Biggest Fan Songs - February 2019

Post Reply
User avatar
Rob
Die Mensch Maschine
Posts: 7330
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:53 pm
Location: Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Biggest Fan Songs - February 2019

Post by Rob »

Welcome to the February 2019 edition of Biggest Fan. Let me explain for those who only join now. It's about those songs that only got one vote in our recent All-Time Best Song Poll. There were 13051 of them! That's too much to get collectively into, but through this series we are going to introduce you to one of them every day. A randomly selected song, so you never know what you're gonna get.

There is also a game element, to make things more interactive. You can give a grade to each song, from 1 (for the worst of them) to 10 (the masterpieces). A 0 will be counted as a 1. Every 100 days I will calculate the average grades and post the current top 100. At the end of each year I'll post the whole list as is.

Some points of note:
- A topic for each song would be a little much, but all songs in one topic too. That's why I make monthly new topics for the entries of that month.
- There will be links to old topics in each new one, so you can easily go back. Once we have collected a decent amount of songs, I will also post a topic with all the songs listed and a link to their initial appearance.
- There is gonna be a Spotify playlist (see below). Each new song will be put atop of the playlist! If songs aren't on Spotify there will be a link to YouTube or any platform it's available on. I will contact the biggest fan through a message if I can't find the song anywhere.
- You can always still vote for each song, even months later. Just go to the right topic.
- You can always change your grade. Again, place it in the right topic.
- You don't have to vote for each song if you don't want to.
- I think this goes without saying but still: always name the artist and title of the song you vote for. I'm not going to guess for which song you vote.
- Comments on the song are more than welcome. Nobody is probably going to review them all, but if you have something to say, please do.
- I know some wanted to go faster. Two songs a day, 10 songs a week, something like that. I'm decided against this, because I wanted to keep it small. We can't deal with 13051 songs, so I'm not trying. I just want to give you all one small discovery (or re-discovery) for the day. We'll never get all these songs done before the next All Time Song poll rolls along, but we can have fun getting there.
- I'll try to get each new song up soon after awakening, so in most cases it should be here relatively early.
- Feel free to ask questions or make general comments about this poll if you think it could be better.

You can still vote for the January songs, but please so do that in it's own topic.

January

The playlist:
Last edited by Rob on Tue Nov 03, 2020 11:08 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Rob
Die Mensch Maschine
Posts: 7330
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:53 pm
Location: Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Rob »

We went too long without a Zombeels selection, but fear not, today we get a new one:

31. Girls in Hawaii - Catwalk
Year: 2003
From the album: From Here to There
Biggest Fan: Zombeels (#316)
Note: the song on the playlist has a length of no less than 15:13! Bu there is a lot of silence there, with a hidden track at the end. Only the five minutes or so at the start count.

Don’t forget you can always vote for earlier songs or change your vote!
User avatar
Romain
Happy Up Here
Posts: 5421
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:25 pm
Location: Lyon, France

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Romain »

31. Girls in Hawaii - Catwalk
The kind of song I can't hate, but I'm missing the little "extra soul" here. 5/10
User avatar
Rob
Die Mensch Maschine
Posts: 7330
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:53 pm
Location: Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Rob »

Girls in Hawaii - Catwalk: 5
I can't hate it either, but it also doesn't seem more to me than background music. A bit too easy listening to be great.
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Hymie »

Romain wrote:Girls in Hawaii - Catwalk
It was decent until the distorted vocals started. That guy needs to back a few inches off of the microphone.

2
User avatar
fasbjd
Wannabe
Posts: 126
Joined: Mon May 21, 2018 6:21 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by fasbjd »

Girls in Hawaii - Catwalk

Kinda crazy...I was trying to think of the name of this band yesterday. This album has some tasty power pop. Personal favorites are Flavor and Short Song for a Short Mind. I couldn’t think of the band name then forgot about it...now here it is. As for this song, it’s not a favorite. I give it a 5
User avatar
PlasticRam
Into the Groove
Posts: 2202
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 12:51 am

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by PlasticRam »

Girls in Hawaii - Catwalk: 4.5
I feel like that
User avatar
Rob
Die Mensch Maschine
Posts: 7330
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:53 pm
Location: Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Rob »

32. Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue
Year: 2008
From the album: Acid Tongue
Biggest Fan: StevieFan13 (#151)

Don’t forget you can always vote for earlier songs or change your vote!
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Hymie »

Rob wrote:32. Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue
4
User avatar
PlasticRam
Into the Groove
Posts: 2202
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 12:51 am

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by PlasticRam »

Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue: 6
I feel like that
User avatar
StevieFan13
Wuthering Heights
Posts: 6962
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:00 pm
Location: New York, New York
Contact:

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by StevieFan13 »

Hymie wrote:
Rob wrote:32. Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue
4
What wouldn’t you like about that song? Seems to be your kind of bag.

