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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2013 23:35:46 GMT -5
5. Baba O'Riley (1971)The WhoAn epic rock standard often mistakenly called "Teenage Wasteland." It combines Indian influences with the very best of The Who's powerful classic rock. Inspired by the drug-induced actions of young people at Woodstock, it does everything right, from the synth opening to its anthemlic lyrics to that violin work leading us out of the record. An iconic piece of work.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2013 23:42:16 GMT -5
4. God Only Knows (1966)The Beach BoysRepresenting their Pet Sounds album, one of the best of all-time, is Brian Wilson's masterpiece, "God Only Knows." One of the sweetest, most beautiful love songs ever created. The Beach Boys' harmonies are in full effect. Beginning with the line, "I may not always love you..." it doesn't set out to paint the picture of a perfect relationship, it simply brings up the thought, "God only knows what I'd be without you." It celebrates the impact of that special person without making any promises. One more tonight.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 15, 2013 23:53:22 GMT -5
3. All Along The Watchtower (1968)The Jimi Hendrix ExperienceThe bleak, Bob Dylan-penned classic gained a second life when it was rerecorded in 1968 for Hendrix's Electric Ladyland album. It's not widely understood, and it contains mysterious Biblical allegories that leave the listener cold and worried. Hendrix turned it into a dark, religious experience. The highs and lows can leave knots in your stomach, and he does it at lightspeed. The perfect combination of writer and performer, here at #3. Finishing this thing off tomorrow. Thanks all.
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WotUNeed
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Post by WotUNeed on Jan 16, 2013 0:18:12 GMT -5
7 - Important indeed. I think the fact that this can safely be called Aretha Franklin's signature song speaks volumes, considering she's contributed many an important song (or version of a song) to the popular music canon. This is one of many examples of her mastery of her voice and the piano and her obvious heart full of soul [/Yardbirds].
6 - Years of critical acclaim can't be overlooked. (Translation: Not a fan of the song, but I recognize the appropriateness of this placement.)
5 - Such an awesome selection. Love this song, even though, if you play me the synth part from it in isolation, I'll misidentify it as Styx's "The Grand Illusion", and try to call that song's synth part "Baba O'Riley" almost every time. Guess it's hard for me to keep that pair of epic synthstrumentals straight. Anyway, this is an awesome choice for the remaining Who song, and I'm thrilled to see them get an entry in the top five.
4 - This song is so instant and has a zero burn rate. As you say, much of the charm is that it just has such a sincerity to it. It makes the same promises traditional love songs do, but it captures those feelings in such a way as to make them feel almost jarringly natural, despite the fact that the words are still so deep and the sonic spectrum and harmonies are otherworldly beautiful.
3 - Dylan has been interpreted by many skillfully, but it's hard to argue against this as one of the best renditions of one of his songs. (Not saying I couldn't suggest other rivals in my own mind, but this selection has much going for it.) That it would be Hendrix's biggest mainstream hit is interesting in and of itself, as it almost suggests that tackling Dylan somehow made him more accessible. Given that "accessible" is not an adjective that would typically be applied to the works of Bobby D., I think that goes a long way to not only describing just what kind of ahead-of-his-time genius Hendrix was, but how amazing it is that his legacy is now so widely accepted as one of greatness.
I'll be tuned in tomorrow for what is sure to be a satisfying climax.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2013 0:44:56 GMT -5
Sorry to do this to you, WotUNeed, but I had it typed up and ready to go.
2. What'd I Say (Parts 1 & 2) (1959) Ray Charles
A mixture of love calls and improvisation, this was Ray Charles' masterpiece. In full, it stretched out to almost seven minutes in length. The piano intro is tremendously recognizable, and from there on out, Ray Charles along with the Raelettes and his band never let up, playing around and partying throughout the record. A special moment takes place partway through as Ray stops playing and everyone in the studio persuades him to keep going. From there onward, Ray leads us through a back-and-forth dialogue between himself and the Raelettes, until he ends abruptly with the words, "feel alright." A provocative, skillful record that brought about a new era in pop music.
