Troy
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Post by Troy on Nov 7, 2020 16:46:56 GMT -5
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newpower
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Post by newpower on Nov 7, 2020 16:50:52 GMT -5
TFF split votes... Kate for the win
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Troy
9x Platinum Member
I have learned I will rise & you'll see me return Being what I am Theres no other Troy For me 2 burn
Joined: January 2015
Posts: 9,725
My Charts
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Post by Troy on Nov 7, 2020 17:00:59 GMT -5
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Troy
9x Platinum Member
I have learned I will rise & you'll see me return Being what I am Theres no other Troy For me 2 burn
Joined: January 2015
Posts: 9,725
My Charts
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Post by Troy on Nov 7, 2020 17:05:52 GMT -5
Everybody Wants To Rule The World vs Running Up That Hill (Deal With God)
- a combined 7 #1 ranks
- a whopping combined 24 Top 10 rankings
- a combined 7 PPPPPs
- one lonely bottom half ranking
- one person (Daryl) with the chance of a perfect top 2
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Troy
9x Platinum Member
I have learned I will rise & you'll see me return Being what I am Theres no other Troy For me 2 burn
Joined: January 2015
Posts: 9,725
My Charts
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Post by Troy on Nov 7, 2020 17:24:08 GMT -5
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gonecountry
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Post by gonecountry on Nov 7, 2020 19:30:19 GMT -5
Thanks Troy for another good rankdown. Great winner and a solid top twenty. Glad to see Kate do so well with one of her three most signature songs, IMO (This Woman's Work and Wuthering Heights are also incredible)
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Verisimilitude
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Post by Verisimilitude on Nov 7, 2020 21:42:40 GMT -5
Excellent result, great to see Kate finally get a #1. Alternative President Elected Goddess.
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Juanca
Diamond Member
Enjoying work, family/personal life with partner and doggies, and music. I couldn't ask for more :)
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Post by Juanca on Nov 8, 2020 1:05:17 GMT -5
[Word wall alert]
Time for some post-elections catch-up!
55. Come With Me (27): Great discovery. I love the melody and harmonies in the chorus --and the verses are strong enough. The instrumental is solid classic pop-rock stuff. Should've made the top half...
54. Skin Deep (48): Another first listen. I really like the instrumental but the melody wasn't that strong, and the vocals were a choice. I think I over-ranked it...
53. This Time (74): I ranked it at #29 in the INXS RD. Never been a big fan. Melody is quite weak IMO.
52. Swimming Ground (79): I don't mind the melody, but the male vocals are pretty bad. The instrumental sounds much more like 90s Alt than 80s, which is a weakness in a list like the year's.
51. Highest High (88): I don't get this one. I mean, I know what they were going for, but I didn't like the end result. The synth like sound kinda building on Howard Jones or Thompson Twins, but the other instruments felt like amateur early 90s stuff, so it kinda got stuck in between without convincing me in either front. And the melody wasn't that stellar either.
50. Break Them Down (25): One of my favorite discoveries in this RD. I love the melody and the instrumentation --soophistipop + rock guitars? count me in! Sorta reminded me of Steve Miller and Mean At Work stuff. Nice vocals, too.
49. Boy (73): I like the instrumentation, but the melody was a bit too samey samey and got tiresome quickly to me, despite my love for Michael's voice.
48. Madame Butterfly (66): Quite an interesting tune. I love the original classical melody, and I appreciate its use in a synthpop song. At the same time, the operatic section didn't fit the beat well, which was a turnoff. I wasn't a big fan of the spoken part. The female chorus was the best part to me. In the end I wasn't sure where I should rank it. I could've ranked it 10+ spots higher, tho.
47. Bittersweet (64): I liked the 'don't cry' hook, but the other parts of the melody were a bit underwhelming. I did like the instrumentation though.
46. Paisley Park (62): Prince's songs weren't that strong. The melody was ok, but the instrumentation was very strong. This should've been the highest P song in this RD though...