Also, 10/10 for me.
Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand - Sir Duke (1976)
Zombeels
Different Class
Posts: 320
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2015 5:21 am

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Zombeels »

31. Girls in Hawaii - Catwalk My song, gets a 10
32. Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue Big fan of Jenny, I give it an 8
User avatar
Rob
Die Mensch Maschine
Posts: 7330
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:53 pm
Location: Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Rob »

33. Riot – You Burn in Me
Year: 1983
From the album: Born in America
Biggest Fan: Andyramones1234 (#74)

Don’t forget you can always vote for earlier songs or change your vote!
User avatar
PlasticRam
Into the Groove
Posts: 2202
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 12:51 am

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by PlasticRam »

Riot - You Burn In Me: 6
I feel like that
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Hymie »

StevieFan13 wrote:
Hymie wrote:
Rob wrote:32. Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue
4
What wouldn’t you like about that song? Seems to be your kind of bag.
If you think that's my kind of bag you really have no idea what I like. Check my top 1,000 and show me anything in there that sounds like this.
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Hymie »

PlasticRam wrote:Riot - You Burn In Me: 6
4
DaveC
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3477
Joined: Wed Jan 16, 2013 12:04 am

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by DaveC »

31. Girls in Hawaii - Catwalk: 7
32. Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue: 6.5
33. Riot – You Burn in Me: 5.5
User avatar
Rob
Die Mensch Maschine
Posts: 7330
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:53 pm
Location: Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Rob »

Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue: 7
A nice discovery. I really like the lyrics on this one. The country-like sound is very classic, but catchy and I like Lewis' singing.

Riot – You Burn in Me: 6
Goofy metal from the eighties. A bit Blue Öyster Cult light, but not a bad effort nonetheless. The main riff may not deserve an originality award, but it is fun.
User avatar
ordinaryperson
Movin' On Up
Posts: 931
Joined: Sun Dec 28, 2014 1:23 am

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by ordinaryperson »

Girls in Hawaii - Catwalk: 5
Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue: 3
Riot – You Burn in Me: 4
There is No More Firmament.
User avatar
Rob
Die Mensch Maschine
Posts: 7330
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:53 pm
Location: Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Rob »

34. Fergie, featuring Ludacris - Glamorous
Year: 2006
From the album: The Dutchess
Biggest Fan: Neil (#862)

Don’t forget you can always vote for earlier songs or change your vote!
User avatar
Romain
Happy Up Here
Posts: 5421
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:25 pm
Location: Lyon, France

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Romain »

32. Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue
The chorus almost makes me grind my teeth. Not my thing at all. 3/10
33. Riot – You Burn in Me
Hard-rock after country music... no luck at the beginning of this week. 3.5/10
34. Fergie, featuring Ludacris - Glamorous
No luck at all... 3.5/10
User avatar
PlasticRam
Into the Groove
Posts: 2202
Joined: Tue Feb 05, 2013 12:51 am

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by PlasticRam »

Fergie, featuring Ludacris - Glamorous: 8

I remember listening to this when this first came out and liking it.
I feel like that
User avatar
spiritualized
Full of Fire
Posts: 2848
Joined: Mon Dec 24, 2012 4:45 pm
Location: Near Montpellier, France

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by spiritualized »

31. Girls in Hawaii - Catwalk: 8/10 - another top class Belgian act in indie rock - and a great discovery.
32. Jenny Lewis – Acid Tongue: 6/10
33. Riot – You Burn in Me: 2/10 - hair rock really doesn't do it for me
34. Fergie, featuring Ludacris - Glamorous 3/10 barely better than the one above.
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Hymie »

Rob wrote:34. Fergie, featuring Ludacris - Glamorous
3
User avatar
Honorio
Higher Ground
Posts: 4467
Joined: Sat Feb 11, 2012 7:38 am
Location: L'Eliana, Valencia, Spain

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Honorio »


1. Jenny Lewis | Acid Tongue | 8
2. Prince | Love | 7
3. Medeski Martin & Wood | Anonymous Skulls | 6
4. Girls in Hawaii | Catwalk | 5
5. Budka Suflera | Jolka, Jolka pamiętasz | 4
6. Riot | You Burn in Me | 3
7. Fergie featuring Ludacris | Glamorous | 2

I only noticed that the rankings were 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 after ordering them before posting.
I've also included the January songs on the proper thread…
User avatar
andyd1010
Keep On Movin'
Posts: 1796
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2016 12:08 am

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by andyd1010 »

Hymie wrote:
StevieFan13 wrote:
Hymie wrote:
4
What wouldn’t you like about that song? Seems to be your kind of bag.
If you think that's my kind of bag you really have no idea what I like. Check my top 1,000 and show me anything in there that sounds like this.
Well you do like a lot of songs with pleasant melodies and harmonies that aren't overproduced, like this one. Just none from the last 40 years, which is too bad. Like you, I focus much more on the melodies and harmonies than the lyrics, but I think there have been tons of melodic and harmonic masterpieces that came out in my lifetime.

