tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7872778491954546802024-03-18T02:48:17.873-07:00Nothing But Good Thingsdavepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.comBlogger89125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-26285621925499128892014-04-20T08:31:00.000-07:002014-04-20T08:34:34.047-07:00The Future of the Mix Tape<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just posted <a href="https://rateyourmusic.com/board_message?message_id=5202616">a poll</a> at rateyourmusic.com about the future of the mix tape. I don't know what that future is, but I recently placed a small bet on it being jump drives. I still don't really understand podcasts and haven't really comprehended their staying power.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From 1998 to 2013, I made 51 mix CDs (Nothing But Good Things #1 through Nothing But Good Things #50 with a special Nothing But Good Things 33 1/3 thrown in) which I shared with a small group of friends and fellow music lovers. I considered in 2013 switching to <a href="http://open.spotify.com/user/davepmiller/playlist/4HMSHlTgybiZ2Hi6FZWyPP">a spotify playlist</a>, but decided instead to keep up the spotify playlist in parallel with making the occasional physical Nothing But Good Things mix. Nothing But Good Things #52 was a mix CD, but it may have been my last. Nothing But Good Things #53 and #54 were mixes I put on a jump drive. I included two notes with the mixes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note #1 on paper in the envelope:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a readme file on the jump drive. You should read it. As an aside, without being redundant with what it says in the readme file, I'd like to say just a bit about the early 50s. I don't mean the early 50s of the NBGT series. I mean the early 1950s, but perhaps you'll pick up some foreshadowing or see the intended analogy to the NBGT series. Prior to the 50s, the 78rpm 10" was the dominant format, but then Columbia introduced their long-play 33-1/3 rpm and RCA countered with an "unbreakable" 45 rpm 7-inch. Columbia, in turn, came out with a 33-1/3 rpm 7-inch. There were many formats. Some won.Some lost. The format wars were pretty well settled by the mid-50s. Maybe the same will hold true for NBGT.
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note #2 in the readme file:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Whoaaaa! What in the world? NBGT on a jump drive? On a flash drive? On a memory stick? I don't even know what you call these
thingamajiggies, but I know it isn't a CD.
Yep, that's right. In the 1990s
NBGT pioneered the next step beyond the cassette mix tape, and now we're ready
to say goodbye to the CD. It could be
the beginning of a new era, or it could just be a passing fad, but we've jumped
(pun intended) on board with full-on NBGT branding.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So how does this work? The idea here is that now you've got more
choices. Do you want to just load the
songs into an iTunes playlist? Do
it. Do you want to burn a CD? Go ahead.
There are two folders, each with a set of songs the same length as a
standard CD. Do you have a new car with
a USB port? Just pop this in and the
songs will play in the order intended (in theory anyway - I do not have a new
car and could no test this). NBGT 53
will play first followed by NBGT54. Are
you completely tired of new music but in need of a new jump drive? Well, this will work for that too. It's just a regular jump drive, so erase it
if you like and start over, but spare my feelings and don't tell me that's what
you did.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note #3 (I'm back to the blog now)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've said this before, but I think it's worth saying again. I buy all the music I share, and I encourage those with whom I share it to buy things or support artists in other ways if they don't want more physical stuff. The greatest appeal of the jump drive for me is the potential that it's the plug-and-play music listening option of the future. I may be very wrong about that. I'll be interested to revisit this post in about 3 years.</span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-75055392322298133452014-01-19T11:03:00.000-08:002014-01-19T11:03:07.862-08:00Best Discography Sites - Part 5 of 5<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the 5th installment in a series. Click here for parts <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-best-discography-sites-part-1-of-5.html">1</a>, <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-best-discography-sites-part-2-of-5.html">2</a>, <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-best-discography-sites-part-3-of-5.html">3</a>, and <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-best-discography-sites-part-4-of-5.html">4</a>. For today's test artist, The War on Drugs, it's important to say what today is. Today is Sunday, January 19th, 2014. The reason that's important is because The War on Drugs is releasing a new record in March, which is the future... future.... future... future (that's supposed to be a futuristic echo effect, by the way).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As of today at 10:16 am PST, wikipedia says this about the band:</span><br />
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<b>The War on Drugs</b> is an American <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indie_rock" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Indie rock">indie rock</a> band from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Philadelphia">Philadelphia</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a>, formed in 2005. The band consists of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_Granduciel" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Adam Granduciel">Adam Granduciel</a> (vocals, guitar), David Hartley (bass, guitar), Robbie Bennett (keyboards, guitar) and Patrick Berkery (drums).</div>
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Founded by close collaborators, Granduciel and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Vile" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Kurt Vile">Kurt Vile</a>, The War on Drugs released their debut studio album, <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wagonwheel_Blues" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Wagonwheel Blues">Wagonwheel Blues</a></i>, in 2008. Vile departed shortly after its release to focus on his solo career.</div>
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The band's second studio album <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slave_Ambient" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Slave Ambient">Slave Ambient</a></i>, was released, in 2011, to critical acclaim and extensive touring, with a third, <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_in_the_Dream" style="background-image: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Lost in the Dream">Lost in the Dream</a></i>, due for release in March, 2014.</div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know what it says at the moment you're reading this, but you can <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_on_Drugs_(band)">check for yourself</a> if you want. As of two minutes later, allmusic lists the new album, Lost in the Dream, in its discography, but it does not give a date or list the tracks, so it's impossible to tell from allmusic alone that this is really a new record and not an old one. I was surprised by that. Allmusic is usually a step ahead of the rest on this sort of thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As of 3 minutes later, discogs does not list the new album at all. Discogs lists the same other 5 releases as allmusic, but discogs considers one of them (2010's Future Weather) to be <a href="http://www.discogs.com/War-On-Drugs-Future-Weather/master/364281">an EP</a>, and allmusic considers it to be an album. Wikipedia sides with discogs on the 8-song release, also calling it an EP.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Only 10 minutes later, RYM not only lists Lost in the Dream, but it even includes <a href="http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/the_war_on_drugs/lost_in_the_dream/">the track listing</a>. To be fair, given that we're looking at the future and all that, let's just double-check that nothing new has happened at discogs or allmusic in the last 10 minutes. We're nothing but fair here at nothing but good things. Every minute counts. Nope. Nothing new at the other sites. RYM wins the race. I should also note that discogs allows members to see pending submissions, and I just looked there and there's nothing about Lost in the Dream.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't anticipate much from 45cat with The War on Drugs, since they really aren't a singles band, but 45cat does deliver on <a href="http://www.45cat.com/artist/the-war-on-drugs">the one true single</a>. Musicbrainz <a href="http://musicbrainz.org/artist/87b9b3b8-ab93-426c-a200-4012d667a626">covers the same territory</a> as allmusic and discogs and agrees with everyone but allmusic about what's an album and what's an EP.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So today's winner is definitely RYM. A purist may argue that the record doesn't belong on a discography until it's actually released, and I do have to give one RYM rater a thumbs down for giving the record a rating before it's actually released. Perhaps they rated it on the strength of the pre-release video of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsoqmFL1vlU">Red Eyes</a>.</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To conclude the series, let's consider whether a final ranking is possible of the sites considered.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#1) RYM was the flat-out winner twice, tied for first once, and was the named second place contender once.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#2) Discogs was the flat-out winner once, tied for first twice, and was the named second place contender once.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#3) 45cat tied for first twice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#4) Wikipedia tied for first once.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#5) Allmusic came in second or third or got an honorable mention 3 times.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">#6) Musicbrainz didn't win any rounds, but there were a bit more competitive than I'd guessed they would be, and I like their simple interface that makes it easy to find what you're looking for.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, you might conclude from this that RYM should be your go-to site. Actually, I think the key finding is that you probably need to go to 3 to 4 sites if you want comprehensive information for any artist that's slightly outside the mainstream. Nobody else does 45s like 45cat does, and wikipedia is impressively competitive for older artists, but surprisingly weak for obscure indie rock. Allmusic is very impressive in its exhaustive list of compilations, and RYM and Discogs are so competitive as to be nearly redundant, but there are often small differences between the two with no really clear and consistent winner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, now that the series is concluding, I realize I meant to do one obscure 80s band. I could be back with a part 6 of 5, just to show off my weak counting skills.</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-30556718195314739882014-01-12T14:47:00.000-08:002014-01-12T14:47:48.386-08:00The Best Discography Sites - Part 4 of 5<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-best-discography-sites-part-1-of-5.html">part 1</a> for an explanation of this series. Today's test artist is 60s soul singer Joe Tex. As a general rule, I find that 60s discographies are reliable for artists on Motown, Stax, or Atlantic, and spotty for anyone who recorded for other labels. Joe Tex's career spanned multiple decades, but he definitely peaked artistically in the 60s. I first encountered Joe Tex when I bought a record called "Ain't I a Mess" from Sam's Jam in Ferndale, Michigan. Sam's Jams is long gone, but I did happen upon <a href="http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com/oldstores.aspx">an interesting site</a> with short blurbs about many different long-gone Michigan stores of all types.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Ain't I a Mess" was released by Chess in 1984 and is totally lacking any useful information about the original source material. I later determined that my favorite track on that record, "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQyUyDYj8y0">Sit Your Self Down</a>", was from a 1964 album and single, but, if you look at his discography on <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/joe-tex-mn0000210323/discography">Allmusic</a>, it looks like he didn't get started until 1965. Allmusic lists 16 60s and 70s original albums, <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/joe-tex-mn0000210323/discography/compilations">an incredible 80+ collections</a>, and 6 singles and EPs. Really, why does allmusic both with the singles and EPs category if they aren't going to attend to it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.45cat.com/artist/joe-tex">At 45cat, we start to get a real feel for Joe Tex's history</a>. He released over 100 singles from 1955 to 1981 on many different labels, including King, Dial, Ace, Anna, and Checker, including <a href="http://www.45cat.com/record/nc501976us">"Sit Yourself Down"</a> in 1964. <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/48440-Joe-Tex#p=1&t=Releases_Singles-EPs&q=">Discogs also list more than 100 singles</a>, and, while they don't include Sit Yourself Down, they do include <a href="http://www.discogs.com/Joe-Tex-Hold-On/release/3294616">the 1964 album on which it's featured</a>, and their list of 21 60s and 70s albums suggests allmusic didn't really miss too many of the actual albums, and discogs list of compilations is about half the length of allmusic's.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/joe_tex">Rateyourmusic</a> has a nearly identical original album listing compared to discogs. They list about 10 times as many singles as allmusic and about half as many as 45cat or discogs, and a few more collections than discogs. <a href="http://musicbrainz.org/artist/bb25e0ba-fd11-4d2a-8ec3-f5674f67c874">Musicbrainz</a> isn't very competitive here, listing only about half of the original albums and only 2 singles as well as a small selection of the collections.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wikipedia has <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Tex_discography">a special discography page</a> for Joe Tex, as they do with more and more artists, as a companion to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_Tex">the main Joe Tex entry</a>. It's annoying that the album list doesn't distinguish original releases from collections, but they do include "Ain't I A Mess" from 1984 and "Hold On" from 1964, and the layout of the singles list with the chart positions is quite nice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The winners of this round are 45cat, discogs, and wikipedia, but allmusic gets a special mention for exhaustive listings of collections.</span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-60693993977674866512014-01-04T12:35:00.001-08:002014-01-04T12:37:37.280-08:00The Best Discography Sites - Part 3 of 5<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Previously, this series was<a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-best-discography-sites-part-1-of-5.html"> introduced</a> with a 90s indie band and then <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-best-discography-sites-part-2-of-5.html">followed up</a> by a 50s rockabilly queen. Today, for the third installment, we'll go to the late 70s with The Shapes. As we can see from <a href="http://www.45cat.com/artist/the-shapes">45cat.com</a>, The Shapes released a 4-song 7-inch in 1979 featuring "Wot's for lunch Mum? (Not B*****s again)" and "(I Saw) Batman (In The Launderette)" and also a 2-sing 7-inch in 1980. As always, 45cat excels at providing high quality pictures of the original records, the sleeves as well as the insides.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Both <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shapes_(UK_band)">Wikipedia</a> and <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/327792-Shapes-The-2">Discogs</a> have the same two releases along with the 1998 collection which first brought The Shapes to my attention. Discogs also includes <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/327792-Shapes-The-2#t=Appearances_Compilations&q=&p=1">5 appearances on various compilations</a>, including their appearance on the excellent <a href="http://www.discogs.com/Various-Messthetics-103/release/2937342">Messthetics</a> series. Importantly, they are findable as a UK band via wikipedia's well-known, but too-infrequently-imitated disambiguation feature. They're a tad harder to find on Discogs. If you enter "The Shapes" into the search tool on Discogs, <a href="http://www.discogs.com/search/?q=The+Shapes">nothing that comes up initially is close to what you want</a>, but if you <a href="http://www.discogs.com/search/?q=The+Shapes&type=artist">click on "Artist" at the top</a>, you quickly get to a set of links for various bands called "The Shapes" from which you can find the right one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Allmusic.com is relatively incautious about disambiguation. I don't know if bots are too blame or if it's due to their minimal use of crowdsourcing corrections. <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/the-shapes-mn0000004800/biography">The bio at Allmusic</a> appears to be accurate, or at least consistent with other reliable sources, but the discography includes not only the collection that is truly theirs but also two other releases that are almost certainly some other band's or bands'. For instance, <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/album/get-your-learn-on-ep-mw0001664634">this record</a> can also be found at <a href="http://weareshapes.bandcamp.com/album/get-your-learn-on">bandcamp</a>, and I really don't think the original The Shapes became a mathrock band called Shapes. Mind the "The".</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Musicbrainz.org does an impressive job of<a href="http://musicbrainz.org/search?query=the+shapes&type=artist&method=indexed"> listing the different options for The Shapes</a>. You can find the band that Allmusic.com miscategorized at musicbrainz.org under "Shapes (Birmingham, UK Rock Band)" and you can find The Shapes for whom we are looking today easily identifiable as "The Shapes (UK Punk Band)" second on the list. <a href="http://musicbrainz.org/artist/faa75722-b610-49bc-8308-b7c2c1423089/releases">Musicbrainz only lists 4 compilation tracks</a>, not the 1998 collection or the original singles, but it feels like musicbrainz has at least built a framework that will allow for continuous improvement.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rateyourmusic, <a href="http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/the_shapes">on one nice single page</a>, list the 4-song 7-inch (the EP), the 2-song 7-inch, the collection, and 5 appearances on various compilations. I can't tell for sure if the 5 compilations included by rateyourmusic are the same as the 5 listed by discogs. They have slightly different titles and dates, but only rateyourmusic has cover photos for all 5.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This round goes to Rateyourmusic, but Discogs a very close second. Allmusic, to my surprise, comes in dead last. I knew they were facing tougher competition these days, but I'm starting to wonder why I keep putting up with the aggressive pop-up ads for what is increasingly looking like an inferior site. I hope they make a comeback, because they're a site I've valued as a resource for many years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And now I think it might be time for lunch. I don't think I'll have beans, just to disimbiguate myself from <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91A8z__t0o0">The Shapes</a>.</span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-31912881965641907212013-12-31T18:11:00.000-08:002013-12-31T18:13:09.793-08:00The Best Discography Sites - Part 2 of 5<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I recently introduced a <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-best-discography-sites-part-1-of-5.html">new series</a> to evaluate the best discography sites, starting with Vehicle Flips, a 90s indie band. Let's shift now to the 50s with Lillian Briggs and see how allmusic, discogs, rateyourmusic, 45cat, wikipedia, and a new competitor, musicbrainz, stack up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This time I'm going to start with Wikipedia. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillian_briggs">The Lillian Briggs wikipedia page</a> rather boldly asserts that she was the first woman to achieve super-star status at the dawn of the rock'n'roll era. The wikipedia page also provide the year and chart position of her first single, and it closes by noting that she has a new 2013 collection on Jasmine records. It also includes my favorite Lillian Briggs fun fact. She owned the boat (monkey business) where Gary Hart got caught with Donna Rice, knocking him out of the presidential race.