#1 will be revealed tomorrow.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 16, 2013 0:51:41 GMT -5
I love "A Day in the Life" so much! Great ending to one of the greatest albums of all time! I love everything about it.
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Sean
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Post by Sean on Jan 16, 2013 8:43:16 GMT -5
#7-#3 are just perfect! So happy to see The Who make it to #5! That song is just too good! <3 Awesome to see Ray at #2 too! That song is just wayyyy too amazing and definitely deserves to be high on the list! The first like 4 minutes are freakin' amazing and when you think it can't get any better, it does with the latter half of the song and I loooove it! Gah #1 is sooo soon! So fucking excited and so sad at the same time!
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God
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Crazy y Cubano
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Post by God on Jan 16, 2013 10:49:48 GMT -5
"Like a Prayer" and "A Day in the Life" are... well, I probably shouldn't elaborate on those just yet. The CSI franchise has effectively ruined The Who's music for me but "Baba O'Riley" still manages to remind me of a quip from Freaks and Geeks instead. I'm sad this is ending but I'm looking forward to seeing what your #1 is!
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Vic
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Post by Vic on Jan 16, 2013 11:48:17 GMT -5
A very comprehensive list. You did a great job! I should post my list of all time. Mine would be on a personal level. From 1955 to today with the main focus from about 1977 - 1984. My favourite time in music. I could see about 70% of this list making my chart. I enjoyed the journey. thanks!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2013 0:58:20 GMT -5
7 - Important indeed. I think the fact that this can safely be called Aretha Franklin's signature song speaks volumes, considering she's contributed many an important song (or version of a song) to the popular music canon. This is one of many examples of her mastery of her voice and the piano and her obvious heart full of soul [/Yardbirds]. 6 - Years of critical acclaim can't be overlooked. (Translation: Not a fan of the song, but I recognize the appropriateness of this placement.) 5 - Such an awesome selection. Love this song, even though, if you play me the synth part from it in isolation, I'll misidentify it as Styx's "The Grand Illusion", and try to call that song's synth part "Baba O'Riley" almost every time. Guess it's hard for me to keep that pair of epic synthstrumentals straight. Anyway, this is an awesome choice for the remaining Who song, and I'm thrilled to see them get an entry in the top five. 4 - This song is so instant and has a zero burn rate. As you say, much of the charm is that it just has such a sincerity to it. It makes the same promises traditional love songs do, but it captures those feelings in such a way as to make them feel almost jarringly natural, despite the fact that the words are still so deep and the sonic spectrum and harmonies are otherworldly beautiful. 3 - Dylan has been interpreted by many skillfully, but it's hard to argue against this as one of the best renditions of one of his songs. (Not saying I couldn't suggest other rivals in my own mind, but this selection has much going for it.) That it would be Hendrix's biggest mainstream hit is interesting in and of itself, as it almost suggests that tackling Dylan somehow made him more accessible. Given that "accessible" is not an adjective that would typically be applied to the works of Bobby D., I think that goes a long way to not only describing just what kind of ahead-of-his-time genius Hendrix was, but how amazing it is that his legacy is now so widely accepted as one of greatness. I'll be tuned in tomorrow for what is sure to be a satisfying climax. Thank you! And as I've told you many times, your comments make me so happy. Such agreement, good taste and good discussion. Glad you like the Who choice, and glad it makes up for a Beatles choice you're not in agreement with. I love "A Day in the Life" so much! Great ending to one of the greatest albums of all time! I love everything about it. Awesome! I agree wholeheartedly. :) #7-#3 are just perfect! So happy to see The Who make it to #5! That song is just too good! <3 Awesome to see Ray at #2 too! That song is just wayyyy too amazing and definitely deserves to be high on the list! The first like 4 minutes are