I had never heard this song before but it's my favorite so far from this game. I need to check out more from Jenny Lewis - I love most of what I've heard so far.

Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue: 8
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Hymie »

andyd1010 wrote: Well you do like a lot of songs with pleasant melodies and harmonies that aren't overproduced, like this one.
Melody is not very important to me. I am more interested in counter melody, bass lines, sax and piano, background vocal harmony and rhythm. Also the emotion put forth by the lead singer. I much prefer the upright bass to the electric bass, except in funk.

Most of my favorite stuff is blues or boogie woogie based.

I don't like digital sound very much, like the synthetic way that bass and percussion sounds in modern times.

About 2/3 of my top 1000 is from the 1950s.
User avatar
Romain
Happy Up Here
Posts: 5421
Joined: Fri Feb 10, 2012 2:25 pm
Location: Lyon, France

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Romain »

Honorio wrote: I only noticed that the rankings were 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 after ordering them before posting.
I really really hope I'm not the next song :-) ... although I have several that could easily be 1 !
User avatar
andyd1010
Keep On Movin'
Posts: 1796
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2016 12:08 am

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by andyd1010 »

Hymie wrote:
andyd1010 wrote: Well you do like a lot of songs with pleasant melodies and harmonies that aren't overproduced, like this one.
Melody is not very important to me. I am more interested in counter melody, bass lines, sax and piano, background vocal harmony and rhythm. Also the emotion put forth by the lead singer. I much prefer the upright bass to the electric bass, except in funk.

Most of my favorite stuff is blues or boogie woogie based.

I don't like digital sound very much, like the synthetic way that bass and percussion sounds in modern times.

About 2/3 of my top 1000 is from the 1950s.
Fair enough. I'm not a fan of most synthetic percussion either. I could use some more sax and piano in modern music too, although I think plenty of modern lead singers have great emotion.
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Hymie »

andyd1010 wrote: I think plenty of modern lead singers have great emotion.
I don't hear it. I hear false emotion as they try to ape the overdone vocal gymnastics of people like Whitney Houston.
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Hymie »

andyd1010 wrote:Just none from the last 40 years, which is too bad.
Why do you say that?

How many of your top 1,000 songs are from before 1960?
User avatar
andyd1010
Keep On Movin'
Posts: 1796
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2016 12:08 am

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by andyd1010 »

Hymie wrote:
andyd1010 wrote:Just none from the last 40 years, which is too bad.
Why do you say that?

How many of your top 1,000 songs are from before 1960?
You have three songs in your top 1,000 from the last 40 years, and two of the three were originally recorded over 40 years ago. 19 of my top 1,000 are from before 1960.

The only song on your list recorded in my lifetime was a Beatles cover.

Speaking of The Beatles, you seem to like them, so why not something like Don't Look Back in Anger by Oasis? That seems to be the song from my lifetime most compared to The Beatles. The Beatles are my favorite artist and that is one of my favorite songs. My dad as well, and he is your age.
User avatar
Rob
Die Mensch Maschine
Posts: 7330
Joined: Fri Jul 06, 2012 3:53 pm
Location: Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Rob »

Hymie wrote:
andyd1010 wrote: I think plenty of modern lead singers have great emotion.
I don't hear it. I hear false emotion as they try to ape the overdone vocal gymnastics of people like Whitney Houston.
Come on now, that fad ended some 20 years ago.

Fergie, featuring Ludacris - Glamorous: 4
Not the worst pop song of the mid 2000's, but also not a particularly memorable one.
User avatar
StevieFan13
Wuthering Heights
Posts: 6962
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:00 pm
Location: New York, New York
Contact:

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by StevieFan13 »

andyd1010 wrote:
Hymie wrote:
andyd1010 wrote:Just none from the last 40 years, which is too bad.
Why do you say that?

How many of your top 1,000 songs are from before 1960?
You have three songs in your top 1,000 from the last 40 years, and two of the three were originally recorded over 40 years ago. 19 of my top 1,000 are from before 1960.

The only song on your list recorded in my lifetime was a Beatles cover.

Speaking of The Beatles, you seem to like them, so why not something like Don't Look Back in Anger by Oasis? That seems to be the song from my lifetime most compared to The Beatles. The Beatles are my favorite artist and that is one of my favorite songs. My dad as well, and he is your age.
At some point I’m going to try and make a “non-covers from the last thirty years that Hymie would like” playlist.
Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand - Sir Duke (1976)
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Hymie »

andyd1010 wrote:
Hymie wrote:
andyd1010 wrote:Just none from the last 40 years, which is too bad.
Why do you say that?
I meant why do you say that it's "too bad?"

Do you feel the same way about you only having 19 songs in your top 1000 from before 1960?