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's move along now to allmusic. As of the very end of 2013, allmusic is the only source that lists <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/lillian-briggs-mn0000289901/discography">the new collection on Jasmine records</a>. Yes, the wikipedia page mentioned its existence, but it didn't show a cover or give a track listing or provide any useful information about it. The collection is the only record allmusic lists in the Lillian Briggs discography, but, it too mentions the monkey business fun fact.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/1508411-Lillian-Briggs">Discogs.com fills in quite a bit more</a> of the Lillian Briggs discography with 6 singles, an EP, a 1985 collection, and <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/1508411-Lillian-Briggs#t=Appearances_Compilations&q=&p=1">6 compilation tracks</a>. The compilations include Hot Boppin Girls, Vol III, They don't have the new collection though, and that reflects a general observation I have that allmusic tends to list new releases faster than the other sites even when the other sites are otherwise more complete.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/lillian_briggs">Rateyourmusic also has 6 singles</a>, but they aren't exactly the same ones as discogs.com, and rateyourmusic has dates for all of the singles, while discogs did not. RYM has 2 EPs, and 5 compliation appearances, but no collections, neither the new collection listed by allmusic nor the 1985 collection listed by discogs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you would hope, <a href="http://www.45cat.com/artist/lillian-briggs">45cat stomps the competition in the singles category</a>. They list 10 singles in the US alone, and most have not only the release year but even the release month. They also have high-resolution pictures of almost all of the records. They list 7 additional releases ex-US for a total of 17 listings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By popular request (or maybe just a single comment on a previous blog post), I'm also consider musicbrainz.org. <a href="http://musicbrainz.org/artist/ca6771ce-ab3d-4d1a-828b-0e4d592ab369">They list 3 compilations</a> and that's it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's hard to pick a winner this time. It may be a 3-way tie between discogs, RYM, and 45cat, but you can't totally discount the fact that allmusic was the only site (as of the end of 2013) to list the new compilation. On the other hand, the new compilation is <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Want-Baby-ORIGINAL-RECORDINGS-REMASTERED/dp/B00G3DDBWM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388541666&sr=8-1&keywords=lillian+briggs">easy to find on Amazon</a>, so maybe it's not so important for it to be covered on music sites. No - I think the music sites need to cover it. I'll need to check back during 2014 to see when any of the other sites pick it up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This concludes part 2 of our series. Stay tuned for part 3 because, in Lillian Briggs' words, I <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Mzqnue0XEI">can't stop</a>.</span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-13386135251294654472013-12-29T14:18:00.000-08:002013-12-29T14:18:56.432-08:00The Best Discography Sites - Part 1 of 5<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On my bookshelf, my go-to music resources are the 3rd through 5th editions of the <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Trouser-Press-Record-Guide/dp/0020363613/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1388355331&sr=8-2&keywords=trouser+press">Trouser Press Record Guide</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?ie=UTF8&field-author=Joel+Whitburn&search-alias=books&text=Joel+Whitburn&sort=relevancerank">Joel Whitburn</a>'s billboard chart books, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Martin-C.-Strong/e/B000APOSOO/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1388355411&sr=1-2">Martin Strong</a>'s Great Rock Discography and Great Alternative and Indie Discography collections. As with so many other resources, however, the web has overtaken print as a more up to date and complete source of information. This is the first in a 5 part series exploring which web resource is best for what.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/641727832/vehicle-flips-friends-like-nations-1993-1999">Kickstarter</a>, Vehicle Flips is releasing a collection of their 90s singles and compilation tracks. Vehicle Flips had a complicated discography of 3 CDs and 5 singles spanning several different labels, not to mention all the compilation tracks, making them a good test case for completeness and accuracy at the 5 different sites I plan to evaluate in each part of this 5 part series.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We'll start with Allmusic.com, which was for many years my favored resource for getting information on band's discographies. Once you get past the annoying pop-up ads, which have become increasingly aggressive at allmusic, you can find that <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/vehicle-flips-mn0000262594/discography">they correctly list</a> the 3 Vehicle Flips original CDs. Selecting <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/vehicle-flips-mn0000262594/discography/singles">singles and EPs</a>, it gets a lot sketchier. They list 3 of the 5 singles, but only one listing is complete and accurate. They don't have a date for "Impressed Beyond Belief" and they are under the misimpression that "Terminus" is a different band as opposed to the name of a Vehicle Flips song, an error they compound with a bizarre review. In allmusic's favor, they do note that Frank went on to form The Gazetteers, but they don't mention Wimp Factor 14, his prior band.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Increasingly, Discogs has overtaken allmusic as my go-to resource. <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/1011055-Vehicle-Flips">Let's see how they do with Vehicle Flips</a>. They list all 3 CDs and all 5 singles. Interestingly, the 3rd CD gets a 2000 date at allmusic and a 1999 date at discogs. The CD itself does have 1999 imprinted upon it, but I believe the true release was delayed until 2000. That's kind of a toss-up, but I think I'm willing to give allmusic credit for that one. Discogs also lists <a href="http://www.discogs.com/artist/1011055-Vehicle-Flips#t=Appearances_Compilations&q=&p=1">7 compilation appearances</a>, which is pretty impressive coverage even if it isn't 100% complete, missing a rare cassette compilation. Interestingly, the bio is nearly if not totally identical at Discogs and Allmusic. I wonder who stole from whom, or if they both got it from the same third source.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rateyourmusic, which started out focusing on ratings has gotten increasing reliable with discography's as well. <a href="http://rateyourmusic.com/artist/vehicle_flips">They do OK, but not great</a>, with Vehicle Flips. They mistakenly list one single as an album, and they miss 2 of the singles, but they get 6 of the compilations. Like the others, they mention the Gazetteers and not Wimp Factor 14 as related artists.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For old 45s, I've found that 45cat is the most reliable source, and we'll get to that later in this series. They also do well with the early punk era, but they're pretty spotty with recent (as in last 20 years) indie rock. Vehicle Flips is no exception. They don't show up at all, but, interestingly, they do have <a href="http://www.45cat.com/artist/wimp-factor-14">3 Wimp Factor 14 singles</a> listed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lastly, we need to consider Wikipedia. They remain far behind the other sources when it comes to music, but they've been improving rapidly, and may eventually overtake them. As of the end of 2013, there is no Vehicle Flips entry, but, if you search on Vehicle Flips, you can find the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Records">Harriet Records Discography</a>, which looks pretty complete to me. I've found Wikipedia to compete most successfully with the music-centric information sources when it comes to artists who are either more mainstream or who are outside of the main rock genres. We may get to that later in the series.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, the big winner in part 1 of 5 of our series is <a href="http://discogs.com/">Discogs.com</a>, with <a href="http://rateyourmusic.com/">rateyourmusic.com</a>, and <a href="http://allmusic.com/">allmusic.com</a> coming in 2nd and 3rd respectively. Stay tuned for further trials with other artists.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-41367682843114338192013-12-22T14:29:00.000-08:002013-12-22T14:29:32.373-08:00Best Tracks of 2012<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's that time of year once again. It's the time when <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-early-year-end-music-lists-of-2013.html">countless websites</a> and publications make lists of the best songs and albums of the calendar year that is not even over. I love these lists, but I also find that their publication is creeping ever closer to Thanksgiving every year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, contrarian that I am, I will continue<a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/12/best-tracks-of-2010.html"> the tradition I began in 2011</a> by counting down the best songs of 2010 a year late. Last year (2012) at about this time I counted down <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2012/12/best-tracks-of-2011-with-benefit-of.html">the best songs of 2011</a>. These are some of my least read posts, so I have little reason to keep up this tradition other than my love of lists, self-righteousness and obstinate disregard for popularity. Therefore, let's pause a moment. Love of lists? Check. Self-righteousness? Check. Obstinacy? Check. Forging ahead!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are the top 75 tracks of 2012, with an extra year to evaluate, re-evaluate, supplement, and sift compared to all those sites that came out with their lists<a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2012/12/best-of-2012-best-track-lists.html"> prematurely in 2012</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">75)
Water Liars - Rest<br />
74) Bear in Heaven - Noon Moon<br />
73) Menomena - Plumage<br />
72) Sufjan Stevens - Lumberjack Christmas / No One Can Save You From
Christmases Past<br />
71) The Dandy Warhols - Enjoy Yourself<br />
70) fun. - We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monáe)<br />
69) Old Crow Medicine Show - Levi<br />
68) Yppah - Film Burn (feat. Anomie Belle)<br />
67) Shovels & Rope - Keeper<br />
66) Trampled By Turtles - Risk<br />
65) Tomten - So So So<br />
64) DJ Food Feat. DK - Sentinel (Shadow Guard)<br />
63) The Evens - King Of Kings<br />
62) Field Music - Sorry Again, Mate<br />
61) Amanda Palmer - Institutionalized<br />
60) Daughn Gibson - Rain On a Highway<br />
59) Animal Collective - Honeycomb<br />
58) Air - Astronomic Club<br />
57) The Coup - The Gods of Science<br />
56) Punch Brothers - This Girl<br />
55) Peter Blegvad & Andy Partridge - St. Augustine Says<br />
54) Porcelain Raft - Unless You Speak From Your Heart<br />
53) Opossom - Blue Meanies<br />
52) Beach House - Myth<br />
51) Lord Huron - Time To Run<br />
50) Giant Sand - Thing Like That<br />
49) The Shins - Simple Song<br />
48) Pond - Elegant Design<br />
47) Dr. Dog - That Old Black Hole<br />
46) Adele - Skyfall<br />
45) Squarepusher - Energy Wizard<br />
44) Oh No - Ohnomite Jazz<br />
43) Tame Impala - Apocalypse Dreams<br />
42) Grizzly Bear - Sleeping Ute<br />
41) Kindness - That's Alright<br />
40) Rosie Flores - Working Girl's Guitar<br />
39) The Mountain Goats - Harlem Roulette<br />
38) Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Hummingbird, pt. 1<br />
37) The Balboas - Souls (Taste Like Chicken)<br />
36) Kid Koala - 8 Bit Blues (Chicago To LA To NY)<br />
35) Cory Branan - Bad Man<br />
34) Nashville Cast - Kiss (feat. Jonathan Jackson)<br />
33) Robert Glasper Featuring Erikah Badu - Afro Blue (feat. Erykah Badu) -
Robert Glasper Featuring Eri<br />
32) Beachwood Sparks - The Orange Grass Special<br />
31) Daniel Rossen - Silent Song<br />
30) Lower Dens - Stem<br />
29) The Lumineers - Flowers in Your Hair<br />
28) The Royalty - Bartender<br />
27) Kelly Hogan - Whenever Your'e Out Of My Sight<br />
26) Rayland Baxter - Driveway Melody<br />
25) Public Service Broadcasting - Everest<br />
24) M. Ward - Sweetheart<br />
23) Django Django - Love's Dart<br />
22) Noisettes - That Girl<br />
21) The Fresh & Onlys - Presence Of Mind<br />
20) Calexico - Splitter<br />
19) Japandroids - The House That Heaven Built<br />
18) The Tallest Man On Earth - Criminals<br />
17) Trembling Bells & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - I Made a Date (With An Open
Vein)<br />
16) Sharon Van Etten - Serpents<br />
15) Lotus Plaza - Strangers<br />
14) Pepe Deluxe - Queenswave<br />
13) Cloud Nothings - Stay Useless<br />
12) Woods - Back to the Stone<br />
11) Father John Misty - I'm Writing A Novel<br />
10) Damien Jurado - Working Titles<br />
9) Hospitality - Eighth Avenue<br />
8) Alabama Shakes - Hang Loose<br />
7) Jake Bugg - Trouble Town<br />
6) Zammuto - F U C-3PO<br />
5) Craig Finn - Jackson<br />
4) Allo Darlin' - Neil Armstrong<br />
3) Menahan Street Band - Sleight of Hand<br />
2) Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Man On Fire<br />
1) First Aid Kit - <i>first place tie</i> (The Lion's Roar<i> and</i> Emmylou)</span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-10585784358018276552013-12-08T18:44:00.002-08:002013-12-22T13:01:57.659-08:00The Early Year-end Music Lists of 2013<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are still 23 days left in 2013 for musical artists to release new tracks or albums, but none of those tracks or albums will appear on any of these year-end lists. I love year-end lists, so I can hardly complain about them starting so early, but it really does feel like they show up earlier and earlier every year. For myself, I'll be sticking to <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2012/12/best-tracks-of-2011-with-benefit-of.html">my tradition of waiting a full year</a>. Look for my best of 2012 list sometime in the next month. Wait another year for my best of 2013 list. In the mean time...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Paste Magazine features both a song list and an album list:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2013/12/the-50-best-songs-of-2013.html">Paste's top 50 songs of 2013</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2013/12/the-50-best-albums-of-the-year.html">Paste's top 50 albums of 2013</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Pop Matters gives us the top songs of the year and the top albums in various categories</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.popmatters.com/feature/176773-the-75-best-songs-of-2013/">Pop Matters top 75 songs of 2013</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.popmatters.com/feature/176830-the-best-indie-rock-of-2013/">Pop Matters top 10 best indie rock albums of 2013</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.popmatters.com/feature/176889-the-indie-pop-of-2013/">Pop Matters top 10 best indie pop albums of 2013</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Spin provides their lists in annoying slide show format</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.spin.com/articles/best-songs-2013/?slide=50">Spin's top 50 sings of 2013</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.spin.com/articles/best-albums-2013/">Spin's top 50 albums of 2013</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Stereogum also uses the slide show format, but it's a wee bit less annoying because there's a little more content.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.stereogum.com/1567541/the-50-best-albums-of-2013/list/attachment/phosphorescent_muchacho/">Stereogum's top 50 albums of 2013</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Pretty Much Amazing gives us a top 100</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://prettymuchamazing.com/feature/best-songs-2013">Pretty Much Amazing's top 100 songs of 2013</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pitchfork also goes to 100 with top tracks and a top 50 album list</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/9288-the-top-tracks-of-2013/">Pitchfork top 100 tracks of 2013</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/9293-the-top-50-albums-of-2013/">Pitchfork top 50 albums of 2013</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Drowned in Sound has just 20 albums, but only scrolling and no clicking is required, which is really thoughtful of them</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://drownedinsound.com/in_depth/4147268-drowned-in-sounds-favourite-albums-of-2013--top-20">Drowned in Sound top 20 albums of 2013</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A New Yorker blog provides a very pop-centric top 40 songs list</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2013/12/my-top-ten-top-forty-songs-of-2013.html">Top 40 songs of 2013 (New Yorker blog)</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Billboard has a critics picks list, which is also, of course, very pop-centric. It's valuable though to have pop-centric critics lists because often critics ignore pop and some pop is definitely a lot better than other pop.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.billboard.com/articles/list/5840322/20-best-songs-of-2013-critics-picks">Top 20 songs of 2013 (Billboard critics list)</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">NPR thinks a top 100 should be listed alphabetically by artist. I disagree, but here it is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/bestmusic2013/2013/12/11/249734685/npr-musics-100-favorite-songs-of-2013">NPR's favorite 100 songs of 2013</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/bestmusic2013/2013/12/21/255266029/the-top-10-folk-and-americana-albums-of-2013">NPR's top 10 folk and americana albums of 2013</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/bestmusic2013/2013/12/10/249243871/npr-musics-50-favorite-albums-of-2013">NPR's top 50 favorite albums of 2013</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Allmusic suffers from the same inability to rank their selections, but they alphabetize by last name (phone book style) rather than NPR's first name first approach (iTunes style).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.allmusic.com/blog/post/allmusic-best-of-2013">Allmusic's top 50 albums of 2013</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">eMusic has a top 100 albums list with a rather odd interface. They claim the "experience" of looking at the list is optimized for iOS7. I think I'd like it better as a read rather than an experience, but I'm old-fashioned that way.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://citia.com/content/title/emusic-2013-the-year-in-music/">eMusic top 100 albums of 2013</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Uncut has a top 80 albums list. Why 80? Twice as good as 40? I don't know.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.uncut.co.uk/blog/wild-mercury-sound/the-best-albums-of-2013-the-uncut-top-80">UNCUT's top 80 albums of 2013</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I found all of the above a bit more predictable than I would have hoped, so I went searching for a few more obscure lists. I haven't actually had that much luck so far. Maybe those looking for hidden gems wait until after the year has really ended, much as I do with my own lists. These were at least a little bit different in one way or another:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.secretly-important.com/10-best-albums-2013/">Secretly Important 10 best albums</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.thelmagazine.com/newyork/the-20-best-albums-of-2013/Content?oid=2342249">The L Magazine best 20 albums of 2013</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.chartattack.com/features/2013/12/19/2013-in-review-the-best-songs-of-the-year/">Chart Attack's 50 best songs of 2013</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://theboot.com/best-songs-of-2013/">Top 10 songs of 2013 from The Boot</a></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More lists will follow soon enough. I'll update this post when they do.</span><br />
