Heart of Rock and Soul Poll: the 1001 Greatest Singles Part 6: 851-875

Did Elvis ever rock harder in the 50's than with "Jailhouse Rock"?
Choices: Elvis, Led Zeppelin, Fats, Desmond Dekker and the Gap Band

Excellent stuff. Strongest sequence yet. Will need to think about this, but I'm leaning heavily to #874.

"The Israelites." This one was easy!

And weirdly, this sequence doesn't seem as strong as the last couple to me. Some undeniable also rans (Zep, Monotones, Dibango, Them, Gap Band, etc.), but not so many I love that I feel like making a top ten.

Weirdest choice is Planet Patrol's early '80s Tommy Boy electro-rap Gary Glitter cover, which isn't even all that great (and I say that as a major fan of both '80s electro-rap and '70s glam who still has the Planet Patrol album...well, CD anyway. I just hope he put a Jonzun Crew song or two higher. The great Planet Patrol song is "Play At Your Own Risk.")

Never thought "Better Be Good To Me" was much better than okay, either.

xp In my head, I'd say "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" rock harder than "Jailhouse Rock," but who knows, it's possible that's just something I convinced myself after reading Mystery Train as an impressionable youngster. I should play them all back-to-back-to-back sometime to make sure.

Somewhere between "Israelites" and Al Green for me.

Dekker by a significant margin.

Israelites until... I saw Love- My Little Red Book.

Weirdly, it's the first list in which I can say I actually really like (if maybe not entirely love) ten songs, stuff I'd happily play through if they came on. To varying degrees, I endorse the following:

851 1965 Them - Here Comes the Night
855 1969 Desmond Dekker- The Israelites
856 1964 Jan and Dean- Dead Man's Curve
857 1970 George Jones- Good Year for the Roses
858 1963 Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans- Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Hearts
865 1958 Fats Domino- Whole Lotta Loving
867 1973 Manu Dibango- Soul Makossa
868 1966 Love- My Little Red Book
874 1982 GAP Band- You Dropped a Bomb on Me
875 1958 Monotones- Book of Love

I do think there are lesser ones by great artists (Al Green, Sly Stone, Tina Turner), plus at least a couple I'm just sick of and can live forever without ever hearing again (Zeppelin, Presley). Also a few things I don't know and am intrigued by. (Still haven't voted.)

actually, make it nine... not really a huge fan of that Love song.

I voted "Soul Makossa" but it was neck-and-neck with "Israelites." And yeah, this is the strongest sequence yet by my ears.

I'ma throw some love (sorry Love) towards George Jones here for another of his nihilistic masterpieces. For all it means to his departing wife, the title of the song might as well be "Mamasoul Mamasa Mamakossa."

love and happiness

Almost voted for Al Green, but realized it's just Teenie Hodges' intro that I really love in that song, so it has to be Sly.

"Book of Love" over Elvis, Tina, and George.

1. Desmond Dekker- The Israelites
2. Miracles- More Love
3. Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans- Why Do Lovers Break Each Other's Hearts
4. Jackie DeShannon- When you Walk in the Room
5. Monotones- Book of Love

"Dead Man's Curve", but this is the weakest 25 I have seen here so far.

i would guess that geir would like "more love"!

1. "Whole Lotta Love," 2. "Book of Love," 3. either Them or Desmond Dekker. Truthfully, I'm not crazy about this group either.

Seems like you can sense some kinda stream-of-consciousness approach on Marsh's part, following Tina Turner with Ike and Tina and then "Whole Lotta Love" with "Whole Lotta Lovin'".

Top 5:

862
855
868
857
870

Pop songs don't get more perfect than "More Love." The intro still gives me chills.

'Love And Happiness'

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

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

Seems like you can sense some kinda stream-of-consciousness approach on Marsh's part, following Tina Turner with Ike and Tina and then "Whole Lotta Love" with "Whole Lotta Lovin'".

He frequently ranked/reviewed two similar records together as was the case with the Turners. Or he did it to be cute as with the "Whole Lotta"'s. And guess which record is at #96?