Martina McBride Album Series Rankdowns

[fearlessarrow]

Oct 22, 2018 22:52:05 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

In fact, for the first time in rankdown history, we have a THREE WAY TIE for last place!!!!!!!!!

[bboat11]

No, I don’t blame you for having some doubts,

 But when he left me that fire burned out. 

So don’t be thinkin’ there’s still a spark,

 ‘Cause he could never tear us apart.

10. "Ashes"

Track #10
Runtime: 2:57
Songwriters: Chris Waters, Lonnie Wilson, Charlotte Wilson
Vocal Range: B♭3 - C#5



Total: 105
Average: 7.00
Std Dev: 2.27


.indulgecountry - 3
George Strait Junkie - 4
someguy - 4
bboat11 - 6
BlueShades874 - 6
Cody Wants Out... - 6
fearlessarrow - 6
g8erboi - 7
dub - 8
kansasmeetsmo - 8
SHOOTER - 8
castleoblivion26 - 9
tim - 10
Kanenrá:ke - 10
Troublemaker - 10


d3vin44

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
Goin’ To Work
Heart Trouble
Independence Day
Life #9
My Baby Loves Me
She Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
Strangers
That Wasn’t Me
Where I Used To Have A Heart

[tim]

FINALLY! This was the obvious choice IMO and really the only song on the album that I dislike.

[bboat11]

"Ashes" was one that many of you predicted to be in last place, and it's true that it was on pace to finish pretty low. However, it was never a last place contender until it got stuck in a tie right at the end with SHOOTER 's list! The fact that this only had a #3 ranking was enough to make it fall below the other 2 members of the tie.

This song has such an infectious melody; it really is a shame to see it the first out, imo. However, on an album this strong, the competition proved to be just too fierce!

[SHOOTER]

Oct 22, 2018 23:03:42 GMT -5 fearlessarrow said:

Oct 22, 2018 22:59:04 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

Are you sure you won't run out of Martina gifs by #5 or something? Oh wait, you make those 

That is a rumor that Bussy has no control over!

[fearlessarrow]

WHAT HOW WHY

SHOOTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bboat11]

Coming in at #9, right in the center of the tie, is a song that I thought would be in the running for the top 5, and maybe even have a shot at sneaking in as the highest album track...

[SHOOTER]

LOOK! Be glad my Urban ass is blessing y'all with my presence at these hoedowns!

And, for the record, I only disliked my bottom-2 but I figured Ashes would be near the bottom and didn't see a need to rank it higher than I did.

[bboat11]

I can no longer pay the price 

For damage done by her careless lies.

 We can’t move on ‘til you let go.

 I always thought by now you’d know

  That wasn’t me.

9. "That Wasn't Me"

Track #3
Runtime: 3:44
Songwriters: Gary Harrison, Tim Mensy
Vocal Range: G3 - D5



Total: 105
Average: 7.00
Std Dev: 2.59 (3rd largest!!)


castleoblivion26 - 3
tim - 3
bboat11 - 4
g8erboi - 5
kansasmeetsmo - 5
Kanenrá:ke - 6
someguy - 7
BlueShades874 - 7
dub - 7
Cody Wants Out... - 9
Troublemaker - 9
.indulgecountry - 10
George Strait Junkie - 10
fearlessarrow - 10
SHOOTER - 10


d3vin44

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
Goin’ To Work
Heart Trouble
Independence Day
Life #9
My Baby Loves Me
She Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
Strangers
Where I Used To Have A Heart

[bboat11]

As you can see from the trajectory, this song was not supposed to be anywhere near the bottom... It spent the majority of the submission process in the top 5, and spent all the rest of the time just a point or two away from hopping back into it.

Unfortunately a string of hate right at the end helped tank this one just enough that SHOOTER's final death blow pushed it into a tie for last place :'(

Martina's vocal performance to this song is absolutely captivating. That "her memory HURT you long enough" melody is especially haunting. This album track is widely praised among her fans, but again, the competition on this album proved to be just too strong.

[bboat11]

When the whistle blows,

 I’ll be there.

 Life goes on even when it’s not fair.

 And who’s got time to hurt? 

Right now I got to go to work.