freakin' amazing and when you think it can't get any better, it does with the latter half of the song and I loooove it! Gah #1 is sooo soon! So f**king excited and so sad at the same time! Don't be sad! :) I'll be up in your face with more of this nonsense soon enough. "Like a Prayer" and "A Day in the Life" are... well, I probably shouldn't elaborate on those just yet. The CSI franchise has effectively ruined The Who's music for me but "Baba O'Riley" still manages to remind me of a quip from Freaks and Geeks instead. I'm sad this is ending but I'm looking forward to seeing what your #1 is! I'm happy that you've enjoyed this whole thing, as I respect your taste and appreciation for music. Your elaborations are something I look forward to. A very comprehensive list. You did a great job! I should post my list of all time. Mine would be on a personal level. From 1955 to today with the main focus from about 1977 - 1984. My favourite time in music. I could see about 70% of this list making my chart. I enjoyed the journey. thanks! Thank you! And I'd love to see such a list! :)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 17, 2013 1:30:34 GMT -5
Well, the time has come. I was going to offer some closing thoughts beforehand, but I'll go ahead and get this out of the way first. Drumroll, close your eyes and hold out your hands, prepare for extreme disappointment, whatever you want to do.
1. The Boxer (1969) Simon & Garfunkel
To compile this list, I came up with a list of over 1,000 songs, that was pared down to 500. Those 500 were ranked and eliminated until it came down to just ten songs. I struggled to rank those ten. I'll be honest, "Like A Prayer" was an easy choice for #10. But as for #1, I switched things around quite a bit, over and over again. Three of the top ten songs occupied the top spot at one point or another- the others being "A Day In The Life" and "God Only Knows."
I bring this up because it seems the #1 position was destined to go to a 1960s rock song, and if you look over this entire countdown, it's clear that the 1960s dominated it. Why is that? Well, maybe it's because we are conditioned to think that the 1960s were the greatest period in popular music. Rolling Stone and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame would certainly support that argument. Maybe it's because rock and roll was still a fresh new invention at that point? There was a lot to invent at the time, and if we are looking at innovation in popular music, it's natural that the start would be frontloaded with a lot of milestones. And, after all, this list is set up to represent only the "rock era." Nothing earlier than 1954 made the list. When I decided to make this the condition for choosing songs, Ruth Brown's "Mama He Treats Your Daughter Mean" was thrown out, as were some classics by Hank Williams and Louis Jordan.
It helps, of course, that I relate to so much of the music of the 1960s. It seems that the 1960s offered so much variety in popular music- from the British invasion artists to Motown to the folk-rock revolution and the psychedelic influences on music. It is no secret that I gravitate toward folk music and singer-songwriters when listening to music in general. This, of course, factored into the choice for the #1 song on this countdown.
Simon & Garfunkel fit perfectly in that wheelhouse that I've just described to you. An incredibly influential and respected singer-songwriter (Paul Simon), and a powerful, authentic voice (Art Garfunkel), as a duo, created some of the greatest music of all-time.
What makes "The Boxer" so wonderful, can't be summed up easily, but I think I can give you two distinct reasons: the production, and the relatability of the lyrics.
The lyrics paint a picture of a desperate, lonely man, a boxer, trying hard just to survive a life of poverty and brutal work, not able to find any job other than the one that takes a toll on his physical and mental health. If you don't listen too closely to the lyrics, its easy to think of the song as describing anyone trying to survive the harsh realities of life. It is brilliant in this regard, as it tells such a vivid story while still letting the listener take what they choose from it.
It is complemented by orchestration that builds and builds to a powerful climax. It's almost like a thunderstorm- signifying the brutal end of a hard fight. And you have to wonder, is the "fight" a metaphor for life itself? What does "I am leaving, I am leaving but the fighter still remains" indicate? I have my opinions, but I've said enough.
Thanks.
