Butterflies & Hurricanes
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Post by Butterflies & Hurricanes on Mar 25, 2021 20:32:56 GMT -5
yeah!!! although i was pulling for the upset, but i get a PPPPP at #1 so i can't complain
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gonecountry
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Post by gonecountry on Mar 25, 2021 20:33:02 GMT -5
Blue Monday for the win! I'm still licking my wounds from Love Vigilantes not making the Top 10 last year.
Love My Way is great, The Ghost in You is just a little bit greater.
Both great songs, neither having made the Top 40
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singingrulebritannia
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Post by singingrulebritannia on Mar 25, 2021 20:34:57 GMT -5
Year-End Closeness Rankdown Closeness Perfect Rankings We've reached the end of another journey in classic alternative rock, everybody! First and foremost, thank you to Butterflies & Hurricanes for making these pre-Billboard rankdowns possible by conducting comprehensive research of the real playlists of the era's radio stations. I obviously must thank all you fine ballot submitters, thread commenters, and post likers (even those I may have roasted during reveals--no hard feelings). The greatest thing about the Pulse community is that you can gather up excitement for basically any era of popular music here. And lastly, thank you to peacebone for letting me in on the deepest, most advanced secrets of your spreadsheet jiu jitsu while you co-hosted 2020 Active Rock--my hosting capabilites and efficiency has increased tenfold, and it made this rankdown so much simpler and cleaner. If you're wanting more 1983 content, the Mainstream Rock rankdown hosted by rowellfarm490 is still accepting submissions. We only have a few years left in the retro category for both Alt and Active, and I'm likely coming back to host the 1982 version of the latter, while peacebone hosts the former. Maybe after they're all completed, we can go back to the retro Triple A rankdowns, like some of you have been craving. Goodbye everyone!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 25, 2021 20:38:45 GMT -5
Well, "Love My Way" did better than I expected, so I definitely can't be upset about it just missing out on the #1 spot when "Blue Monday" is such a timeless classic.
Thanks for the impeccable hosting as usual, gates!
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Butterflies & Hurricanes
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Post by Butterflies & Hurricanes on Mar 25, 2021 20:38:50 GMT -5
thanks for hosting Gates!!!
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gonecountry
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Post by gonecountry on Mar 25, 2021 20:43:23 GMT -5
Great rankdown, despite all the carnage singingrulebritannia! Thanks for all the research Butterflies & Hurricanes! I can't imagine that 82 will be as hard, but there was a lot of good stuff in 82 including some classic Flock of Seagulls. Looking forward to 82 Modern Rock, after 83 Mainstream Rock of course
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Football
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Post by Football on Mar 25, 2021 20:45:29 GMT -5
{RAIN DELAYED}#10: Maybe this era is just my favorite of TFF's. I love all three of their songs in 1985, but none of them would have been top ten here. #9: The song that made U2 into U2. (It's also not my favorite of the U2 songs, but some of you may have been able to guess that before the RD began.) #8: I didn't mention this when "Radio Free Europe" was revealed, but "Europe" and this were two of my all-time toughest top ten cuts. This song, in particular, is a song I've ranked top ten or higher in literally every RD it's been in, and it couldn't make it to my top ten here. #7: Easily in INXS' top five, probably top three. I wish every song they made was like this one. #6: The song itself is I Melt with You, so there's little point in talking about, but you reminded me that "Still Into You" beat this song once (and it didn't make the top ten there, IIRC). Thank god it won a RD. #5: I had two songs in mind for the top two, and this was one of them. In a rankdown where, admittedly, I had quite a few songs that were pop hits low, this was simply impossible to drop outside of the top 20. It's just too f ucking good. #4: Literally ranked this at the same spot as I would have ranked HSIN in 1984. Trust me, it was not on purpose. #3: And here's the other song I thought would be in the top two. Even compared to when it was in that 80's RD, this has grown on me tremendously. It may even be my second-favorite U2 song now. ("Pride" will forever be my favorite.) Well, either way, I'll be fine with the winner (I would have been fine with any song in my top 25 winning), but it's still my 1 vs. 15, sooooooo... #2: It's probably not that controversial to say that I prefer "The Ghost in You" to this, but it's still a little bit controversial, I guess. It's still Love My Way, though. #1: I can't stress enough how difficult it was to narrow down my #1. I had, legitimately, 12 songs in play for #1, which then became five, which then, agonizingly, became three. I came this close to picking "New Year's Day", but I kept finding myself coming back to "Blue Monday" and how it pulls one of the greatest magic tricks I've ever heard in a song. It's a 7 minute song that feels half that length, and I keep finding new things to adore about it every time I listen to it. I love "New Year's Day" so much, but I know what I'm getting every time I listen to it. It feels like every listen of "Blue Monday" is like I'm listening to it again for the first time. It's just magical. Sorry that I missed this as it happened, singingrulebritannia, but it's spring, and, where I live, that means severe weather and storms. Hooray. I can't imagine that 82 will be as hard, but there was a lot of good stuff in 82 including some classic Flock of Seagulls. I've seen the list, and, uh, just trust me when I say that it does not get any easier. At all.