<br />davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-59699554709627032982013-11-17T12:22:00.001-08:002013-11-17T12:22:51.027-08:00If you think my lists are too short...<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2013_01_01_archive.html">decade lists</a> for the <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2013/01/top-400-songs-of-1950s-countdown-in.html">50s</a>, <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2012/08/top-500-songs-of-1960s.html">60s</a>, <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/07/top-500-songs-of-1970s.html">70s</a>, <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/07/top-500-songs-of-1980s.html">80s</a>, <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/07/top-300-songs-of-1990s.html">90s</a>, and <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/07/top-300-songs-of-2000s.html">00s</a> range from 300 to 500 songs. Somebody who made a list at <a href="http://rateyourmusic.com/">rateyourmusic.com</a> made a list that currently stands at <a href="http://rateyourmusic.com/list/mattymath/over_5000_great_songs_from_rock_and_closely_related_genres_/">6,612 songs</a>. My hat is off to him not only for ranking so many songs, but also for getting it all posted with links on rateyourmusic. He's also made it <a href="http://rateyourmusic.com/list/mattymath/5000_greatest_songs_ever_list_by_artist/">sortable by artists</a>, which allows for a different way to browse if you're looking for how your favorite bands rank. I saw the sortable list first and was initially alarmed to think that somebody ranked 6612 songs and put A-Ha's "Take on Me" first, but A-Ha is just first in alphabetical order and "Take On Me" is the 3,086th best song, which really sounds just about right. I bet I could think of about 3,000 better songs than "Take On Me", but probably not a lot more than that.</span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-89798397716530063052013-09-22T13:42:00.003-07:002013-09-22T13:42:45.621-07:00The Top 20 Songs By The Jam<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the things I like about iTunes is that it's easy to sort songs (rather than albums) by popularity. This is especially helpful for bands that released a lot of songs as singles between albums or who released a lot of EPs. The Jam is one of those bands with a complicated discography and it's further complicated by the fact that I first really got to know The Jam through their double-LP best-of-collection Snap, which was later truncated to fit on CD as Compact Snap.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here are the top songs by The Jam based on current iTunes rankings along with the rank of their singles on rate your music (rym), rank of songs on Vinyl Surrender (vs), and my own personal nothing but good things (nbgt) ranking.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#1 Town Called Malice (rym #2, vs #1, nbgt #6)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#2 That's Entertainment (rym #1, vs #2, nbgt #1)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#3 In The City (rym #6, vs #11, nbgt #2)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#4 Beat Surrender (rym #18, vs #10, nbgt #3)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#5 Start! (rym #8, vs #9, nbgt #10)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#6 The Modern World (rym #14, vs #18, nbgt #4)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#7 The Bitterest Pill (rym NA, vs NA, nbgt NA)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#8 Down in the Tube Station at Midnight (rym #3, vs #5, nbgt #5)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#9 English Rose (rym NA, vs NA, nbgt NA)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#10 Eton Rifles (rym #7, vs #7, nbgt #15)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#11 Ghosts (rym NA, vs #4, nbgt NA)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#12 Thick as Thieves(rym NA, vs NA, nbgt NA)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#13 Going Underground (rym #4, vs #3, nbgt #9)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#14 The Butterfly Collector (rym, b-side of #5, vs NA, nbgt #19)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#15 Pretty Green (rym NA, vs #13, nbgt NA)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#16 David Watts (rym #11, vs NA, nbgt #16)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#17 Absolute Beginners (rym #13, vs #20, nbgt #14)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#18 Mr. Clean (rym #15, vs NA, nbgt #18)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#19 Liza Radley (rym NA, vs NA, nbgt NA)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#20 Away from the Numbers (rym NA, vs NA, nbgt NA)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Notable songs outside of the iTunes top 20</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Strange Town (rym #5, vs NA, nbgt #7)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">To Be Someone (rym NA, vs #8, nbgt NA)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Smithers-Jones (rym b-side of #9, vs NA, nbgt #8)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Funeral Pyre (rym #10, vs NA, nbgt NA)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">News of the World (rym NA, vs NA, nbgt #11)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">All Around the World (rym #17, vs NA, nbgt #12)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Dreams of Children (rym b-side of #4, vs NA, nbgt #13)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I Need You (rym #12, vs NA, nbgt NA)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Man in the Corner Shop (rym NA, vs #14, nbgt NA)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Saturday's Kids (rym #16, vs NA, nbgt NA)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A Bomb in Wardour St (rym b-side of #11, vs #6, nbgt #17)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Just Who Is the 5 O'clock Hero (rym #19, vs NA, nbgt NA)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Tales of the Riverbank [fanclub version] (rym #20, vs NA, nbgt #20)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">On the whole the iTunes rankings are pretty well in line with all the other rankings. Bitterest Pill ranks high on iTunes without making it on any of the other top 20s, and both Down in the Tube Station and Midnight and Going Underground are less popular on iTunes versus every other list, but not by all that much really.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">English Rose makes the iTunes top 10 and none of the other lists. That's one of the songs that was on Snap and not on Compact Snap. I wonder how many people are filling in that digital gap on iTunes. Strange Town makes the top 10 of every other list, but misses the iTunes top 20 entirely. Strange.</span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-46982025311571158582013-08-11T14:15:00.001-07:002013-08-11T14:15:50.155-07:00The Best Elvis Costello Records<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Over at Stereogum, they've posted <a href="http://www.stereogum.com/1426582/elvis-costello-albums-from-worst-to-best/top-stories/lead-story/attachment/mighty-like-a-rose/">a list</a> (in tedious slide show format) ranking Elvis Costello's 25 albums. I decided to make my own list, ranked in order of how many 4+ rated songs I have from the album on my iPod, with the number of 3+ rated songs as a tie-breaker. I also decided to check the user ratings at rateyourmusic.com. Here are the three rankings with the Stereogum rating listed first.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1) Armed Forces (#5 on my iPod, #3 at RYM)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2) This Year's Model (#1 i, #1 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">3) Get Happy (#2 i, #4 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">4) King of America (#7 i, #6 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">5) Trust (#6 i, #8 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">6) My Aim Is True (#4 i, #2 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">7) Imperial Bedroom (#3 i, #5 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">8) Blood & Chocolate (#10 i, #7 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">9) Punch the Clock (#13 i, #11 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">10) Spike (#9 i, #17 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">11) Brutal Youth (#15 i, #13 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">12) Painted from Memory (NA i, #9 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">13) The Juliet Letters (NA i, #20 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">14) Almost Blue (#17 i, #18 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">15) When I Was Cruel (#16 i, #14 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">16) The Delivery Man (NA i, #12 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">17) North (NA i, #23 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">18) All This Useless Beauty (NA i, #16 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">19) National Ransom (#12 i, #19 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">20) The River in Reverse (#18 i, #10 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">21) Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane (#8 i, #22 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">22) Momofuku (NA i, #15 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">23) Kojak Variety (NA i, #25 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">24) Goodbye Cruel World (#11 i, #24 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">25) Mighty Like a Rose (#14 i, #21 r)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">What strikes me most about the 3 rankings is how consistent they are. There are a few flukes due to the fact that my iPod rating system really isn't rating a whole record and also due to the fact that I tend to use the 3-star rating for new-ish songs about which I haven't totally made up my mind. Thus, Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane ends up inappropriately high in my own rankings, as does National Ransom, but to a lesser extent. Also, Goodbye Cruel World doesn't pay as big a price in my rankings for being a poor overall record because it does have a couple of songs I like and there's no particular penalty for terrible songs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">My initial thought upon looking at the Stereogum list was that King of America was way too high. Out of Sterogum's top 7, it's the only record that doesn't get a 5-star rating at allmusic.com, and both RYM and my iPod rank it lower, but not way lower. It's one of 3 records that gets 4 and a half stars at allmusic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Lastly, I should say that I don't think Get Happy is Elvis Costello's second best record, even thought it's rated as such based on my iPod rankings. It benefits in my ranking from having so many songs, but I don't think it contains any of my top 10 favorite Elvis Costello songs. Combing the 3 ratings, though, it's a very solid #3.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-78425791431050175102013-06-23T13:42:00.001-07:002013-06-23T13:47:20.843-07:00Top 5 Elephant 6 Albums<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When I get an idea for a list I want to make, I usually start by googling to see if the list has already been made. This one has. Somebody else at <a href="http://rateyourmusic.com/list/diverseity/the_elephant_6_collective__a_beginners_guide_in_20_steps">rateyourmusic</a> already put more time and effort into this than what I had planned myself. They even made a <a href="http://rateyourmusic.com/list/diverseity/advanced_placement__elephant_6_collective">follow-up list</a>. The rationale for my list is that I have different picks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I'm not going to try to explain Elephant 6 in any more than one sentence. It was a loose collective of bands with a lot of overlapping members and a similar approach to instrumentation and production values, starting in the 90s, and very influential on the indie pop of the 2000s. If you want a longer explanation, the one on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Elephant_6_Recording_Company">Wikipedia</a> it totally adequate.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#5 The Minders - Hooray For Tuesday (1998)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A lot of Elephant 6 bands wear their adoration of the Beach Boys on their sleeves. The Minders remind me much more of early Kinks.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#4 Olivia Tremor Control - Black Foliage (1999)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This is a sprawling psychedelic sound collage (foliage?) to rival late 60s Pink Floyd, but often tuneful and clearly identifiable as 90s indie pop/rock. Making this list has made me aware of how much the Elephant 6 bands fall in the middle between indie pop and indie rock. They're just a bit too noisy to be comfortably categorized as indie pop, and just a bit too ethereal to be considered proper indie rock.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#3 Apples in Stereo - Fun Trick Noisemaker (1995)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This first record, from the band I consider to be the center of Elephant 6, was more firmly rooted in mid-90s indie rock is full of catchy songs that didn't let whimsy get in the way of rocking. As they matured, they rocked less. This record is on the second, but not first, of the rateyourmusic lists. Apples in Stereo have stayed interesting and have become more sophisticated, but they're on a long list of bands that I believe hit their peak on their first record.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#2 Beulah - The Coast is Never Clear (2001)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Although Beulah was definitely an Elephant 6 band with the Elephant 6 logo displayed clearly on their early recordings, it's not clear to me if they remained an Elephant 6 band. The logo isn't on the later records, which had stronger power pop production. Nonetheless, I've included this record here partly because it isn't on the rateyourmusic list and partly because I think Beulah is far and away the most underrated of the Elephant 6 bands.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#1 Neutral Milk Hotel - In The Aeroplane Over the Seas (1998)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I favor songs over full albums, but this is the kind of complete record that reminds me why anybody ever listened to albums from start to finish. It's a contender for best indie record of the 90s and best record of the 90s period.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you're on Spotify, <a href="http://open.spotify.com/user/davepmiller/playlist/0ReuuPhTNVIji8gRh5GSPf">click here</a> to listen to songs from these records.</span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-34717900555808833042013-05-19T13:49:00.000-07:002013-05-19T14:10:09.972-07:00Top 25 debut EPs<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was thinking about the sophomore jinx the other day, i.e., artists whose second album is substantially weaker than their first, and it occurred to me that there's another sort of sophomore jinx. There are a lot of artists who have released hugely promising, critically lauded debut EPs, only to fall flat with their first full length record and/or the rest of their career.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here's a list (my own, totally subjective as per usual) of the top 25 debut EPs with some added commentary on whether or not the artists ever lived up to their promise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#25) No Trend - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY79DYD2Y4o">Teen Love</a> (1984)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This EP was primarily a vehicle for the punk "hit" Teen Love, parts one and two. They went on to make some actual albums, which had their merits, but nothing else ever came close to being the kind of underground hit that Teen Love was.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#24) The Walkabouts - 22 Disasters (1985)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Walkabouts <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuCQ8Mu4nkM">evolved</a> considerably from this obscure start. I suspect most of their fans are happily oblivious to the existence of this EP, but I consider it a high point of their career. They might have sounded like they were aping R.E.M. a little too much, but the female vocals and the varying instrumentation made it more unique.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#23) Blue Giant - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2P-OXg05YE">Target Heart</a> (2009)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The best songs on their full-length debut came from this EP, which is usually not a good sign, but the jury is out until they make a second full-length record.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#22) Let's Wrestle - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vc5HnZP5v6s">In Loving Memory Of...</a> (2008)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Initially, I was let down by their 2009 debut LP, mostly because I didn't like the re-recorded version of "I Won't Lie to You", but the way this band has matured has really grown on me. The shambling jokey stuff like the original recording of "I Won't Lie to You" still has a lot of appeal, but I appreciate the way they've matured and become more thoughtful on their LPs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#21) Miracle Legion - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZ78AZhzIoU&list=PLC0ADC602E306B3F7">The Backyard</a> (1984)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In the mid-80s, there were a lot of records I heard and thought "oh - they could be the next R.E.M.". This was the first of those records. Like The Walkabouts, I like Miracle Legion less as they evolved, but everyone else seemed to like them more. This debut EP falls in the category of showing promise that was ultimately fulfilled.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#20) 3 Teens Kill 4 - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PkVY9zRkpJ8">No Motive</a> (1983)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The highlight here is the cover of "Tell Me Something Good", which included tapes of news coverage of the Reagan assassination attempt mixed in. I have no idea what happened to them, but I don't think there was ever a follow-up.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#19) Janelle Monae - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_WhE7mBwK8">Metropolis</a> (2007)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The EP was more adventurous than the full-length follow-up, but you can't hold back somebody on the verge of mega stardom. The new single Q.U.E.E.N. suggests she might be the rare performer who can remain a little out there while still becoming huge. We may find out as soon as this summer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#18) Bongwater - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY9TJK8RwBk">Breaking No New Ground</a> (1987)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I don't think the next 2 LPs lived up to the promise of the first EP, but I know others differ, and eventually I think they did start to break new ground, even while riffing off of classic rock nostalgia. This EP also helped to launch Shimmy Disc, which was an important player in the awkward transition from 80s underground rock and college rock to 90s alt-rock and indie rock. Indie rock could have been swallowed by alt-rock if not for labels like Shimmy Disc and band like Bongwater.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#17) The Undertones - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PinCg7IGqHg">Teenage Kicks</a> (1978)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">They never fulfilled the promise of their debut, but the overpowering love from John Peel might have just been too much right from the beginning.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">#16) Fugazi - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMOAXm94VWo">Fugazi</a> (1988)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I like this record because they still sounded a bit like Minor Threat at this point, not a whole lot like Minor Threat, but at least a little bit like them. They got huge in the 90s through aggressive touring, an adoring cult following, and an interesting evolution. I didn't like the later records as much, but Fugazi also belongs in the achieved-their-promise column.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#15) Black Kids - Wizard of Ahhs (2007)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">So much promise. This rough set of four songs was initially just available for download from the band's Myspace page, with no physical presence. Now 6 years later, they've released just one full-length record whose best songs were <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3_Y_ms0cmg">re-recordings</a> from the EP. If they do release a second record, I'm still going to want to hear it because the first record sounded so fresh in 2007 that there's still a chance of freshness 6 years later.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#14) Jens Lekman - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdX0nf8nzDM">Maple Leaves</a> (2004)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">According to Wikipedia there was another EP before this one, but there were only 20 copies made. I'm an obscurophile, but even I feel comfortable ignoring that first one. Both Maple Leave and a second EP later in 2004, You Are the Light, were excellent and showed creative growth and diversity over a short period of time. In contrast, all his full length records have been big disappointments. I think most of them do have 3 to 4 really good songs, so maybe he should have just kept making EPs and churned them out a little more slowly than his early pace.