45. Walls Come Tumbling Down (34): This was FUN! Great discovery. I love this style of piano pop rock sound with retro influence, including the brass sounds and the female vocals,
44. Strength (19): I LOVE the instrumentation! It had a strong early U2 vibe, which I like. The melody overall was also great. A clear top quarter for me.
43. When All's Well (33): Another strong discovery. I love the harmonies, the nostalgic melody, and the rich instrumentation but subdued production.
42. Stay (96): Nice instrumental, but that was it for me. I didn't like the vocals or the melody or the key used in the chorus. Maybe I needed a few more listens to appreciate better?
41. Walk Away (26): I love the instrumental. And my familiarity with SoM prepared me for some grave vocals, so that wasn't a turnoff. And it worked for the verses as it put the music in the forefront, whereas in the pre-chorus and chorus the high key vocals worked as a great contrast.
40. New Day Rising (98): WTF was this?? It escaped my #100 because the music was good enough, but I don't need to hear this melodic-less shit ever again.
39. Cry (28): Great melody and vocals. Good to see it top 40.
38. Johnny Come Home (69): I didn't know they had had a hit before Crazy. Nice instrumental, but the melody didn't go anywhere in the chorus, which was a big disappointment to me.
37. Skills of Summer (22): A great discovery. It's got the kind of Spanish rock instrumental that I liked in the second half of the 80s, with the type of warm vocals and harmonies that I like, too.
36. Would I Lie To You? (20): I didn't love it back then. It made my personal top 20, but with little longevity. I've grown to like it much more since the early 90s. The retro production, with a rich instrumental, catchy melody, and strong vocals now work well for me.
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Post by Doc Indie Party Rock on Nov 8, 2020 3:41:51 GMT -5
#10: "Duel" - PropagandaI completely forgot what this song was or why I gave it a top 30 rank until I saw the music video again. It was one of those first time listens I really wanted to upgrade here. Very poppy ,and I like her vocals tones a lot. #9: "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" - Dead Or Alive This was always going to be my #1 song on this Rank down. It's my favorite Hi_NRG song, my favorite New Wave Dance song and my favorite 80's song that isn't Glam Metal or a song by Tthe Cars. let's just say this song has inspired almost ever Hi_NRG song that exists, and more than 1000 Eurobeat songs out there as well. This song also brought on the aggressive Hi-NRG style by adding the cowbell, and deep basslines. Together with Pete Burns on the mic this song lives on as one of the greatest club classics of all time. I'm just glad it spun its way all the way to #9. Well done. As a bonus this song inspired Mike Hammer - "Heartbreaker". One of the most beloved Italo NRG songs geared for The Japanese HI-NRG dance market. It's gotten so popular throughout the years it has appeared on countless Eurobeat compilations, The Initail D' animi series and the live action film (Wangan Midnight: The Movie). it is also my favorite Italo NRG song of all time. it's pure in your face tuff aggressive Hi-NRG with all the cowbell you can cram into one song. #8: "Voices Carry" - 'Til TuesdayThe first song I ever heard from this band is probably one of my favorite New Wave songs with more 90's elements than 80's synthpop elements, but it works because of Aimee Mann's high range vocals. Especially the high octane tones she pulls out towards the fad out. #7: "In Between Days" - CureThese Top 100 deals have left off too many Cure classics off the list, so I was stoked to finally see one of my top Cure songs actually make the list without the hosts having to pull any strings. This song is great. It has a very bouncy and poppy mesmerizing feel to it, but never loses it's Modern Rock essence. Robert Smith sounds great in this one. #6: "Shout" - Tears For FearsThree Tears For Fears songs in the top 5 would have been overkill. A couple of these sounded great on my mainstream Rock list as well. This one is a classic , but one of their more simpler songs as far as melodies are concerned. The high point for me hear would be Roland's vocals really pushing the aggressiveness of the song forward. #5: "Perfect Kiss" - New OrderI love this song. Not as much back in 1985 charts, but through the years I have come to appreciate the fast NRGetic BPM's ,and ultra melodic journey the synths take me through. Three of these top 4 are in my top 10.