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gonecountry
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Post by gonecountry on Mar 25, 2021 20:50:15 GMT -5
{RAIN DELAYED}#10: Maybe this era is just my favorite of TFF's. I love all three of their songs in 1985, but none of them would have been top ten here. #9: The song that made U2 into U2. (It's also not my favorite of the U2 songs, but some of you may have been able to guess that before the RD began.) #8: I didn't mention this when "Radio Free Europe" was revealed, but "Europe" and this were two of my all-time toughest top ten cuts. This song, in particular, is a song I've ranked top ten or higher in literally every RD it's been in, and it couldn't make it to my top ten here. #7: Easily in INXS' top five, probably top three. I wish every song they made was like this one. #6: The song itself is I Melt with You, so there's little point in talking about, but you reminded me that "Still Into You" beat this song once (and it didn't make the top ten there, IIRC). Thank god it won a RD. #5: I had two songs in mind for the top two, and this was one of them. In a rankdown where, admittedly, I had quite a few songs that were pop hits low, this was simply impossible to drop outside of the top 20. It's just too f ucking good. #4: Literally ranked this at the same spot as I would have ranked HSIN in 1984. Trust me, it was not on purpose. #3: And here's the other song I thought would be in the top two. Even compared to when it was in that 80's RD, this has grown on me tremendously. It may even be my second-favorite U2 song now. ("Pride" will forever be my favorite.) Well, either way, I'll be fine with the winner (I would have been fine with any song in my top 25 winning), but it's still my 1 vs. 15, sooooooo... #2: It's probably not that controversial to say that I prefer "The Ghost in You" to this, but it's still a little bit controversial, I guess. It's still Love My Way, though. #1: I can't stress enough how difficult it was to narrow down my #1. I had, legitimately, 12 songs in play for #1, which then became five, which then, agonizingly, became three. I came this close to picking "New Year's Day", but I kept finding myself coming back to "Blue Monday" and how it pulls one of the greatest magic tricks I've ever heard in a song. It's a 7 minute song that feels half that length, and I keep finding new things to adore about it every time I listen to it. I love "New Year's Day" so much, but I know what I'm getting every time I listen to it. It feels like every listen of "Blue Monday" is like I'm listening to it again for the first time. It's just magical. Sorry that I missed this as it happened, singingrulebritannia , but it's spring, and, where I live, that means severe weather and storms. Hooray. I can't imagine that 82 will be as hard, but there was a lot of good stuff in 82 including some classic Flock of Seagulls. I've seen the list, and, uh, just trust me when I say that it does not get any easier. At all. Feck
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Post by DadJokes on Mar 25, 2021 20:52:34 GMT -5
Happy with almost all the top 10. Some stone cold classics. Thanks singlerule for hosting. Looking forward to jamming to the music of my pre-school years as we move to 82.
And yes, I’d love a AAA retro RD.
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razorshark
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Post by razorshark on Mar 25, 2021 21:11:19 GMT -5
I was kinda bummed that three of those made the top 10, but after looking they are all iconic songs from iconic groups.
This was a blast guys, thanks for hosting singingrulebritannia, I hope I can participate in more of your rankdowns soon.