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#13) Fishbone - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJCaFe1yamg&list=PL0AC27D4740CFED1E">Fishbone</a> (1985)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you're going to blend genres the way Fishbone did, you've really got two choices. You can crossover to lots of different audiences and get huge (e.g., Prince's Purple Rain) or you can get lost and get mismanaged and confusingly marketed by your label. The fact that Fishbone fell in the latter category is so well documented that there's actually a full-length documentary about it. I haven't seen it. As much as I like them, I think I'd find it too depressing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#12) Big Black - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVQi6m9N31g">Racer X</a> (1985)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">There were two very poorly distributed EPs before this one, but I consider this one to be their real debut, in terms of being a coming out party, at least with the more adventurous college radio stations. They continued to pound away with increasingly popular and increasingly polished pounding with their next LPs and leader Steve Albini became a production machine with a huge influence on the remainder of the decade and the next one as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#11) The Bees - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRrFMxKUfXk">Punchbag</a> (2001)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The strength of the debut 2002 LP was in the songs that were already on this EP and the 2004 follow-up was quite weak by comparison, possibly due to an effort to assimilate into a more commercially viable sound. They didn't achieve their true potential, as the ninjagos would say, until their third LP in 2007.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#10) Yeah Yeah Yeahs - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozdtXPs4mic">Yeah Yeah Yeahs</a> (2001)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This was such an unexpected jolt in 2001, it's hard to see how they could have followed it up in a way that would have pleased everyone who loved it. They've maintained an edge, but a lot of it has been an image edge as opposed to a real music edge. The songs from the 2001 EP are very good, but a lot of what made this great was that nobody else sounded quite like this right then. A few years later, it just wasn't nearly as unique, and so the EP stands alone as the most special thing they've done even though they've managed a very respectably lengthy career.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#9) Jurassic 5 - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeN9c2GYJkk">Jurassic 5 EP</a> (1997)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">For a hip-hop band with such a pure respect for the old school style of boasting and scratchin', it's impressive that they've had as much success as they have. I was shocked, for instance, to see 2002's "What's Golden" show up on one of the music video channels even though they hadn't come close to selling out. Put J5 in the achieved their early promise column, even if they've been handicapped by the public's taste.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#8) The Embarassment - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DaXlsxUXOVA">The Embarassment EP</a> (1981)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This was an excellent EP, and way ahead of its time. They would have had much more success as contemporaries of Sebadoh and Pavement in the early 90s. It was followed by the excellent mini-LP (another EP, really) Death Travels West, and then they all went their separate ways. Though they eventually re-formed, nothing came close to comparing to the early singles and EPs.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#7) Fleet Foxes - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSB74LZDNr0">Sun Giant</a> (2008)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">They peaked on this EP, as far as I'm concerned. I know the critics continue to give them kudos, and the LPs haven't been bad, but they've been softer and safer. For all the CSN comparisons, this EP was something new and different. The later records haven't been.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#6) The Honeydrippers - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9-026ZCKR8">Volume One</a> (1984)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Nile Rogers and others join Robert Plant and Jimmy Page to do the best conceivable oldies covers possible in the 80s. It's funny that they called it Volume One, right? I guess Robert Plant couldn't cope with his success on the adult contemporary chart. They should have just replaced with with Rod Stewart. I'm sure he wouldn't have cared.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#5) Bangles - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8sqFxCo1qA">Bangles</a> (1982)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I really don't understand how Faulty Products managed to go broke after releasing this. The debut LP on Columbia was a whole lot slicker, but still very good. The second follow-up LP was much slicker and hugely popular, but not at all what led me to love this EP. This hard-to-find rough gem remains one of the best items in their catalogue.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#4) TV On The Radio - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-IBG_I0I5I">Young Liars</a> (2003)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">A debut EP of such complexity and sophistication in sound is a rare thing. Today it does sound rough compared to what they became, but the songs themselves are among the best they've ever written. They did suffer a sophomore jinx with the follow-up that really didn't have anything new that was half as catchy as anything from the EP, but they came back strong with their second and third full-length CDs and definitely fulfilled their early promise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#3) Billy Bragg - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45m98bGBoy8&list=PL95BB528E29B53541">Life's a Riot with Spy vs. Spy</a> (1983)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It calls itself a 7 track album and not an EP, but as far as I'm concerned a 7 track album with short songs is an EP. He wrote plenty of excellent songs after these, but this was by far his highest concentration of excellence and the stark production on the EP played to his strengths more so than just about anyone else on this list.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#2) Beta Band - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wsbR2dEmHGc">The Three EPs</a> (1997-1998)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">They started out with not just one spectacular EP, but three, and had a debut CD that was the collection of the three. The follow-up had at least one very good song, but it was a huge disappointment compared to the 3 EPs. Their later records are quite good, but everything suffered in comparison to the consistent strength and impressive evolution of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd EP.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#1) Mission of Burma - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZaQqshZbtEQ">Signals, Calls, and Marches</a> (1981)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This post-punk record dispensed with punk purism as quickly on the heels of punk as it was really possible to do so, and it provides one of the clearest templates for what became indie rock roughly 10 years later. Their follow-up full-length, Vs., gets nearly as a high a rating at rateyourmusic.com, but I think 3 of their 4 best songs are from this EP and the 4th is from a single that preceded the EP.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Final thoughts</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I think I went into making this list thinking that the early 80s had been a heyday for EPs and that there had been a resurgence in the 2000s. It's possible I missed some great 1990s EPs, but I think cool new bands tended to roll out a string of 7-inch singles rather than going the EP route in the 90s. If a band had enough money to put out a CD, they tended to cram it full with as many songs as would fit. I think by the 2000s, bands and labels had begun to see the error in that approach, and it was also more critical to have a digital release as turntable owners became a narrower audience.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I see iTunes and their ilk as having revived the pop single format, albeit without b-sides for the most part. That the EP has also made a come back over the last dozen or so years also feels like a positive development in music. Not every great writer is a novelist, nor should we expect that every band excels at making full albums, especially not modern-era CD-length albums. It does occur to me that I don't have anything on this list yet from the 2010s. Hopefully that doesn't mean we have to wait for the 2020s for another resurgence of the EP, but, if we do, so be it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-29493218513148063612013-04-14T13:24:00.000-07:002013-05-05T21:48:42.540-07:00The 250 Most Archetypical New Wave Songs<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I've mentioned in some <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2013/03/top-new-wave-songs-listener-list.html">previous</a> posts, I've been working a list of the most archetypical new wave songs of all time. As I started ranking the top of the list, I realized the flaw with the head-to-head comparison <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/07/making-of-best-songs-of-decade-list_07.html">ranking method</a> I've used with most of my previous lists. I realized that I didn't want my top 3 to be the 3 songs that were individually the top contenders for most archetypical new wave song. I wanted the top 3 to be the set of 3 songs that would be the most archetypical collection of 3 songs, and I wanted the top 10 to be the set of 10 songs that would be the most archetypical collection of 10 songs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Think of it like this. If you wanted an archetypical set of 10 average Americans, would you want ten 40-something white women who were all five-foot-four? Even if we called it an archetypical sample, you'd still want some variety. The larger the sample, the more variety you would allow, but in a big sample you would still have a lot of 40-something white women.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In the case of new wave, many of the individually most archetypical songs are circa 1982 synth pop, but a top ten of 10 1982 synth pop songs doesn't really describe new wave well, nor would a top 100 of only synth pop and new romantic MTV hits from the early 80s. Songs that are borderline new wave, and might be better described as goth or ska-revival or pub rock or post-punk or mod-revival or college rock, had virtually no chance of making the top 10, but the term new wave was inclusive enough that many of those songs made the top 100, or at least the top 250.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">With all of the above in mind, I won't be posting this as a countdown. It needs to start at #1. I'm starting by posting the top 20 today (April 14, 2013). I've also made a playlist of the songs on Spotify. Click <a href="http://open.spotify.com/user/davepmiller/playlist/7jVHRtA3Saa5BUH1JYRIRl" target="_blank">here</a> to listen</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">1)
Eurythmics - Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) (1983)<br />
2) Duran Duran - Hungry Like The Wolf (1982)<br />
3) Thomas Dolby - She Blinded Me With Science (1983)<br />
4) Split Enz - I Got You (1980)<br />
5) Heaven 17 - (We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang (1981)<br />
6) ABC - The Look Of Love, Part One (1982)<br />
7) The B-52's - Rock Lobster (1979)<br />
8) The Human League - Don't You Want Me (1981)<br />
9) Modern English - I Melt With You (1982)<br />
10) Talking Heads - Once In A Lifetime (1980)<br />
11) Martha & The Muffins - Echo Beach (1980)<br />
12) Yaz - Nobody's Diary (1983)<br />
13) The The - This Is The Day (1983)<br />
14) The Style Council - My Ever Changing Moods (1984)<br />
15) Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget About Me) (1985)<br />
16) Soft Cell - Tainted Love (1981)<br />
17) XTC - Making Plans For Nigel (1979)<br />
18) Blondie - Heart Of Glass (1978)<br />
19) Squeeze - Cool For Cats (1979)<br />
20) Gary Numan - Cars (1979)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[added April 18, 2013]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">21)
The Cure - Boys Don't Cry (1979)<br />
22) Men Without Hats - The Safety Dance (1982)<br />
23) Elvis Costello & the Attractions - (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love
& Understanding (1979)<br />
24) The Go-Go's - We Got The Beat (1981)<br />
25) Berlin - Metro (1982)<br />
26) Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough (1981)<br />
27) Tears For Fears - Mothers Talk (1985)<br />
28) Smiths - How Soon Is Now? (1984)<br />
29) Robert Hazard - Escalator of Life (1981)<br />
30) Madness - Our House (1982)<br />
31) Nick Lowe - Cruel to Be Kind (1979)<br />
32) The English Beat - Mirror In The Bathroom (1983)<br />
33) New Order - Blue Monday (1983)<br />
34) Devo - Jocko Homo (1978)<br />
35) Cars - Just What I Needed (1978)<br />
36) Jam - Beat Surrender (1982)<br />
37) David Bowie - Let's Dance (1983)<br />
38) Adam Ant - Goody Two Shoes (1982)<br />
39) Psychedelic Furs - Love My Way (1982)<br />
40) Gang of Four - I Love A Man In Uniform (1982)<br />
41) Romeo Void - Never Say Never (1982)<br />
42) Fun Boy Three - The Lunatics Have Taken Over the Asylum (1982)<br />
43) Talk Talk - It's My Life (1984)<br />
44) Siouxsie & the Banshees - Happy House (1980)<br />
45) Buzzcocks - I Believe (1979)<br />
46) The Thompson Twins - Lies (1982)<br />
47) Prefab Sprout - Don't Sing (1984)<br />
48) Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill (1985)<br />
49) Peter Schilling - Major Tom (Voellig Losgeloest) (1983)<br />
50) Billy Idol With Generation X - Dancing With Myself (1981)</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[added April 20, 2013]</span><br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">51)
Specials - Do The Dog (1980)<br />
52) Television - See No Evil (1977)<br />
53) Bow Wow Wow - I Want Candy (1982)<br />
54) Wall of Voodoo - Mexican Radio (1982)<br />
55) Missing Persons - Walking In L.A. (1982)<br />
56) The Fixx - One Thing Leads to Another (1983)<br />
57) Joe Jackson - Sunday Papers (1979)<br />
58) Men At Work - Who Can It Be Now? (1982)<br />
59) Blondie - Rapture (1984)<br />
60) Yello - Desire (1985)<br />
61) Elvis Costello - Radio, Radio (1978)<br />
62) Wang Chung - Dance Hall Days (1984)<br />
63) The Cure - In Between Days (1985)<br />
64) Howard Jones - What Is Love? (1984)<br />
65) Flock of Seaguls - I Ran (1982)<br />
66) Art of Noise - Close to the Edge (1984)<br />
67) Psychedelic Furs - Pretty In Pink (1981)<br />
68) Falco - Der Kommissar (1982)<br />
69) Japan - Quiet Life (1979)<br />
70) Elvis Costello & the Attractions - I Stand Accused (1980)<br />
71) Ian Dury - Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick (1981)<br />
72) Police - De Do Do Do, De Da Da Da (1980)<br />
73) Joe Jackson - Breaking Us In Two (1982)<br />
74) Fun Boy Three - Our Lips Are Sealed (1983)<br />
75) Devo - Whip It (1980)<br />
76) The Cure - The Love Cats (1983)<br />
77) Roxy Music - Avalon (1982)<br />
78) Lloyd Cole - Rattlesnakes (1984)<br />
79) The Waitresses - I Know What Boys Like (1982)<br />
80) The Police - Synchronicity II (1983)<br />
81) Naked Eyes - Always Something There to Remind Me (1983)<br />
82) Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Electricity (1979)<br />
83) The Romantics - What I Like About You (1980)<br />
84) Dexy's Midnight Runners - Come on Eileen (1982)<br />
85) Duran Duran - Girls On Film (1981)<br />
86) Trio - Da Da Da I Don't Love You (1982)<br />
87) Kid Creole & The Coconuts - Annie I'm Not Your Daddy (1982)<br />
88) XTC - Generals And Majors (1980)<br />
89) The Knack - My Sharona (1979)<br />
90) David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes (1980)<br />
91) Tommy Tutone - 867-5309/Jenny (1981)<br />
92) Peter Gabriel - Games Without Frontiers (1980)<br />
93) Bananarama - Cruel Summer (1984)<br />
94) Jam - That's Entertainment (1980)<br />
95) Laurie Anderson - O Superman (1982)<br />
96) Suburbs - Love Is The Law (1984)<br />
97) The Buggles - Video Killed the Radio Star (1980)<br />
98) Cyndi Lauper - Girls Just Want To Have Fun (1984)<br />
99) Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Lovers Walk (1981)<br />
100) The Clash - Rock the </span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Casbah (1982)</span></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">
<br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[added April 21, 2013]</span><br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">101)
Talk Talk - The Party's Over (1982)<br />
102) New Order - Bizarre Love Triangle (1986)<br />
103) The Cars - You Might Think (1984)<br />
104) Culture Club - Do You Really Want To Hurt Me (1982)<br />
105) The Boomtown Rats - I Don't Like Mondays (1979)<br />
106) Ultravox - Vienna (1980)<br />
107) Siouxsie & the Banshees - Spellbound (1981)<br />
108) The Cure - Let's Go To Bed (1984)<br />
109) Echo & The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon (1985)<br />
110) Visage - Fade To Grey (1980)<br />
111) Nena - 99 Luftballons (1984)<br />
112) Magazine - Shot By Both Sides (1978)<br />
113) The Thompson Twins - You Take Me Up (1983)<br />
114) Talking Heads - Girlfriend is Better (1983)<br />
115) Frankie Goes to Hollywood - Relax (1984)<br />
116) Graham Parker + The Rumour - Mercury Poisoning (1979)<br />
117) Nails - 88 Lines About 44 Women (1984)<br />
118) Feelies - Crazy Rhythms (1980)<br />
119) The Cure - Just Like Heaven (1987)<br />
120) M - Popmuzik (1979)<br />
121) Josie Cotton - Johnnie Are You Queer? (1982)<br />
122) Marshall Crenshaw - Cynical Girl (1982)<br />
123) Tears For Fears - Mad World (1983)<br />
124) Alphaville - Big In Japan (1984)<br />
125) Frank Zappa - Valley Girl (1982)
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[added April 27, 2013]</span></span><br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">126)
Tin Huey - The Revelations Of Dr. Modesto (1979)<br />
127) Icicle Works - Whisper to A Scream (1984)<br />
128) Midnight Oil - Beds Are Burning (1988)<br />
129) Kajagoogoo - Too Shy (1982)<br />
130) Scandal - Goodbye To You (1982)<br />
131) Stranglers - Skin Deep (1984)<br />
132) Tom Tom Club - Genius of Love (1981)<br />
133) Elvis Costello - Welcome To The Working Week (1977)<br />
134) Psychedelic Furs - The Ghost In You (1984)<br />
135) Haircut 100 - Love Plus One (1982)<br />
136) Mental As Anything - If You Leave Me, Can I Come Too? (1981)<br />
137) Buzzcocks - Ever Fallen In Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) (1978)<br />
138) The Selecter - The Selecter (1979)<br />
139) blotto - I Wanna Be a Lifeguard (1980)<br />
140) Squeeze - Take Me I'm Yours (1978)<br />
141) a-ha - Take On Me (1985)<br />
142) Clive Pig - Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen (1983)<br />
143) Depeche Mode - People Are People (1984)<br />
144) David Bowie - Heroes (1977)<br />
145) The Only Ones - Another Girl, Another Planet (1979)<br />
146) Eddy Grant - Electric Avenue (1982)<br />
147) Bauhaus - She's In Parties (Edit) (1983)<br />
148) Greg Kihn Band - The Breakup Song (1981)<br />
149) Kraftwerk - Trans-Europe Express (1977)<br />
150) Katrina & The Waves - Walking On Sunshine (1985)<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[added April 28, 2013]</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">151)
Talking Heads - Psycho Killer (1977)<br />
152) The Colourfield - Thinking of You (1985)<br />
153) Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart (1980)<br />
154) Kate Bush - Babooshka (1980)<br />
155) Adam & the Ants - Dog Eat Dog (1980)<br />
156) Stan Ridgeway - The Big Heat (1985)<br />
157) Wham! - Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go (1985)<br />
158) Re-Flex - The Politics of Dancing (1985)<br />
159) Madonna - Lucky Star (1983)<br />
160) Kate Bush - The Dreaming (1982)<br />
161) Human Sexual Response - Land of the Glass Pinecones (1981)<br />
162) Steve Forbert - Romeo's Tune (1979)<br />
163) Big Country - In A Big Country (1983)<br />
164) Marc Almond - Untitled (1982)<br />
165) Siouxsie & The Banshees - Cities In Dust (1986)<br />
166) Killing Joke - Love Like Blood (1985)<br />
167) Rick Springfield - Jessie's Girl (1981)<br />
168) Oingo Boingo - Only a Lad (1981)<br />
169) Depeche Mode - Blasphemous Rumours (1985)<br />
170) Difford & Tilbrook - Action Speaks Faster (1984)<br />
171) Pat Benatar - Hit Me With Your Best Shot (1980)<br />
172) Plastic Bertrand - Ca plane pour moi (1978)<br />
173) Wham! - Bad Boys (1983)<br />
174) The B-52's - Strobe Light (1980)<br />
175) The Cars - Shake It Up (1982)
</span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[added April 29, 2013]</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">176)
Time Zone - World Destruction (1984)<br />
177) The Human League - (Keep Feeling) Fascination (1983)<br />
178) Damned - I Just Can't Be Happy Today (1979)<br />
179) Police - Roxanne (1978)<br />
180) Gun Club - Sex Beat (1981)<br />
181) The Cars - Let's Go (1979)<br />
182) Comstat Angels - Independence Day (1980)<br />
183) Vapors - Turning Japanese (1980)<br />
184) Pere Ubu - On The Surface (1979)<br />
185) The Durutti Column - Tomorrow (1985)<br />
186) Animotion - Obsession (1985)<br />
187) Adam Ant - Stand and Deliver (1981)<br />
188) Polecats - Make a Circuit With Me (1983)<br />
189) Billy Idol - White Wedding (1981)<br />
190) Bangles - Hero Takes a Fall (1984)<br />
191) EBN-OZN - AEIOU Sometimes Y (1983)<br />
192) Section 25 - Looking From a Hilltop (1984)<br />
193) The Fixx - Red Skies (Alternate) (1982)<br />
194) Prince And The Revolution - When Doves Cry (1984)<br />
195) R.E.M. - Radio Free Europe (1983)<br />
196) Cyndi Lauper - Money Changes Everything (1984)<br />
197) Talking Heads - Life During Wartime (1979)<br />
198) The Undertones - Teenage Kicks (1979)<br />
199) Magazine - Model Worker (1980)<br />