#4: "Don't You Forget About Me" - Simple Minds easily my #2 song. Straight out of one of my favorite 80's flicks ever. This is also a song that spent 5 weeks as crown song for my 1985 music charts. The melody of this song moves nicely and the instruments arrangements always give a feel of a flowing river. #3: "Head Over Heels" - Tears For FearsWhile "Change" continues to be my favorite TFF song ever this one is the one I found most fascinating in its musical arrangements. The sonic drum intro right before the third act of the song, The lalala's taking it to the end. The piano in the intro, and break give me epic vibes that could easily be considered the highlight of the song for me, but I also flip for the often edited out guitar solo towards the end titled 'Broken". I always considered that to be the real apex of the song and wasn't too thrilled at the Hot 100 editing of it. This is one of the reasons I slotted this one pretty high on my mainstream RD as well. #2: "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" - Tears For Fears I was really hoping this song would win. Not only did I not know of that Kate Bush song (it wasn't a Casey Kasem America's Top 40 chart hit), but I also love the Guitar solo fad out of this song. It feels like a great driving song when those guitars kick in and it even features some licks here and there. That's that cat growl song the chords make when twanged. I love that shit on Metal and I loved it on this song. Also part of the reason I slotted this one high, and the one I think best suits the mainstream RD as well #1: "Running Up That Hill" - Kate Bush Man all of you really like this song. Five #1's for this song. Can't say it's my choice for a melody either. It isn't abysmal nor anything that drastic, but I don't really feel the songs main hook ,and it's pretty much all over the place. Oh well at least this top 10 was full of classics I know and love. Troy. Great job as always. My top 10 would have changed drastically if more Extras were included in the actual list we ranked. My highlight is viewing all the music videos and great first time listen discoveries I ran into while ranking these songs. especially "Castles In Spain". I have spent a lifetime searching for that song. I know have the entire album on MP3. Now let me go see if those "Yo-yo's" on MTV can guitar riff their way to #1 on the mainstream Rd?
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rowellfarm490
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Post by rowellfarm490 on Nov 8, 2020 9:54:40 GMT -5
Not the winner I expected but a deserving one all the same. Thanks for hosting Troy . I'll be looking forward to finding out what songs we'll get to rank from 1984. {FINAL STATS}
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Juanca
Diamond Member
Enjoying work, family/personal life with partner and doggies, and music. I couldn't ask for more :)
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Post by Juanca on Nov 9, 2020 0:38:59 GMT -5
35. Whole Of The Moon (32): A pretty good discovery, with the type of melody and dynamic vocals that appeal to me. Plus, the instrumental was quite strong, including that sax. 34. Can't Get There From Here (51): This was a very interesting discovery of early REM! After listening to it several more times for the Mainstream Rock RD, I got more into it, so I could've easily ranked it in my top 40 here. 33. Perfect Way (97): The instrumental is a nice example of sophistipop, but the melody was too weak for me. The production was too pop/AC for me, too, ala Life in One Day, and I've never been a big fan of their vocals. So yeah, clear bottom 5 for me. 32. Vicious Games (65): I had bit of a hard time ranking this. I like it more than my ranking indicates. The instrumental is delicious, but I had some issues with the simpler melody that got a bit repetitive. I may end up downloading it anyway for my next long drive :) 31. Lay Your Hands On Me (42): A personal top 10 back in '85. I love the classic TT instrumental, and the melody is pretty good especially in the chorus and pre-chorus. It's not in my top 3 TT songs, but still a pretty good tune -albeit maybe a bit too slow for this RD. 30. Road To Nowhere (9): One of my favorite TH songs, even though I only heard it in the 90s. Strong instrumental that let DB shine in all his quirky glory. It's also super catchy, energetic, dynamic. 