Why not 190?
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Hymie »

andyd1010 wrote:
Speaking of The Beatles, you seem to like them, so why not something like Don't Look Back in Anger by Oasis?
Okay, just heard it for the first time. It's not bad, a 5. One of the things I like best about the Beatles is the vocal harmonies between John, Paul and George, and this thing does not have any background vocals. It also has more modern sounding instruments. I like the tone of the older guitars that the Beatles had. There's a band in Australia, the Beatnix, that imitates the Beatles using the exact guitars that they played on in the 60s. I'd much rather listen to them than to Oasis.

Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Hymie »

StevieFan13 wrote: At some point I’m going to try and make a “non-covers from the last thirty years that Hymie would like” playlist.
Have at it!

Here's my favorites that I know from this century, although some are remakes of older songs.

2017
Killer Diller Blues - Alabama Shakes
Play With Fire - Billy Boy
Tortured - Kim Wilson
On The Road Again - Nas

2015
Papa's On The House Top - Dave and Phil Alvin

2012
Love To Flirt - Mud Morganfield

2011
The Walk - Mayer Hawthorne

2009
Right Here In My Arms - Ray Collins
How You Like Me Now - The Heavy

2008
Baby Loves Rockin' It - Phil Haley & His Comments (Bill Haley's son)

2007
If Your Phone Don't Ring - Kevin Mark

2006
Chelsea Dagger - Fratellis

2004
He'll Have To Go - Holmes Brothers

2002
Last Night - Chris Anderson & DJ Robbie
User avatar
andyd1010
Keep On Movin'
Posts: 1796
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2016 12:08 am

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by andyd1010 »

Hymie wrote:
andyd1010 wrote:
Hymie wrote:
Why do you say that?
I meant why do you say that it's "too bad?"

Do you feel the same way about you only having 19 songs in your top 1000 from before 1960?

Why not 190?
Yes I do. Since I submitted my list, I actually added two more to my top 1,000, so there are 21 now. Then I went and listened to every single song ranked on this site (finally finished!) and made 11 new discoveries from the 1950s that I like. Maybe some of them will crack the top 1,000. I realize 21 is still not a lot, but there's a big difference between 21 in a decade and 3 in 4 decades.
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Hymie »

andyd1010 wrote:
Hymie wrote:
andyd1010 wrote:
I meant why do you say that it's "too bad?"

Do you feel the same way about you only having 19 songs in your top 1000 from before 1960?

Why not 190?
Yes I do. Since I submitted my list, I actually added two more to my top 1,000, so there are 21 now. Then I went and listened to every single song ranked on this site (finally finished!) and made 11 new discoveries from the 1950s that I like. Maybe some of them will crack the top 1,000. I realize 21 is still not a lot, but there's a big difference between 21 in a decade and 3 in 4 decades.

You have 21 total songs in 6 decades, 1900-1959.

What are the 11 discoveries from the 50s?
User avatar
andyd1010
Keep On Movin'
Posts: 1796
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2016 12:08 am

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by andyd1010 »

Hymie wrote:
andyd1010 wrote:
Hymie wrote:
I meant why do you say that it's "too bad?"

Do you feel the same way about you only having 19 songs in your top 1000 from before 1960?

Why not 190?
Yes I do. Since I submitted my list, I actually added two more to my top 1,000, so there are 21 now. Then I went and listened to every single song ranked on this site (finally finished!) and made 11 new discoveries from the 1950s that I like. Maybe some of them will crack the top 1,000. I realize 21 is still not a lot, but there's a big difference between 21 in a decade and 3 in 4 decades.

You have 21 total songs in 6 decades, 1900-1959.
Well I think there was a major inflection point in 1954. Before then, pop charts and rock & roll were in their infancy, and the further back you go, the worse the recording technology was, so there are very few high-fidelity recordings of songs from the early 20th century, and I think those reasons explain why there are only 13 songs from before the '50s in the top 1,000 on this site (and none before 1925).
Hymie wrote:What are the 11 discoveries from the 50s?
12 actually
Sidney Bechet & Claude Luter | Petite Fleur | 1952
Johnny Ace | My Song | 1952
Hank Williams | You Win Again | 1952
Clifford Brown & Max Roach | Daahoud | 1954
Marty Robbins | Singing the Blues | 1956
Elvis Presley | Wear My Ring Around Your Neck | 1958
The Chordettes | Lollipop | 1958
The Students | I'm So Young | 1958
Larry Williams | Dizzy Miss Lizzy | 1958
Johnny Cash | Big River | 1958
Ray Charles | I Believe to My Soul | 1959
The Viscounts | Harlem Nocturne | 1959
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Hymie »

andyd1010 wrote: Well I think there was a major inflection point in 1954. Before then, pop charts and rock & roll were in their infancy, and the further back you go, the worse the recording technology was, so there are very few high-fidelity recordings of songs from the early 20th century, and I think those reasons explain why there are only 13 songs from before the '50s in the top 1,000 on this site (and none before 1925).
I don't think that at all. I think it's because there was almost no music critics at all until the 1960s and most of them are exceeding ignorant about music from before their own time. I'd say that all of these items are all time classics and SHOULD be on any all time top 1000:

