Heart of Rock and Soul Poll: the 1001 Greatest Singles Part 17: 576-600

Voodoo Chile is pretty tough to beat.

these are impossible polls.

(oogum boogum, btw)

Voting Free. Did Marsh really decide that they tied Albert King for 591st? Because if so it's the funniest thing I've ever heard of him doing.

Three of my favorite songs ever:

576 Um Um Um Um Um Um Um (1964) Lance, Major
577 Oogum Boogum Song, The (1967) Wood, Brenton
600 If It Ain't One Thing, It's Another (1982) Fields, Richard Dimples

Okay, Dimples might be a little behind the other two, but still. I am so happy that that's here. "Oogum Boogum" ftw though.

Also really like "Juicy Fruit," but I am the only person who thinks that the way that one Biggie song has that girl stretching out the words "good and pleh-eh-eh-enty" to countless stupid off-key syllables if one of the low points in cover version history? I hope not.

Don't know a bunch of these, incl. the three Chuck mentions (I'm sure I've heard "Oogum Boogum Song" but don't recall it). Not sure what I like best here -- maybe the Hendrix.

"You Really Got Me". Great song, that helped blaze a path for a whole load of great songs.

Juicy Fruit narrowly over Jimi

could go for a lot of these, but i'll go for ruth because somebody oughta. she was so great.

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

(iirc little richard admitted he stole that hiccup squeal from her.)

damn that fucking slays

I second EZ Snappin: "You Really Got Me" is one of the best Kinks tunes, right up there with "Lola"

also love "Don't Stop" "Peace, Love & Understanding" and "Runaway Trains"

"Voodoo Chile" but lots of great stuff here, esp. "Let The Four Winds Blow".

Yeah I'm gonna oogum boogum it too. Somehow "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" just doesn't feel like a single to me.

Um Um Um Um Um Um Um

good set!

except for that costello song

Somehow "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" just doesn't feel like a single to me.

Me either. Which is why I'm noncommittal about this batch. (Though again: I don't know half of it.) If they weren't so played out for me, I'd otherwise go for Costello or Fleetwood Mac or Free or Delfonics.

Somewhat mediocre Rosanne Cash pick, too, fwiw. I mean, it's an okay song, off an okay album, but not even her best '80s country #1 about trains! And I hope to heck "Seven Year Ache" is much higher in the book.

(Also, in my previous post, I of course meant "...am I the only person..." And the Biggie song is of course called "Juicy.")

1. "Pretty Flamingo," 2. Delfonics, 3. Elvis Costello (although I'm not sure if I like Dave Edmunds' version better...or Bill Murray's). I wouldn't be surprised if what to me is the most obvious default winner here, "You Really Got Me," actually does win.

Major Lance, Delfonics, Mtume, Costello, Albert King, Kinks, Fields, Fleetwood Mac, Hendrix all sound good to me.
Tough call between the Kinks and Free. Both still command the radio, whenever I hear them. I'll give Ray Davies the vote.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Wow, thought I'd be alone in voting for "Oogum Boogum"

i'm with young Eddie Van Heflin here, thanx muchly.

Finally listened to "Oogum Boogum" and "Um Um Um Um Um Um" and both are indeed fantastic (have vague memories of hearing the former at some point in my life -- the main hook rings a bell). If it didn't seem so all-of-a-sudden rash -- and if I hadn't already cast my vote for Hendrix -- I could happily place either/or at the top of this stash. Pretty sure they're both going to become staples for me regardless.

I listened to "Oogum Boogum" when this thread started and was all "hahaha, so THAT's what that song's called!"

"La La Means I Love You", no question

I had no idea that was as old as 1968 - I always associate that Philly soul with the '70s.

have vague memories of hearing the former at some point in my life

It was used in "Almost Famous", if you saw that. Also, CHUM used to play it all the time back in the mid '90s (when they still played oldies) and possibly later

"Almost Famous" must be it, though strangely I don't recall the scene (and I'm surprised it didn't catch my ear enough to inquire about it).

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

I said I was going to vote for "Pretty Flamingo" above...I definitely meant to; getting old = vanishing attention span.