WotUNeed
2x Platinum Member
Deacon Blues
Joined: April 2010
Posts: 2,935
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Post by WotUNeed on Jul 31, 2014 19:38:13 GMT -5
Catching up on this is my priority number one for the evening. So, then, to business:
590 - Connie Francis <3 Does not get the respect she deserves. She's one of those early artists who has no prayer of getting into the Rock Hall, but whose absence sucks. Great song. 589 - Can't argue the choice. Not necessarily one of my favorite songs of all time, but it's well written and the message was (and still is) important. 588 - Excellent. Hard to pick wrong with classic Temps. 587 - Not a pick I would have guessed for Run-D.M.C., but I can't fault the selection. 586 - I go back and forth on solo Simon. Sometimes, I love hearing him do more of the epic style he originated with S&G, like this, but other times, I think I appreciate the songs which are more distinctively his solo things. Nonetheless, great selection. 585 - The Zombies fucking rock and this is no exception. 584 - Yay Roxy Music. Oddly, I tend to be drawn more to some of their later tracks, but this one is cool. 583 - May have heard this before, but if so, I don't remember it. Very identifiably early '90s, eh? Sounds decent; would have to listen to it a few more times to decide just how cool I think it is as a song, but I give it major creativity points for inclusion here. 582 - Very cool song from Mr. Domino. Classic. 581 - Does not ever age. Does not ever burn. Not even remotely. 580 - Moondance is a strong album all around. Lovely track. 579 - Smooth. Not a song I'd spin kill or anything, but I get why it's here. 578 - I feel like I listened to this for something else you did, but I had to listen again because I couldn't recall its sound by name. But yes, recognized after it got into it and it's still a great song. 577 - Nothing at all to add here, but nice to see the song get recognized. 576 - Yep. It's a strong, strong song even in its original arrangement, but the Billy Stewart rendition rightfully became the hit of its time. Amazing. 575 - One of those acts I know I should look into more and never quite get around to. Very good song and glad to see Siouxsie represented. 574 - In their strong catalogue of hits, this is still easily one of my favorites. The 5th Dimension did a nice take on it as well, but can't beat the 3DN version. 573 - Only enjoy "Spill the Wine" in moderation, but hard to deny that, for about a decade, War epitomized a certain style and bridged a gap between mainstream and experimental that few could do as consistently as they could. 572 - Can't add anything to what you said, but a great song. 571 - YES! Classic. I only know a few Bland songs, but this one and "Ain't Nothing You Can Do" from a decade earlier are two that are undeniable. 570 - No stranger to acclaim, and yet deserves every mention it gets. 569 - Duane Eddy is appreciated in certain circles, but he really should be better remembered with the general public. 568 - James Brown was an insane genius, and both the insanity and the genius continued to shine throughout his career. 567 - Love it. Another song that sounds fresh every time I hear it. 566 - Probably one of the hip-hop tracks of the period that will continue to endure. 565 - Another "yeah, what you already said" entry. 564 - I get why people like Al Stewart, but he's never done anything for me. Fair selection, though. 563 - Classic Janet; all that need be said. 562 - Loved it more when it first came out than I do now, but really, hard to go wrong with most Killers tracks IMO. 561 - Lovely song and oooh look my name is here so this post has to be good.
