ok Oldies fans, vote for your favorite song in "American Graffiti"!

Without a moment's hestiation: "Runaway" by Del Shannon.

yup

All Summer Long.

"Runaway" haunted me for years when I was a kid. I saw American Graffiti's second run in theaters, post-Star Wars.

Looking closely at the Buddy Holly tunes but have to pick Come Go With Me by the Del Vikings. Might also be the best tune on the "Diner" soundtrack.

I Only Have Eyes For You.

smoke gets in your eyes

Good lord, if this isn't a landmark of my childhood. Runaway was very haunting, yes, but I think I'm going to go with Green Onions.

Ain't That A Shame

exactly what bimble said.

"The Great Pretender" - THE popist fight song

But goddamn if "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" and "Get A Job" wouldn't be snappin' at its rear end.

My head says "That'll Be The Day," but my heart says "All Summer Long."

got to be the flamingos

Maybe Baby

"Love Potion no. 9" for me.

"...ShooBopShooBop...ShooBopShooBop..."

so haunting... so ghostly... and it never sounds better than in the movie, echoing from the car stereo while the toad and the blonde neck in the grass.

I've owned this rec proudly since I was eight, 30+ years now, when my dad bought it while out of town on business. (And even got it autographed by the Wolfman himself back in '79 when a charity drive brought him to my town!) My very first exposure to any of these songs save "Green Onions" and "Rock Around The Clock".

These days, I find that I can appreciate those slow doo-wop ballads more than I could before. Voted Flamingoes, but could easily have chosen "Runaway", "The Stroll", "That'll Be The Day" or "Green Onions".

Incidentally, that's an expanded edition, right? I know the original didn't have "Louie Louie" or "Gee".

Yeah, there's an expanded edition out now, I think. I got the list I used from the IMDB.

Gotta be Lee Dorsey
http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/%A5Artist%20GIF%20Images/Lee-Dorsey-1966.jpg

Or maybe there isn't an expanded editon. The AMG lists the 41 track version of the album. I can understand why the "Louie Louie" cover wasn't on the album, as I have learned that it wasn't in the original cut of the film (it was restored for a re-release). Maybe the same thing happened with "Gee"?

If I'm the only vote for "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," then at least it gets one vote. One of my favorite songs EVAR

Voted "Runaway", which by then was one of the best pop songs ever written.

without a moment's hesitation: "i only have eyes for you"

flamingos

Ditto.

I love tons of these esp. Runaway and Ya Ya and Green Onions and Barbara Ann (so stoo-pid sounding that one, it's practically the Dead Boys), but Fannie Mae by Buster Brown is my favourite in the context of this collection because it's the only place I ever heard it as a kid while the rest would be on oldies radio pretty often. So when I think of AG I think of Fannie Mae. And the Wolfman intro is pretty great too. Isn't that the one about the secret agent spy-scope or something? But right Fannie Mae is just your basic r&b shuffle as far as the tune goes but Buster Brown rips it up on the vocal, and that "I want somebody to TELL ME WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME!" opening line has always seemed pretty on point to me. Everyone knows where Buster Brown is coming from.

my parents had this, like i guess lots of people's parents did. it was the first place i heard all of these songs, probably.

These days, I find that I can appreciate those slow doo-wop ballads more than I could before.

true, which is why i voted for the skyliners. the way he rises on the "aaah-IIIIIIII don't have..." just kills.

30+ years now, when my dad bought it while out of town on business. (And even got it autographed by the Wolfman himself back in '79 when a charity drive brought him to my town!)

Oh my god, my dad would have been so jealous of your dad!!!!!

"Since I Don't Have You" was also killer, though.

Am I the only one who can see the Velvet Underground in Booker T. & The MG's "Green Onions"? Hell I even see Stereolab in that! That is some major proto-Velvets stuff as far as I am concerned. Fan fucking tastic.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Yeah, The Velvet Underground had an instrumental jam called "Booker T" so I don't think you're wrong there, Bimble. They were big r&b fans. "You don't look like Martha andthe Vandellas, ooh, somebody lock tha door!"

Fritz OTM about "Fanny Mae" - and yeah, I forgot about that "secret agent spy scope" thing!

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

I missed these results, but I think they're pretty good.

I used to be pretty damned vexed over Love Potion #9, too.

Ooh yeah and I can see the love for Flamingos, too. I haven't heard any of this in ages.

Frankie Lymon makes my hair stand on end, god, what a beautiful one that was.

I love how there's so many songs that only got one vote, too. Many of them are quite good and it's nice to think one person held a candle for them.

I don't see how Smoke Gets In Your Eyes is supposed to be better than the Great Pretender, though. And a few of them just make me wince with embarrassment - "Get A Job", "Goodnite Sweetheart".

Actually though I think there's still a few I'm missing from the list so I'll have to keep working on this.