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Sean
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Post by Sean on Jan 17, 2013 8:55:28 GMT -5
Holy fuck I love this song!!!! So happy right now! Absolutely amazing and flawless countdown Landmarx!! The work you put into this is absolutely incredible and I loved being able to see your amazing taste in music and preferences! There was quite a few surprises on here that were really nice to see, but I loved being introduced to a bunch of new music I've never heard before you posted the song. So thank you for everything! You're always too perfect!! <3
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horchata
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Post by horchata on Jan 17, 2013 17:07:34 GMT -5
This list as a whole has been so great to follow! Your musical taste is so varied and just stretches all over the place which is lovely. Literally why were you shafted from most eclectic idgi. I also have loved your personal commentary and appreciate the time you took to do this list. So many great songs have been listed and even a few new discoveries for me. Really, I sincerely loved following this and look forward to the 90s list and whatever future lists that may also come to the table from you.
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God
4x Platinum Member
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Post by God on Jan 17, 2013 17:14:46 GMT -5
I don't know very many Simon & Garfunkel songs so I'm grateful to you for introducing me to "The Boxer" as well as literally hundreds of other songs I'd never heard before. Again, I'm sad this is over but I'm looking forward to your next one!
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WotUNeed
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Deacon Blues
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Post by WotUNeed on Jan 17, 2013 19:34:15 GMT -5
Sorry to do this to you, WotUNeed, but I had it typed up and ready to go. LOL, I'm good. Glad you like the Who choice, and glad it makes up for a Beatles choice you're not in agreement with. There was nothing that needed to be made up for! It'd be impossible to put together any kind of list with this sort of breadth and not include at least one or two songs which weren't my favorites. My opinion of a song doesn't completely color my view of its artistic merits; I mean it when I say that I think the song merits the placement you gave it despite the fact that it's not one of my top Beatles songs. Can't argue against one of Brother Ray's most enduring classics in the runner-up spot. It's great and amazingly fresh all these years later. "The Boxer" is an intriguing choice for #1. There are two major ways to evaluate lyrics: one can evaluate based on the story being communicated, and one can evaluate them based simply on diction and the ways various words are strung together. Personally, there are songs I like that do both very well, but my favorite songs are generally stronger in the latter category of having particularly interesting or euphonious ways of manipulating language. That said, I can't knock a song with a great or interesting plot either. All of that leads to the point I wanted to make: "The Boxer" masters both of these elements. There's a story here, but the way it's told is far from just straight forward narrative. Paul Simon has always been a gifted lyricist, and I agree with you about Garfunkel's voice being a major (and, in my opinion, sometimes underrated) asset. Clearly, I appreciate your choice for this song to reign atop this list. I like your thoughts on just why the 1960s are prominent on this list and others of its nature. And naturally, I very much enjoyed following this. Wonderful, wonderful. You did well. Thank you the effort and for sharing the results of your labor with us.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2013 2:35:47 GMT -5
Ugh. You four. Holy f**k I love this song!!!! So happy right now! Absolutely amazing and flawless countdown Landmarx!! The work you put into this is absolutely incredible and I loved being able to see your amazing taste in music and preferences! There was quite a few surprises on here that were really nice to see, but I loved being introduced to a bunch of new music I've never heard before you posted the song. So thank you for everything! You're far too kind as always! I've very much looked forward to your comments, and I am truly honored that you've enjoyed it. You're pretty awesome, yourself, Sean. This list as a whole has been so great to follow! Your musical taste is so varied and just stretches all over the place which is lovely. Literally why were you shafted from most eclectic idgi. I also have loved your personal commentary and appreciate the time you took to do this list. So many great songs have been listed and even a few new discoveries for me. Really, I sincerely loved following this and look forward to the 90s list and whatever future lists that may also come to the table