Pulse Rankdown: 1989 Year-End Alternative Chart (complete)

[Red]

I really wish I could have been able to rank them both at #1. There is absolutely NOTHING separating these two songs for me. They are each other's equal. In the end, of course, I couldn't have a tie, so...I flipped a coin. "Lovesong" won the flip. That coinflip won me a perfect top four, so I will take that.

As always, singingrulebritannia, great job hosting. I think that you may actually have a shot of repeating as best host at the PMAs.

As an aside, I'm glad that the pre-Billboard years are being covered, too, because it will give us a chance to rank some of the best songs of the 80's. 1988 alone has some GOOD ones.

[singingrulebritannia]

Show's over, folks! Thank you for participating in or following along with the 1989 Modern Rock Chart Rankdown. We've undergone a long journey to arrive at this point--the beginning of Billboard's Modern Rock chart. As I mentioned in the opening, I feel this is a good time for me to step out from under the helm of retro Alt rankdowns. We'll see how far we're collectively willing to go into pre-Billboard charts. I will still be part of the retro Active hosting cast (DON'T FORGET TO SUBMIT FOR 1989 ACTIVE) but, well, it's going to be nice to never have to host 3 rankdowns at once again Good night, everybody!

SPOILER: Click to show

Butterflies & Hurricanes
Geometrical
willapted33
rowellfarm490
American Idiot
Doc Indie Party Rock
Sambalada
Daryl the Beryl
Albie
campbellssoup
peacebone
Red
wheatsquares33
House Lannister
somelikeitwhen
Juanca
MoD
@humanshazam
newpower
@slipperyslope
Alex1901
janinho
alexcuse
craziaskowboi

[Albie]

Just flawlessness all around. Thank you gatesy!

[House Lannister]

Mar 10, 2020 19:10:49 GMT -5 singingrulebritannia said:

Only House Lannister has no top 10s left.

[rowellfarm490]

Despite liking "Fascination Street" ever so slightly more, I was really hoping that "Lovesong" would be able to pull off the win here so I am very happy about this result. Great work and thanks for hosting these last few Alt rankdowns of the Billboard era singingrulebritannia !

SPOILER: Click to show

{FINAL STATS}

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

let's get to the creme of the crop.

10. The Mayor of Simpleton - XTC
This is the one we will actually be ranking on Mainstream Rock. Don't worry this made my top 40 on there too.

9. Sowing the Seeds of Love - Tears for Fears
Don't recall much from this band after the 80's, but I did enjoy this one and "Break It Down Again". This one specially had a sort of epic tone to it. For once echos work.

8. Monkey Gone to Heaven - Pixies
This is the one I enjoyed the list. It isn't the music. The music is fine. I liked the guitar strum before every line, but maybe a little too grungy for my 80's vibe, but I also cared very little for john Pixie's vocals. On the other side of the coin I would have put this top 40 if it only featured Jane Pixie on vocals.

7. Round & Round - New Order
Now this is the New Order I know and Love. Very NRGetic and vocally perfect.

6. A Little Respect - Erasure
My top 10 consisted of 80's Synthpop and rock songs I heard on Pirate Radio all the time. This is a mega synthpop jam on any list of any year. This one also had my preferred H- Energy remix on the 12' single.


5. Here Comes Your Man - Pixies
This Pixies songs were the only ones that didn't make my top 20. This one however was even better musically. Very poppy, but the music video was making fun of how bands lip sync to the songs on the videos, and I didn't appreciate that at all. You can bet this band was never invited to Top of The Pops. 

4. Orange Crush - R.E.M.
Easily one of R.E.M's best. I don't know how high I'll be able to rank it on mainstream, but it sounded perfect for Alternative charts.

3. Personal Jesus - Depeche Mode
Great song. If I put Manson's version in the top 10 this one was easily going in my top 5. You know who's version I didn't ask for? Def Leppard's. Glam Metal stay away from Alt Rock and vice a versa. Please.


2. Fascination Street - The Cure
Most Cure songs are great. This one is too, but doesn't even come close as to what "Love Song" is to me.

1. Lovesong - The Cure
Love the fact that the song that I actually like the best from this list wins it all. This is an actual love song. Listen to the lyrics. That is a lot of us who gave this song the crown. Is this the song with the most #1's from all the rank downs?

[Doc Indie Party Rock]

singingrulebritannia

You have been hosting quite a bit of these lately that sometimes I confuse hosts. The important part is that the ride was fun. Great NRG, Music videos, and all the other extras, thank you for Fuzzbox 

[Juanca]

25. Interesting Drug (44): I discovered this song when I bought the Bona Drag CD back in 1999 --when I became a big Morrissey fan. One of my favorites included in that album, and from Morrissey's career. I was close to ranking it in my top 25, but ended up giving more points to other songs that were a bit more interesting even if they were songs that I don't necessarily love more than this one.