In The Mood - Glenn Miller - 1939
White Christmas - Bing Crosby - 1942
God Bless America - Kate Smith - 1939
Over The Rainbow - Judy Garland - 1939
The Christmas Song - Nat "King" Cole - 1946
God Bless The Child - Billie Holiday - 1941
Sing, Sing, Sing (With A Swing) [Live at Carnegie Hall] - Benny Goodman - 1938
Swanee - Al Jolson - 1920
West End Blues - Louis Armstrong - 1928
Take The "A" Train - Duke Ellington - 1941
Star Dust - Artie Shaw - 1940
The Stars And Stripes Forever - John Philip Sousa's Band - 1897
Minnie The Moocher - Cab Calloway - 1931
I Pagliacci - Vesti La Giubba - Enrico Caruso - 1904
Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday - 1939
Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody - Al Jolson - 1918
Rhapsody In Blue - Paul Whiteman feat. George Gershwin - 1924
Take Me Out To The Ball Game - Haydn Quartet - 1908
Ain't Misbehavin' - Fats Waller - 1929
Swinging On A Star - Bing Crosby - 1944
Crossroads Blues - Robert Johnson - 1937
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - Hank Williams - 1949
Moonlight Serenade - Glenn Miller - 1939
Good Rockin' Tonight - Wynonie Harris - 1948
If I Didn't Care - Ink Spots - 1939
You Always Hurt The One You Love - Mills Brothers - 1944
Mood Indigo - Duke Ellington - 1930
One O'Clock Jump - Count Basie - 1937
T For Texas (Blue Yodel # 1) - Jimmie Rodgers - 1928
Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry - 1949
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy - Andrews Sisters - 1941
Caldonia Boogie - Louis Jordan - 1945
Wabash Cannon Ball - Roy Acuff - 1938
In The Jailhouse Now - Jimmie Rodgers - 1928
Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be) - Billie Holiday - 1945
Can The Circle Be Unbroken (Bye And Bye) - Carter Family - 1935
Daddy's Little Girl - Mills Brothers - 1950
The Prisoner's Song - Vernon Dalhart - 1925
St. Louis Blues - Bessie Smith - 1925
How High The Moon - Les Paul & Mary Ford - 1951
Ol' Man River - Paul Robeson - 1928
Paper Doll - Mills Brothers - 1942
Koko - Charlie Parker - 1945
Sentimental Journey - Les Brown (Doris Day) - 1945
Hey Good Lookin' - Hank Williams - 1951
Flying Home - Lionel Hampton - 1942
The Grand Old Rag (You're A Grand Old Flag) - Billy Murray - 1906
Walking The Floor Over You - Ernest Tubb - 1941
Too Young - Nat "King" Cole - 1951
Makin' Whoopee - Eddie Cantor - 1928
It's Too Soon To Know - Orioles - 1948
Stormy Weather - Ethel Waters - 1933
Body And Soul - Coleman Hawkins - 1939
Casey Jones - American Quartet featuring Billy Murray - 1910
Chattanooga Choo Choo - Glenn Miller (Tex Beneke and the Modernaires) - 1941
Get Your Kicks On Route 66 - Nat "King" Cole - 1946
Choo Choo Ch'Boogie - Louis Jordan - 1946
Cold Cold Heart - Hank Williams - 1951
Begin The Beguine - Artie Shaw - 1938
I'll Be Seeing You - Bing Crosby - 1944
Crazy Blues - Mamie Smith - 1920
Boogie Chillen' - John Lee Hooker - 1948
New San Antonio Rose - Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys - 1940
You Made Me Love You, I Didn't Want To Do It - Al Jolson - 1913
Blue Moon Of Kentucky - Bill Monroe - 1947
My Blue Heaven - Gene Austin - 1927
Why Don't You Do Right? - Benny Goodman (Peggy Lee) - 1942
Sonny Boy - Al Jolson - 1928
Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad) - T-Bone Walker - 1947
I'll Never Smile Again - Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers) - 1940
I Can't Get Started - Bunny Berigan - 1937
A Tisket, A Tasket - Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb's Orchestra - 1938
Riders In The Sky (A Cowboy Legend) - Vaughn Monroe - 1949
Let Me Call You Sweetheart - Peerless Quartet - 1911
All Or Nothing At All - Frank Sinatra with Harry James - 1939
Don't Be That Way - Benny Goodman - 1938
Straighten Up And Fly Right - Nat "King" Cole - 1944
Alexander's Ragtime Band - Arthur Collins and Byron Harland - 1911
Some Of These Days - Sophie Tucker - 1911
Pennies From Heaven - Bing Crosby - 1936
Blues In The Night - Jimmie Lunceford (Willie Smith) - 1942
Roll 'Em Pete - Pete Johnson & Joe Turner - 1939
Auld Lang Syne - Guy Lombardo - 1947
Tea For Two - Art Tatum - 1939
Cool Water - Sons Of The Pioneers - 1941
Jingle, Jangle, Jingle - Kay Kyser - 1942

