Zach
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Post by Zach on Jun 1, 2016 23:31:43 GMT -5
Yeah not saying I particularly agree with the placement and rating of some of the songs already posted, but I am aware of some of the common faults people find in those songs are those faults are legitimate so I completely respect your opinion. In some cases for me I find positives in some of those songs which outweigh the faults, but that's just me. Can't wait to see the rest.
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THINKIN BOUT YOU
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 1, 2016 23:40:07 GMT -5
74. Post to Be -- Omarion featuring Chris Brown and Jhené Aiko It does fit to have a video with white backdrop because this song just sounds so sanitized and bleached. The beat and melody riffs make it so much like being lost in a huge, completely white and bleached room listening to the window ringing up some nostalgic synthesizer sounds with air. The performers sound auto-tuned and bring off yet another booty-themed sex anthem as if it's "post to be" that. It really speaks for itself. TIER: 40-49 - MEH 73. One Last Time -- Ariana Grande It's a dancy basic-sounding EDM-light song, and the melody riff goes on and on sweetly haunting the pre-apocalyptic world (relationship) with a sense of comfort and sugary dreamland kind of muffled surrealism performed by someone possessing hope, guilt and a dulcet voice. It's almost too sweet and even nauseating for a music video that makes people's heart pound in thrills or worse, goose bumps. TIER: 40-49 - MEH 72. El Perdón Nicky Jam and Enrique Iglesias I don't speak Spanish, so I'm like half-deaf when tuning to this song. Through translation I loosely learned that such an emotion-propelled song is about a relationship not approved by a parent and now the guy is suffering learning the girl is almost married to someone else. The delivery not that dramatic but still fair, and I especially enjoy that flute sound that appears about twice that really drives emotions up. Other than that, the guitar slicks, the dull drums and some occasional strings produce an effort that's good for release and listening for sure, but it still lacks something to be really considered good. TIER: 40-49 - MEH
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THINKIN BOUT YOU
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 1, 2016 23:52:25 GMT -5
71. Honey, I'm Good. -- Andy Grammer This song sounds a little different from others, I learned that it's performed under "two minim beats per bar" which is a fairly quick tempo. The central theme is monogamy and it's almost impressive to me how douchebaggy his chipmunk voice, which is kind of arousal to me, makes it sound like. But it's loads of fun, it's like a festival of staying true, and the vocal harmony and doubling really make it sound progressive, though there's not much of a powerful crescendo here, instead just the same babbling hook that builds up each time until it's bringing enough joy to listeners. Good to be alive (hallelujah) much? TIER: 40-49 - MEH
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THINKIN BOUT YOU
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 2, 2016 0:39:06 GMT -5
70. Lean On -- Major Lazer and DJ Snake featuring MØ I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD DISAGREE WITH THIS RANKING I want to give this song a higher rank, and I want to give this song a lower rank. I want to love this song, and I want to hate this song. So conflicting. The lyrics does sound exciting especially from a nearly excellent delivery from MØ who makes everything sound so punchy and like high-profile siren. But the drop... really speaks for the name "DJ Snake", as it sounds like a snake wiggling and dancing really awkwardly. But I'm still mad why they can't repeat the drop for one more time at last, because now it ends with the pre-hook that drives your nerve up high but builds up to nothing. TIER: 40-49 - MEH
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Zach
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Post by Zach on Jun 2, 2016 1:12:06 GMT -5
Lean On at 70th and 5/10? *cries so hard*
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THINKIN BOUT YOU
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 2, 2016 17:39:26 GMT -5
Lean On at 70th and 5/10? *cries so hard* I'm sorry if you're upset. But in my preference and opinion, this song really can't be any higher. I already kind of got it above the bottom thirty. I didn't think it's an artistic masterpiece when I first heard this song, nor will I now, but I had a different scoring system back then, so it might be six out of ten last year, but now it's a mediocre five out of ten.
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THINKIN BOUT YOU
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 2, 2016 17:45:44 GMT -5
Again, Lean On is one of the most overrated songs that take the attention away from the real gems, e.g. another DJ Snake song that peaked at no.13 last year which I'll get to when it's time for the real wonderful stuff. That's one of the reasons why I particularly find Lean On annoying, like, it really doesn't deserve the attention and wide acclaim it got. You know the drop is just a vocal sample from a "vengeance sample pack" or whatever it's called that I found and you can just buy those samples at some relatively low prices. It's not even an impressive sample, sounding like a snake twisting its body like I mentioned.