200) The Stranglers - Golden Brown (1981)<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[added May 4, 2013]</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">201)
Warren Zevon - Excitable Boy (1978)<br />
202) Sisters of Mercy - Black Planet (1985)<br />
203) Cheap Trick - Surrender (1978)<br />
204) The Flying Lizards - Money (1979)<br />
205) Spandau Ballet - True (1983)<br />
206) Yello - I Love You (1983)<br />
207) 'Til Tuesday - Voices Carry (1985)<br />
208) The Teardrop Explodes - Reward (1980)<br />
209) Tears For Fears - Shout (1985)<br />
210) Laurie Anderson - Sharkey's Day (1984)<br />
211) Graham Parker + The Rumour - Thunder And Rain (1977)<br />
212) The Pretenders - Brass In Pocket (1980)<br />
213) Bronski Beat - Smalltown Boy (1984)<br />
214) Nick Lowe - So It Goes (1978)<br />
215) Utopia - Hammer In My Heart (Calling Out Trimble) (1982)<br />
216) INXS - What You Need (1985)<br />
217) The Go-Go's - Vacation (1982)<br />
218) Rockpile - Teacher Teacher (1980)<br />
219) Fishbone - Party At Ground Zero (1985)<br />
220) Sheila Chandra - Question the Answer (1985)<br />
221) Elvis Costello & the Attractions - Tears Before Bedtime (1982)<br />
222) Squeeze - Pulling Mussels (From The Shell) (1980)<br />
223) B-Movie - Nowhere Girl (1985)<br />
224) The Specials & The Special A.K.A. - Free Nelson Mandela (1984)<br />
225) Cocteau Twins - Lorelei (1984)<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[final addition to list May 5, 2013]</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">226)
Dead or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) (1987)<br />
227) Todd Rundgren - Bang the Drum All Day (1983)<br />
228) Bauhaus - The Passion Of Lovers (1981)<br />
229) Sniff 'n' the Tears - Driver's Seat (1978)<br />
230) Billy Bragg - The Busy Girl Buys Beauty (1983)<br />
231) Bongos - Glow in the Dark (1982)<br />
232) The Rumour - Frozen Years (1979)<br />
233) Fad Gadget - Collapsing New People (1984)<br />
234) Josef K - Sense Of Guilt (1980)<br />
235) Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Enola Gay (1980)<br />
236) Violent Femmes - Blister In The Sun (1983)<br />
237) Lou Reed - New Sensations (1984)<br />
238) The Style Council - Walls Come Tumbing Down (1985)<br />
239) Martha & The Muffins - Black Stations/White Stations (1984)<br />
240) Iggy Pop - Nightclubbing (1977)<br />
241) Dire Straits - Twisting By the Pool (1982)<br />
242) Big Sound Authority - This House (1985)<br />
243) Ian Gomm - Hold On (1978)<br />
244) Alarm - Sixty Eight Guns (1984)<br />
245) Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride (1983)<br />
246) Pylon - Crazy (1983)<br />
247) Bangles - How Is The Air Up There (1982)<br />
248) Tones on Tail - Twist (1984)<br />
249) Elvis Costello & The Attractions - Every Day I Write the Book (1983)<br />
250) Culture Club - Karma Chameleon (1983)<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">The spotify playlist I made is missing about 10% of these songs, but I was pleased I was able to make it fairly complete.</span></span><br /></span><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-71903613718567057682013-03-31T13:15:00.000-07:002013-03-31T13:15:00.716-07:00Top New Wave Songs - A Listener List<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Much to my surprise, my most popular posts appear to be the ones with original content (i.e. my own lists). Lists of my own take longer to compile, and I do refer to other lists when I work on them. Right now I'm working on a list of the most archetypical new wave songs. This is different from the best songs, but the best certainly have potential as the most archetypical.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I stumbled upon the list below on NPR's music <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/monitormix/2009/12/top_50_new_wave_songs_of_all_t.html">blog</a>. I've shamelessly cut and paste the content from the comment section of the blog. The actual blog has a dead link to a radio show on WFDU, and the list was a little hard to find, so I'm saving you the trouble.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
Top 50 New Wave Songs Of All Time (as decided on by WFDU listeners):<br />
<br />
1. Joy Division - Love Will tear Us Apart<br />2. Siouxsie & The Banshees - Christine<br />3. The Smiths - There Is A Light That Never Goes Out<br />4. Ultravox - Vienna<br />5. Romeo Void - Never Say Never<br />6. The Smiths - Bigmouth Strikes Again<br />7. Echo And The Bunnymen - The Killing Moon<br />8. Gary Numan - Cars<br />9. New Order - Blue Monday<br />10. The B-52's - Rock Lobster<br />11. Talking Heads - Psycho Killer<br />12. Peter Godwin - Images Of Heaven<br />13. New Order - Temptation<br />14. Icicle Works - Birds Fly (Whisper To A Scream)<br />15. Gang Of Four - To Hell With Poverty<br />16. The Stranglers - Skin Deep<br />17. John Foxx - Underpass<br />18. Martha And The Muffins - Echo Beach<br />19. The Only Ones - Another Girl, Another Planet<br />20. Yaz - Don't Go<br />21. The Specials - Ghost Town<br />22. The Psychedelic Furs - Heaven<br />23. Split Enz - I Got You<br />24. The Chameleons U.K. - Swamp Thing<br />25. Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rappinghood<br />26. Depeche Mode - Shake The Disease<br />27. Visage - Fade To Grey<br />28. Berlin - The Metro<br />29. Alphaville - Forever Young<br />30. Blondie - Heart Of Glass<br />31. The English Beat - Mirror In The Bathroom<br />32. Duran Duran - Rio<br />33. The Flying Lizards - Money<br />34. XTC - Dear God<br />35. ABC - The Look Of Love (Part 1)<br />36. Q Feel - Dancing In Heaven (Orbital Bebop)<br />37. Altered Images - I Could Be Happy<br />38. The Boomtown Rats - Rat Trap<br />39. B-Movie - Nowhere Girl<br />40. Squeeze - Cool For Cats<br />41. The Cure - In Between Days<br />42. Depeche Mode - Just Can't Get Enough<br />43. Devo - Whip It<br />44. Public Image Ltd. - Public Image<br />45. Erasure - Oh Lamour<br />46. Fruer - Doot Doot<br />47. Lene Lovich - Lucky Number<br />48. Bow Wow Wow - Do You Wanna Hold Me?<br />49. Heaven 17 - Let Me Go<br />50. China Crisis - Working With Fire And Steel<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think at least half of these songs are strong candidates for the list I'm making. As a non-WFDU listener, I also count 7 songs on the list that I don't know. I'll have to listen to those before finalizing my own list. Two songs I consider strong candidates for the top of my list don't make the WFDU list all. Both of those songs were bigger hits than the songs on this list, so perhaps the WFDU audience eschewed new wave that successfully crossed over to top 40. Maybe I need to give more thought to how crossing over does or does not fit the archetype, or maybe it's irrelevant. Who am I kidding? No criteria, no matter how absurd is irrelevant in this little world of idiosyncratic ranking.</span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-77092271564129953902013-01-26T13:08:00.000-08:002013-01-26T13:08:04.621-08:00Six Decade Lists<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I plan to wrap up the sixth of my decade lists tomorrow. It may be the last one I do for at least 7 years. I don't think I could tackle the 40s. It's just too hard to figure out what was actually released when. For instance, I haven't included any Charlie Parker in my 50s list. I'm pretty sure his recordings I like best are from the 40s, but I don't doubt that there were some terrific live versions from the early 50s I could have included if I had a more full appreciation for his whole discography.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Another issue with the 50s, which I expect would be even more challenging in the 40s, are the songs that were recorded by many artists. It's one thing for me to say I like Elvis Presley's "Mystery Train" better than Junior Parker's original because I know both versions well, or that Pat Boone's "Tutti Frutti" could be ignored entirely in favor of Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti". I also had no problem in the 70s preferring Elvis Costello's "What's So Funny Bout Peace Love and Understanding" to the Brinsley Schwartz original. With the standards from the 30s and 40s, I know the songs more than I know the individual performances and it's often hard with re-issues to sort out recording dates from release dates. I've tried to stick with release dates for these countdowns.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you're looking for any of the 6 countdowns, they're located here:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1950s (<a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2013/01/top-400-songs-of-1950s-countdown-in.html">top 400</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1960s (<a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2012/08/top-500-songs-of-1960s.html">top 500</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1970s (<a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/07/top-500-songs-of-1970s.html">top 500</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1980s (<a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/07/top-500-songs-of-1980s.html">top 500</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1990s (<a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/07/top-300-songs-of-1990s.html">top 300</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2000s (<a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/07/top-300-songs-of-2000s.html">top 300</a>)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">If you're extra-interested in the process for making these countdowns, there's a four part interview located here:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/07/making-of-best-songs-of-decade-list.html">part 1</a> - including the question what makes your lists different?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/07/making-of-best-songs-of-decade-list_07.html">part 2</a> - including the question what is the ranking process?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/07/making-of-best-songs-of-decade-list_10.html">part 3</a> - including the question which decade was the easiest?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/07/making-of-best-songs-of-decade-list_12.html">part 4</a> - including the question what sort of feedback have you received?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Special thanks to Jack at <a href="http://saltinwound.com/">SaltInWound</a> for doing the interview two years ago. They haven't been among my more popular posts, but I really enjoyed it myself, and it helped me think through some aspects of the process that ultimately affected the 1960s and 1950s lists.</span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-13851329987448332052013-01-05T21:46:00.000-08:002013-01-27T10:52:59.311-08:00Top 400 Songs of the 1950s (a countdown)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have previously counted down the top 300 or top 500 songs of all of the decades in which I've lived, excepting of course the present decade, which is far from over. Rather than wait another 7 years before doing my next decade list, I'm reaching back to the 1950s. Beyond the fact that I wasn't born until well after the end of that decade, the 50s pose quite a few other listmaking challenges. I was undeterred.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's very hard to accurately track down dates for a lot of worthy 50's era music. I don't doubt that a few songs from the late 40s or early 60s have accidentally slipped onto this list. The very format on which music was released was changing, from 10" 78rpm to 12" longplay (LP) records and also to 7" 45rpm singles. Much of what was released in the early 50s was re-released in different formats later. I tried to do my best to get correct dates, but in addition to some good reliable sources, I also used a fair number of questionable internet sources.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The biggest challenge of all is that there was some hugely popular music in the 1950s that was unfamiliar to me before beginning this list. I tried to fill in the gaps in my musical knowledge, especially pre-1955 pop music, but I know there's a lot of worthy music that I just plain missed. Setting apologies aside, here's the beginning of the list. I'll be updating this post over the course of the next few weeks with more of the countdown.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here's 400 through 351 (posted Jan 5, 2013)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">400.
Billy Lamont - I Got A Rock & Roll Gal (1957)<br />
399. Percy Faith & His Orchestra - Delicado (1952)<br />
398. The Moroccos - Bang Goes My Heart (1955)<br />
397. Johnnie Ray - Cry (1951)<br />
396. Stan Freberg - St. George & The Dragonet (1951)<br />
395. Link Wray - Dixie-Doodle (1959)<br />
394. The Ames Brothers - Undecided (1951)<br />
393. Carl Smith - (When You Feel Like You're In Love)Don't Just Stand There
(1952)<br />
392. Sonny James - First Date, First Kiss, First Love (1957)<br />
391. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNGRnJlvuhI">Guy Mitchell - Pittsburgh Pennsylvania</a> (1952)<br />
390. The Du Droppers - Bam Balam (1953)<br />
389. Buddy Holly - Maybe Baby (1958)<br />
388. Jeani Mack - Super Duper (1959)<br />
387. The Platters - Harbour Lights (1959)<br />
386. Webb Pierce - I Ain't Never (1959)<br />
385. Jo Stafford - Hawaiian War Chant (1951)<br />
384. Lord Kitchener - Trouble In Arima (1955)<br />
383. Yul Brynner - A Puzzlement (1951)<br />
382. Hank Williams - Moanin' The Blues (1950)<br />
381. Porter Wagoner - A Satisfied Mind (1955)<br />
380. The Clovers - Don't You Know I Love You (1951)<br />
379. Della Reese - Don't You Know (1959)<br />
378. Elvis Presley - Love Me Tender (1956)<br />
377. George Shearing - Lulu's Back in Town (1958)<br />
376. Boyd Bennett And His Rockets - Seventeen (1956)<br />
375. Little Walter - Can't Hold Out Much Longer (1952)<br />
374. Sam Cooke - Touch The Hem Of His Garment (1956)<br />
373. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yh6-uEWb6Ks">Boyd Bennett And His Rockets - Banjo Rock 'n Roll</a> (1956)<br />
372. Illinois Jacquet - Flying Home (1951)<br />
371. Marty Robbins - I'll Go On Alone (1952)<br />
370. Perry Como - Zing Zing, Zoom Zoom (1951)<br />
369. Eddy Arnold and the Tennessee Plowboys and his Guitar - I Wanna Play House
With You (1951)<br />
368. Rebecca Williams - Please Give Me A Match (1957)<br />
367. Slim Gaillard - Yip Roc Heresy (1951)<br />
366. The Clovers - Lovey Dovey (1954)<br />
365. Ben Bowers - Not Me (1957)<br />
364. The Everly Brothers - Claudette (1959)<br />
363. The Del Vikings - Whispering Bells (1957)<br />
362. Donald Byrd - Sudwest Funk (1958)<br />
361. Lonnie Donegan - Battle Of New Orleans (1959)<br />
360. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGpR6R3a1D4">The Ames Brothers - The Naughty Lady Of Shady Lane</a> (1954)<br />
359. Joni James - Why Don't You Believe Me (1952)<br />
358. Johnny Cash - Train Of Love (1956)<br />
357. Miller Sisters - Someday You Will Pay (1955)<br />
356. Frank Sinatra - Night And Day (1956)<br />
355. Carl Perkins - Jive After Five (1958)<br />
354. Hank Williams - I'll Never Get Out Of This World Alive (1952)<br />
353. Slim Gaillard - You Goofed (1952)<br />
352. Eddie Fisher - Anytime (1951)<br />
351. Donald O'Connor - Make 'Em Laugh (1952)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Continuing with 350 through 301 (posted Jan 9, 2013)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">350.
Chuz Alfred Combo - Rocking Boy (1955)<br />
349. Slim Gaillard - Potato Chips (1952)<br />
348. Percy Mayfield - The River's Invitation (1952)<br />
347. Roy Haynes - Sugar Ray (1958)<br />
346. Eugene Church - Good News (1959)<br />
345. Perry Como - Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes (1952)<br />
344. Big Daddy - Bacon Fat (1956)<br />
343. Bing Crosby - Let A Smile Be Your Umbrella (1957)<br />
342. Smokey Hogg - Look In Your Eyes Pretty Mama (1950)<br />
341. The Debutantes - Just Leave It To Me (1956)<br />
340. Link Wray - Rumble Mambo (1959)<br />
339. Oliver Nelson - Jams And Jellies (1959)<br />
338. Marty Robbins - Just Married (1958)<br />
337. Ruth Brown - 5-10-15 Hours (1952)<br />
336. Sam Cooke - Just Another Day (1952)<br />
335. Lonnie Donegan - Lonesome Traveller (1958)<br />
334. Sarah Vaughan - Come Rain Or Come Shine (1950)<br />
333. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jPzNoAem0rM">Crew Cuts - Sh Boom</a> (1954)<br />
332. Eddy Arnold - The Cattle Call (1955)<br />
331. Donald Byrd - Down Tempo (1958)<br />
330. Frank Sinatra - Witchcraft (1957)<br />
329. Tony Bennett - Rags To Riches (1953)<br />
328. Hank Williams - Baby We're Really In Love (1951)<br />
327. Lloyd Price - Personality (1959)<br />
326. Ferlin Husky - Gone (1957)<br />
325. Teresa Brewer - The Banjo's Back In Town (1955)<br />
324. The Louvin Brothers - Satan Is Real (1959)<br />
323. Big Red McHouston - I'm Tired (1954)<br />
322. Gene Ammons - King Size (1957)<br />
321. The Penguins - Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine) (1954)<br />
320. Six Teens - Stop Playing Ping Pong With My Heart (1957)<br />
319. The Four Aces - Three Coins In The Fountain (1954)<br />
318. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAqG2KqZzPE">Glen Reeves - Tarzan</a> (1958)<br />
317. Jo Stafford - Big D (1956)<br />
316. The Chordettes - Lollipop (1958)<br />
315. Percy Mayfield - What A Fool I Was (1950)<br />
314. Robert Preston - Ya Got Trouble (1958)<br />
313. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkgDTs0cRXI">Kitty Kallen - Little Things Mean A Lot (1954)</a>
312. Hank Williams - Long Gone Lonesome Blues (1950)<br />
311. Eddy Howard - Sin (It's No) Sin (1951)<br />
310. Lord Invader & His Calypso Rhythm Boys - Reincarnation (The Bed Bug)
(1958)<br />
309. Irvin Russ - Crazy Alligator (1959)<br />
308. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_a4vYtGm2Ak">Edith Piaf - L'homme A La Moto (Black Denim Trousers & MotorcycleBoots)</a> (1956)<br />
307. Carl Smith - Let Old Mother Nature Have Her Way (1951)<br />
306. Elvis Presley - You're A Heartbreaker (1954)<br />
305. Boyd Bennett And His Rockets - Everlovin' (1956)<br />
304. Kay Starr - I Wanna Love You (1952)<br />
303. Lord Kitchener - Nora (1950)<br />
302. Stars of Faith - When I Lay This Body Down (1958)<br />
301. Andrews Sisters - I Wanna Be Loved (1950)</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Continuing with 300 through 251 (posted Jan 11, 2013)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">300.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_0RYSuRiH4">Frankie Laine - Jezebel (1951)</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
299. The Everly Brothers - Bye Bye Love (1959)<br />
298. Elvis Presley - Baby Let's Play House (1955)<br />
297. Marni Nixon/Rex Thompson - I Whistle A Happy Tune (1951)<br />
296. The Fontane Sisters - Castle Rock (1951)<br />
295. Miss Sharecropper (LaVern Baker) - I Want To Rock (1950)<br />
294. Banjo Kings - Alabamy Bound (1953)<br />
293. Little Willie Littlefield - Kansas City aka KC Lovin' (1952)<br />
292. The Clovers - Down In The Alley (1957)<br />
291. Count Basie & Joe Williams - Every Day I Have the Blues (1956)<br />
290. Jo Stafford - Shrimp Boats (1951)<br />
289. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlR0_Z_NbEQ">Slim Gaillard - Laughing In Rhythm (1951)</a><br />
288. Sam Cooke - Jesus, Wash Away My Troubles (1956)<br />
287. Alfred Drake - Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin' (1955)<br />
286. Thelonious Monk - Blues Five Spot (1958)<br />
285. Jimmy Reed - Ends And Odds (1959)<br />
284. The Larks - Eyesight To The Blind (1951)<br />
283. Eugene Church - Miami (1959)<br />
282. Slim Gaillard - Babalu (Orooney) (1951)<br />
281. Mills Brothers - The Glow Worm (1952)<br />
280. Vic Fontaine - Little Rock Special (1956)<br />
279. The Clovers - Your Cash Ain't Nothin' But Trash (1954)<br />
278. The Isley Brothers - Ring-A-Ling-A-Ling (Let The Wedding Bells Ring)
(1959)<br />
277. Tony Bennett - Stranger In Paradise (1953)<br />
276. Eddy Arnold - There's Been A Change In Me (1951)<br />
275. Elvis Presley - All Shook Up (1957)<br />
274. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAO77QLxRVw">Skip Stanley - Satellite Baby (1957)</a><br />
273. Irma Thomas - Don't Mess With My Man (1959)<br />
272. Frank Sinatra - Young At Heart (1953)<br />
271. Buddy Holly - Everyday (1958)<br />
270. Bill Haley & The Comets - Razzle-Dazzle (1955)<br />
269. Esquivel - Whatchamacallit (1958)<br />
268. Flatt & Scruggs - My Little Girl In Tennessee (1950)<br />
267. Jimmy McCracklin - Get Back (1956)<br />
266. Sam Cooke - Farther Along (1956)<br />
265. Carl Perkins - Gone Gone Gone (1955)<br />
264. Gene Autry with The Cass County Boys - Frosty The Snowman (1950)<br />
263. Buddy Holly - I'm Gonna Love You Too (1958)<br />
262. Link Wray - Raw-Hide (1959)<br />
261. Frank Sinatra - Oh! Look At Me Now (1956)<br />
260. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e1b68vx38Y">Faron Young - Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young (1955)</a><br />
259. The Clovers - I Played The Fool (1952)<br />
258. Johnny Cash - So Doggone Lonesome (1955)<br />
257. Jerry Lee Lewis - Crazy Arms (1958)<br />
256. Annie Laurie - Stop, Don't Go (1956)<br />
255. Amos Milburn - Flying Home (1952)<br />
254. Bobby Day - Rockin' Robin (1958)<br />
253. Frank Sinatra - Come Fly With Me (1957)<br />
252. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAwBGjawj_U">Nappy Brown - Don't Be Angry (1955)</a><br />
251. Sarah Vaughan - Ooh What Cha Doin' To Me (1953)<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Continuing with 250 through 201 (posted Jan 13, 2013)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">250.
