1001 Song You Must Hear Before You Die - 1980

redemption song vs once in a lifetime

Getting into the 80s, this gets more and more impossible. For this year, I really regret not being able to vote for Steve Winwood, The Jam or Split Enz, all with absolutely classic entries. I regret even more not being able to vote for The Korgis' brilliant hit, as I fear nobody else will. But, really, it has to be "Vienna". One of the songs that defined the sound of the early 80s and anything that was so great about that era.

rapture vs love will tear us apart

And this even leaves out great entries from the likes of ABBA, AC/DC, Bob Marley, Pete Townshend and Dexy's Midnight Runners.

I went for Geno, it's my favourite song from my favourite album of 1980.

"Master Blaster" is my first thought.

m-head vs. t-heads

voted 'guilty'!

"Geno" is my second thought...

Adult Contemporary bliss. That would be "Guilty".

just listened to it four times in a row.

"Kings of the Wild Frontier", just ahead of "Ace of Spades" and "Wardance"

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/news/archives/lemmy1.jpg

Torn between "Back In Black" and "Guilty."

I've enjoyed these polls a lot, otherwise this would be the logical point for me to disappear--the '80s. I look at the list and see two songs I like enough to consider voting for them--"Love Will Tear Us Apart" and "I'm Coming Out"--but one I'm sick of and the other I don't like enough. So I'll skip this one. My own list is short: the Clash's "Police on My Back," the Feelies' "Raised Eyebrows," Liliput's "Split," the Raincoats' "No Looking," the Soft Boys' "The Queen of Eyes," X's "Los Angeles."

"Once in a Lifetime" over "Back in Black."

the 80's, probably my favorite decade ever.

torn between "Rapture," "Kings Of The Wild Frontier," "Redemption Song," "Love Will Tear Us Apart," "Wardance," "Once In a Lifetime" and the very underrated Ultravox with "Vienna."

probably going to vote for "Love Will Tear Us Apart" as that song seem to keep growing and growing over the years. maybe because of life and so.

Sad to have to pass up "I Got You," "Love Will Tear Us Apart," and "Master Blaster" but "Once in a Lifetime" can't be denied.

Not feeling it for "Guilty" or "Let My Love Open the Door." "Rapture" is so ridiculous it's almost fun. But not quite.

"The Winner Takes It All", "Master Blaster", "I'm Coming Out" or "Geno"

consider those on a par with "Once in a Lifetime" and "Ace of Spades" but can't vote for those cos stfu you imaginationless gits

Tempted to go with D. Ross this sunny morning, wd probly vote Dexy's if I left it for a weary evening.

"Love Will Tear Us Apart" by a nose from "Vienna". I actually think that "Vienna" is at least partly responsible for the fact that I live there now, 30 years after I heard the song. It made the city sound so beautiful, romantic and mysterious.

Once again though there is this timing issue that we've had before in these polls, "Vienna" first came out as an album track in 1980 but wasn't a hit until 1981. I would say it should be in the 1981 poll.

Not much I care about here, voted "I'm Coming Out"...I'm pretty sure my favourite singles of 1980 would be disco-related, maybe "Is It All Over My Face?".

Another good list, but for historical reasons had to vote "Start!"

Nearly went for "Dead Souls", as it is the one that Joy Division totally defined who they were.

Once again though there is this timing issue that we've had before in these polls, "Vienna" first came out as an album track in 1980 but wasn't a hit until 1981. I would say it should be in the 1981 poll.

No! No! No! That would make an already impossible 1981 poll even harder!!! :)

The Korgis?!??!? Good song though. Votied Motorhead.

I think it's between Geno, Once in a Lifetime and Love Will Tear Us Apart for me. Tough. These are all tough!

Voted for "The Winner Takes It All", which I think is my favorite ABBA song.

Back In Black is the song I've gotten the most enjoyment from out of these songs. Granted it was mostly between the ages of 14 and 16 but still, I listened to that song and album so much that it deserves my vote.

holy hell this is impossible

Fuck. I voted Love Will Tear Us Apart because I didn't see Motorhead. Ace of Spades is my favourite rock song ever.

By the way, this is a stellar list, probably the best one since the 60s.

dead souls is so much better than the rest of the list that it hurts.

"Love Will Tear Us Apart"

http://i66.photobucket.com/albums/h279/juicyfrt/ace_spades111608112736.jpg

that Split Enz song is pretty great though. Geir, be the mensch we all know you are and make sure the Finn Bros. dont get the toilet seat...

this is tough. Dead Souls vs Ace of Spades vs Once in a Lifetime. May have to come back on this...

Hmm, tough call between "Redemption Song", "Back in Black", and "Winner Takes It All". But I should probably listen to the ones I've never heard first.