I mean, this site is great and all, but I hope nobody really believes that acts like Radiohead, Nirvana and the Velvet Underground are more significant in musical history than Bing Crosby, Al Jolson and Ella Fitzgerald.
User avatar
andyd1010
Keep On Movin'
Posts: 1796
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2016 12:08 am

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by andyd1010 »

Hymie wrote:
andyd1010 wrote: Well I think there was a major inflection point in 1954. Before then, pop charts and rock & roll were in their infancy, and the further back you go, the worse the recording technology was, so there are very few high-fidelity recordings of songs from the early 20th century, and I think those reasons explain why there are only 13 songs from before the '50s in the top 1,000 on this site (and none before 1925).
I don't think that at all. I think it's because there was almost no music critics at all until the 1960s and most of them are exceeding ignorant about music from before their own time. I'd say that all of these items are all time classics and SHOULD be on any all time top 1000:

In The Mood - Glenn Miller - 1939
White Christmas - Bing Crosby - 1942
God Bless America - Kate Smith - 1939
Over The Rainbow - Judy Garland - 1939
The Christmas Song - Nat "King" Cole - 1946
God Bless The Child - Billie Holiday - 1941
Sing, Sing, Sing (With A Swing) [Live at Carnegie Hall] - Benny Goodman - 1938
Swanee - Al Jolson - 1920
West End Blues - Louis Armstrong - 1928
Take The "A" Train - Duke Ellington - 1941
Star Dust - Artie Shaw - 1940
The Stars And Stripes Forever - John Philip Sousa's Band - 1897
Minnie The Moocher - Cab Calloway - 1931
I Pagliacci - Vesti La Giubba - Enrico Caruso - 1904
Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday - 1939
Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody - Al Jolson - 1918
Rhapsody In Blue - Paul Whiteman feat. George Gershwin - 1924
Take Me Out To The Ball Game - Haydn Quartet - 1908
Ain't Misbehavin' - Fats Waller - 1929
Swinging On A Star - Bing Crosby - 1944
Crossroads Blues - Robert Johnson - 1937
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - Hank Williams - 1949
Moonlight Serenade - Glenn Miller - 1939
Good Rockin' Tonight - Wynonie Harris - 1948
If I Didn't Care - Ink Spots - 1939
You Always Hurt The One You Love - Mills Brothers - 1944
Mood Indigo - Duke Ellington - 1930
One O'Clock Jump - Count Basie - 1937
T For Texas (Blue Yodel # 1) - Jimmie Rodgers - 1928
Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry - 1949
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy - Andrews Sisters - 1941
Caldonia Boogie - Louis Jordan - 1945
Wabash Cannon Ball - Roy Acuff - 1938
In The Jailhouse Now - Jimmie Rodgers - 1928
Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be) - Billie Holiday - 1945
Can The Circle Be Unbroken (Bye And Bye) - Carter Family - 1935
Daddy's Little Girl - Mills Brothers - 1950
The Prisoner's Song - Vernon Dalhart - 1925
St. Louis Blues - Bessie Smith - 1925
How High The Moon - Les Paul & Mary Ford - 1951
Ol' Man River - Paul Robeson - 1928
Paper Doll - Mills Brothers - 1942
Koko - Charlie Parker - 1945
Sentimental Journey - Les Brown (Doris Day) - 1945
Hey Good Lookin' - Hank Williams - 1951
Flying Home - Lionel Hampton - 1942
The Grand Old Rag (You're A Grand Old Flag) - Billy Murray - 1906
Walking The Floor Over You - Ernest Tubb - 1941
Too Young - Nat "King" Cole - 1951
Makin' Whoopee - Eddie Cantor - 1928
It's Too Soon To Know - Orioles - 1948
Stormy Weather - Ethel Waters - 1933
Body And Soul - Coleman Hawkins - 1939
Casey Jones - American Quartet featuring Billy Murray - 1910
Chattanooga Choo Choo - Glenn Miller (Tex Beneke and the Modernaires) - 1941
Get Your Kicks On Route 66 - Nat "King" Cole - 1946
Choo Choo Ch'Boogie - Louis Jordan - 1946
Cold Cold Heart - Hank Williams - 1951
Begin The Beguine - Artie Shaw - 1938
I'll Be Seeing You - Bing Crosby - 1944
Crazy Blues - Mamie Smith - 1920
Boogie Chillen' - John Lee Hooker - 1948
New San Antonio Rose - Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys - 1940
You Made Me Love You, I Didn't Want To Do It - Al Jolson - 1913
Blue Moon Of Kentucky - Bill Monroe - 1947
My Blue Heaven - Gene Austin - 1927
Why Don't You Do Right? - Benny Goodman (Peggy Lee) - 1942
Sonny Boy - Al Jolson - 1928
Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad) - T-Bone Walker - 1947
I'll Never Smile Again - Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers) - 1940
I Can't Get Started - Bunny Berigan - 1937
A Tisket, A Tasket - Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb's Orchestra - 1938
Riders In The Sky (A Cowboy Legend) - Vaughn Monroe - 1949
Let Me Call You Sweetheart - Peerless Quartet - 1911
All Or Nothing At All - Frank Sinatra with Harry James - 1939
Don't Be That Way - Benny Goodman - 1938
Straighten Up And Fly Right - Nat "King" Cole - 1944
Alexander's Ragtime Band - Arthur Collins and Byron Harland - 1911
Some Of These Days - Sophie Tucker - 1911
Pennies From Heaven - Bing Crosby - 1936
Blues In The Night - Jimmie Lunceford (Willie Smith) - 1942
Roll 'Em Pete - Pete Johnson & Joe Turner - 1939
Auld Lang Syne - Guy Lombardo - 1947
Tea For Two - Art Tatum - 1939
Cool Water - Sons Of The Pioneers - 1941
Jingle, Jangle, Jingle - Kay Kyser - 1942