24. King for a Day (88): Maybe I needed a bit more time to get into it. It sounded like a lesser Howard Jones song with not as strong melody With this gone, I finally cleared my bottom 36.

23. Drama! (14): A friend of mine borrowed me his Wild! cassette in late 1990. Blue Savannah had already made it to #2 in my personal chart at that time, and I was interested in listening to a full album of them -and I loved it! Drama! then became the second song from this album that I ranked, making it to #2. This is a strong, melodic song with dramatic, unusual production and instrumentation, great vocals and beat. Happy to see it this high, although I was hoping it could make the top 20.

22. I'll Be You (57): Interestingly, at a first listen I placed this in my top 40 group, but the more I listen to it, the more I noticed the rough vocals and guitar sounds, which made me bump it out of my top 50.

21. Pictures of Matchstick Men (20): Another great discovery. Love at first listen, especially in terms of instrumentation, melody and vocals.

20. Walking Away (53): This made the top 5 of my personal chart just like WOYM, although with time I've grown to like WOYM much more than this one. It's got great sound, but I felt the melody not as strong as I thought it was.

19. The Last of the Famous International Playboys (7): One of my all-time favorite Morrissey songs that I also discovered in 1999. I LOVE his vocals (including those ooohs in the bridge), the dramatic production, and the strong melody.

18. Orinoco Flow (Sail Away) (9): Strangely, this song briefly entered the ranking of our #1 pop station back home. So different but so cool. I've been a big Enya fan since the early 1990s when our #1 music TV station back home used to play a handful of her videos in mini-specials late at night. This song still sounds haunting, melodic, dreamy, haunting. Vocals and production are top notch. One of her best songs.

17. Obsession (34): All songs in my 25-40 zone were VERY close in points. I could've ranked this a bit higher, as I really like this New Wave, Depeche Mode-like beat and production, and his vocals complemented the song greatly

16. She Bangs the Drum (64): This was a nice, pleasant discovery. Good instrumentation and nostalgic vibe, as well as good vocals. I just felt it was a bit too safe and with the same type of melody throughout the entire song. I may have needed a bit more time to appreciate the melody -and the bridge- a bit more.

15. So Alive (21): There is always an exception to the rule. Vocally, I could've ranked this outside my top 40, but I've always been hypnotized by its beat, production and background vocals. I remember the video having a good rotation back home, and the song making a small dent in one of our pop radio stations.

14. Between Something and Nothing (27): I discovered this song just a few years ago when I caught up with their material. I loved hearing them play this live a couple years ago. Good to see it this high.

13. The Great Commandment (4): This was a top 10 in our #1 pop station, and a top 5 in my personal chart. With time, it's become one of my favorite late 80s songs ever. I fully agree with drindie n terms of this being the best Depeche song that wasn't by Depeche. I love the melody, instrumentation, production, vocals. I still listen to it often.

12. The Killing Jar (37): I had to re-listen to this song several times to get it. Had I not been patient with it, it would've been stuck in my 60s, but I knew that I need a bit more time for songs by Siouxsie. Very interesting song. Mixing their typical quirkiness with a slightly more digestible sound.

11. Everything Counts (10): This was played a bit by some pop stations back in 1989 --and barely made my personal chart. However, within a few years, this became an 80s classic, and one of my favorite DM songs ever. I love how the instrumentation and vocals evoke nostalgia, anger, and power. Great melody that deserved a top 10 spot...

[walt91]

I’m late asf but Lovesong is one of my all-time favorites. Y’all chose the right winner ❤️

[newpower]

Thanks for hosting singingrulebritannia . Great Top 10. My top 15 would have been:

The Cure - Love Song
Tears for Fears - Sowing the Seeds of Love
Pixies - Here Comes Your Man
R.E.M. - Orange Crush
The Cure - Fascination Street
Depeche Mode - Personal Jesus
Pixies - Monkey Gone to Heaven
Love & Rockets - So Alive
Tom Tom Club - Suboceana
New Order - Fine Time
10,000 Maniacs - Trouble Me
Camouflage - The Great Commandment
The B-52's - Channel Z
The The - The Beat(en) Generation
Information Society - Walking Away

[Juanca]

10. The Mayor of Simpleton (24): This was a very good discovery. I LOVE the melody and vocals throughout the song and especially in the chorus. The instrumentation was the weakest part and the main reason why I didn't rank it higher, but I'm glad this made the top 10 anyway.

9. Sowing the Seeds of Love (6): This is the most interesting TFF song ever to me. Quirky, dynamic, epic, with rich instrumentation, multiple melodic sections, strong vocals from Curt and Roland, and interesting lyrics. This was a hit back home and a personal chart topper --not the last one, though, as Laid So Low made it to the top in 1992.