Appendix: Songs You Must Hear Before You Die 1980 (Non-featured)

...And the Native Hipsters - There Goes Concorde Again
A Certain Ratio - Flight
Anne Cessna & Essendon Airport - Talking to Cleopatra
Glenn Branca - Lesson No. 1
Kurtis Blow - The Breaks
Nancy Sesay & the Melodaires - C'est Fab
Nini Raviolette - Suis-je normale
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb
The Anemic Boyfriends - Guys Are Not Proud
The Cramps - I Was a Teenage Werewolf
The Cure - A Forest
The Fall - Totally Wired
The Feelies - The Boy With the Perpetual Nervousness
Visage - Fade to Grey
Wah! Heat - Better Scream
Young Marble Giants - Final Day

Ace of Spades 4 life

Went with Geno, love that song.

it's probably 'once in a lifetime' in fairness, but i found myself selecting 'dead souls'.

Geir, be the mensch we all know you are and make sure the Finn Bros. dont get the toilet seat...

Had to go for Ultravox in this case, although I love "I Got You". Still like Crowded House more than I do Split Enz though.

maybe it's cos I was 15 then, but years don't seem to come any better than this

1980 was a fantastic year, but I consider the next few to have been even better. :)

Also missing from my addendum:

Pylon - Cool, Stop It

It's also missing Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train

winner takes it all

vs

redemption song

vs

ace of spades

vs

love will tear us apart

voted love will tear us apart

Winner Takes It All vs Once In A Lifetime vs Master Blaster

Think I have to go for Winner Takes It All as it's among ABBA's very best and most affecting songs, whereas I enjoy countless other TH songs as much, if not more, than OIALT. Master Blaster is great too - but I've overplayed it lately.

"Winner Takes It All", not the best track on the album, so in all conscience can't vote for it

I haven't seen any Tom Waits songs I actually like on any of these polls so far.

Tom D - what is the best song on Super Trouper IYO?

"Lay All Your Love On Me"

And Geir agrees with me on that one, I think!

It's a good song. I like LAYLOM's dead-eyed zombie chant chorus.

It's a close run thing, "Winner" is awesome. (I voted Motorhead anyway)

Agreeing with Tom D about "Lay All Your Love On Me". It may be my favourite ABBA track although I consider "The Visitors" to be a much better overall album than "Super Trouper".

I haven't seen any Tom Waits songs I actually like on any of these polls so far.

― Why'd You Wanna Tweet Me So Bad? (dog latin), Wednesday, August 17, 2011 11:32 AM (10 hours ago)

so so otm

Tom Waits did a radical stylistic change on "Swordfishtrombones", didn't he? No wonder people who enjoy what he did from then on are not too keen on his earlier material. Basically, before "Swordfishtrombones", the only unconventional thing about Tom Waits' music was his vocal style. From "Swordfishtrombones" onwards, more or less everything about his music was completely weird and out there.

Tom Waits did a radical stylistic change on "Swordfishtrombones", didn't he? No wonder people who enjoy what he did from then on are not too keen on his earlier material. Basically, before "Swordfishtrombones", the only unconventional thing about Tom Waits' music was his vocal style. From "Swordfishtrombones" onwards, more or less everything about his music was completely weird and out there.

― Hongroe (Geir Hongro)

Burma Shave, Red Shoes by the Drugstore, Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis, $29... to name some were composed before swordfishtrombones and are well regarded among his mid to late period fans and are way better and more representative of his style than the choices we've had so far.

Actually we only get 3 Tom Waits songs on this 1001 comp and this is the last one. (Looking for) The Heart of Saturday Night, Blue Valentines, Heartattack and Vine are the ones he (they?) chose.
Now I won't argue against them because I love those 3 but if they were attempting to go for a traditional/classic approach I don't understand why they completely ignored the songs on 'rain dogs'.

Heart Of Saturday Night, the orchestral version, is fantastic - but other than that these're fucking weird choices for Waits songs. And I like all his periods. It's criminal that these songs are being picked and not stuff off Rain Dogs/Swordfish/Franks/Bone Machine etc...

XXP: It seems that the authors here seem to like his earlier style better. On the other hand, the most well-known songs from his two most famous albums are "In The Neighbourhood" and "Downtown Train", both of which are rather traditional.

People who prefer anything over the mid-80s triumvirate are just challopsing IMO. Not that Foreign Affairs and Real Gone aren't absolutely fantastic, but SwordfishRainYears are among the greatest albums made by anyone ever.

I hate all his stuff so I can't be accused of challopsy

that's not challopsy, it's just stupid and wrong.

holds up hand nervously

I prefer the Used Songs stuff as well.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Not generally a huge Tom Waits fan at all, but the early stuff does at least consist of proper songs.

Yes, after that he just released bicycle clips and self-boiling kettles.

Oh come on Geir. I don't know why I even bother with you.

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

Still thinking people shouldn't vote for indie until the 90s. That's when indie became good. The 80s were about other styles. But oh well... :)

I must have forgotten to vote btw. :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hh81LMz1sPo

Awesome. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is great, but, y'know, choose life. Carry the water, man.

Killing Joke: Wardance 0

Fire remains unhonoured.

Alex didn't vote?

So it would seem.

"Requiem" should have been in there instead though.