Acclaimed Music Top 40 Songs from 1987 poll

I Know You Got Soul

41 The Sisters of Mercy - This Corrosion, 42 LL Cool J - Going Back to Cali, 43 Sly and Robbie - Boops (Here to Go), 44 That Petrol Emotion - Big Decision, 45 LL Cool J - I Need Love, 46 The Jesus and Mary Chain - April Skies, 47 The Wedding Present - My Favourite Dress, 48 The Pursuit of Happiness - I'm an Adult Now, 49 Schoolly D - Saturday Night, 50 Prince - I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man, 51 The Godfathers - Birth School Work Death, 52 The Cure - Why Can't I Be You?, 53 Los Lobos - La Bamba, 54 Tom Waits - Hang On St. Christopher and 55 Echo and the Bunnymen - Lips Like Sugar

Tempted to vote for "Bring The Noise" but then there's "Rent."

Rent would be my number two.

I never remember having heard any of these Pete Shop Boys songs (though I suspect I would have heard some of them). Their music has never registered with me, and listening now I'm not surprised.

I overlooked them for a long time. Neil's analysis of Rent is actually what got me listening to PSB.

'Mats, without question.

Bring the Noise

impulsive vote for fairytale of new york

plenty of great songs but Bring the Noise is untouchable

Not the best list so far. It's between two rather different tunes for me - Fairytale and Acid Tracks.

Went with my heart over my head - Fairytale of New York it is.

"Strings of Life," then "Alex Chilton." Many other good ones. Missing my favourite Prince hit from the double.

Geez, not to mention "What Have I done to Deserve This?"

Bring The Noise, Strings of Life, Acid Tracks

Even though the list features two of Prince's best singles (If I Was Your Girlfriend and U Got The Look), and Push It, and yes, Strings of Life, I couldn't possibly pass up on the rare opportunity for acknowledging Fingers Inc. featuring the music of Larry "Mr Fingers" Heard and the voice of Robert Owens, so I'm voting for Can You Feel It.

oh ffs

2 147 Prince - Sign 'O' the Times
3 172 Public Enemy - Bring the Noise
4 228 The Cure - Just Like Heaven
5 283 M/A/R/R/S - Pump Up the Volume
6 306 R.E.M. - It's the End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)
7 327 U2 - With or Without You
8 358 The Sugarcubes - Birthday
9 372 Public Enemy - Rebel Without a Pause
10 414 New Order - True Faith
11 424 Eric B. & Rakim - Paid in Full
12 442 Eric B. & Rakim - I Know You Got Soul
13 470 U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
16 621 Rhythim Is Rhythim - Strings of Life
17 623 R.E.M. - The One I Love
18 627 U2 - Where the Streets Have No Name
19 633 Salt 'n' Pepa - Push It
20 859 Phuture - Acid Tracks
21 934 Prince - If I Was Your Girlfriend
22 937 Suzanne Vega - Luka
24 988 Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down Again
25 1019 George Michael - Faith
27 1227 Fingers Inc. - Can You Feel It
30 1565 INXS - Need You Tonight
33 1649 Pet Shop Boys - Rent
38 1958 Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar on Me

I mean

bring the noise/paid in full/pump up the volume/push it/never let me down again/innocent when you dream/u got the look

fuuuuuuuuck

dan has no love for u got the look :(

I think it's the weakest SOTT single and in the bottom half of quality for the album (probably the only songs on the album I like less are "IT" and "Slow Love")

also "If I Was Your Girlfriend" pwns massively, come on now

I'm finding this one extremely difficult!

the weakest SOTT single is easily the title track, and even this song is a B+

Bizarre, but it's been so long since I heard the title song, I can't even remember how it goes, beyond that it didn't have much instrumentation.

Bring The Noise, easy. Surprised there's nothing from Sonic Youth Sister.

Fleetwood Mac's "Little Lies" or Lou Gramm's "Midnight Blue" not here, alas.

This list is a lie.