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Juanca
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Post by Juanca on Mar 25, 2021 23:20:53 GMT -5
50. White line (49): I learned about this thanks to Duran Duran’s cover. The original remains the superior version, though. Strong, fun, eclectic instrumental. I could’ve ranked it a bit higher even. 49. Der Kommissar (71): I didn’t know this version existed until the 90s when I heard it in an AT40 flashback. Back in Peru, we jammed to Falco’s original! I still have the 45RPM, and I still like it as much as I did in ‘83. This cover, while good, doesn’t compare unfortunately... and German works better than English :) 48. Power and the passion (58): Very cool discovery. There are strong melodies here, and very cool drums and synths. But it gets a bit excessive and chaotic at parts and make it lose some flow and melodic cohesion among its different parts. Those were my main reasons to rank it outside my top half in a very tight list. 47. The Cutter (67): I like the second half much more than the first one, which I really don’t care for. Had the instrumental and melody been just like the second half, this would’ve been in my top half for sure. 46. Love is a Stranger (27): I heard this first when I bought their Greatest Hits CD -and I loved it. I’m a big fan of Annie’s vocals here and this sophisticated but mysterious synthpop production is the perfect complement. 45. Nowhere Girl (37): This was my favorite discovery! Musically this is one of the types of instrumental, beat and production I love from the 80s. The mysterious, nostalgic vibe works very well with the dude’s vocals / vocal effects. Also reminds me of a few mid-80s Spanish rock songs. 44. Add It Up (41): despite wearing my pop hat, this was my third favorite discovery. This felt genuinely unapologetic, angry, sick. Sooo pure punk. I really like the roller coaster of energy, from the a cappella intro to the chantry last chorus and guitar outro. And vocally the guy delivers. (Lyrics are complicated, but I took them more as a fetishist scene.) 43. Numbers with Wings (42): and here’s my 4th favorite discovery, and another one that managed to make my top half, thanks to its strong instrumental, overall vibe and melody. 42. Dear Prudence (18): I heard this version first. I only learned in the late 90s that this was a Beatles song. Another case where I like the cover more than the original. Oops! I love its dark, mysterious vibe in terms of both instrumental and layered vocals. I love the bridge effects, too. They really made this their own. Oh, and that video had lots of rotation back home, so it also brings back pretty good memories. 41. Oblivious (39): My second favorite discovery. I dug the island vibe, vocals (especially in the chorus), short but effective melody. All works pretty well, and the simplicity feels organic enough to counteract well the more polished sounds of the year. 40. Wrapped Around Your Finger (53): I can say I like all Police singles to different degrees. I like this quite a bit too, but I felt that it’s chill and moody vibe didn’t fit the alternative list that well. 39. Get the Balance Right! (63): Nice little song, but a bit too simple to make my top half. And that sorta slower bridge is a bit too long and interrupts the vibe. 38. One Thing Leads to Another (28): This is a huge classic. Their lone hit in Peru, with good recurrent airplay. Great instrumental and melody, with interesting production choices in the bridge and outro, and cool layered vocals. Was hoping it’s make the top 30 :( 37. The One Thing (73): the appropriate song leaves first. It’s ok but the verses are a bit too simple and disjointed from the chorus. They’ve done miles better. 36. Whisper to a scream (5): Oh, no!! I’ve been a big fan of this song since it was a hit back home in ‘84 —as WtaS and not as Birds Fly . A personal chart-topper and a song I’ve listened to often in the past 20 years, especially in road trips. Great energy, amazing instrumental (the drums!!), strong vocals and melody. I guess people love it more as a mainstream rock hit? 35. Our house (26): Another classic that illustrates the uniqueness of 80s music. Still love hearing it now. Great instrumental, melody and harmonies. 34. Modern love (36): Another great classic, big hit back in Peru with the highest airplay for a Bowie song, and a personal favorite. I didn’t rank it higher just because I felt it was a bit less alternative. The poppy, youthful instrumental, including the sax in the bridge, the piano and drum combos, and the multiple layered vocals and chants make the sing unforgettable. 33. She’s in Parties (74): I like the dark, mysterious vibe quite a bit, but I didn’t find the melody too memorable, and the vocals were just ok to me. 32. Institutionalized (57): on the contrary, this was an exciting discovery. I’m usually not a big fan of too noisy stuff, but this one clicked. The instrumental was super strong. The changes in tempo mixed with the guys’ raging vocals worked very well, and the lyrics were a trip I could’ve ranked it higher but there were too many songs I already loved. 31. Send Me An Angel (9): Awww. This is as epic as a new wave song can be. The instrumental and production are everything I need, with the different sound effects, the stops, the operatic backing vocals, the dark leading vocals, all work. Also, I love the 89 remix just as much as the original. 30. Reap the Wild Wind (16): I adore the instrumental. So dreamy, angelical. Great melody, too. Btw, I heard this first in late 90s, and it quickly reminded me of one of my favorite Indochine songs -Le chevauche des champs de blé- 29. Every Breath You Take (7): there are some melodies and arrangements that hit the perfect spot. This is one of them to me. It may be simple, but I’ve loved it since ‘83. Easily one of my favorite songs of the 80s. I liked it even more when I got the lyrics. Timeless tune. I didn’t rank it higher just because I felt other songs fit the alternative bill better. 28. Talking in Your Sleep (21): Another personal rock favorite since 83. A classic in local radio. My favorite Romantics tune. instrumental and melody still sound cool 27. Change (33): I heard this first in late ‘85 after the success of Everybody and Shout. I like the energetic production but I like the elegance of the other two singles in this RD much more. 26. Wishing (61): Very solid instrumental although not in my top 5 AFOS songs, as I like the melody of others more. I’ll likely rank it higher in the mainstream RD.