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THINKIN BOUT YOU
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 2, 2016 17:46:56 GMT -5
I'm serious when putting some songs that other people or even critics like in a low position. I know the ranking may have its limitations, but at least it won't be far off. A mediocre song to me is a mediocre song to me. 5/10 is far from wonderful
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THINKIN BOUT YOU
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 2, 2016 18:20:45 GMT -5
69. Locked Away -- R. City featuring Adam Levine It hovers upon the down-to-earth themes of poverty, loyalty, doubt and uncertainties of life and all. R. City's delivery feels very real and from heart, that's why the verses feel more impressive and have a tinge of tragic drama than the Adam Levine's comparatively flavorless hook. This song has potential to be better, but now it's another formulaic product which for some reason has to open with the least impressive part--the chorus. In most instances I would hate it when they put hook in the beginning for it's redundant and like what a generic pop song would do and debilitating the song as a whole, but there are a few instances I don't mind it that much which we'll get to, but this is just not the one. It's one of the examples in which trying to be different doesn't mean it's wonderful. It's a reggae fusion and dance hall song (but much more lackluster than Work, right?), and I have no idea where the accent came from, but it's not really bringing this song up a lot. My favorite part of it is the pre-hook (though a little too melodramatic when it says "would you die for me", but with the chords playing, and the drums drive up a rhythmic kind of feel, I can almost feel it's clouding up for the eventual rain. But again, Adam's chorus is just underwhelming. TIER: 40-49 - MEH
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 2, 2016 18:41:33 GMT -5
68. All About That Bass -- Meghan Trainor Of Meghan Trainor's first three singles of Title, this one is by far the most commercially successful and not for a bad reason: it's the most solid of the three, better than the kid's toothpaste commercial and the grating stereotype-setter. The drums here are tight and gluing the seemingly sloppy and cheesy progression together. And of course it's filmed in a pink carriage house, it just sounds like one. Meghan's vocal is "just playing" but "every inch of it is"... perfect? NO. But at least it's fun and memorable and has a smash debut single kind of quality. It's frivolous for sure, but at least it sounds like a decently-produced song, with doo-wop vocal harmony and country kind of flavor, it can be convincing that it's a class of its own. But I still didn't place this song high, because for some reason I still don't dig it too much after countless times of watching the interesting music video. It's not that catchy, for a song that doesn't have an explosive hook, and it can kind of border upon "joke song" after some listen, and it ends with some playful piano loops which I don't mind but make it good for kids bicycling in the carriage house to it, but not for serious listening. TIER: 40-49 - MEH
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THINKIN BOUT YOU
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 2, 2016 19:16:49 GMT -5
67. The Heart Wants What It Wants -- Selena Gomez Once again, I feel sorry for putting a song sincere, heartfelt, honest like this in a low position, but I have to because other songs are better. It begins in such a "flamboyant" arrangement as if it's a motion picture of Disney, and then dives right into the mid-tempo crooning heartbreaking missing and obstinacy. It got trip hop beat, crystalline instrumentals and some occasional vocal back-ups and yells that intensify the emotion. The whole atmosphere sounds acoustic and indulgent, and it's a well-produced ballad whose percussion gets more violent eventually. It's not bad, but I can't put it any higher. TIER: 40-49 - MEH
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 2, 2016 19:28:45 GMT -5
66. Girl Crush -- Little Big Town It's a mystery-flavored song that could allude to bisexualism or other themes like jealousy or reminiscence, and what it's really about is never cleared up. But its whole three-minute-and-some is the opposite of "mystery", the guitar-driven melody and the whole atmospheric acoustic feels like being slowly washed over by pure and bland water. It sounds so aquatic, and as much as how dimly anxious and beautiful the vocal sounds, it lacks something that really sparkles here, other than the slight controversy. TIER: 40-49 - MEH
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 2, 2016 19:39:09 GMT -5
65. Like I'm Gonna Lose You -- Meghan Trainor featuring John Legend Upon first listen, I was a little shocked how Meghan Trainor is capable of bringing out something that has meaning and doesn't get on your nerves. Musically, it sounds really inoffensive. And lyrically it's about the uncertainties of life make lovers cannot take the love they receive everyday for granted. I can really respect the lyrics for it's something literally everyone can relate to. But for some reason they make it sound so inoffensive that has a shade of pretentious swankiness in it. The heavy guitar use and the soulful deliveries from two singers that don't have much chemistry, or even relevance here do make it just like any love ballad. But the lyrics is still good though. TIER: 40-49 - MEH
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 2, 2016 19:46:58 GMT -5