Yay. Caught up for the moment.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2014 23:02:42 GMT -5
Catching up on this is my priority number one for the evening. So, then, to business: 590 - Connie Francis <3 Does not get the respect she deserves. She's one of those early artists who has no prayer of getting into the Rock Hall, but whose absence sucks. Great song. 589 - Can't argue the choice. Not necessarily one of my favorite songs of all time, but it's well written and the message was (and still is) important. 588 - Excellent. Hard to pick wrong with classic Temps. 587 - Not a pick I would have guessed for Run-D.M.C., but I can't fault the selection. 586 - I go back and forth on solo Simon. Sometimes, I love hearing him do more of the epic style he originated with S&G, like this, but other times, I think I appreciate the songs which are more distinctively his solo things. Nonetheless, great selection. 585 - The Zombies f**king rock and this is no exception. 584 - Yay Roxy Music. Oddly, I tend to be drawn more to some of their later tracks, but this one is cool. 583 - May have heard this before, but if so, I don't remember it. Very identifiably early '90s, eh? Sounds decent; would have to listen to it a few more times to decide just how cool I think it is as a song, but I give it major creativity points for inclusion here. 582 - Very cool song from Mr. Domino. Classic. 581 - Does not ever age. Does not ever burn. Not even remotely. 580 - Moondance is a strong album all around. Lovely track. 579 - Smooth. Not a song I'd spin kill or anything, but I get why it's here. 578 - I feel like I listened to this for something else you did, but I had to listen again because I couldn't recall its sound by name. But yes, recognized after it got into it and it's still a great song. 577 - Nothing at all to add here, but nice to see the song get recognized. 576 - Yep. It's a strong, strong song even in its original arrangement, but the Billy Stewart rendition rightfully became the hit of its time. Amazing. 575 - One of those acts I know I should look into more and never quite get around to. Very good song and glad to see Siouxsie represented. 574 - In their strong catalogue of hits, this is still easily one of my favorites. The 5th Dimension did a nice take on it as well, but can't beat the 3DN version. 573 - Only enjoy "Spill the Wine" in moderation, but hard to deny that, for about a decade, War epitomized a certain style and bridged a gap between mainstream and experimental that few could do as consistently as they could. 572 - Can't add anything to what you said, but a great song. 571 - YES! Classic. I only know a few Bland songs, but this one and "Ain't Nothing You Can Do" from a decade earlier are two that are undeniable. 570 - No stranger to acclaim, and yet deserves every mention it gets. 569 - Duane Eddy is appreciated in certain circles, but he really should be better remembered with the general public. 568 - James Brown was an insane genius, and both the insanity and the genius continued to shine throughout his career. 567 - Love it. Another song that sounds fresh every time I hear it. 566 - Probably one of the hip-hop tracks of the period that will continue to endure. 565 - Another "yeah, what you already said" entry. 564 - I get why people like Al Stewart, but he's never done anything for me. Fair selection, though. 563 - Classic Janet; all that need be said. 562 - Loved it more when it first came out than I do now, but really, hard to go wrong with most Killers tracks IMO. 561 - Lovely song and oooh look my name is here so this post has to be good. Yay. Caught up for the moment. Apt as always! <3 Time for another set.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2014 23:28:51 GMT -5
560 SUFFRAGETTE CITY David Bowie
Released: 1972 album: The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (1972)
Bowie at his glam rock best - Wham Bam, Thank You Ma'am.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2014 23:31:29 GMT -5
559 MONEY (THAT'S WHAT I WANT) Barrett Strong
Released: 1960 album: single (1960)
A landmark gold-digging single from one of Motown's first stars and one of their greatest songwriters.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2014 23:34:56 GMT -5
558 NEVER SAID Liz Phair
Released: 1993 album: Exile in Guyville (1993)
It's hard to pick a defining track from one of the greatest albums of the 1990s, so let's be pedestrian and pick the lead single. Everyone sing along - "IIIII-IIIII-IIIII never said nothing..."
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2014 23:41:47 GMT -5
557 I GOT A NAME Jim Croce
Released: 1973 album: I Got a Name (1973)
Released as a single just one day after the 30 year-old singer-songwriter died in a plane crash, this song still serves as an anthem for individuality and freedom to be yourself.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2014 23:45:59 GMT -5
556 BORN IN CHICAGO The Paul Butterfield Blues Band
Released: 1965 album: The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (1965)
Renowned blues musician Paul Butterfield's defining track, and a blues-rock essential.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2014 23:52:03 GMT -5
555 DISCO INFERNO The Trammps
Released: 1976 album: Disco Inferno (1976)
It's quintessential disco. Actually, backtrack. It's QUINTESSENTIAL DISCO. all caps. It still brings the motherfucking party out whenever this track blows up. Burn baby burn - What more can you say?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 2, 2014 23:56:08 GMT -5
554 TONIGHT, TONIGHT The Smashing Pumpkins
Released: 1995 album: Melon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (1995)
The pumpkins had a unique grunge-goth hybrid sound within the 90s alt landscape, and this theatrical, symphonic track is symbolic of their place within rock history.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 0:00:54 GMT -5