8. "Goin' To Work"

Track #6
Runtime: 3:30
Songwriters: Bill Lloyd, Pam Tillis
Vocal Range: E3 - E5



Total: 105
Average: 7.00
Std Dev: 2.33


Kanenrá:ke - 2
someguy - 3
bboat11 - 5
SHOOTER - 5
Troublemaker - 6
.indulgecountry - 7
castleoblivion26 - 8
g8erboi - 8
BlueShades874 - 8
Cody Wants Out... - 8
George Strait Junkie - 8
tim - 9
dub - 9
fearlessarrow - 9
kansasmeetsmo - 10

d3vin44

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
Heart Trouble
Independence Day
Life #9
My Baby Loves Me
She Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
Strangers
Where I Used To Have A Heart

[tim]

Oct 22, 2018 23:25:43 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

9. "That Wasn't Me"

Cody Wants Out... - 9
Troublemaker - 9
.indulgecountry - 10
George Strait Junkie - 10
fearlessarrow - 10
SHOOTER - 10

Disappointing for sure because I also had hoped that this would be one of the highest album tracks. I’m also pretty sure this made the top 10 album tracks on Martina’s artist rankdown so something’s amiss with y’all who put this near the bottom!

[SHOOTER]

[bboat11]

"Goin' To Work" was another one that was not destined to do super well. It was always towards the bottom of the list, and even occupied the last place right at the end, but was never a serious contender to stay there. It was always only like 2 or 3 points away from not being last. In fact, it was close enough that SHOOTER's top 5 ranking was enough to bump it up to match "That Wasn't Me" and "Ashes", while Kanenrá:ke's #2 vote was enough to push it ahead of those songs to win the tie and come in at #8!

I have always loved this song. This is a very unique song in Martina's catalog, because it is just so sonically and topically unique for her. But at the same time, it follows the theme of female empowerment that she always kinda gravitated towards, so it is also a perfect song for her! The description of a woman who throws herself into her job to get over a breakup is such an under-done theme in country music, and the melody to the chorus is a standout in her catalog. That "When the whistle blows" melody and lyric is SO memorable and catchy! It's second on this album only to that "Let freedom ring" moment that kicks off the iconic chorus of "Independence Day"

[SHOOTER]

Oh, yes, I had a feeling GTW would be done dirty. I thought it was such a catchy tune!

[kansasmeetsmo]

Oct 22, 2018 23:05:45 GMT -5 tim said:

Oct 22, 2018 22:59:04 GMT -5 bboat11 said:

Does there even need to be an excuse? It is literally my favorite post everytime and anyday. Put a Martina gif in there and I’ll give the post 5 stars all day.

[fearlessarrow]

I liked "Goin' to Work" but I gravitated more towards the slower album tracks on the album in general (now "That Wasn't Me" was a huge exception). This album was so good that it was really hard to rank though, liked my top 9.

[bboat11]

So finally, at #7, we come to the song that seemed like it was supposed to be in last place... This song took over last place about halfway through the submissions, and appeared to be fixing to stay there! Until the random love it received right at the end was enough to bump it ahead of the 3 songs beneath it... This song escaped last place by only FOUR points!! In fact, three points would have made it a 4-way tie! (Although, this song would have still won the tie, placing it at #7 anyway...)

[tim]

“Goin’ to Work” is a good song but at about the halfway point I get a little bored with it and the repetitiveness of her singing back to work..oh thank God for my work...I'm good at my work...oh I'm good at my work.

[bboat11]

The way you treat me, baby, 

Cheat and tell me lies,

 I guess I shouldn’t care at all, but still I sympathize

 ‘Cause you got heart trouble comin’ on.

7. "Heart Trouble"

Track #1
Runtime: 3:20
Songwriters: Paul Kennerley
Vocal Range: B3 - B4



Total: 102
Average: 6.80
Std Dev: 2.70 (2nd largest!!!)


.indulgecountry - 2
fearlessarrow - 3
SHOOTER - 4
Troublemaker - 5
tim - 5
dub - 5
George Strait Junkie - 6
Cody Wants Out... - 7
someguy - 8
Kanenrá:ke - 9
bboat11 - 9
kansasmeetsmo - 9
castleoblivion26 - 10
g8erboi - 10
BlueShades874 - 10


d3vin44

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
Independence Day
Life #9
My Baby Loves Me
She Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet
Strangers
Where I Used To Have A Heart

[fearlessarrow]

Wow .indulgecountry and I seem to be on the same wavelength for this rankdown

[bboat11]

As you can see from the trajectory, with the exception of a brief moment in the beginning of the submission process,"Heart Trouble" was always destined to be in the bottom 2...until it suddenly managed to escape with the final list from SHOOTER  


Personally, I think this song kicks ass, and I have no problem seeing it escape the bottom! Martina's vocal here is so fiery and feisty, and the driving 2-step beat featured in this song is such a rare thing in Martina's catalog. It's very classic '90s country, and I wish she had released more music in that vein.

