1001 Songs We Must Poll Before ILM Dies - the pre-40s selections

"Strange Fruit" just ahead of "Minnie The Moocher" here.

(Btw, the book in question is of course "1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die")

yeah so this is impossible

Robert Johnson: Hellhound On my Trail

the Hot Fives and the Hot Sevens are all-time favorites.

where's duke ellington?

one more for St. James Infirmary

Hot Fives, although I would have rather voted for "West End Blues" or "Potato Head Blues."

Ditto Hot Fives, but yeah, seems almost random that "St. James" is in there rather than the two you mentioned.

where's duke ellington?

My guess is that he'll be all over the 40s list.

Actually not, which may well be the most glaring example of somebody lacking in the entire book. (I don't think Glen Miller is in there either though. Maybe the author simply didn't like big band jazz? Strange to leave them out anyway, in favour of a zillion French, Latin American and Italian entries that nobody outside those countries have heard)

sol hoopii song should have been 'i like you'

The whole of the pre-40s get just this? Surely each year should have its own year.

On the other hand polls are for people with autism

The whole of the pre-40s get just this? Surely each year should have its own year.

I believe few years pre-40s have much more that one or two songs in the book.

I believe you are mistaken

Oh you are talking about a particular book? In that case i retract my statement, but feel disappointed in this book whatever it might be

really impossible but i voted caruso bc he deserves a vote and i could see him getting overlooked in a poll like this

Yes, it is a book, named "1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die". There is a link to it as a Spotify Playlist here

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

mordy totally otm, voted bessie smith on the same grounds

Btw. reading the preface I found the most likely reason for leaving out Duke Ellington and Glen Miller: The authors have decided to include only tracks with vocals. So no jazz, no "Apache", no "Albatross", but a handful of dance tracs with sampled lyrics have been included.

no instrumental jazz, I mean. Surely there's a lot of Billie Holiday, for instance.

songs without vocals are the worst

damn this is hard.

So hard. Going with "Strange Fruit", in the end.

St. James Infirmary followed by Billie Holiday and Robert Johnson.

Noticeable omissions: Duke Ellington, Blind Willie Johnson, Edith Piaf.

http://open.spotify.com/user/lasse_nordgren/playlist/2IBJDRjelu4ayq6M3N9H4G

voting Lydia Mendoza.

the sol hoopii shoulda been "farewell blues: (instrumental though) and, imo, the calloway shoulda been "is that religion?"

Piaf will come later, Moka.

Btw. reading the preface I found the most likely reason for leaving out Duke Ellington and Glen Miller: The authors have decided to include only tracks with vocals. So no jazz, no "Apache", no "Albatross", but a handful of dance tracs with sampled lyrics have been included.

― You're Twistin' My Melody Man! (Geir Hongro)

"It don't mean a thing (if it ain't got that swing)" is one of the most popular songs of the era and has vocals.

Only including tracks with vocals is ridiculous btw. Leaves out many gems, let alone whole genres (surf, post-rock, techno, classical...) I mean how can you make a list like this while ignoring songs like 'rumble', 'wipe out', 'misirlou', 'sandstorm', 'children' or even John Williams' Imperial March.

song implies singing.

ILM needs to write a companion piece, 1001 Instrumental Tracks to Hear Before You Die.

song implies singing.

Moreso than "implies"; you cannot have a song without lyrics. Obviously an instrumental piece is music but it is not a song.

well actually scratch that; you can have a lyricalless song but it is still performed by voice

where does 'talking' steel guitar fit in?

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

huh, 58 votes and not one of them was for Robert Johnson.

ilm hates the blues

Robert Johnson: Hellhound On my Trail 2

oops

in ilx's defense, it was a hard poll!

i know this poll is based off of a book but every time i read this thread title i get the feeling that geir knows something that we don't

yes, it's a little thing called melody...

Must say I am a bit surprised by the winner here. But, well, OK.....

Over The Rainbow is soooo cheeseball...

Yeah it's cheeseball but I would've been happy to vote for it. I had a toy as a baby that played the song over and over again, can't deny its lull influence on my life.

Only one for Bing? Shame.

Hopefully Bing will get more in the 40s poll. He has at least gotten my vote there.

I'm the Bing voter. figured he might need it. expected Strange Fruit to take it.