Heart of Rock and Soul Poll: the 1001 Greatest Singles Part 18: 551-575

Whoops-- make that part 18

Dionne very easily although that Elvis is a smoker!

Staples, "Just My Imagination", UB40, Shirelles, Billy Stewart, "You Can't Hurry Love", Elvis, Duane Eddy,
But voting for "Wake Up Everybody" which was co-written by McFadden & Whitehead, and might be Philly International's greatest message song.

I'm positive I'll be voting for CCR and Dionne Warwick somewhere down the line (probably more than once), but not this time. "Just My Imagination," although it's a vote that would have been a lot more automatic 20 years ago--I looked over the list twice thinking I'd find something I like more, but came up short.

Voting Mitch Ryder.

My favorite Warwick is "Do You Know The Way To San Jose," fwiw (though this one is pretty great too.)

It's neat that the Kendalls are up there (though I don't know that particular song, off hand.)

Also amazed that "Red Red Wine" is up there. I mean, it's not bad (the Little Baggariddim EP is kinda fun actually), but seems fairly so-what as '80s reggae crossover hits (Eddy Grant, Musical Youth) go. (And is it even the best version of "Red Red Wine" available? Supposedly UB40 covered a previous reggae group's rendition, not Neil Diamond's original.)

"Just My Imagination" by a mile.

The reggae version UB40 covered is by Tony Tribe. It's a faster than theirs, don't know if it's better. (I'm pretty neutral on the song as recorded by anyone, actually.)

Two days is a little brief for this poll. Maybe try to make all of them the same duration? I think the last one was a week or more.

Anyway, CCR just barely over Dionne and "Sh-Boom".

Yeah, I'm not much of a "Red Red Wine" fan to begin with, either. (Isn't UB40's early stuff, back when they earned their British unemployment card name, supposed to be better too? I've never heard much of it, but I thought that was the consensus. Unless Marsh is making a point about how selling out from being a mere political band is a good thing. At any rate, I'd say "RRW" easily ranks with the more mediocre hits I know that've been listed so far.)

Signing Off (that 1st album with the UB40 form on the cover) is a great record.

gotta be otis

"Anyone Who Had A Heart" over "Sh-Boom" and "You Can't Hurry Love". As usual it's a list dense with greatness.

mystic eyes

"Just My Imagination," pretty easy choice for me.

Considered "Baby It's You" which is perfect up until the organ solo -- one of the most abrasively (and unnecessarily) LOUD interjections ever in a classic pop song. Total engineering catastrophe. Also love "Sh-Boom," "Can't Hurry Love," "Green River," and a few others.

I'm almost certainly in the minority (of UB40 fans, I mean) for thinking as much, but I probably like their covers album, Labour of Love, the one with "Red Red Wine," better than the earlier records, all of which I listened to lots at the time. Obviously sick to death of "Red Red Wine" (have played it at over 100 weddings, and basically gag now upon hearing those opening notes), but I stick by what I once described as the album's "omnipresent bounce and shine and harmonic gorgeousness (and synth beats)." It's reggae as total bubblegum-pop. The followup Labour of Love LPs, however, were pure Club Med blandouts. Anyway, I'm not that surprised to see it on Marsh's list; it was a single that lingered for a long time after it was released.

Milkcow Blues. Always nice to hear Elvis get real real gone.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDq6Ey9M9B4

(probably would have voted for the george jones version too. but little willie kills it.)

BAWWW BOW (dooot du doo doot)

the hell is "You Can't Hurry Love" this low?

Bump. Get your votes in.

Not gonna vote for it, (frankly, it sounds pretty dated) but I gotta put a word in for "When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes", which just rocks so hard. Those drums!

Of the rest, Dionne and CCR are contenders. But I'm voting for "Mystic Eyes", pretty much my favourite moment in Van Morrison's whole career. And it rocks nearly as hard as "...Lovelight"

Tons of r&b gems here. Private Number over Imagination.

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

I didn't vote for it, but I'm surprised "Let It Rock" was shut out. I'd say it's at least one of Chuck Berry's ten best, which is saying a lot.

"Let It Rock" would have been my second choice; Elvis could not be denied, however.