64. Photograph -- Ed Sheeran It's hard to find a song that's sweeter. I mean, it got everything: sense of nostalgia, a voice and tone that give out a lot of warmth, the passionate play of heart-soothing acoustic and bass guitars and drums, strings that are a little loud, lyrics that's straight up about "love" and a video that's a montage of sweet childhood memories. It's so warm, so wonderful, so heavenly, so angelic, so... sweet. But why can't I place it any higher? Is it too generic? TIER: 40-49 - MEH
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 2, 2016 20:08:51 GMT -5
63. I'm Not the Only One -- Sam Smith The similarity between Sam Smith, Meghan Trainor and Nick Jonas? Well, you got it, they all released their debut singles (kinda) somewhere in 2014 and they are all significantly better than their follow-ups either because they got more personality or just straight up epic-sounding (kinda) or at least iconic and carrying their respective personalities in some ways. Upon first listen, I couldn't help but felt that I'm Not The Only One is the weakened version of Stay With Me though it sounds more energetic ironically. It's no coincidence why it's ranked so close to Photograph and the Selena Gomez song, they are all so slow to mid-tempo, so soulful, so formulaic, so about relationship problems, so "professional popular song that's soulful and emotional" kind of mediocre and catching on and then fading away like it's nothing. I know maybe it's too much to say that it's "nothing", but you get my point that it's a shame some emotional stuff just can't last long. The piano, the beat, the strings that pop up on the second verse are nothing but non-impressive. And sorry but I still don't particularly like Sam's voice, especially the "but wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen you call me baby", it really sounds like a cow whining. No offense, but heh. TIER: 40-49 - MEH
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 2, 2016 20:27:37 GMT -5
62. Centuries -- Fall Out Boy Here we go, from formulaic soulful stuff to formulaic pop rock that lets out aggression. Seriously, he sounds so enticing and belligerent, almost like an alpha-male version of high-pitched siren that nettles somehow. Anyway, the reason why I give this song the edge over the slow ballads (even though rock is one of my least favorite genres for it's just so loud and aggressive) is because it has the "bigger than itself" kind of good production. The overpowering electric guitar, the siren that transits, the drums that are percussive and in control, the indie kind of verse delivery, the go-down-the-history kind of adventurous vibe. But it sounds not big enough to really go down the history as an all-time classic for sure. It's just what it is. TIER: 40-49 - MEH
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Post by Deleted on Jun 3, 2016 17:36:08 GMT -5
Wow, Locked Away way too low...
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THINKIN BOUT YOU
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 3, 2016 20:16:48 GMT -5
Wow, Locked Away way too low... It's just your opinion. I didn't see any critic that put this song in "best songs of 2015" list. It's too formulaic
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THINKIN BOUT YOU
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 4, 2016 17:28:49 GMT -5
61. Sugar -- Maroon 5 This song accurately shows that using a wide range of (real) instruments doesn't necessarily bring about a wonderful song. The beat is so monotonous here that it may as well be programmed by computer, so are guitar and synth bass and what not which are arranged in a way that makes this song an inoffensive blue-chip hit-factory dross. Adam's vocal in the chorus is one of the most grating things of the whole year, and it sounds at most "urbane", but not pretty. His voice makes the lyrics a little creepy. TIER: 40-49 - MEH
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THINKIN BOUT YOU
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 4, 2016 17:35:49 GMT -5
60. Thinking Out Loud -- Ed Sheeran Isn't it another stodgy song that for some forsaken reason made it (really) big last year? But the reason why I rank this song higher than the other stodgy a-dime-a-dozen stuff is Ed's vocal performance, which has passion and some personality and swells itself until it bursts into smooth flames made from flower pedals. The guitar-driven melody is nothing impressive, but considering he's really powering the song forward with a determination to make the love last until seventy, this effort should be respected at least. TIER: 40-49 - MEH
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 4, 2016 17:51:24 GMT -5
59. Love Me Like You Do -- Ellie Goulding (I know a lot of people would think this song deserves higher) First of all, the title is a little redundant, isn't it? "Love me like you do"? If he already "does love" you... then you are asking him to "keep loving" you like "you do"... Oh, f**K it. But it's a shame considering how many times "love me like you do" is repeated excruciatingly. It's not one of the "better songs" (Rihanna's Work and We Found Love come to mind) that can use magic to make the repetitiveness of a phrase or whatever work. This one is just sloppy and can fit right in a movie trailer of some equally sloppy romance theme like FSOG. But there are some positive elements to this song: the beautifully written verses supported by cello and some programming that really caught my attention upon the first listen and the silence-shattering "What are you waiting for?" Overall? It's okay, I guess. Not wonderful, though. TIER: 40-49 - MEH
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 4, 2016 18:11:02 GMT -5