Charles Walton & The Kool Kats - Four Four Time (1958)<br />
249. Benn Joe Zeppa - A Foolish Fool (1959)<br />
248. Dolly Cooper - I Wanna Know (1953)<br />
247. Elvis Presley - Don't Be Cruel (1956)<br />
246. Buddy Holly - Rave On (1958)<br />
245. The Clovers - Devil Or Angel (1956)<br />
244. Royal Steelband of Kingston - Mambo Mento (1958)<br />
243. Jimmy McCracklin - The Georgia Slop (1958)<br />
242. Bing Crosby - I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter (1957)<br />
241. Bobby "Blue" Bland - Little Boy Blue (1958)<br />
240. Ruth Brown - This Little Girl's Gone Rockin' (1958)<br />
239. Hank Williams - Ramblin' Man (1953)<br />
238. The Everly Brothers - This Little Girl Of Mine (1959)<br />
237. Bill Haley & The Comets - Dim, Dim the Lights (1954)<br />
236. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zf_YIHJmgE">Smokey Hogg - It's Rainin' Here (1951)</a><br />
235. Jane Turner - Danger Blues (1954)<br />
234. Sam Cooke - Come And Go To That Land (1954)<br />
233. Little Richard - Long Tall Sally (1957)<br />
232. Louis Jordan & His Tympany Five - Friendship (1952)<br />
231. Buddy Holly - Oh Boy! (1958)<br />
230. Martin Denny - Love Dance (1957)<br />
229. The Swallows - Roll Roll Pretty Baby (1950)<br />
228. Miles Davis - Rocker (1957)<br />
227. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IGhyPB0NAw">Tennessee Ernie Ford - Shot-Gun Boogie (1951)</a><br />
226. The Mighty Terror And His Calipsonians - Patricia Gone With Millicent
(1956)<br />
225. Georgia Lane - Get It! (1953)<br />
224. Little Walter - Roller Coaster (1955)<br />
223. Big Mama Thornton - The Fish (1955)<br />
222. Chuck Berry - Oh Baby Doll (1957)<br />
221. Frank Sinatra - It Happened In Monterey (1956)<br />
220. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fE1jVB0abE">Johnny Otis Orchestra - All Nite Long (1951)</a><br />
219. The Clovers - Fool, Fool, Fool (1951)<br />
218. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wa2FEdEJOM">Titans - No Time (1959)</a><br />
217. The Native Boys - When I Met You (1956)<br />
216. The Clovers - Ting-A- Ling (1952)<br />
215. Cubs - Why Did You Make Me Cry? (1956)<br />
214. Doye O'Dell - Diesel Smoke (Dangerous Curves) (1952)<br />
213. Clayton, Rich & The Rumbles - Wail It (1959)<br />
212. Webb Pierce - In The Jailhouse Now (1955)<br />
211. Lonnie Donegan - Cumberland Gap (1957)<br />
210. Bill Haley & The Comets - Shake, Rattle and Roll (1954)<br />
209. Bobby Louis - Adult Western (1959)<br />
208. Hank Thompson - This Train (1954)<br />
207. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO5GHhhEZvM">Bobo Jenkins - Nothing But Love (1955)</a><br />
206. The Robins - Ten Days In Jail (1954)<br />
205. Carl Smith - Hey Joe! (1953)<br />
204. Miles Davis - Two Bass Hit (1958)<br />
203. The Champs - Tequila (1958)<br />
202. Sarah Vaughan - Blues Serenade (1953)<br />
201. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BaDD2_YhN30">Skeeter Davis - The One You Slip Around With (1959)</a><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Continuing with 200 through 151 (posted Jan 15, 2013)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">200.
Sam Cooke - Mean Old World (1957)<br />
199. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13-exDYdf3I">The Pilgrim Travelers - Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb (1951)</a><br />
198. Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Blues March (1958)<br />
197. Frank Sinatra - I've Got You Under My Skin (1956)<br />
196. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-liMXN8-Ic">Bobby "Blue" Bland - I'll Take Care Of You (1959)</a><br />
195. Frank Sinatra - They Can't Take That Away From Me (1953)<br />
194. Faron Young - If You Ain't Lovin' (You Ain't Livin') (1954)<br />
193. Little Richard - Good Golly Miss Molly (1958)<br />
192. Lefty Frizzell - If You've Got the Money I've Got the Time (1950)<br />
191. Junior Parker - Mystery Train (1953)<br />
190. Elvis Presley - Just Because (1954)<br />
189. Art Blakey - Cranky Spanky (1956)<br />
188. Chuck Berry - Maybellene (1955)<br />
187. Eddy Arnold - A Full Time Job (1952)<br />
186. Frank Sinatra - I've Got The World On A String (1953)<br />
185. Miles Davis - Airegin (1957)<br />
184. Big Mama Thornton - They Call Me Big Mama (1953)<br />
183. Miles Davis - All Blues (1959)<br />
182. Sarah Vaughan - Mean To Me (1950)<br />
181. Elvis Presley - Milkcow Blues Boogie (1954)<br />
180. Lonnie Donegan - Fort Worth Jail (1959)<br />
179. Hank Thompson - Total Stranger (1958)<br />
178. Duke Ellington - Track 360 (1959)<br />
177. The Everly Brothers - Problems (1959)<br />
176. Bertice Reading - Sweet Goody (1953)<br />
175. Ray Charles - Night Time Is the Right Time (1959)<br />
174. Chuck Berry - Back In The U.S.A. (1959)<br />
173. The Mighty Terror And His Calipsonians - Women Police In England (1956)<br />
172. Coleman Hawkins - Groovin' (1958)<br />
171. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIfuNPbBaaA">The Monotones - Book of Love (1958)</a><br />
170. Jerry Lee Lewis - Lewis Boogie (1958)<br />
169. Nappy Brown - Little By Little (1956)<br />
168. The Everly Brothers - Bird Dog (1959)<br />
167. Donald Byrd - Off To The Races (1958)<br />
166. Chuck Berry - Downbound Train (1955)<br />
165. Fireflies - Stella's Got a Fella (1959)<br />
164. Dorothea Fleming - The Devil is Mad (1954)<br />
163. Slim Gaillard - Make It Do (1952)<br />
162. Little Walter - It Ain't Right (1955)<br />
161. The Chuck A Lucks - The Devil's Train (1958)<br />
160. Sarah Vaughan - Perdido (1950)<br />
159. Jiants - Tornado (1959)<br />
158. Johnny Cash - Don't Take Your Guns To Town (1958)<br />
157. Big Mama Thornton - Walking Blues (1954)<br />
156. Patti Page - Tennessee Waltz (1950)<br />
155. Hank Williams - Kaw-Liga (1953)<br />
154. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IazbYCLSelo">Junior Parker - Feelin Good (1953)</a><br />
153. Percy Mayfield - Please Send Me Someone To Love (1950)<br />
152. Original Cast of the 1951 NBC Telecast & Thomas Schippers - This Is My
Box (1951)<br />
151. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YY6BNvQHlkw">Kay Starr - Wheel Of Fortune (1952)</a></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Continuing with 150 through 126 (posted Jan 18, 2013)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">150.
Hank Williams - Jambalaya (On the Bayou) (1952)<br />
149. Buddy Holly - It's So Easy (1958)<br />
148.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6KWUWe0hNY"> Teresa Brewer - Ricochet (1953)</a><br />
147. Hank Thompson - Big Beaver (1954)<br />
146. Jackie Brenston - Rocket 88 (1951)<br />
145.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJ7GltNmDbg"> Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Got A Job (1958)</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
144. Johnny Cash - I Still Miss Someone (1958)<br />
143. Robert Alda - Luck Be a Lady (1950)<br />
142. The Clovers - Blue Velvet (1955)<br />
141. Hank Williams - Hey, Good Lookin' (1951)<br />
140. Robert Preston - Seventy Six Trombones (1958)<br />
139. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1st_9KudWB0">Santo & Johnny - Sleepwalk (1959)</a><br />
138. Sonny Clark - Cool Struttin' (1958)<br />
137. Coasters - Poison Ivy (1959)<br />
136. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZBSGaWrEn4">Dion & The Belmonts - I Wonder Why (1958)</a><br />
135. Hank Thompson - A Six Pack To Go (1959)<br />
134. Nappy Brown - The Right Time (1957)<br />
133. Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - The Drum Thunder Suite (1958)<br />
132. Brownie Mc Ghee - Anna Mae (1955)<br />
131. Betty & Dupree - I Hope You're Satisfied (1959)<br />
130. Sarah Vaughan - Nice Work If You Can Get It (1950)<br />
129. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-UrU44li7c">The Mighty Terror And His Calipsonians - Heading North (1958)</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
128. Les Paul & Mary Ford - In The Good Old Summertime (1950)<br />
127. Johnny Cash - Big River (1957)<br />
126. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KfAv8yAaHps">The Viscounts - Harlem Nocturne (1959)</a></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;"></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Con</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">t</span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">inuing with 125 through </span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">101 (posted Jan 19, 2013)</span></span><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">125.
Hank Williams - Cold, Cold Heart (1951)<br />
124. Johnny Mathis - It's Not for Me to Say (1957)<br />
123. Junior Parker - Love My Baby (1953)<br />
122. Thurston Harris - Purple Stew (1958)<br />
121. Bobby Freeman - Betty Lou Got A New Pair Of Shoes (1959)<br />
120. The Swallows - It Ain't The Meat (1950)<br />
119. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVtNn1ibyuQ">Percy Mayfield - Louisiana (1952)</a><br />
118. Gene Vincent - Be-Bop-A-Lula (1956)<br />
117. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-x_txAJ6Rc">Kitty Wells - It Wasn't God Who Made Honky Tonk Angels (1952</a>)<br />
116. Buddy Holly - That'll Be The Day (1957)<br />
115. Lonnie Donegan - Talking Guitar Blues (1959)<br />
114. Tony Martin - I Get Ideas (1951)<br />
113. Elvis Presley - I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine (1954)<br />
112. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGWjoBj4_Xs">The Isley Brothers - Yes Indeed (1959)</a><br />
111. Ray Anthony - Peter Gunn Theme (1958)<br />
110. Bo Diddley - Diddley Daddy (1955)<br />
109. Johnny "Guitar" Watson - One More Kiss (1959)<br />
108. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Mzqnue0XEI">Lillian Briggs - Can't Stop (1955)</a><br />
107. Bing Crosby - Cool Water (1952)<br />
106. Sonny Clark - Blue Minor (1958)<br />
105. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAUeIFVhXNo">Evelyn Freeman - Didn't It Rain (1958)</a><br />
104. Fats Domino - Ain't That A Shame? (1955)<br />
103. Gene Kelly - Singin' in the Rain (1952)<br />
102. Big Mama Thornton - Hound Dog (1953)<br />
101. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyfryI0tZFI">Georgia Gibbs - The Kiss Of Fire (1952)</a><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Continuing with 100 through 81 (posted Jan 20, 2013)</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">100.
Carl Perkins - Matchbox (1957)<br />
99. Frank Sinatra - The Lady Is A Tramp (1957)<br />
98. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GSkEo7yRCrE">Rosemary Clooney - Come On-A My House (1951)</a>
</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">97. Marty Robbins - The Hanging Tree (1959)<br />
96. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb-fpQ59yco">Anton Karas - The Third Man Theme (1950)</a><br />
95. Louis Prima - Jump, Jive, An' Wail (1957)<br />
94. Frank Sinatra - You Make Me Feel So Young (1956)<br />
93. Buddy Holly - Words Of Love (1958)<br />
92. Carl Perkins - Honey Don't (1955)<br />
91. Dean Martin - That's Amore (1953)<br />
90. Jim Hall and His Radio Pals - Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Potassium (1959)<br />
89. The Chordettes - Mr. Sandman (1954)<br />
88. Elvis Presley - Hound Dog (1956)<br />
87. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LzqgJJK30c">Hank Snow - The Golden Rocket (1950)</a><br />
86. Nat King Cole - Unforgettable (1951)<br />
85. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fb1QmkVmbI">The Everly Brothers - Wake Up Little Susie (1959)</a><br />
84. Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls Of Fire (1958)<br />
83. Coasters - Down In Mexico (1956)<br />
82. Harry Belafonte - Day-O (Banana Boat) (1956)<br />
81. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UrdTl8YeBTo">Lonnie Donegan - Jack O'Diamonds (1957)</a><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Continuing with 80 through 61 (posted Jan 21, 2013)</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">80.
Sarah Vaughan - Ain't Misbehavin' (1950)<br />
79. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atCwKBeq76w">Clarence "Frogman" Henry - Ain't Got No Home (1956)</a><br />
78. Sonny Rollins - Strode Rode (1956)<br />
77. The Chordettes - Love Never Changes (1956)<br />
76. Sam Cooke - Peace In The Valley (1951)<br />
75. Dorothy Love Coates - He's Right On Time (1956)<br />
74. Big John Greer - You Played on My Piano (1951)<br />
73. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk8B8cUkM10">Big Mama Thornton - I Smell A Rat (1954)</a><br />
72. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxGp1p2zVeQ">Tennessee Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons (1955)</a><br />
71. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7bwCijT_Lc">Ray Anthony - Dragnet (1953)</a><br />
70. Frank Sinatra - My Funny Valentine (1953)<br />
69. Les Paul & Mary Ford - Brazil (1950)<br />
68. Alfred Drake & Chorus - Oklahoma (1955)<br />
67. Elvis Presley - I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone (1954)<br />
66. Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Are You Real? (1958)<br />
65. Frank Sinatra - I Get A Kick Out Of You (1953)<br />
64. Charles Mingus - Jelly Roll (1959)<br />
63. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHG5-GxI_Es">Chuck Berry - School Days (1957)</a><br />
62. Stars of Faith - Mean Old World (1958)<br />
61. Miles Davis - Freddie Freeloader (1959)<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Continuing with 60 through 41 (posted Jan 22, 2013)</span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">60.
Jesse & Buzzy - Going Back To Orleans (1958)<br />
59. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqdtzJvliMk">Bing Crosby and Louis Armstrong - Gone Fishin' (1951)</a><br />
58. James Brown - Try Me (1958)<br />
57. Ornette Coleman - Lonely Woman (1959)<br />
56. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j9w2UthPF8">Clifton Chenier - Boppin' the Rock (1955)</a><br />
55. Elvis Presley - Jailhouse Rock (1957)<br />
54. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS2HSToYV8c">Billy The Kid Emerson - Red Hot (1955)</a><br />
53. Little Walter - Off The Wall (1953)<br />
52. Bo Diddley - Bo Diddley (1955)<br />
51. Thelonious Monk - Bemsha Swing (1956)<br />
50. Johnny Mathis - Chances Are (1957)<br />
49. Sun Ra - India (1956)<br />
48. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0oX53IQvvE">Lefty Frizzell - I Love You a Thousand Ways (1950)</a><br />
47. Eddie Cochran - Summertime Blues (1958)<br />
46. Nat King Cole - Mona Lisa (1950)<br />
45. Sam Cooke - Wonderful (1956)<br />
44. Chuck Berry - Rock And Roll Music (1957)<br />
43. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEg45Kkpiwo">Five Blind Boys - Count Me In (1954)</a><br />
42. Peggy Lee - Black Coffee (1956)<br />
41. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9C2tHYZ3R8">Martin Denny - Quiet Village (1957)</a></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Continuing with 40 through 31 (posted Jan 23, 2013)</span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">40.
Elvis Presley - HeartBreak Hotel (1956)<br />
39. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0qN6EBrhPU">Robins - Riot In Cell Block #9 (1954)</a><br />
38. Hank Williams - Take These Chains from My Heart (1953)<br />
37. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5mJA7RAfbk">Sax Kari - Chocolate Fizz (1958)</a><br />
36. Fats Domino - Blueberry Hill (1956)<br />
35. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76H2UWWkZZA">Webb Pierce - There Stands The Glass (1953)</a><br />
34. The Larks - Coffee Cigarettes And Tears (1951)<br />
33.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IpD1HFkj1U"> Jimmy Dale - Tennessee Ghost Train (1953)</a><br />
32. Patsy Cline - Walkin' After Midnight (1957)<br />
31. Little Richard - Tutti Frutti (1955)</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Continuing with 30 through 21 (posted Jan 24, 2013)</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">30.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0J1ihi_zhY">The Louvin Brothers - I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby (1956)</a><br />
29. Johnny Cash - Luther Played The Boogie (1959)<br />
28. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TGKSViADGU">Sun Ra - Watusa (1959)</a>
</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">27. Buddy Holly - Peggy Sue (1957)<br />
26. Five Blind Boys - Stand By Me (1954)<br />
25. Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode (1957)<br />
24. Elvis Presley - That's All Right (1954)<br />
23. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeZomqLM7BQ">Miles Davis - Milestones (1958)</a><br />
22. Charles Mingus - Boogie Stop Shuffle (1959)<br />
21. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3cKJ42HAd0">Little Walter - My Babe (1955)</a></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Continuing with 20 through 11 (posted Jan 25, 2013)</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">20.