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willapted33
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Post by willapted33 on Mar 26, 2021 0:03:05 GMT -5
I’ll take a 4th place ranking for this charming man, good result for sure
i thought blue monday was winning this all along & I’m glad to see that come true
& great job hosting gates!!
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Post by Doc Indie Party Rock on Mar 26, 2021 1:40:52 GMT -5
let me do the last set of xtras cause my would be #1 song for 1983 finally made it's appearance. Scatterlings Of Africa - Johnny Clegg & JulukaUsually not something I would go for, but this had melody. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if a few Italo Disco hits from early Time Records were just a bit inspired by this. Make A Circuit With Me - The Polecats Another one I charted. Perfect Rock a Billy vibe, but I can see why this band was shadowed by The Stray Cats. For one Brian had cleaner vocals that would easily gel with Pop crowd. The Question is which actually came first? The Stray Cat or the Polecat. Dancing In Heaven (Orbital Be-Bop) - Q-Feel ...and we reach my actual #1 song of 1983. I actually heard this in the last months of 1982 and it quickly rose to dethrone what I think was "The Look of Love" from ABC. Something about Q-Feel's hit just grabbed me from that first screeching sound in the intro. The song was very NRGetic, and frantic but had quirky vocals. So much going on in the synths department. KIQQ played it and even KROQ gave it a few spins. My dad got me the '45 and the dancing commenced. Never saw a video for it , nor did I know they were Canadian nor anything about the band in general. I expected them to look like Flock of Seagulls part 5 so imagine my surprise many years later when I saw the lead singer who appears to be David Arquette's long lost twin leading a troop of "Nasa promoter girls" throwing some parapara hand movements. Blew my mind is what it did, and I loved it even more. I also have this band's Lp and the extended 12 of this song which sounds even more astral than this version. In the end I kicked it over to my 1983 charts, because 1982 belonged to Rick Springfield. The flipside of the Q-feel '45 was this song which always puts a smile on my face. The sax that takes the song home is a blast. "At The Top (All The Way St Tropez)"Pressure Sway - MachinationsI'm fairly positive I've heard this on another Rd. I like the New Wave vibes. Sounds like a song I would put in my top 10 on a none yearly Top 100 Rd, but couldn't promise top 70 if it had made this list. Good for a Download/check tho. Cool Places - Sparks & Jane Wiedlin Love this one as I do most songs from Sparks. Sparks had those nice aggressive New Wave beats, and Jane gave it the valley girl vibe. Easy top 30 if it had made this list. KROQ played quite a few from Whomp that Sucker" and "Angst In My Pants. A couple of those made my 1982 modern rock hits of the year. I hope we get to rank some Sparks in 1982. They are long overdue for some Rd action. Belly Of The Whale - Burning SensationsAnotherone I charted, and got some fair airplay on the stations I listened to. This one had some Tropical vibes to it, but not bad at all. They fit his tones, and the chorus is just a load of melodic fun. Say what you want, but I related this one to the Pinocchio fable. Now lets see that top 10.10. Mad World - Tears For FearsA great song. I did not see this song going top 10 here. Thought "Change" had it in the bag? This one just misses my top half. Like most of the early TFF songs it was Curt's vocals that I enjoyed the most. 9. Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2 Out of all the U2 songs I think this one suffers from overplay value. it was a good song in the 80's. I love the aggressiveness of it and Bono's tones, but F U C K why did radio have to burn it out in the 90's. It's like they decided to rewrite history and make this their most popular song ever? Anyway, I would have played a whole lot nicer with "Two Hearts Beat As One" 8. Burning Down The House - Talking HeadsDecent song. I liked it in the 80's and all that. Man I expected a lot more love from PULSE. Meaning I expected a whole lot more top 10 ranks. 7. Don't Change - INXSOne of those rare instances where PULSE rankings come through for me. I love this song , and wrestled with putting it my top 10. Might be my favorite next to "Original Sin" I just love the buildup in the intro. This one and "Modern Love" fought for my #10 position. I gave it to David since it is my favorite from him as opposed to this being my second favorite from INXS. It could have gone either way, but I'm glad to see one of my favs from this band make the top 10. 6. I Melt With You - Modern EnglishI have no idea what transitive property, means. Not even after googleing it, but I do know that this song gained popularity during the 90's fro massive overplay. If most of you grew up in the 90's ,and the 90's is your preferred music era than this song will be etched in your heart forever as one of the best from the 80's. As you can see I like this song. I like it a lot , but I didn't chart it in the 80's, because it didn't get that radio love it got in the 90's. My rank is based on hearing a lot in the 90's. I could have bet money it would have made the top on this RD. 5. Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This) - EurythmicsEasily my favorite from this band. Like with Dead Or Alive sometimes a band's first song is there best. It's a great new Wave/Synthpop fire with those ever present haunting synth progressions. In a lot of ways it also feels like Beauty and The Beast opera vibes. 