I mean, this site is great and all, but I hope nobody really believes that acts like Radiohead, Nirvana and the Velvet Underground are more significant in musical history than Bing Crosby, Al Jolson and Ella Fitzgerald.
That is a great list of old classics, and I actually love a lot of those songs. I also think a lot of the ones I don't love are very well written, but the finished product suffers due to the poor audio quality and technology available at the time.

You're probably right about your last point, and about there being a relative lack of critics knowledgeable in pre-rock-&-roll music, but I still stand by the rest of my point. And I could just as easily make a list like this from the last 40 years - this is the crux of why it's "too bad" that your list has so few modern songs. People would be much more likely to explore, reevaluate, and appreciate older songs if you didn't dismiss their favorites from an era that is almost completely absent from your top 1,000. Radiohead is a Hall-of-Fame band that is in my top 5, the forum's top 5, and AM's top 6. They might not be the most important, but I enjoy their music better than every more important act besides The Beatles and maybe the Stones.

That said, I do appreciate that you are showing more openness in response to Stevie's post, that you do have at least some recent favorites, and that you're listening to the newer songs on this thread. So I will go back and re-listen to the old classics you named that I'm less familiar with. Hopefully I'll come away with some new favorites.
Henry
Into the Groove
Posts: 2348
Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 9:39 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Henry »

Nice list of songs from yesteryear. I added my all time ranks for some of these below and hope to add more rankings (time permitting).

My surmise is that many folks born in the past 30-50 years believe that Nirvana and Radiohead and The Velvet Underground and other performers that started after 1960 will be viewed as more significant in musical history than Bing Crosby, Al Jolson and Ella Fitzgerald. Time will tell if they are better predictors than you :music-rockon:

The only artists of these six that consistently hits the mark for me is Bing Crosby.

I enjoy Ella, but do not know her songs well enough to make a similar statement for her.

The other four artists have many songs that just don't work particularly well for me.
______________________________________________________________________________

Top 1000:

Take The "A" Train - Duke Ellington - 1941 (967)

1001-2000
Rhapsody In Blue - Paul Whiteman feat. George Gershwin - 1924 (1025)
Over The Rainbow - Judy Garland - 1939 (1108)

2001-3000
God Bless The Child - Billie Holiday - 1941 (2010)
In The Mood - Glenn Miller - 1939 (2046)
White Christmas - Bing Crosby - 1942 (2047)
Ain't Misbehavin' - Fats Waller - 1929 (2060)
God Bless America - Kate Smith - 1939 (2504)
The Stars And Stripes Forever - John Philip Sousa's Band - 1897 (2514)
West End Blues - Louis Armstrong - 1928 (2516)
One O'Clock Jump - Count Basie - 1937 (2525)
Sing, Sing, Sing (With A Swing) [Live at Carnegie Hall] - Benny Goodman - 1938 (2526)
Star Dust - Artie Shaw - 1940 (2528)
Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday - 1939 (2529)
Swinging On A Star - Bing Crosby - 1944 (2531)
Koko - Charlie Parker - 1945 (2533)
Get Your Kicks On Route 66 - Nat "King" Cole - 1946 (2536)
Moonlight Serenade - Glenn Miller - 1939 (2937)
The Christmas Song - Nat "King" Cole - 1946 (2974)

3000-3370
A Tisket, A Tasket - Ella Fitzgerald with Chick Webb's Orchestra - 1938 (3197)
Body And Soul - Coleman Hawkins - 1939 (3368)