NOW WE MOVE ON TO A NEW TIER: DECENT!! IT'S THE ADVANCED VERSION OF "MEH" YET NOT OUTSTANDING ENOUGH FOR "GOOD" OR "WONDERFUL". 58. Truffle Butter -- Nicki Minaj featuring Drake and Lil Wayne The title is... gross. So don't look it up. But anyway, the beat sounds pretty virtually generated but interesting enough that the whole song is almost the exact same beat looped over and over but still not boring. The three rappers all show some interesting flow and dominating persona and the Drake-Nicki-Wayne arrangement is pretty effective for some reason, and they all start with "thinking out loud" making the three verses seem connected yet distinct as the same time. It's an interesting song about an overused theme of bossy swagger, showing off fortune and sex, but the song's production and all certainly don't feel so cliched. Interestingly Lil Wayne is the one that sounds high this time, instead of Drake and his orgiastic performance in Only. TIER: 50-59 - DECENT
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 4, 2016 18:47:36 GMT -5
57. Night Changes -- One Direction If Photograph is the sweetest song, then Night Changes is the warmest, making you want to cuddle up with a good book near a fireplace before falling asleep. It's contemplative with a tinge of sadness, with the recurrent truth "I'm only getting older", and a modest version of the central theme "seizing the time of the life while being loved". The guitar-driven four-note riff, the rich harmonic "oo", the key change for the last minute all bring up the vibe of a restful and picturesque night. It's decent. TIER: 50-59 - DECENT
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 4, 2016 19:05:52 GMT -5
56. Lay Me Down -- Sam Smith It's a less generic Sam Smith song compared to I'm Not the Only One, in consideration of the richer and tear-jerking emotion he gives off this time. It starts with a few piano notes, centering on his crooning and doleful vocal, which slowly progresses as depressing strings and harmonies start to set in. It's sad, almost too sad, even the sprightly staccato piano chords accompanied with strings at last can't dissipate the sadness and distract from the fact that it's about the deceased. It ends really quietly, sad. TIER: 50-59 - DECENT
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 4, 2016 19:20:18 GMT -5
55. Waves (Robin Schulz Remix) -- Mr Probz It's good. But it's forgettable. The remix doesn't have a lot of "above-and-beyond" qualities other than just making Mr. Probz's woeful baritone catchier, more danceable and 1.25X faster. But at least it's fresh enough to be a summer jam abound with blues and instrumental melodiousness. But it does sound a little like elevator music. TIER: 50-59 - DECENT
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Post by Deleted on Jun 5, 2016 11:44:06 GMT -5
Aw I hoped Waves hit top 50 at least. :(
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 5, 2016 17:07:09 GMT -5
Aw I hoped Waves hit top 50 at least. :( Well, at least it's in the "decent" tier, so points for that
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 5, 2016 18:22:46 GMT -5
54. Habits (Stay High) -- Tove Lo It's one of the most honest moments of the year: Tove Lo's elegantly sad vocal brings us the narration of hedonism to drive her formal boyfriend out of her mind. The beat is minimal and dark, the chorus is cathartic, the recurrent "ohh ohh" is haunting and touching the soft spot of heart. It has various imagery like watching people in the club, binge-eating, throwing up and all. Though the message seems passive and self-destructive, at least there are moments of self-loathe, reflection and self-pity that make this song extremely emotional. I appreciate her vocal, delivery and effort, but musically it doesn't seem to have a lot of moments that sparkle. It's easy to get tired of the chorus and everything. TIER: 50-59 - DECENT
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 5, 2016 18:36:19 GMT -5
53. Elastic Heart -- Sia (It's the solo version that charted in the US) The reason why this beloved song is not any higher is that without collaboration and all her solo here doesn't have much for it. Though I can hear the effort she put in, it just sounds so raw and really experimental (seriously the weird vocal in the beginning and on repeat since sounds like a damaged robot uttering some random syllables). In any way it sounds like a big step down from the great Chandelier: the generic structure and programmed drums, the non-impressive chorus that drain the energy and she just mumbles through it with some creepy vocal harmony... The whole song sounds uncomfortable, but to the very least Sia's voice does have some flexibility here that resonates with "elastic" and the lyrics does impress me as promoting a great balance between "peace" and "war". TIER: 50-59 - DECENT
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Post by THINKIN BOUT YOU on Jun 5, 2016 18:50:10 GMT -5
52. Back to Back -- Drake I wanted to praise this song, but then found that it's more of an "interesting" song other than how good it is. It's fresh from Meek-Drake firework and should not be taken any meaning beyond that, and here Drake's charged and provocative vocal and attitude are what glow here (of course, because this song feels so bare-boned, just him and some minimal beat that can be produced by anyone and some synth noises that sound like your computer is stuck). It's decent. And I especially like the lines: "I'm not sure what it was that really made y'all mad / But I guess this is what I gotta do to make y'all rap I mean woah", "You love her, then you gotta give the world to her / Is that a world tour or your girl's tour?", "I'm not the type of n***a that'll type to n****s / And shout-out to all my boss b**ches wife-in n****s". TIER: 50-59 - DECENT
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