4. This Charming Man - The SmithsAs you can see I got into Morrissey a lot more when he went solo. This is a good song, but not what I was into in 1983 nor a song I consider better than the 70+ songs I put above it.. 3. New Year's Day - U2Easily one of my favorite U2 songs. I think their songs were more aggressive in the 80's. The guitars on this song sound really strong especially in the solo, but all the twangs throughout the song ,and the the promise in his tones when he sings "I will be with you again" still gives me chills. 2. Love My Way - The Psychedelic Furs1. Blue Monday - New OrderThis is too perfect. Both my #16 and #17 come in the two top spots but in reverse Order.. I love both of these songs at the same level. Both are my favorite from said bands , both went top 10 on my weekly charts and both also went top 5. I like I prefer Richard Butler vocal delivery a lot more, but I might have played "Blue Monday" many more times on my turntables through out the years, because it's one of those songs that mixes well with 80's Hi-NRG and Italo. Particularly ""Living On Video". Its' all in the bass line the synths create. You gotta find the right BMPs for each song , but they mix beautifully. singingrulebritannia . So as always this was a blast. Fun as hell. A few bumps in the road, but the important thing is that about 80% of these songs were hits from my youth. Songs that sit in my vinyl and now MP3 collection. BTW I appreciate if someone could explain the "transitive property" theory. Especially since "Still Into You" was my #1 Pop song of that year. Thanks.
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singingrulebritannia
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Post by singingrulebritannia on Mar 26, 2021 2:20:51 GMT -5
BTW I appreciate if someone could explain the "transitive property" theory. Especially since "Still Into You" was my #1 Pop song of that year. Thanks. The transitive property is a principle that says if something (A) competes with another thing (B) and beats it, and the second thing (B) competes with something else (C) and beats it, one could predict the first thing (A) would beat the third thing (C) if they were to compete. In this example, "I Melt With You" finished #12 out of 40 in this game, and all the songs I mentioned finished about it there. So if someone trusts that property, they would guess that if all those songs were in this game, they would have beat IMWY here, too. I was making a joke, though, because the transitive property doesn't actually apply straightforwardly to Pulse games. The participants determine the results, not the songs themselves, and the difference in members between this game and wrip's game would've certainly provided a vastly different outcome.
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Post by campbellssoup on Mar 26, 2021 4:10:15 GMT -5
Yeah this is proof enough I need to get my ears cleaned. Sorry y’all.
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rowellfarm490
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Post by rowellfarm490 on Mar 26, 2021 10:03:48 GMT -5
3 victories in just 5 rankdown years... Even more impressive is that New Order had an average margin of victory of over 100 points in these rankdowns when combined. Only the Foo Fighters have now done better with 5 different songs winning rock chart rankdowns. Thanks for another fantastic round of hosting singingrulebritannia ! Even in a year this great where I already knew a large portion of the songs going in there were still lots of great discoveries for me. And that's what I love the most about participating in these rankdowns is finding new songs to enjoy for the years to come.
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craziaskowboi
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Post by craziaskowboi on Mar 31, 2021 17:52:09 GMT -5
Great song, nothing else much to say about it sadly. Casey Kasem used to play a bastardized version that interspersed the English & the German versions...it's sooooooooo much better in German I actually got a kick out of the English/German hybrid version he played. Do you listen to classic American Top 40 shows too? Those are the bomb. I actually like the original Hib-Tone Records version better, because of the faster tempo. The bass in the verses has always sounded goofy to me, and the extra percussion always throws off my sense of timing, but the chorus soars, and the harmony at the end of the song is golden.
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craziaskowboi
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Post by craziaskowboi on Mar 31, 2021 18:34:14 GMT -5
Classic "dark wave." Unfortunately, the cover by Michael Andrews & Gary Jules started the tired, godforsaken trend of austere, downtempo, overdramatic, piano-driven song covers. Adam Lambert did a damn good job with his cover, though: Eh, I don't hate it, but I've never been a fan of it either. I like this song. I'd rank it higher if I didn't still hear it all the time. Eurythmics and Guns N' Roses have something in common: Several hits in a roughly five-year window of time, but their first hit was their only #1 hit. And though there's a lot of scandal and controversy surrounding Marilyn Manson these days (no comment), he still did a pretty good metal cover of this song: The Wedding Singer introduced me to both of these songs. "Love My Way" was the perfect song for the moment Robbie began to realize that he had feelings for Julia.