Johnny Cash - Folsom Prison Blues (1957)<br />
19. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jN9Pd4WqJqQ">Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put a Spell On You (1956)</a><br />
18. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cS4LCoh0VGQ">Hank Williams - Your Cheatin' Heart (1953)</a><br />
17. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NNvOei_FFU">The Isley Brothers - Shout (Parts 1 and 2) (1959)</a><br />
16. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqgRJtPdoX8">Sam Cooke - I'm So Glad (Trouble Don't Last Always) (1955)</a><br />
15. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8BTqP9CEIs">Bo Diddley - I'm A Man (1955)</a><br />
14. Carl Perkins - Blue Suede Shoes (1955)<br />
13. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjs5QWjvNWc">Link Wray - Rumble (1958)</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
12. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhB8l09Ezng">The Clovers - One Mint Julep (1952)</a><br />
11. Bill Haley & The Comets - Rock Around the Clock (1954)<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; line-height: 17px;">Continuing with 10 through 6 (posted Jan 26, 2013)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">10.
Joe Liggins - Pink Champagne (1950)<br />
9. Elvis Presley - Blue Moon Of Kentucky (1954)<br />
8. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKXsnDvILmI">Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers - Moanin' (1958)</a><br />
7. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7Df914xv7g">Carl Perkins - Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby (1957)</a><br />
6. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yRdDnrB5kM">Jerry Lee Lewis - Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On (1957)</a></span><br /><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"></span></span><br />
</span><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> Wrapping up the countdown with 5 though 1 (posted Jan 27, 2013)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">5.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyTtFNGzFsE">Buddy Holly - Not Fade Away (1958)</a><br />
4. Johnny Cash - I Walk The Line (1957)<br />
3. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqNTltOGh5c">Miles Davis - So What (1959)</a><br />
2. Chuck Berry - Roll Over Beethoven (1956)<br />
1. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XA5HErVE9oI">Elvis Presley - Mystery Train (1955)</a><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> I'll probably update later to provide a few more links to youtube or elsewhere, but that concludes countdown #6. For more thoughts on the various countdowns, see <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2013/01/six-decade-lists.html">here</a>.</span></span><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-6750166768032154162012-12-30T12:07:00.000-08:002012-12-30T12:09:40.515-08:00Best of the 2012 Best Track Lists<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The end of year lists are out. There are so many of them and they come out so early. There must be a strong demand for lists, or maybe just a very great supply of list makers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The high points of </span><a href="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-best-songs-of-2012-20121205/alabama-shakes-hold-on-19691231"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rolling Stone's top 50 song list</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> were Alabama Shakes at #1, First Aid Kit at #10, Grizzly Bear at #29, and Craig Finn at #40. My 8YO will be excited that the Wanted made the list (at #44), but why are they on Rolling Stone's list?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/lists/2012/11/50-best-songs-2012.html?p=5">Paste's list of the top 50 songs of 2012</a> also had First Aid Kit and Alabama Shakes in the top 10. They also had a song I hadn't heard called "When I Write My Master's Thesis" at #2. That's the kind of thing that makes the Paste list a lot better than the Rolling Stones list, even if there's a lot of overlap. Grizzly Bear and Dr. Dog sat right outside the top 10 at #11 and #12.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The <a href="http://www.nme.com/blog/index.php?blog=147&title=50_best_tracks_of_2012&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1">NME top 50 best tracks of 2012</a> list strings together a number of songs that I really like, but don't quite love, from #6 to #9 with Grimes, Jake Bugg, Bat For Lashes, and Tame Impala. Tame Impala shows up on a lot of lists this year. I liked their 2010 record better, and I didn't see that one on too many lists, so I'm suspicious that the new record is just benefiting from the belated buzz due to them in 2010.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The <a href="http://www.spin.com/#articles/best-songs-2012?slide=40">Spin 40 best songs of 2012</a> is too heavy on the generic pop music for my taste. There's some overlap with other lists on the alternative end of the Spin spectrum (e.g. Grimes, Bat for Lashes, Japandroids, and Cat Power), but the list is dominated by pretty mainstream stuff. On the other hand, maybe the other lists that left off Psy and Carly Rae and Kanye will look silly in 10 years. Call me skeptical (maybe).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Popmatters gives us the <a href="http://www.popmatters.com/pm/feature/165966-the-75-best-songs-of-2012/">75 best songs of 2012</a>. Grimes and Japandroids come in at #1 and #2 here as well as showing up on countless other lists. They've got Frank Ocean's "Pyramids" at #3 helping him run the table showing up near the top of more lists than anyone else with more than one song in contention. I think I could like "Pyramids" if it was shorter. I tried to listen to some of his other hyped tracks when the record first came out with so much buzz, and I've concluded that he must be a writer's artist. I'm a listener and a list maker, not so much a writer. I'd like to see Cloud Nothings higher up than #52, but at least they made this list. Adventureous genre blending music also didn't do very well on any of the lists this year, so I was glad to see Django Django at #15 and Pepe Deluxe at #22.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Stereogum gives <a href="http://stereogum.com/1222521/pitchforks-top-100-tracks-of-2012/list/">a positive review</a> to <a href="http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/9015-the-top-100-tracks-of-2012/">Pitchfork's top 100 track list</a>. Speaking of Cloud Nothings, they come in at #34 at Pitchfork. By being a top 100, there's more room for both some adventurous choices and mainstream hip-hop and dance choices. Pitchfork is probably the winner in terms of the most music that I haven't heard that I'm now interested in hearing after reading what they had to say about it. They might also be the winner in terms of the most music that I haven't heard that I'm still not interested in hearing after reading what they had to say about it. If Rolling Stone and Paste overvalue rootsy music, Pitchfork and NME definitely undervalue it. A perfect list would fall between for me with a few more obscure choices.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Prettty Much Amazing gives us a <a href="http://prettymuchamazing.com/feature/best-songs-2012">top 25</a> with a lot of overlap with Pitchfork in the top 10. They give their #1 to Fiona Apple, whose comeback is apparently stronger than I understood.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.esquire.com/features/music/best-new-songs-2012-0512#slide-1">Esquire's list</a> is moderately interesting just because it has so little overlap with the other critics lists and they need to be commended for including Lee Fields, who appears to have been ignored by everyone else. Nonetheless, the presentation of the list on the web site is probably too annoying for anyone other than the most committed list reader. <a href="http://music.msn.com/music/year-in-review/best-songs/?ocid=muhfpS3L&photoidx=13">MSN, with only a top 12</a>, competes for annoying presentation.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I tried to dig up a few more obscure lists in the hopes of finding more unexpected gems. Two lists with potential are <a href="http://www.jonkmusic.com/blog/2012/12/29/best-songs-of-2012-50-26.html">Jonk's top 100 songs</a> and <a href="http://thewoundedjukebox.com/2012/12/30/best-songs-of-2012-glenns-edition/">the Wounded Jukebox</a>. Jonk gets extra points for waiting until the end of the year to post and for including a lot of stuff I haven't heard that I think I might like. The Wounded Jukebox gets points for being one of the only lists to include Edward Sharpe's "Man on Fire". Both lists get points for including Tallest Man on Earth and for introducing me to Lord Huron.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Now it's time to start making a list for New Year's record shopping so that I can be ready to make my own best of 2012 list a year from now. <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/12/best-tracks-of-2010.html">As I explained in 2011</a> and again <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2012/12/best-tracks-of-2011-with-benefit-of.html">more recently</a>, I need a year to catch up.</span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-15795172495726264882012-12-23T21:27:00.000-08:002012-12-23T21:27:16.190-08:00Best Tracks of 2011 (with the benefit of a year's reflection)<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A year ago, I decided to start a new tradition here. It's a bit hard to claim something as a tradition when it's only been done once. Now it will be twice. So that you don't have to click over to it, here's what I said a year ago:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">"I've decided to start a new year-end tradition. I'm going to count down the top tracks from the previous year. Let me be clear. I'm reviewing the year that ended a full year ago. I'm not counting down the just-completed year. It's too soon, and everybody's doing the current year. They have editors and deadlines. I don't. I'm going with the previous year. I will have had time to catch up and reflect."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">This list of the 75 best tracks of 2011 is both longer and better than it would have been if I had made it a year ago.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
75) Bon Iver - Calgary<br />
74) Cass McCombs - County Line<br />
73) My Brightest Diamond - There's a Rat<br />
72) Wilco - Art Of Almost<br />
71) EMA - California<br />
70) Adele - Rolling In The Deep<br />
69) Peter Bjorn And John - Breaker Breaker<br />
68) Destroyer - Savage Night At The Opera<br />
67) Nicki Minaj - Super Bass<br />
66) Wild Flag - Romance<br />
65) The Dodos - Don't Stop<br />
64) The Strokes - Machu Picchu<br />
63) Peter Bjorn And John - Second Chance<br />
62) Erik Friedlander - Low Country Cupola<br />
61) Sloan - Shadow Of Love<br />
60) R.E.M. - ÜBerlin<br />
59) Phantogram - Don't Move<br />
58) Veronica Falls - Right Side Of My Brain<br />
57) The Ettes - Teeth<br />
56) Washed Out - Eyes Be Closed<br />
55) Alexander - Truth<br />
54) Secret Cities - Always Friends<br />
53) The Bevis Frond - The Divide<br />
52) The Vaccines - Norgaard<br />
51) TV On The Radio - Caffeinated Consciousness<br />
50) The Baseball Project - Panda and The Freak<br />
49) My Morning Jacket - You Wanna Freak Out<br />
48) Cults - Go Outside<br />
47) The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow<br />
46) Lana Del Rey - Video Games<br />
45) Bell - Meaninglessness<br />
44) Smith Westerns - Weekend<br />
43) John Maus - Quantum Leap<br />
42) Girls - Honey Bunny<br />
41) tUnE-yArDs - Bizness<br />
40) Chain And The Gang - Why Not?<br />
39) Austra - Beat And The Pulse<br />
38) Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks<br />
37) Atari Logic - Around The Bay<br />
36) Factory Floor - Two Different Ways<br />
35) Akron/Family - Silly Bears<br />
34) The War On Drugs - Baby Missiles<br />
33) Yellow Ostrich - WHALE<br />
32) Okkervil River - Rider<br />
31) The Fresh & Onlys - Keep Telling Everybody Lies<br />
30) Girls Names - I Could Die<br />
29) Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know<br />
28) The Bandana Splits - Sometimes<br />
27) Dengue Fever - Family Business<br />
26) M83 - Midnight City<br />
25) Amy LaVere - You Can't Keep Me<br />
24) The Mountain Goats - The Autopsy Garland<br />
23) Jerusalem and The Starbaskets - Chocolate Covered Everyberry<br />
22) Fleet Foxes - Sim Sala Bim<br />
21) Title Tracks - Turn Your Face<br />
20) The Head and the Heart - Sounds Like Hallelujah<br />
19) Crystal Stilts - Radiant Door<br />
18) Battles - Ice Cream (Featuring Matias Aguayo)<br />
17) Ward White - 1964<br />
16) Rob Crow - Purpose<br />
15) Little Dragon - Ritual Union<br />
14) Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - Simple Girl<br />
13) The Wooden Birds - Be No Lie<br />
12) The Feelies - Later On<br />
11) Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers - Heaven In Stereo<br />
10) Let's Wrestle - I Am Useful<br />
9) Generationals - I Promise<br />
8) Nicolas Jaar - Space Is Only Noise If You Can See<br />
7) Sandro Perri - Changes<br />
6) Those Darlins - Screws Get Loose<br />
5) P.J. Harvey - The Words That Maketh Murder<br />
4) Fujiya & Miyagi - Pills<br />
3) Pistol Annies - Hell On Heels<br />
2) Bill Callahan - Free's<br />
1) Blitzen Trapper - Fletcher</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">And now I have a full year to troll through all the best of 2012 lists that were rushed out over the last couple of weeks. Some are better than others. Some have songs that will grow on me. Some have songs that will age rapidly and poorly. Look for my 2012 list here at the end of 2013.</span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-43397209167799545312012-10-28T13:27:00.001-07:002012-10-28T13:28:51.785-07:00Top 30 Rainiest Songs<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As Hurricane Sandy approaches, people in the Mid Atlantic region of the US will be focused on preparations, or possibly distracted by questions as to whether or not one should or should not make preparations. On the West Coast of the US, we are neither focused nor distracted by such preparations. Therefore, there is time to make a list of the 30 rainiest songs, ranked roughly in order of raininess (as opposed to greatness or chart success or some other not meteorological criteria).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">30)
The Doors - Riders On The Storm (1971)<br />
29) Prince And The Revolution - Purple Rain (1984)<br />
28) The Weather Girls - It's Raining Men (1983)<br />
27) Beta Band - Dry The Rain (1997)<br />
26) Neil Young - Like A Hurricane (1977)<br />
25) James Taylor - Fire and Rain (1976)<br />
24) Gnarls Barkley - Storm Coming (2006)<br />
23) Can - She Brings the Rain (1970)<br />
22) Led Zeppelin - Fool In The Rain (1978)<br />
21) Grateful Dead - Box Of Rain (1970)<br />
20) Bob Dylan - A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (1963)<br />
19) Smokey Hogg - It's Rainin' Here (1951)<br />
18) Eurythmics - Here Comes The Rain Again (1983)<br />
17) Push Kings - Raincoat Renegade (1997)<br />
16) Graham Parker + The Rumour - Thunder And Rain (1977)<br />
15) Beatles - Rain (1966)<br />
14) Etta James - Stormy Weather (1961)<br />
13) Robbie Fulks - It's Always Raining Somewhere (2005)<br />
12) Faust - It's A Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl (1972)<br />
11) Eruption - I Can't Stand the Rain (1978)<br />
10) Orange Peels - I Don't Mind The Rain (1997)<br />
9) Gene Kelly - Singin' in the Rain (1952)<br />
8) Charles Mingus - The I Of Hurricane Sue (1972)<br />
7) The Dils - Sound of the Rain (1980)<br />
6) Interpreters - The Rains Are Coming (1997)<br />
5) Marah - Rain Delay (1998)<br />
4) Evelyn Freeman - Didn't It Rain (1958)<br />
3) Creedence Clearwater Revival - Have You Ever Seen the Rain? (1970)<br />
2) Violent Femmes - I Hear The Rain (1984)<br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-sSu57gmRM">1) Dorothy Morrison - Rain (1970)</a><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
</span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-3795578673923278012012-10-21T12:03:00.000-07:002012-10-21T12:03:15.166-07:00Make Your Own Chart at Rate Your Music<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've posted <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/10/best-new-wave-albums-us-vs-uk-voters.html">previously</a> about Rate Your Music's nice feature that allows you to customize charts. It's cool enough that it's worth revisiting. A commenter inquired a while ago about my <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/07/top-500-songs-of-1980s.html">top 500 songs of the 1980s</a> list. It didn't have the pop music the commenter was looking for. I had, myself, <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/07/making-of-best-songs-of-decade-list_07.html">commented on the way that a lot of hardcore unexpectedly rose to the top</a> of that list. I know it's a minority opinion that hardcore punk was among the best and most lasting contributions to music in the 80s, but what if we take that as a given? Did my list at least match the opinions of others who rate hardcore highly?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here's <a href="http://rateyourmusic.com/customchart?page=1&chart_type=top&type=everything&year=1980s&genre_include=1&include_child_genres=1&genres=hardcore+punk&include_child_genres_chk=1&include=both&origin_countries=&limit=country&countries=united+states">a chart I made</a>, with the make your own chart feature. Instead of just having albums or singles or eps on the chart, I chose the "everything" options. I decided to limit it to the 1980s for comparison with my own 80s list. I selected the genre "hardcore punk". We just called it hardcore in the 80s, but I guess other people have called other subgenres hardcore this or hardcore that, so I'm forced to use the term "hardcore punk" even though that term was never ever in use in my recollection. It sounds dorky. I also selected on ratings by users from the United States.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Here's the top 10 as of October 21st, 2012</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1. Misfits - Misfits</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2. Minor Threat - Complete Discography</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">3. Minor Threat - Minor Threat (1984 compilation with 12 songs)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">4. Dead Kennedys - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">5. Black Flag - The First Four Years</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">6. Minor Threat - Minor Threat (1981 ep with 8 songs)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">7. Dead Kennedys - Holiday in Cambodia/Police Truck</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">8. Husker Du - Zen Arcade</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">9. Descendants - Two Things at Once</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">10. Misfits - Legacy of Brutality</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">It was really interesting to see that 4 of the top 5 releases and 6 of the top 10 are compilations. I think that reflects the uneven nature of hardcore releases and also the difficulty in obtaining some of the rarer singles, such that "best of" collections are necessary if you want all the best songs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Apparently I left the Misfits off of my 1980s list. It's possible I got confused about what was really released in the late 70s versus the early 80s and inadvertently left them off of both lists, or its possible that I just forgot about them because I wasn't really into them during the 1980s. It was an oversight. It happens.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Minor Threat's Salad Days comes in at #3 on my 80s list and Minor Threat's Minor Threat comes in at #43, coming in outside of the top 40 only because of my one-song-per-band-inside-the-top-40 rule. The DK's Holiday in Cambodia is at #25 on my list, and Husker Du's Zen Arcade include my #1 song of the 1980s, Turn on the News.