29. Appetite (83): Oops! This was a case of a song that I forgot to move higher It was their other song that I was ranking in my 80s -- I was going to rank this ~30 spots higher. There is good sophistipop instrumental, and the chick's vocals help a lot, but I found it a bit too AC/sleepy for this RD. Btw, I had never heard this group. 28. Be Near Me (12): This, on the other hand, is the type of sophistipop I love. A personal chart-topper that I still hear. 27. When Love Breaks Down (89): Surprisingly, this discovery didn't do anything for me, except making me sleepy the verses were far too sleepy in terms of production, vocals, melody. The choruses are just ok, but I wasn't a big fan of the vocals. Overall a forgettable tune to me especially for this RD. 26. Money For Nothing (2): This was one of the biggest songs of the year and decade back home -and in my personal chart. I love the guitar / synth / drum combo, but most importantly I LOVE Sting here. I don't mind Mark's talk singing in the verses --it works in the context of this song IMO, as he brings a lot of attitude unlike other less skillful singers in this RD. 25. Fortress Around Your Heart (71): This barely made my top 20 back in '85. I'm not a fan of the verses or the jazzier elements in this song. The chorus is strong, but not enough for me, especially in this RD. 24. Makes No Sense At All (64): MILES better than their other song. Nice melody and good instrumental; withbetter vocals, I could've ranked it in my top half. 23. Slave To Love (17): Great example of lush, sexy, sophistipop. His voice and the backing vocals work perfectly with the production and the enticing, seductive melody. 22. Things Can Only Get Better (18): This was his biggest hit back home, reaching the top of the charts. It's my second favorite from him, his second one to reach the top of my personal chart. Great instrumental and melody, and I like the change in beat from verses to pre-chorus. The pre-chorus is strong enough to become the chorus whereas the Oooh Oohs serve as a strong post-chorus. 21. Bad (36): NO, Bad should come before Things Can Only Get Better, especially in the current context, come on now! This is sorta the origins to I Still Haven't Found. I like hearing Bono's strong vocals with slightly harder instrumental. 20. Secret (38): This was basically a flop back home. I like OMD a lot (I was finally able to see them live last year!!), especially their strong synth production. This is a bit simpler in the melody department, and the music is a bit too poppier for this RD, which made me deduct some points. 19. Love Vigilantes (52): I much prefer NO's more electronic stuff. This had strong enough melody and instrumental, but vocals sound rougher than usual. 18. Pop Life (84): I only heard this one for the first time couple of years ago. I just find it forgettable and uneventful, especially for Prince, and for this RD. 17. Smooth Operator (29): I would've ranked it in my top 10. if I had considered the song regardless of genre. I found it a bit out of place in this Modern Rock RD... I gave more points to songs that sounded a bit more rock or pop rock... 16. Boy With A Thorn In His Side (16): FINALLY A PPP!!!!! It was only in the early 00s when I caught up with music from The Smiths and Morrissey, including this tune, which became a favorite of mine. I really like the nostalgic melody, the instrumental (nothing lush, but rich enough) and Morrissey's effective vocals. Great to see it this high! 15. Alive and Kickin' (15): WHAT?! Two in a row? A hit back home, and a personal top 5 --which I've grown to like more with time. Epic instrumental, vocals and production. Great combination of dark vibe with catchy pop hooks, with interesting melodic choices. 14. So In Love (5): YES!! At least it made the top 15 :) One of my favorite OMD songs. It wasn't a hit back home, but when I discovered it in the late 80s, it became one of my favorite sophistipop songs of the decade. I love the vibrant, epic intro that puts you in high gear from the beginning, the warm vocals in the chorus with the more melancholic instrumental help getting the message of the lyrics, in preparation of the more shiny chorus. The instrumental is amazing IMO. A great song to pay attention to.
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newpower
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Post by newpower on Nov 9, 2020 19:38:04 GMT -5
Thanks for hosting Troy and great top 10. I liked all the songs.