By the way, that movie was peak Drew Barrymore. She was hot. As for "Blue Monday," I like the original 1983 version better than the 1988 remix, though both kick ass and are perfect for road trips.
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Post by Daryl the Beryl on Apr 2, 2021 10:54:03 GMT -5
Better late than never. Rankdown debuts: Adam Ant After the Fire B-Movie Bauhaus Berlin Culture Club The English Beat Gang of Four Grandmaster Howard Devoto JoBoxers Kajagoogoo Madness Melle Mel Men Without Hats Nena Oingo Bongo Peter Schilling Police, The Re-Flex Stray Cats The Suburbs Suicidal Tendencies Toy Dolls Yaz Rankdown improvements: Aztec Camera -4.083 Big Country -4.2 Billy Idol -2 Bongos, The -15.5 David Bowie -3.269 Eurythmics -2.51 A Flock of Seagulls -2.5 Heaven 17 -14.5 INXS -1.201 Modern English -26.5 The Psychedelic Furs -2.033 R.E.M. -0.252 Real Life -16 The Smiths -1.514 Talking Heads -0.133 The The -4.833 Thomas Dolby -2 U2 -1.123 (they also finally get their average rank above 50) UB40 -0.393 Violent Femmes -12.917 Rankdown degrades: The Alarm 2.841 The B-52's 5.397 Blancmange 13 The Cure 3.215 Cyndi Lauper 15.5 Depeche Mode 1.085 Duran Duran 8.607 Echo & the Bunnymen 11.982 Elvis Costello & the Attractions 4 The Fixx 2.571 The Human League 14 The Icicle Works 10 Let's Active 17.75 Midnight Oil 1.513 New Order 1.471 Pretenders 2.037 Public Image Ltd. 2.357 The Romantics 7.5 Siouxsie and the Banshees 1.691 Spandau Ballet 28 The Style Council 6.667 Tears for Fears 1.9 Ultravox 6.5 X 2.933
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Juanca
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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 Apr 4, 2021 23:39:47 GMT -5
25. King of Pain (34): Another Police song I do like a lot, but felt a bit less alternative to me. That video was great, too. 24. Let’s Dance (13): This and ML are two of my favorite Bowie songs. This felt a bit better fit for this list. The instrumental is outstanding, with the mix of synths, brass, Latin percussion and of course that guitar. Was hoping David would get one song in the top 10. 23. The Metro (35): a big hit back in Peru, and a song we liked a lot in our family, as we bought the 45 RPM :) great energy and instrumental, especially in the chorus, that resembles the vibe of a metro 22. Your Silent Face (88): I love most New Order stuff, but I’ve never gotten much into this one. Just a bit too simple and monotonous, especially for this specific rankdown. Good to see my lowest remaining song leave before my top 20 :) 21. 99 Luftballoons (2): Awww. This is one of my favorite high energy rock tunes, with a great melody. I love how it basically has 3 pretty different sections, including an almost a cappella ballad, all of them with super 80s and fun instrumental, including a cool combo of synths, drums, guitars, basses. Both German and English versions were popular in Peru, but I prefer it in German. I’m surprised this is their debut in the rock Rankdowns, as back in Peru they had a minor follow-up hit with Just a dream and another hit in ‘85 with Irgendwie, irgendwo, irgendwann (later covered in a duet with Kim Wilde). 20. Blister In The Sun (51): cool punk song that sounded more like 90s than 80s. It’s fun, but I found Add it up more interesting and complex than this one. 19. Synchronicity II (29): A great Police rocker, that still sounds cool. Not that popular in Peru radios, but the video had good rotation. 18. In a Big Country (30): Another great example of a uniquely sounding 80s song, that wasn’t as popular in radio as in TV. Still sounds cool 17. This is the Day (79): This first listen didn’t fully convince me unfortunately. The instrumental had potential, the chorus and post-chorus instrumental melody was nice, but the verses felt like afterthoughts, with weak melody and boring vocals 16. Save a Prayer (66): I can admit that I didn’t love this song back in the 80s. Just not the type of ballad I’d like. I’ve done a 180 since then, and I like it quite a bit, but it kinda paled in comparison with other hits in this rankdown. Overall I didn’t give much points to ballads... 15. Radio Free Europe (60): I believe this was a discovery. I do like the energetic vibe of the instrumental. I found it similar to Midnight Oil -and I ranked both acts in the 56-60 zone. I just needed a stronger melody in the chorus to keep me hooked, like a few other discoveries did. 14. Age of Consent (38): A pretty good early New Order tune, that does a good job combining electronic with slightly harder, rocker sounds. I couldn’t rank it higher than so many longtime favorite songs in this RD though. 