However, as a single, this was a huge mistake, and did absolutely nothing for her career... Tell me again, RCA, why you forced her to put this out as the followup to "Independence Day" instead of "Strangers"... Seriously, what a tragedy.

[bboat11]

That's it for tonight! Now that we have made it through the clusterfuck, the rest of the rankdown will hopefully be a little more like business as usual

[SHOOTER]

Heart Trouble was such a jam! Y'all are some haters!

[.indulgecountry]

"Heart Trouble" is criminally underrated. It's one of her best uptempos imo, but I knew it was gonna get done dirty here after it was done dirty in her big rankdown earlier in the year.

[Cody Wants Out...]

NOOOOOOOOO! @ "Ashes" being out first. :'(

At least I got a couple of p-p-p-p-perfect rankings with 8 and 7, though.

[castleoblivion26]

I'm okay with all elimination except "That Wasn't Me". That song is great and those who ranked it low seriously have trash taste. I'll have more to say later but ugh why is that song 2nd out!!!

[castleoblivion26]

"Ashes" - While I love this song I definitely feel it belongs at the bottom. I remember in 1994 and 1995 my mom had the cassette tape of this album and it was probably the first Country album I ever listened to in full and this song was not a part of it as it was only released on the CD version. I remember when I got the CD a few years later and hearing this song I was shocked. I'll always like this but it definitely belongs near the bottom here.

"That Wasn't Me" - This song has been among my favorite Martina McBride songs since 1994 when I first listened to the cassette of this album. The lyrics, the melody, and the vocals just all come together to have this really haunting heartbreaking sound that comes together perfectly. I just love everything about this song and have always thought it would have made a great single for her. To see it this low is just a travesty because it definitely deserved better and those saying that it was boring is why they ranked it low just ridiculous. If every slow song was boring then music would really suck. You are truly missing some incredible songs if you don't give them a chance because they are slow because this song is not boring in the slightest.

"Goin' To Work" - written by Pam Tillis, I have always loved this song but at the same time like "Ashes" it belongs near the bottom of the album for me.

"Heart Trouble" - The only song on this album I have never liked. Not sure what exactly about this I do not like but yeah not a fan.

I love all of the songs remaining so any result is going to be painful

[bboat11]

She’s heard the talk all over town, 

But she don’t wanna believe he’s runnin’ around.

 Deep down in her heart she’s willing to bet. 

Oh, but she ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

6. "She Ain't Seen Nothing Yet"

Track #7
Runtime: 3:27
Songwriters: Walt Aldridge, Anna Lisa Graham
Vocal Range: F3 - D5

Total: 95
Average: 6.33
Std Dev: 2.89 (Largest!!!!!)


tim - 2
kansasmeetsmo - 2
BlueShades874 - 3
Kanenrá:ke - 4
g8erboi - 4
George Strait Junkie - 5
castleoblivion26 - 5
bboat11 - 7
fearlessarrow - 8
Troublemaker - 8
.indulgecountry - 9
SHOOTER - 9
someguy - 9
dub - 10
Cody Wants Out... - 10


d3vin44

SPOILER: Click to show

{Songs Remaining}
Independence Day
Life #9
My Baby Loves Me
Strangers
Where I Used To Have A Heart

[bboat11]

And there it is, the final song to miss the top 5. "She Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" was actually on pace to be the highest album track for the majority of the submission process, which tbh surprised me a little bit. Out of the three big ballad album tracks "She Ain't Seen Nothing Yet", "That Wasn't Me", and "Strangers", I kinda figured that this would be the one to get the shaft. I'm so glad I was wrong! This song is so powerful yet understated, if that makes any sense. The lyrics are chock full of imagery that is both subtle yet evocative, and of course Martina sounds fantastic. I have mentioned several times in this rankdown the iconic melodies that kick off some of these choruses, but I am going to say it again for this song! The way Martina launches into this chorus with that "She's heard the talk" line is once again a fabulous moment that holds its own in her discography despite this not being one of her more buzzed-about album tracks.