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Juanca
Diamond Member
Enjoying work, family/personal life with partner and doggies, and music. I couldn't ask for more :)
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Post by Juanca on Nov 10, 2020 0:13:45 GMT -5
13. Driver 8 (41): A pretty good discovery, with a strong nostalgic melody that reminded me a bit of Smiths type of material. 12. And She Was (67): I like it, but it's not in my top 5 TH stuff. It's catchy, but I much prefer TH's quirky stuff -this is a bit too vanilla especially for this RD. 11. Life In A Northern Town (21): Definitely sounds much better in this list than in the Mainstream Rock (where I ranked it #73). Unique, dreamy melody and ethereal vibe. Btw, I like Dario G's Sunchyme a lot, too. 10. Duel (10): YESSS!!!! This was a minor hit back home, and made the top of my personal chart. It's remained a song I come back often. I LOVE its nostalgic, melancholic vibe that transports me back to my childhood years. The melody is great throughout the song, plus the bridge is a cinematic gem. The extended version was occasionally played in our #1 pop station at night, and I could just sit and listen to it attentively www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTM_apWWcO09. You Spin Me Round (7): One of my favorite dance songs of the 80s. It was my #2 in the Mid-80s Rankdown. I LOVE it, especially the extended version, which made it to the top of my personal chart in '88 -after having entered a couple of times in my chart in '85 and '86. On its own, it would've been my #1 --but I just didn't have enough Modern Rock ingredients to me www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymFXDcJNXW48. Voices Carry (23): I didn't care much for this song in '85, but I've grown to like it much more with time, especially after I adored Aimee's Smilers album and I revisited some of her older materials. 7. In Between Days (8): One of my favorite Cure tunes. A personal top 5 back then, and a mid-sized hit bak home. I love the high energy, fast pace that make it feel shorter than it is. Bright synth-influenced music but with enough rock strength in the drum/guitar/vocals combo. A great song to drive to, too :) 6. Shout (11): I've always loved this song, especially the darker, stronger anthemic instrumental, and the fiery vocals. And of course the strong melody. Great to see it in the top 10. 5. Perfect Kiss (4): I heard this for the first time when I bought a compilation New Order CD in 2000. And it was love at first listen. I remember using it A LOT at work to get hyped while working on statistics :) It's a great example of their exquisite, intricate synthpop instrumental with their melancholic, darker elements through guitars, vocals and lyrics. Oe of my favorite New Order songs. 4. Don't You Forget About Me (3): A big hit back home and a personal chart-topper and yearend top 10. I love the multiple melodic hooks this song has, and how his vocals adapt to each section to convey different emotions. The production complements each section perfectly, from the initial euphoric HEYs to the more subtle Will you recognize me to the more anthemic LA la la laaaaas. 3. Head Over Heels (24): Another strong song by TFF, but this one was practically a flop back home, while barely making my top 20. I didn't love the melody in the verses back then, but I came around at the end of the decade. I still like the second half much more than the first one. 2. Everybody Wants To Rule The World (1): Another big hit back home and their first of 3 personal chart-toppers, that I've loved even more with time. The instrumental is really great, with lots of subtleties from the intro to the bridge to the outro, that packs a lot of nostalgia to me. A perfect song to drive to at sunset time :) 1. Running Up That Hill (14): WOW! This is a surprise! This wasn't popular back home, although in the late 80s/early 90s the video received good rotation in music TV channels. Kate is an acquired taste in terms of vocals. I like her in many singles, including this one. The instrumental here is also exquisite. I didn't rank it in my top 10 because I like the melodies much more in the other 13 songs ahead of it. Won't complain though, as it's pretty good to see her at the top of a chart :) Thanks, Troy for another great RD!
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craziaskowboi
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Post by craziaskowboi on Nov 10, 2020 5:18:07 GMT -5
Personally, I thought "New Day Rising" was hilarious. I couldn't stop laughing as I listened to it. That's how it ended up in my top 20, and my second-favorite first listen.