13. Major Tom (11): A big ‘83 hit with high recurrent airplay. Definitely more popular than Different Story and Noah’s Ark. Unlike most German songs, I prefer the English version in this case. Love the “space” and guitar sounds, and the crescendo from subtle verse to strong chorus and anthemic bridge. 12. Pale Shelter (3): this is my favorite TFF song production-wise. That guitar and synths combo is right up my alley. I love that bridge -perfect for a highway drive. And I’ve always liked Curtis’ vocals more than Robert’s. And the melody is solid, especially with that unusual pleading chorus. I heard it first in ‘85, and have loved it since then. 11. Rebel Yell (23): I became a big Billy fan in ‘84, when Dancing with myself and Eyes without a face became big back-to-back hits, followed by Flesh for fantasy, Baby talk, and his studio version of Money Money. And a music TV channel played 30-min video specials with older stuff like this one. This is a great rocker that I was hoping could make the top 10... Good to see all the top 10 are in my top 25 pretty good songs all around. 10. Mad World (12): Another classic that I almost ranked in my top 10, where I also love production, vocals and melody. Btw, I think it worked pretty well as a ballad in the 2001 cover by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules. 9. Sunday Bloody Sunday (6): The original version wasn’t popular in Peru, but the live version off Under a Blood Red Sky was a big hit in ‘88, after the Joshua Tree era. It’s one of my favorite U2 songs, and one where the live and studio versions are equally strong to me. 8. Burning Down the House (25): this is one of Talking Heads’ strongest songs. Eclectic but digestible and catchy instrumental. It wasn’t that popular in the 80s back home though -it got more recurrent airplay after the 1999 success of the Tom Jones & Cardigans cover. 7. Don’t Change (24): I only learned of this song in the late 90s thanks to videography specials in one of our music TV channel. And I really liked it. Then I sorta forgot about it until I bought the Shine Like It Does cd. This is my favorite pre-Original Sin tune. Great nostalgic vibe, hard instrumental, and melody. Good to see them again in the top 10! 6. I Melt With You (17): A song I discovered in the 90s, and that quickly became an 80s favorite. Love the melancholic vibe, the less polished but still rich instrumental, and the great melody that still sounds pretty cool. 5. Sweet Dreams (4): My favorite Eurythmics song, and one of my favorites in ‘83. The mysterious and sophisticated instrumental, the multiple vocal layers, including Annie’s background operatic vocals, more than make up for the slightly simple melody. But the melody itself is also pretty good. 4. This Charming Man (10): Freaking yeah!! Pleasantly surprised it’s this high. I discovered this first when an important rock radio put it in rotation in ‘92-93, reaching their weekly number one, and becoming one of my favorites that year. Definitely in my top 5 Smiths/Morrissey tunes. 3. New Year’s Day (19): don’t get me wrong, I love this song, but my preferred version is by far the Under a blood red sky (live) version, which was a huge hit in pop radio in 88 -and in my personal chart. That version has much more punch, with richer instrumental, slightly faster pace, and stronger vocals. If this has been the live version, I would’ve ranked it top 10 for sure. 2. Love My Way (15): a song I only discovered at the end of the 90s, and loved it at first listen. The nostalgic vibe, sophistipop instrumental -especially in the bridge- and the layered vocals are great. I remember going to an 80s club in the early 00s for the first time and having a moment dancing to this one :) 1. Blue Monday (1): I don’t remember hearing this song in ‘83, but the ‘88 version was a big hit, and it led to radios playing both original, extended and ‘88 versions. I liked it a lot, and it made my weekly top 3, but I grew to love it even more with time, and appreciate all the intricacies of its instrumental and unique song structure. My second favorite NO song, after Bizarre... and one of my favorite 80s electro pops. Great to see it at #1, and finally have a lone PPPPerfect ranking! Thanks, gates for another great rankdown!!!!