553 SO LONG, MARIANNE Leonard Cohen
Released: 1967 album: Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967)
A love poem to a real-life love in Cohen's life. More upbeat than standard Leonard Cohen fare, it comjures images of simple countryside living and romance. Just another blip within the brilliant catalogue of one of history's greatest songwriters.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 0:07:15 GMT -5
552 SCENARIO A Tribe Called Quest
Released: 1991 album: The Low End Theory (1991)
One of hip-hop's greatest acts released The Low End Theory in 1991 and changed the game in the process. This track, featuring Busta Rhymes and Leaders of the New School, is a highlight.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 0:11:24 GMT -5
551 THE WEAKNESS IN ME Joan Armatrading
Released: 1981 album: Walk Under Ladders (1981)
It's difficult to find a more honest, vulnerable voice within the popular landscape than Joan Armatrading. To have such an artist tackle the subjects of sadness, guilt, loneliness? It's too much to handle.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 0:15:14 GMT -5
550 TIME IS ON MY SIDE Irma Thomas
Released: 1964 album: Wish Someone Would Care (1964)
Soul legend Irma Thomas recorded this rock classic, tinged with gospel and blues influences before the Rolling Stones made it a hit. Thomas' version, however, remains a masterpiece.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 0:20:38 GMT -5
549 INTO MY ARMS Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Released: 1997 album: The Boatman's Call (1997)
What Cave did with this song was remarkable in its sincerity. He manages to take ramblings on atheist beliefs and turn them on a dime, questioning his foundation in an effort to understand the beauty of love. Gorgeous. Profound. Life-changing.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 0:24:47 GMT -5
548 YOU DON'T OWN ME Lesley Gore
Released: 1963 album: Lesley Gore Sings of Mixed-Up Hearts (1963)
From 1960s pop diva Lesley Gore, this was a feminist anthem, let's be honest here. It's about not parading a girl around, not telling her what to do and say - sadly, it was ahead of its time.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 0:29:05 GMT -5
547 I FOUGHT THE LAW The Bobby Fuller Four
Released: 1965 album: I Fought the Law (1966)
Originally by the Crickets and later covered by the Clash, it was tragic rock star Bobby Fuller's version that would become a classic and frighteningly symbolic - Fuller died just a couple months after this single hit big, and his murder has never been solved.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 0:33:00 GMT -5
546 BASTARDS OF YOUNG The Replacements
Released: 1985 album: Tim (1985)
Amazing 1980s college rock from the highly influential Replacements. The song was everything the era strived to be about - freedom, youth and abandon.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 0:37:48 GMT -5
545 NIGHTSHIFT Commodores
Released: 1985 album: Nightshift (1985)
Same release year as the previous entry, but a complete change of pace. Post-Lionel Richie Commodores sounds boring, no? Well, they took sentiment and put it in headlock, releasing this single lamenting the recent passings of Marvin Gaye and Jackie Wilson, but managed to create something that was not only in great taste, but a damn good song. It's a masterclass in creating a worthy tribute.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 0:42:17 GMT -5
544 IT HURTS TO BE IN LOVE Gene Pitney
Released: 1964 album: It Hurts to Be in Love and Eleven More Hit Songs (1964)
I would have had posters of Gene Pitney all over my walls if I had grown up during his era. Fucking adorable. So, while I could have spotlighted a vocal gem like "Town Without Pity," I instead went with an underrated teen pop jam that perfectly captures the rock era as the Beatles crept in.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 0:45:37 GMT -5
543 I KNOW YOU GOT SOUL Eric B. & Rakim
Released: 1987 album: Paid in Full (1987)
Sampled, sampled and sampled again. From M/A/R/R/S to Aaliyah, this track has certainly made its presence known over the years. But that's not to say it doesn't stand on its own, as it certainly paints Rakim as one of the finest MC's of all-time.
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Let's end there tonight but I am going to launch another big set at you tomorrow morning.
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WotUNeed
2x Platinum Member
Deacon Blues
Joined: April 2010
Posts: 2,935
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Post by WotUNeed on Aug 3, 2014 0:48:20 GMT -5
560 - Another selection that never gets old. Song fits with the other glam stuff happening in the early '70s, but it does have a certain quality that justifies its endurance while many of its contemporaries faded. Can't say just what it is. 559 - Another Motown classic. Great song, and I love "landmark gold-digging single" as a descriptor. That phrase brought "First I Look at the Purse" to mind, which is another song that makes me happy, so yay. 558 - Another album where it's not hard to find a great track. Pedestrian selection or not, it's a deserving one. 557 - One of Croce's finest, and that's saying a lot, considering his catalogue. The man had a way with words. Another song whose message was timely upon release and never stopped being relevant. 556 - Oddly, while I always keep John Mayall in mind as someone at the forefront of his movement, I tend to forget about Butterfield, despite him basically being the American equivalent. Nice selection and well played on spotlighting him. 555 - All of my thoughts are in your post so I'll just say another great selection. 