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willapted33
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blonded
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Post by willapted33 on Nov 15, 2020 5:52:22 GMT -5
missed these results live but running up that hill definitely would’ve been my #1, excellent result
everybody wants to rule the world & in between days would’ve been super high for me as well
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Post by Daryl the Beryl on Nov 18, 2020 10:52:18 GMT -5
I guess this is overdue. This is combined with the mainstream rock results. Artist average rankings update: Added to the database: Artists United Against Apartheid Autograph ABC The Armoury Show The Blasters The Bluebells The Bongos The E Street Band Tina Turner The Clash Colourfield Corey Hart Pat Metheny Group Dead or Alive Everything but the Girl Fiona Giuffria Godley & Creme Howard Jones Jason & the Scorchers John Cafferty & the Beaver Brown Band John Parr Katrina & the Waves The Kinks Lone Justice Lords of the New Church Loverboy Malcolm McLaren Marillion Michael McDonald Marshall Crenshaw The Motels Nick Lowe Nina Hagen Paul Young Phantom, Rocker & Slick Philip Bailey The Power Station Prince Propaganda Richard Thompson Sade Scritti Politti The Style Council Supertramp Thompson Twins Timezone Translator The Velvet Underground What is This Yello Artists who have improved: The Alarm -0.244 The Beat Farmers -1 Big Audio Dynamite -1.256 Bruce Springsteen -3.376 Bryan Adams -8.917 Bryan Ferry -5.333 Cheap Trick -0.95 China Crisis -5.5 The Cure -1.662 Deep Purple -3 Dire Straits -15.476 Don Henley -12.414 Eurythmics -1.036 Fine Young Cannibals -2.333 Foreigner -4.667 Glenn Frey -41 Graham Parker -3 Guadalcanal Diary -3.167 Hoodoo Gurus -2.75 The Hooters -16.25 Huey Lewis & the News -8.629 Joe Walsh -4 John Fogerty -10.5 John Mellencamp -2.194 Journey -3.7 Julian Lennon -12 Kate Bush -4.833 Lloyd Cole -2.75 Mr. Mister -4.5 New Order -1.775 Night Ranger -17.667 Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark -10.533 Pat Benatar -7.133 Prefab Sprout -6 R.E.M. -0.199 Ratt -6.5 Robert Plant -0.459 Roger Daltrey -10.25 Shriekback -2.85 Simple Minds -8.555 The Smiths -0.35 Sting -5 The Stranglers -2.833 Survivor -6.5 Talking Heads -8.922 Tears for Fears -6.15 Til Tuesday -7 U2 -0.424 The Waterboys -2.833 Wire Train -18.5 ZZ Top -0.876 Artists who have performed worse: 10,000 Maniacs 0.904 The Alan Parsons Project 7.5 Alison Moyet 8 The Blow Monkeys 14 The Blue Nile 18.5 Bob Dylan 4.5 The Cars 0.45 David Bowie 1.6 David Lee Roth 1.661 The Dream Academy 1.5 Eric Clapton 0.184 The Firm 6.333 Fishbone 37 The Golden Palominos 1.167 Heart 4.064 Hüsker Dü 12.667 INXS 0.683 Jeff Beck 24 Joan Armatrading 2.5 John Waite 14 Meat Puppets 3.2 Mick Jagger 4.622 Midnight Oil 3.333 Minutemen 12 Mötley Crüe 1.434 Phil Collins 7.333 Red Hot Chili Peppers 1.03 REO Speedwagon 3 Rod Stewart 5.2 Rush 0.237 The Sisters of Mercy 3.667 Squeeze 0.833 Starship 2.417 Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers 0.282 Triumph 3.5 X 0.167 Top performing artists: (minimum: 10 entries) 1 Tool 2 Royal Blood 3 Tears for Fears 4 Deftones 5 Queens of the Stone Age 6 Chevelle 7 A Perfect Circle 8 Silversun Pickups 9 Alice in Chains 10 Nirvana 11 Rise Against 12 The Goo Goo Dolls 13 System of a Down 14 Rage Against the Machine 15 Foo Fighters 16 Soundgarden 17 Depeche Mode 18 The Killers 19 Florence + the Machine 20 Death Cab for Cutie 21 Volbeat 22 Rush 23 New Order 24 Incubus 25 Highly Suspect 26 Jimmy Eat World 27 Young the Giant 28 Peter Gabriel 29 Nine Inch Nails 30 Filter 31 The 1975 32 AFI 33 Spoon 34 Garbage 35 The Smashing Pumpkins 36 Kings of Leon 37 Stone Sour 38 Tom Petty 39 Alter Bridge 40 Linkin Park Bottom performing artists: (minimum: 10 entries) 1 Kid Rock 2 Hinder 3 Big Audio Dynamite 4 Sammy Hagar 5 Limp Bizkit 6 Saliva 7 Drowning Pool 8 Buckcherry 9 Dirty Heads 10 X Ambassadors 11 Saving Abel 12 Creed 13 Puddle of Mudd 14 Seven Mary Three 15 Hellyeah 16 Dave Matthews Band 17 ZZ Top 18 Theory of a Deadman 19 In This Moment 20 Days of the New 21 P.O.D. 22 The Rolling Stones 23 Godsmack 24 Mötley Crüe 25 Aerosmith 26 311 27 Crossfade 28 Imagine Dragons 29 AC/DC 30 Rob Zombie 31 Candlebox 32 Papa Roach 33 Van Halen 34 Fall Out Boy 35 Vance Joy 36 Bryan Adams 37 Panic! At the Disco 38 Tesla 39 Korn 40 Black Stone Cherry UB40's average ranking of 99 remains unchanged. All of their songs have landed in the bottom 3. Spreadsheet: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1w4zSyRghGi1MZbgmVIDRfT1OrHnofpjwFpE6l1zEhrY/edit?usp=sharing