Spacemen 3's Walkin' with Jesus

Push It

Several great ones, but my heart said "Brilliant Disguise"

So much great stuff even left off this top 10

19 633 Salt 'n' Pepa - Push It
34 1713 Audio Two - Top Billin'
21 934 Prince - If I Was Your Girlfriend
16 621 Rhythim Is Rhythim - Strings of Life
5 283 M/A/R/R/S - Pump Up the Volume
40 2052 Prince - U Got the Look
9 372 Public Enemy - Rebel Without a Pause
25 1019 George Michael - Faith
15 599 Guns N' Roses - Welcome to the Jungle
27 1227 Fingers Inc. - Can You Feel It

oh shit "Top Billin" is in there i didn't even see that

Between "Bring the Noise", "Strings of Life", and "Acid Tracks". What an incredible trio to choose from.

so i'm voting "Just Like Heaven" mainly because i just heard it on the radio, it is fate. would have considered "Pump Up the Volume," "Birthday," "True Faith," "Faith," "Shine On," "Walkin' with Jesus" and "Fairytale of New York."

At first, when I looked at jjjusten's list, I was like thinkin... "Never Let Me Down"??? But then I realized it was Depeche, not Bowie. phew*.

"Sign O The Times" "U Got The Look" "I Know You Got Soul" (this has the best beat ever, right?) and about 15 others = whoa.

Gonna go "U Got The Look" though. I always like that one WAY more than I remember.

*though I kinda like that song

Voted for PSB's 'It's A Sin'. I was obsessed with the song at the time. I only had a radio/cassette machine with a single tape deck, so every time it was played on the radio I would record it onto a tape that I'd set aside. I ended up with most of a C60 cassette with just 'It's A Sin' on it, interspersed with Bruno Brookes saying "op Boys!" or bits of 'La Isla Bonita' and whatever other singles were around at the time.

out of the second 15 that would have to be "This Corrosion." i'm so much a Goth music wise...

ha yeah, that is much easier

Acid Tracks

this is the year I was born.

dude shut up

^^^

(How many ^s should I type at my age?)

ok I didn't see "Just Like Heaven" in this list but whatever

'Never Let Me Down Again'

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Went with "Strings of Life" in the end. The prog techno choice perhaps?

Yeah my choice too. Lamely learned about this from last year's Dirtbombs cover, still an awesome cut. Also <4 Never Let Me Down and Walkin with Jesus (which I almost voted for)

Lol @ <4

a few months back I saw Carl Craig and he dropped "Strings of Life" as the last song of the night while making air piano fingers up in the booth. it was epic as fuck.

If we ever do 1971, I'll have some good stories about air-fluting to Jethro Tull.

These three are deadlocked:

3 172 Public Enemy - Bring the Noise
21 934 Prince - If I Was Your Girlfriend
27 1227 Fingers Inc. - Can You Feel It

These round out the top 10:

11 424 Eric B. & Rakim - Paid in Full
15 599 Guns N' Roses - Welcome to the Jungle
16 621 Rhythim Is Rhythim - Strings of Life
19 633 Salt 'n' Pepa - Push It
30 1565 INXS - Need You Tonight
34 1713 Audio Two - Top Billin'
38 1958 Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar on Me

the weakest SOTT single is easily the title track, and even this song is a B+

This.

2 147 Prince - Sign 'O' the Times
3 172 Public Enemy - Bring the Noise
5 283 M/A/R/R/S - Pump Up the Volume
7 327 U2 - With or Without You
8 358 The Sugarcubes - Birthday
9 372 Public Enemy - Rebel Without a Pause
1 424 Eric B. & Rakim - Paid in Full
12 442 Eric B. & Rakim - I Know You Got Soul
13 470 U2 - I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
24 988 Depeche Mode - Never Let Me Down Again
33 1649 Pet Shop Boys - Rent
37 1763 The House of Love - Shine On
40 2052 Prince - U Got the Look

All Amazing!

'Birthday' and 'Sign 'O' the Times' and 'Paid In Full' probably my 3 favs but 'Nation Of Millions' changed what music I listened to forever more, so I'll go with 'Bring The Noise'

It seems like the quality of these lists really peaked in the 80s. Was there some kind of convergence of pop and critical consensus at that time? At what point did that fall off? The more recent years seem to be much more heavily slanted toward indie/NPR stuff.

It seems like the quality of these lists really peaked in the 80s. Was there some kind of convergence of pop and critical consensus at that time?

what happened in the 80s = we were teenagers

Sad to think of all of today's teenagers who are going to grow up nostalgic for terrible music.

voted "if i was your girlfriend"

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

YAY

surprisingly low scores for the Prince trio, just 4 votes between them.