from you. I'm extremely happy that you've enjoyed it. Your opinion is one I value highly. The positive feedback is appreciated very much. <3 <3 <3 As for the PMA shout-out, I could certainly say the same for you. I don't know very many Simon & Garfunkel songs so I'm grateful to you for introducing me to "The Boxer" as well as literally hundreds of other songs I'd never heard before. Again, I'm sad this is over but I'm looking forward to your next one! Your presence as I've done this has been greatly appreciated. You're wonderful. And thank you as always. I'm glad you enjoyed. And I need you to do another one of these things at some point. Kthxbye. "The Boxer" is an intriguing choice for #1. There are two major ways to evaluate lyrics: one can evaluate based on the story being communicated, and one can evaluate them based simply on diction and the ways various words are strung together. Personally, there are songs I like that do both very well, but my favorite songs are generally stronger in the latter category of having particularly interesting or euphonious ways of manipulating language. That said, I can't knock a song with a great or interesting plot either. All of that leads to the point I wanted to make: "The Boxer" masters both of these elements. There's a story here, but the way it's told is far from just straight forward narrative. Paul Simon has always been a gifted lyricist, and I agree with you about Garfunkel's voice being a major (and, in my opinion, sometimes underrated) asset. Clearly, I appreciate your choice for this song to reign atop this list. I like your thoughts on just why the 1960s are prominent on this list and others of its nature. And naturally, I very much enjoyed following this. Wonderful, wonderful. You did well. Thank you the effort and for sharing the results of your labor with us. And as for you, sir. You always seem to expand on things better than I ever could, which I f**king adore. But you know my feelings so I'll keep it family-friendly here. The fact that you've been so interested in this and following intently means a ton to me. Thank you! <3
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 18, 2013 3:05:44 GMT -5
It's been fun, friends! Now I feel like I have nothing more to contribute to PMB. Y'all have been too nice, seriously. Any future list will either make you all sick of me, or expose some serious flaws. Either way, it's a lose-lose situation. But I'll do it anyway. Do you people even like me? Why do I spend so much time here? Whatever.
I honestly didn't think anyone would respond to this thing. But since then this section of the forum has exploded, which has been really awesome to see. Lots of wonderful procrastination reading material.
I've got to rip off lolhey thank all of the folks who contributed to this thing (WotUNeed, God, lolhey, sthomas90, jazzysoul., Slizzard, josh, Trombones13, Royalty Stan, Envoirment, hitseeker., Heartbreak./that one spice girl, ry4n, B-Boy, jback, Gravity., drag27, Vic, JessieLou among you, in no particular order). Y'all are now on my Christmas card list or something. And I'm sure I missed a person or two, which I'll assure you isn't my intention.
And it only took two months to do! Not counting that month-long break I took for some reason.
To be totally serious and honest for second, and to get a little personal with you all (a rare thing for someone who only allows their real name to go out in PM conversations), I'd like to thank everyone on Pulse for allowing me to chat about music with you. Or at the very least, thanks for humoring me. Cheers.
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Sean
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Post by Sean on Jan 18, 2013 8:44:05 GMT -5
Do you people even like me? No. :kii: Lol, seriously though, thanks for letting me be a part of this perfect countdown! I enjoyed it so much! And I'm so fucking excited for the 90s list now!!! Gah! You're my fave! <3 Oh, and I expect a Christmas card now.... xoxo
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Post by josh on Jan 18, 2013 12:35:32 GMT -5
So many songs I don't know. Gotta listen to some later. :)
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hitseeker.
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Post by hitseeker. on Jan 23, 2013 16:56:49 GMT -5
I'll just say this Landmarx: thank you very much for this brilliant thread. Really, thanks, so many great songs for me to discover!
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Envoirment
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Post by Envoirment on Jan 24, 2013 8:09:00 GMT -5
I really enjoyed the countdown! Thanks so much for doing it and thanks for showing us so many amazing songs.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2014 1:38:17 GMT -5
Coming June 2014
the "legend" continues...
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 20, 2014 17:51:03 GMT -5
How long did it take you to make this list?
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