8. Monkey Gone to Heaven (39): Another song that was in my top 25 most of the time due to the strong instrumentation and interesting harmonies/vocals int he chorus, However, in the end I downgraded it due to the vocals in the verses.

7. Round & Round (8): This was the total opposite to Fine Time. Strong melody throughout the song, great musicality and slick electro production that was pleasant, interesting, and full of energy. Plus, romantic vocals that matched the melody

6. A Little Respect (3): As I shared in one of the Hot 100 RDs, this was a very minor hit back home in 1989, but became a bigger hit in 1991 after their success in our pop radio stations with Blue Savannah, Oh L'Amour and Gimme Gimme Gimme. Same happened in my personal chart, where ALR was crowned as my #1 song of 1991. Since then, it's become my favorite song by Erasure and one of my favorite 80s songs. I would've ranked it #1 if this had been a pop RD, but in this RD I favored a couple songs that had a stronger rock sound.

5. Here Comes Your Man (28): This had a very nice retro vibe, and the vocals worked much better than in the Monkey song, not only thanks to the female singer, but also because the guy's vocal delivery fit the style of the song.

4. Orange Crush (36): I really like the production of this song and Michael's vocals, but my problem has always been the simplicity and monotony of the melody and whatever the lyrics were -I've just read what Michael intended to do... good for his intentions, but his message never came across despite havingg heard it for 3 decades

3. Personal Jesus (2): Amazing, unique production that mixed rock and synth pop, with strong melody and vocals (harmonies!). In my top 3 of DM songs. Btw, I HATED how Hillary Duff annihilated this song with her sample in Reach Out. No, ma'am, you shall never do that with a classic!


2. Fascination Street (12): Another song with strong and unique production, where the instrumentals are outstanding and tell a big part of the story. The other part with vocals and lyrics are also strong, though, and make this another epic 80s gem.

1. Lovesong (1): A big hit back home, a personal chart-topper, and one of my top 3 Cure songs. I admit it was a close call with PJ and ALR, but in the end, this has become one of my favorite nostalgic, moody songs ever. I LOVE the melody, instrumentation (especially in the bridge), vocals (perfectly fitting the vibe of the song) and lyrics. A masterpiece of a song. And speaking of covers/samples, I'll give it to Adele for making an acceptable cover of it --although far from being at the same level as the original



Thanks singingrulebritannia for another great job as a host of a rankdown!!!

[Daryl the Beryl]

Average ranks update:

The following artists have been added to the database:
The Bangles
BoDeans
Boris Grebenshikov
Call, The
Camouflage
Camper Van Beethoven
The Dead Milkmen
Easterhouse
Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians
Fine Young Cannibals
Guadalcanal Diary
A House
Indio
Information Society
Marc Almond
Mary's Danish
Max Q
Pere Ubu
The Pursuit of Happiness
Stan Ridgway
Texas
Thrashing Doves
Tom Tom Club
Tracy Chapman
Winter Hours
Wire
Xymox
Youssou N'Dour

The following artists have their average ranks lowered:
10,000 Maniacs -5.267
The Alarm -2.917
The B-52's -6.166
Bob Mould -11
Cowboy Junkies -7.833
The Cult -0.633
The Cure -6.342
Depeche Mode -2.167
Elvis Costello -6.75
Enya -4
Erasure -7.933
The Fixx -16
The Godfathers -4
Hoodoo Gurus -29
Julian Cope -23
Lou Reed -11
Love and Rockets -31.5
Midge Ure -8.5
Morrissey -4.067
New Order -5.8
The Ocean Blue-5.75
Pixies -10.467
The Primitives -5.333
Public Image Ltd. -19.667
The Ramones -5
Red Hot Chili Peppers -0.021
Siouxsie and the Banshees -4.583
The Stone Roses -4.55
Tears for Fears -4.833
The The -0.333
Violent Femmes -1.667
The Waterboys -8.5
XTC -15.333
Ziggy Marley -3.5

The following artists have their average ranks raised:
Adrian Belew 7.5
B.B. King 7.5
Big Audio 2.25
Concrete Blonde 1.667
The Connells 6.5
David Byrne 5.5
Debbie Harry 10.5
Joe Jackson 5.5
The Mighty Lemon Drops 7
The Pogues 4
R.E.M. 0.706
The Replacements 5
Robyn Hitchcock & the Egyptians 13.5
Squeeze 1
The Sugarcubes 7.5
Throwing Muses 6.333
Tin Machine 5
U2 0.632

View the average ranks of all the artists, including the updated averages, here!

[Butterflies & Hurricanes]

You simply can’t go wrong with any of the songs in the Top 24, classics all! Thanks for another awesome hosting duty Gates!