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Post by thethirdcurry on Nov 24, 2020 23:03:32 GMT -5
#10 "Duel" - Propaganda
Despite using a somewhat limited and fairly cold palette of synth tones on their debut album, this band was able to explore a lot of ground musically. Here, they tried their hand at something straight-forward and melodic, and thanks to some creative synth lines and Claudia Brücken's deep vocals it works perfectly. I love the lush New Romantic vibe that Propaganda brought to their synth-pop on this track.
#9 "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" - Dead Or Alive
This is basically straight-up pop, but it's plenty of synth-pop fun, so I certainly don't mind it. The production here packs the soundscape full, but the excess suits the song well.
#8 "Voices Carry" - 'Til Tuesday
Nice synth-pop with a slightly sophisticated edge and an emotive vocal performance. I clearly wasn't the biggest fan here judging by my rating, but it's a perfectly fine track.
#7 "In Between Days" - Cure
Classic Cure combination of moody tone, Gothic ambience, and pop accessibility. No complaints here.
#6 "Shout" - Tears For Fears
While the chorus is fairly catchy and the production solid - as one would expect from a Tears For Fears track - I can't help but feel the album version drags on a little too long. I also think their other big pop crossover hit this year has held up much better through years of radio play.
#5 "Perfect Kiss" - New Order
Simply put, this song contains some of the most addictive synth work the '80s has to offer. The grooves, the solos, the vocal sections - they all work perfectly here. The production manages to skew a bit airy without getting too lightweight, and there's not a wasted note to be found. This is pretty much as good as mid-'80s modern rock got, and it was a fairly easy choice for my #1.
#4 "Don't You Forget About Me" - Simple Minds
With its memorable chorus, excellent production, and pop crossover appeal, I knew this would be somewhere in the top 10, and while it didn't quite make my personal top 10, I certainly don't mind seeing it here.
#3 "Head Over Heels" - Tears For Fears
More great production and atmosphere from Tears For Fears. Not hard to see why it made everyone's top third (although it looks like I personally kept it from making everyone's top fourth - in retrospect I think I underranked this one.) I love the way the song goes soaring into the chorus - reminds me a lot of the chorus in "Life In A Northern Town" in that regard.
#2 "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" - Tears For Fears
This is one of those tracks like Peter Gabriel's "Sledgehammer" that seemed to cross over all sorts of boundaries. It was a pop hit, a rock hit, an alt hit, and an adult contemporary hit - just an excellent combination of pop hooks, well crafted production work, and solid synth usage that everyone could - and evidently did - enjoy.
#1 "Running Up That Hill" - Kate Bush
This is #15 on my list, yet it's not even my favorite song on Hounds of Love. Despite being one of the more straight-forward tracks on the album, there's still plenty of creativity on display here amongst the dreamy production and gradual crescendo. It's interesting to hear Kate Bush turn in a more conventional (albeit intense) pop vocal performance rather than the more quirky material she often delivers. It worked though, it worked well enough to get her one of the biggest hits of her career and the #1 song in this rankdown.
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