ko
Slim Gailliard - How High The Moon
Henry Hall with George Elrick - The Music Goes Round And Round
Hopeton Lewis - Cool Cool Collie
Niney - Blood And Fire
Al Bowlly - The Very Thought Of You
Platters - My Prayer
DJ Scud/Nomex - Total Destruction
Kristine W - Feel What You Want
Fire Engines - Candyskin
Josef K - The Missionary
Pere Ubu - 30 Seconds Over Tokyo
Gary Clail/Tackhead - Hard Left
AR Kane - Lollita
Earl Bostic - Flamingo
Bananarama - I Heard A Rumour
Third Eye Foundation - Semtex
Foetus Over Frisco - Finely Honed Machine
Red Beat - Machines In Motion
Focus Three - 10,000 Years Behind My Mind
Barry Ryan - Kitsch
Human Instinct - A Day In My Mind's Mind
Sagittarius - My World Fell Down
Man Parrish - Hip Hop Be Bop Don't Stop
Malcolm McLaren/World's Famous - Soweto/D'Ya Like Scratchin'?
Shinehead - Who The Cap Fits
Ray Pollard - The Drifter
Garnet Mimms - Lookin' For You
Bobby Paris - Night Owl
Temptations - I Wish It Would Rain
Tom Clay - What The World Needs Now/Abraham Martin & John
Space - Magic Fly
Brian Eno - Seven Deadly Finns
Mr Fingers - What About This Love
Section 25 - Looking From A Hilltop
Associates - Q Quarters
St Etienne - Avenue
Action - I'll Keep Holding On
and, for personal reasons:
Frank Wilson - Do I Love You (Indeed I Do)
Just some which spring immediately to mind.
― Marcello Carlin, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
i liked the attempt by le merritt to do a song for every year of 20c (this has probably been brought up before i guess) though i think they're "recordings" i.e. albums and songs.
― Alan Trewartha, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― M. Matos, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
Clearly I know less about the 70s than I thought (worrying) but more about the 90s than I feared (comforting)
I hope I never get invited to any of James's Christmas parties :).
― Robin Carmody, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
Surely it should be a list of the singles that did the most damage to the self-confidence, culture, and conservative values of the British people.
The singles that, in my opinion, have had the most deleterious impact upon this country are "Bony Moronie" by Larry Williams, "Subterranean Homesick Blues" by Bob Dylan, "All You Need Is Love" by the Beatles, "All Around My Hat" by Steeleye Span (some readers might already know what I think of that particular piece of work), "Anarchy in the United Kingdom" (as "The Times" used to refer to it at the time, when they were still a proper newspaper - only one true newspaper left these days!) by the Sex Pistols (I am still embarrassed typing the name), "Relax" by Frankie Goes To Hollywood, "Country House" by Blur, and "They Don't Know" by So Solid Crew, which this year has confirmed the depths to which we have sunk.
My favourite music was never released on singles, but my favourite popular single was and still is "You Don't Know" by Helen Shapiro, which reminds me so well of the happy, optimistic Britain, a country dominated by the certainties and strong national values that any society needs, which I used to visit while on leave from the Army in the early 1960s. It certainly made the retreat from Empire much easier to handle, and I would have cherished it much more had I known how rapidly and tragically it would fade away.
Regards,
Anthony Sanderson.
― Anthony Sanderson, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― mark s, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― sundar subramanian, Tuesday, 11 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
100 lines, boy! "I will neither defamate nor defenestrate stern unbending true blues!"
Boy! When I say "100 lines" I do not mean draw 100 lines on the wall with a pencil and a ruler!
― Horace Coker, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
I have no time for Lionel Richie ballads normally either, but this song is brilliantly structured, with the delayed then delayed again climax. And the double entendre here is intentional; whole song is basically designed to have sex to - builds a bit, a bit of tension then relaxation, builds a bit more, and then a bit more, the big chorus finally arrives, the last brass spike = the big moment?, the coda/fade out = the coming down....
I have also imagined this song as the perfect theme song for a movie, because it lends itself to segmentation. Also it's easy to fit it with scene bridges, dissolves and cuts.
Finally, it contains perhaps the daftest rhyming lyric ever: "It was plain to see/That a small town boy like me/Just wasn't your cup of tea". Clunk! You gotta love it for that alone.
― Jeff W, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Robin Carmody, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
True Tories preserve traditional English culture in its true form, they do not throw guitars all over it.
That being said, I shall obey you orders, and shall write the lines and send them to you by e-mail in about 15 minutes' time after I've finished reading the Salisbury Review.
Anthony.
p.s. Sinker, did you mean that "Cambodia" by Kim Wilde had a deleterious impact or that it was one of the best singles?
― Anthony Sanderson, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
I am so sorry. I will send you 100 more lines, Carlin.
― Damian, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Billy Dods, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― JM, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― sundar subramanian, Wednesday, 12 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― sundar subramanian, Thursday, 13 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― K-reg, Thursday, 13 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― ethan, Thursday, 13 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Ally C, Thursday, 13 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)
― Dr. C, Friday, 14 December 2001 01:00 (twenty-three years ago)