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"> <br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Black Flag's "TV Party" made my top 100, but not my top 40. </span>The Descendants, like the Misfits, got left off of my list. I can see now that the problem is that I've never gotten around to copying Two Things at Once into my iTunes library, which is the starting point of all my lists. I'll fix that today.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">My list had the Bad Brains "I Against I" at #5. Although the Bad Brains, in general, do well on the Rate Your Music list, coming in at #11 with their 1982 release and #28 with their 1983 release, their 1985 release on which "I Against I" is the title track is all the way down at #92.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Minutemen are lower than I think they ought to be at Rate Your Music, and I'm disappointed the Rat Music for Rat People compilation (including my #19 song "Cheap Tragedies" by the Avengers) doesn't show up. I was pleased, on the other hand, to see the Repo Man soundtrack at #25 at Rate Your Music.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Government Issue had 3 songs on my top 500, but none in the top 100, so maybe it's fitting that they don't show up until #255 on the Rate Your Music list. I'm guessing the rankings down that low are more volatile than the rankings at the top, so don't be surprised if it's no longer at #255 if you look for it yourself.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">What's that? You aren't going to look yourself? OK - fine, but you should still <a href="http://rateyourmusic.com/customchart">make your own chart</a>. It's fun, and it's easy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-69741019595666910732012-10-07T12:46:00.000-07:002012-10-07T12:46:56.454-07:00Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Will the People's Choice Get Punk Right?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland is a pretty cool place. The Hall of Fame has gotten a lot wrong, particularly as it moved into the years of potential punk-era inductees, but you don't have to care about the actual inductees to enjoy the Museum. So, I want to be clear that I'm about to start complaining about the Hall and not the Museum.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The Hall of Fame has <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2012/10/04/rock-hall-inductee-fan-vote/1613305/">decided to start giving regular people some votes</a>. I think that will probably help bands like Rush that have big followings and not a lot of critical love, but I don't think it will help punk bands. There's a web site called <a href="http://peoplesrockhall.blogspot.com/">The People's Choice</a> that has been gathering votes from regular people for a bit longer. They've been advancing one year each month rather than one year each year, and as of this writing they're up to 1975.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">In 1975, at the people's choice, we are rapidly approaching the first wave of important and widely known punk bands, and we have already reached the bands that are borderline punk/proto-punk. Let's consider 5 such bands and their chances for the Hall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">1) The New York Dolls - Listen to <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1ChUvX8_cE">Trash</a> from 1973 and tell me it's not punk rock. Unlike the other bands here, the New York Dolls have been nominated and <a href="http://indianapolis.metromix.com/music/standard_photo_gallery/the-10-worst-rock/2840535/photo/2840529">snubbed</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">2) Rocket from the Tombs - Before the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdu3EU6sbng">Dead Boys performed Sonic Reducer</a>, Rocket From the Tombs, featuring some of what would become Pere Ubu, was <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RZLfG_KDLA">playing it in 1975</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">3) Pere Ubu - The fact that the Hall is in Cleveland makes it especially galling that Ubu has <a href="http://www.notinhalloffame.com/index.php/rock-and-roll/item/407-342-pere-ubu">never even been nominated</a>. It was 1976's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VelS-YCtHV4">Final Solution</a> that became a seminal early punk classic, but their first single was 1975's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs3kKHhG4m0">30 Seconds Over Tokyo</a>. They haven't been nominated at the <a href="http://peoplesrockhall.blogspot.com/">People's Choice</a> in the class of 1975. Get over there, and put them in as a write-in like I did.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">4) Death - I didn't know about this band until a few years ago. I know I'm not alone in that. They may not be quite Hall worthy, given that they had so little output, but you have to respect that they were doing <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwehxN2ipCU">this</a> in the mid 70s.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">5) Jonathan Richman - <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnmHgnPPkkQ">This</a> is definitely not proto-punk in the same way as the other 4 bands listed here. The beauty of punk is the way it stripped everything down to basics and still packed a punch. Jonathan was more about the stripping-it-down angle than the packing-a-punch angle, and may have more in common with indie rock than punk as a result. Along with Ubu and The New York Dolls, he's long overdue to enter the Hall.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I'll be honest. I don't have a lot of hope for these bands at either the Hall or the People's Choice. I assume the Ramones and Sex Pistols have a chance at getting in on the first ballot, but I'm interested how The Jam, The Clash, The Buzzcocks, The Cure, and later, Bad Brains, Black Flag, Minor Threat, Minutemen, and Husker Du do in the voting versus their commercially successful contemporaries.</span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-1830274340959728262012-09-30T14:53:00.000-07:002012-09-30T16:10:30.132-07:00Epic Songs Revisited<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my last post, I <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2012/09/five-most-interesting-lists-at.html">commented</a> on how much I liked the idea of an epic songs list, such as <a href="http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_songs-rock-epic.html">the one at DigitalDreamDoor</a>. Not three days later, the allmusic.com blog came out with <a href="http://blog.allmusic.com/2012/09/27/allmusic-playlist-epic-songs/">their own epic song list</a>. Hmmmm.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The allmusic list is much shorter with just one or two picks from several of their writers. They're a lot more interesting picks than the DigitalDreamDoor list, but the DigitialDreamDoor list is a lot more interesting from the point of view of actually ranking the very best epic songs. I started trying to make my own list, and I found I needed to break it out into categories.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Category #1: Classics. These are songs from the 60s and 70s that I would have picked for the top of a list like the DigitalDreamDoor list.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">30) Working Man - Rush (1974, 7:11)<br />
29) Eagle - ABBA (1978, 5:53)<br />
28) Sparkle City - Shuggie Otis (1974, 5:58)<br />
27) Fire On High - Electric Light Orchestra (1975, 5:32)<br />
26) Radar Love - Golden Earring (1973, 6:27)<br />
25) Beginnings - Chicago (1969, 7:51)<br />
24) It's A Rainy Day, Sunshine Girl - Faust (1972, 7:25)<br />
23) Children Of The Sun - Billy Thorpe (1979, 6:45)<br />
22) Celluloid Heroes - Kinks (1972, 6:23)<br />
21) Paradise By The Dashboard Light - Meat Loaf (1977, 8:29)<br />
20) No Agreement - Fela Kuti (1977, 7:52)<br />
19) Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty (1978, 6:01)<br />
18) War Pigs/Luke's Wall - Black Sabbath (1970, 7:58)<br />
17) Interstellar Overdrive - Pink Floyd (1968, 9:41)<br />
16) Come Sail Away - Styx (1977, 6:07)<br />
15) American Pie - Don McLean (1971, 8:37)<br />
14) Hold Your Head Up - Argent (1972, 6:15)<br />
13) Beautiful As The Moon - Terrible As An Army With Banners - Henry Cow (1975,
7:02)<br />
12) Aqualung - Jethro Tull (1971, 6:37)<br />
11) Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973, 9:10)<br />
10) Kashmir - Led Zeppelin (1975, 8:29)<br />
9) A Day In The Life - The Beatles (1967, 5:34)<br />
8) You Can't Always Get What You Want - Rolling Stones (1969, 7:33)<br />
7) Band On The Run - Wings (1973, 5:10)<br />
6) Roundabout - Yes (1972, 8:32)<br />
5) Jungleland - Bruce Springsteen (1975, 9:33)<br />
4) Nights In White Satin - The Moody Blues (1967, 7:30)<br />
3) The End - The Doors (1967, 11:44)<br />
2) Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts I-V) - Pink Floyd (1975, 13:40)<br />
1) Alice's Restaurant Massacre - Arlo Guthrie (1967, 18:37)<br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Category #2: Punk era through the 1980s. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<br />
25) Chichen-Itza Elvis - Copernicus (1987, 7:53)<br />
24) I'm Considering a Move to Memphis - Colorblind James Experience (1987, 6:42)<br />
23) All White People Look Alike - Brian Woodbury (1987, 20:38)<br />
22) How I Learned to Love the Bomb - Television Personalities (1985, 5:07)<br />
21) Tokyo Storm Warning - Elvis Costello & The Attractions (1986, 6:25)<br />
20) Dreams of Sexual Perfection - Fugs (1986, 11:52)<br />
19) Rock And Roll Dreams Come Through - Jim Steinman (1981, 6:27)<br />
18) Sister Europe - Psychedelic Furs (1980, 5:39)<br />
17) How Soon Is Now? - Smiths (1984, 6:46)<br />
16) Two Tribes - Frankie Goes to Hollywood (1984, 7:59)<br />
15) Sweat Loaf - Butthole Surfers (1987, 6:09)<br />
14) Teen Age Riot - Sonic Youth (1988, 6:58)<br />
13) Rock Lobster - The B-52's (1979, 6:51)<br />
12) People Who Died - Jim Carroll Band (1980, 5:00)<br />
11) Porn Wars - Frank Zappa (1985, 12:05)<br />
10) High In a Flat - The Bevis Frond (1988, 7:49)<br />
9) O Superman - Laurie Anderson (1982, 8:25)<br />
8) Marquee Moon - Television (1977, 10:40)<br />
7) Sex Bomb - Flipper (1982, 7:49)<br />
6) Teen Love - No Trend (1984, 7:41)<br />
5) I Believe - Buzzcocks (1979, 7:08)<br />
4) 30 Seconds Over Tokyo - Pere Ubu (1975, 6:25)<br />
3) The Days Of Wine And Roses - The Dream Syndicate (1982, 7:33)<br />
2) Gloria - Patti Smith (1975, 5:55)<br />
1) Bela Lugosi's Dead - Bauhaus (1982, 9:36)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Category #3: The 1990s through the present. I don't know how well this list holds up against the other two. It's the one that needs the most revision.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></span><br />
25) The Frequency - Jets To Brazil (2002, 6:15)<br />
24) Die Arden En Die Mens - Blomkrag (2003, 6:40)<br />
23) Glover - The Aliens (2007, 8:23)<br />
22) L. Frank Baum - Bags (1991, 5:53)<br />
21) We Want War - These New Puritans (2010, 7:23)<br />
20) Two Beautiful Beaches - B-Sides (2001, 5:43)<br />
19) The Good, The Bad And The Queen - The Good, the Bad & the Quee n(2007,
7:00)<br />
18) No Place - Eskimo (1990, 6:10)<br />
17) Emma Blowgun's Last Stand - Beulah (1999, 5:22)<br />
16) Age Of Adz - Sufjan Stevens (2010, 8:00)<br />
15) Home - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (2009, 5:03)<br />
14) I Would Hurt A Fly - Built To Spill (1997, 6:15)<br />
13) Don't Know When But A Day Is Gonna Come - Bright Eyes (2002, 6:32)<br />
12) I Made a Date (With An Open Vein) - Trembling Bells & Bonnie 'Prince'
Billy (2012, 6:34)<br />
11) Ballad Of The Sin Eater - Ted Leo/Pharmacists (2003, 5:20)<br />
10) Inner Meet Me - Beta Band (1997, 6:20)<br />
9) Whiskey & Speed - Josh Fix (2007, 6:21)<br />
8) Pride approaching - Elope (2003, 6:44)<br />
7) One Nail Draws Another - Utotem (1991, 14:58)<br />
6) Wake Up - Arcade Fire (2004, 5:35)<br />
5) Accused of Stealing - The Delgados (2000, 5:42)<br />
4) Lesson 6: The Lecture - Jurassic 5 (1997, 6:35)<br />
3) The Next Messiah - Jenny Lewis (2008, 8:45)<br />
2) Moby Octopad - Yo La Tengo (1997, 5:49)<br />
1) Folk Song - Bongwater (1990, 9:24)</div>
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I didn't have any strict definition of "epic", but I did require that all songs on these lists be at least 5 minutes long. Songs with multiple movements and twists and turns definitely got bonus "epic" points, and some very long very good songs didn't make the list just because.</span></div>
davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-40002630931318535182012-09-23T21:06:00.000-07:002012-09-23T21:07:49.949-07:00Five Most Interesting Lists at DigitalDreamdoor<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you're looking for lists and impressed by sheer quantity, you can't do much better than <a href="http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/music0.html">DigitalDreamDoor</a>. I'm pretty impressed by the quality of their lists as well, but as somebody who obsesses about both the final list and the process (e.g. see list-making interview <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/07/making-of-best-songs-of-decade-list.html">one</a> to <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/07/making-of-best-songs-of-decade-list_12.html">four</a>), I wish I knew a bit more about how they compiled their lists. Here's a list of the five that I found most interesting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#1. <a href="http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_songs-rock-epic.html">Greatest Epic Rock Songs</a> - This is a great idea for a list, and I'm sure this isn't the only one out there. I'm kind of amazed that Bohemian Rhapsody has aged so well in so many people's eyes that it can top this list as opposed to the novelty song list, which is where I probably would have guessed it would have landed 30 years ago. I can't quite figure out Deep Purple coming in at #3, but that was the only major oddity in the top 10.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#2. <a href="http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_songs-Power-Pop.html">Greatest Power Pop Songs</a> - This is an interesting list, largely because the genre isn't really that well defined and means different things to different people. I can't see putting the Beatles in there at #4 because I can't see putting them on the list at all, but I guess since they were such an obvious influence on so many great power pop bands, it's not crazy to include them.... or is it?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#3. <a href="http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_songs-newave.html">Greatest New Wave Songs</a> - I've commented on new wave song lists<a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2011/07/250-greatest-new-wave-songs.html"> previously</a>. This is a really good list. The first major quibble I have didn't come until Level 42 showed up at #24.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#4. <a href="http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_albums-indie.html">Greatest Indie Rock Albums</a> - There's a good bit of overlap between their list and <a href="http://nothingbutgoodthings.blogspot.com/2012/06/top-50-indie-rock-albums.html">mine</a>. Mine, of course, has more obscure choices, and theirs has some artists like the Smiths, that I think ought to belong on some other list instead.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">#5. <a href="http://www.digitaldreamdoor.com/pages/best_country/best_country-alt-songs.html">Greatest Alt-Country Songs</a> - Here's the list with which I have the most disagreements, but I'll confess that I don't know well many of the songs that they ranked ahead of the alt-country songs I like most. The other issue, though, is that I don't think they made great choices for the best song or songs from the artists that I do know well. Maybe I need to get down to business making my own alt-country list.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I was thinking of making another list of the most important lists I thought were missing from DigitalDreamDoor, but I couldn't think of much of anything. I'd like to see a gospel list and they don't have one. I'd like to see a hardcore list (distinct from the punk list). It's really a pretty impressive site for list connoisseurs.</span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-787277849195454680.post-23379598453480431822012-08-31T21:34:00.000-07:002012-08-31T21:35:53.942-07:00Pitchfork's People's List - Are They Embarrassed About All That Radiohead?<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://pitchfork.com/">Pitchfork</a>, one of my favorite music review sites, recently endeavored to create a "people's list" based on a limited-time-only ballot that I somehow missed. It's a list of the best albums over the life of the Pitchfork site through last year (1996-2011). I like <a href="http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/">track lists</a> better than album lists, but I'm still a suck for a reader poll of any variety. The list is now a little hard to find on the Pitchfork website, so I'm wondering if they weren't happy about how the People reflected on their hipster image.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Hidden though they may be now, the people's<a href="http://pitchfork.com/peopleslist/"> votes are in</a>, and the people luuuuuuuuuuuuuv Radiohead. Radiohead shows up 4 times in the top 20, including both the #1 and #2 slots. I really don't know quite what to make of that. I think some of it is that the past 15 years really hasn't been a very good period for the album as an art form and Radiohead really is an album rock band. I'd be curious if there were a Peoples List of tracks if Radiohead would come even close to dominating the top 100 tracks the way they dominate the top 20 albums.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">The people do not, as it turns out, love alt-country. In the top 200, there is no Neko Case, no Old 97s, no Son Volt, and no Waco Brothers. Ryan Adams sneaks in, and I have to say the People really did pick the right <a href="http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/36-heartbreaker/">Ryan Adams record</a>. The people also like Wilco, but they like Yankee Foxtrot Hotel a lot better than Summerteeth, and I can't agree with the People about that. Maybe I'm just hatin' on the People who caught on late, even though Husker Du preaches against that kind of behavior, but I never understood what was so great about Yankee Foxtrot Hotel, apart from Warner Bros effectively having to pay for the record twice. No Neko Case though - really??? Is it just Paste folks who like Neko and not Pitchfork folks?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">There's also no Sloan and no Luna. I think both made their best records in the late 90s, but I know some others think they made their best records before the Pitchfork 1996 cutoff. Maybe neither band is quite right for the Pitchfork crowd. I really would think that the Beta Band would be a Pitchfork band though, and they're nowhere to be found on this list. I wonder if The Three EPs was deemed ineligible on account of being three EPs on one CD. I still would have included a later Beta Band record, but The Three EPs is the obvious missing choice. Also, no Mountain Goats? I hadn't realized how much on the outskirts of the Pitchfork readership I was. Neko Case, Beta Band, and Mountain Goats are probably the 3 most surprising omissions to me, in that order.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">There's still lots of good stuff on this list. I remain a bit surprised by the enduring popularity of Arcade Fire's "Funeral", and I remain pleasantly surprised by the enduring popularity of Neutral Milk Hotel's "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea". I thought TV On the Radio would come in higher than #81, but I can't complain about them having 3 records in the top 200. Similarly, Yo La Tengo's a little further down than I expected, but they do at least show up twice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;">Calexico isn't on the top 200, but if you scroll down to the bottom and stratify by age, you can find them on the distinction index for the 51+ year olds and the 40-somethings. Uh oh. It's almost 10 O'clock. Must be time for us old folk Calexico-likers to hit the sack.</span>davepmillerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16126525810385084002noreply@blogger.com0