554 - One of their best. Pumpkins catalogue is spotty for me, but this falls definitively on the good side. 553 - Leonard fuckin' Cohen. Always welcome. Brilliant song from a brilliant album amongst many brilliant albums from a brilliant singer-songwriter. 552 - Innovative act, brilliant track. 551 - Any Joan Armatrading exposure is positive exposure. She seems like one of those artists where anyone who takes the time to listen to her appreciates the fact that she's completely amazing, but far too few people take the time to listen to her. Admittedly, she's another who I want to check out more thoroughly than I have, and yet, nonetheless, I connect passionately with others who treat her well, which just goes to show how much impact her music has on open listeners. 550 - Just seeing the name Irma Thomas made me want to blow a proverbial load, because seriously, another name that does not crop up on lists of this nature nearly as much as it should. Given what I know of your musical preferences, I would have guessed that, if any track of hers made, it would've been "Anyone Who Knows What Love Is (Will Understand)", but, clearly, I'm totally cool with seeing this here. Excellent selection. 549 - Couldn't recall it offhand; had to take a listen. Excellent. Everything you said. 548 - Great song, but let's be real, she is one of the least likely to be considered a women's rights advocate when she built a career off of songs like "It's My Party", "Judy's Turn to Cry", "My Town, My Guy, and Me", etc. etc. Song was ahead of its time, but the artist was generally behind her own. 547 - Another in the songs that never burn category. '60s classic, oldies staple, and manages to not seem overexposed. Great song. 546 - Oh, fuck. One of my favorite music videos of all time. These lyrics... they are everything to me. This song is so... yeah. Legit get emotional even trying to explain why this song is special, so suffice it to say I'm happy to see it. 545 - A nice tribute that sonically dates itself somewhat, but I get why it's here. 544 - I love Gene Pitney, and this song is amongst my favorites of his. OMG, the lyrics, the delivery... this song is perfect. If I had to rank Pitney faves, this probably would get edged out for #1, but easily rank top five. 543 - Paid in Full is another album where any track picked would have been worthy of inclusion. No exception here. Loving the choice. Cool that you spotlighted the fact that it's lived on through samples throughout the year, but I do feel the need to emphasize the fact that the track itself would've remained great even in isolation; that so many other artists recognized its greatness and incorporated it into their own tracks is gravy.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 17:49:40 GMT -5
542 BORN UNDER A BAD SIGN Albert King
Released: 1967 album: Born Under a Bad Sign (1967)
Master blues guitarist Albert King's signature tune, co-written by Booker T. Jones of Booker T. & The M.G.'s, is as potent today as when it was released in 1967.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 17:52:47 GMT -5
541 Me Myself And I De La Soul
Released: 1988 album: 3 Feet High and Rising (1989)
A fun and funky hip-hop classic that speaks for itself.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 17:55:24 GMT -5
540 JUST LIKE HONEY The Jesus and Mary Chain
Released: 1985 album: Psychocandy (1985)
An alt classic from one of the genre's greatest groups - it set the standard for the "Indie love song you always hear in hipster movies."
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 18:00:49 GMT -5
539 MR. BOJANGLES Nitty Gritty Dirt Band
Released: 1970 album: Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy (1970)
This is one of those songs where you need to take some time and decide which version to include. Jerry Jeff Walker wrote it and recorded it originally, and the Dirt Band had the most success with it. But this tribute to real-life Jim Crow-era minstrel show performer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson has been covered by everyone from Nina Simone to John Denver. It's a slice of Americana, of history and Civil Rights commentary, and life itself.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 18:04:19 GMT -5
538 GIVE IN TO ME Michael Jackson
Released: 1991 album: Dangerous (1991)
Jackson's best rock ballad, and featuring Slash on guitar. It's dark, powerful, and showed just how much range MJ had.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 18:08:34 GMT -5
537 PUBLIC IMAGE Public Image Ltd
Released: 1978 album: Public Image: First Issue (1978)
The Sex Pistols' John Lydon formed PiL and wrote this track as a "diary entry" on his time with his former group - feelings of being unappreciated, pandering to their manager, and general dissatisfaction with his media image.
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Post by ListenToItTwice on Aug 3, 2014 18:08:43 GMT -5
BLESS YOU for including "Into My Arms," "Into the Aeroplane Over the Sea," and "Who's Sorry Now." ~this list!!!!!!~
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 18:11:42 GMT -5
536 BACK TO BLACK Amy Winehouse
Released: 2006 album: Back to Black (2006)
Never in music history have we been given such a striking musical and video eulogy to an artist, and with such advance notice. It's hard to take in, but it left an incredible impact.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 3, 2014 18:15:59 GMT -5
535 O-O-H CHILD The Five Stairsteps
Released: 1970 album: Stairsteps (1970)
This is one of those songs that pop culture will *never* let us forget. Whether it's a commercial, an SNL skit, or a major movie soundtrack, it will always be in rotation. And that's because it is universally appealing and meaningful. There's no one out there who doesn't want to hear the words, "things are gonna get easier, things will get brighter. No one.
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