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singingrulebritannia
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Post by singingrulebritannia on Apr 8, 2021 11:37:40 GMT -5
Alright. So. Uh. We have unfinished business. Daryl the Beryl was fetching the extras from this thread for his extras database, and noticed there seemed to be way fewer for this year on this format than in the past 80s Alternative rankdowns. He was right to find this odd. The problem is, it somehow escaped my mind to post FIFTY-EIGHT extras. Yea, I don't know how I f**ked up this badly either; don't rub it in. Now, it would be one thing if I was missing 1 or 2 extras in a category I had already covered. I could just stealth-edit them into a prior post. But nope. These were, again, FIFTY-EIGHT extras, AND in a category I had not introduced at all (songs by bands/artists that were in previous rock chart rankdowns, but not this one). So I'm going to be fixing this, and posting them all today, starting in a few minutes. I'm kind of pissed off, so I'm not in a mood to provide extensive commentary on, like, any of these. Even the songs I really love. I hope you can forgive me for that. Butterflies & Hurricanes and Doc Indie Party Rock were probably wondering where some of these songs were, too, so here's your signal to return to this thread.
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Post by singingrulebritannia on Apr 8, 2021 11:48:01 GMT -5
Artist | Song | estimated chart points | Video | XTC | Love On a Farmboy's Wages | 272 | Link | Billy Bragg | A New England | 260 | Link | Tom Tom Club | The Man With The 4-Way Hips | 225 | Link | China Crisis | Working With Fire And Steel | 221 | Link | Adrian Belew | I'm Down | 211 | Link |
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Post by singingrulebritannia on Apr 8, 2021 11:52:18 GMT -5
Artist | Song | estimated chart points | Video | Lords Of The New Church | Live For Today | 208 | Link | Devo | That's Good | 206 | Link | Sisters Of Mercy | Temple Of Love | 204 | Link | Hunters & Collectors | Talking To A Stranger | 185 | Link | Translator | Un-Alone | 183 | Link |
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Post by singingrulebritannia on Apr 8, 2021 11:56:28 GMT -5
Artist | Song | estimated chart points | Video | Bill Nelson | Acceleration | 158 | Link | Yello | I Love You | 154 | Link | Thompson Twins | Watching | 149 | Link | Graham Parker | Life Gets Better | 148 | Link | Nina Hagen | New York, New York | 146 | Link |
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Post by singingrulebritannia on Apr 8, 2021 11:58:10 GMT -5
Artist | Song | estimated chart points | Video | Simple Minds | Someone Somewhere In Summertime | 139 | Link | Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark | Radio Waves | 135 | Link | Cocteau Twins | Sugar Hiccup | 132 | Link | Devo | Dr. Detroit | 128 | Link | Joe Jackson | Cosmopolitan | 127 | Link |
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Post by singingrulebritannia on Apr 8, 2021 11:59:57 GMT -5
Artist | Song | estimated chart points | Video | The Go-Betweens | Cattle And Cane | 126 | Link | Joe Jackson | Memphis | 124 | Link | Green On Red | Gravity Talks | 120 | Link | Ministry | Revenge (You Did It Again) | 119 | Link | The Replacements | Color Me Impressed | 116 | Link |
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Post by singingrulebritannia on Apr 8, 2021 12:06:09 GMT -5
Artist | Song | estimated chart points | Video | Malcolm McLaren | Buffalo Gals | 114 | Link | The Replacements | Within Your Reach | 108 | Link | The Dream Syndicate | Tell Me When It's Over | 102 | Link | ABC | Hey Citizen! | 90 | Link | Hunters & Collectors | Run Run Run | 90 | Link |
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Post by singingrulebritannia on Apr 8, 2021 12:07:39 GMT -5
Artist | Song | estimated chart points | Video | The Three O'Clock | Jet Fighter | 90 | Link | Translator | Break Down Barriers | 90 | Link | Graham Parker | You Can't Take Love For Granted | 50 | Link | Green On Red | Abigail's Ghost | 50 | Link | Nick Heyward | On A Sunday | 50 | Link |
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Post by singingrulebritannia on Apr 8, 2021 12:12:55 GMT -5
Artist | Song | estimated chart points | Video | Stewart Copeland & Stan Ridgway | Don't Box Me In | 50 | Link | Lords Of The New Church | Partners In Crime | 50 | Link | The Rain Parade | 1 Hour 1/2 Ago | 50 | Link | ABC | All Of My Heart | n/a | Link | ABC | Tears Are Not Enough | n/a | Link |
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Post by singingrulebritannia on Apr 8, 2021 12:14:37 GMT -5
Artist | Song | estimated chart points | Video | Art Of Noise | Moments In Love | n/a | Link | Bananarama | Shy Boy (Don't It Make You Feel Good?) | n/a | Link | Bill Nelson | Flaming Desire | n/a | Link | Bob Marley | Buffalo Soldier | n/a | Link | Malcolm McLaren | Double Dutch | n/a | Link |
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