Below 3370 (2019 rank not yet provided for some songs):
Let Me Call You Sweetheart - Peerless Quartet - 1911 (3600)
Can The Circle Be Unbroken (Bye And Bye) - Carter Family - 1935 (3718)
Pagliacci - Vesti La Giubba - Enrico Caruso - 1904 (5065)
Choo Choo Ch'Boogie - Louis Jordan - 1946 (5637)
Pennies From Heaven - Bing Crosby - 1936 (5751)
Tea For Two - Art Tatum - 1939 (5760)
Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just As Bad) - T-Bone Walker - 1947 (5836)

Not expected to place better than 6300:
Take Me Out To The Ball Game - Haydn Quartet - 1908
Sentimental Journey - Les Brown (Doris Day) - 1945
Minnie The Moocher - Cab Calloway - 1931
Begin The Beguine - Artie Shaw - 1938
Mood Indigo - Duke Ellington - 1930
Swanee - Al Jolson - 1920
I'll Be Seeing You - Bing Crosby - 1944
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry - Hank Williams - 1949
If I Didn't Care - Ink Spots - 1939
Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer - Gene Autry - 1949
Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy - Andrews Sisters - 1941
Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be) - Billie Holiday - 1945
The Prisoner's Song - Vernon Dalhart - 1925
How High The Moon - Les Paul & Mary Ford - 1951
Ol' Man River - Paul Robeson - 1928
Paper Doll - Mills Brothers - 1942
Flying Home - Lionel Hampton - 1942
Too Young - Nat "King" Cole - 1951
Straighten Up And Fly Right - Nat "King" Cole - 1944
Stormy Weather - Ethel Waters - 1933
Chattanooga Choo Choo - Glenn Miller (Tex Beneke and the Modernaires) - 1941
Cold Cold Heart - Hank Williams - 1951
Why Don't You Do Right? - Benny Goodman (Peggy Lee) - 1942
I Can't Get Started - Bunny Berigan - 1937
Don't Be That Way - Benny Goodman - 1938
Some Of These Days - Sophie Tucker - 1911
Roll 'Em Pete - Pete Johnson & Joe Turner - 1939
Auld Lang Syne - Guy Lombardo - 1947 - I am curious as to other's views of the 1907 version by Frank Stanley

Not expected to place better than 8000:
My Blue Heaven - Gene Austin - 1927
I'll Never Smile Again - Tommy Dorsey (Frank Sinatra and the Pied Pipers) - 1940
New San Antonio Rose - Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys - 1940
Hey Good Lookin' - Hank Williams - 1951
Makin' Whoopee - Eddie Cantor - 1928
It's Too Soon To Know - Orioles - 1948
Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody - Al Jolson - 1918
Crossroads Blues - Robert Johnson - 1937
Good Rockin' Tonight - Wynonie Harris - 1948
Riders In The Sky (A Cowboy Legend) - Vaughn Monroe - 1949
You Always Hurt The One You Love - Mills Brothers - 1944
T For Texas (Blue Yodel # 1) - Jimmie Rodgers - 1928 - I prefer the Everly Brothers cover
Caldonia Boogie - Louis Jordan - 1945
Wabash Cannon Ball - Roy Acuff - 1938
In The Jailhouse Now - Jimmie Rodgers - 1928
Daddy's Little Girl - Mills Brothers - 1950
St. Louis Blues - Bessie Smith - 1925
The Grand Old Rag (You're A Grand Old Flag) - Billy Murray - 1906
Walking The Floor Over You - Ernest Tubb - 1941
Casey Jones - American Quartet featuring Billy Murray - 1910 - Grateful Dead song with same title comes in at 2406
Crazy Blues - Mamie Smith - 1920
Boogie Chillen' - John Lee Hooker - 1948
Cool Water - Sons Of The Pioneers - 1941
You Made Me Love You, I Didn't Want To Do It - Al Jolson - 1913 - I prefer the Harry James version
Blue Moon Of Kentucky - Bill Monroe - 1947 - I prefer the Elvis version
Jingle, Jangle, Jingle - Kay Kyser - 1942
Sonny Boy - Al Jolson - 1928
Blues In The Night - Jimmie Lunceford (Willie Smith) - 1942

Not a fan yet:
All Or Nothing At All - Frank Sinatra with Harry James - 1939
Alexander's Ragtime Band - Arthur Collins and Byron Harland - 1911
Last edited by Henry on Mon Feb 25, 2019 8:33 am, edited 3 times in total.
User avatar
StevieFan13
Wuthering Heights
Posts: 6962
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:00 pm
Location: New York, New York
Contact:

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by StevieFan13 »

Hymie wrote:
StevieFan13 wrote: At some point I’m going to try and make a “non-covers from the last thirty years that Hymie would like” playlist.
Have at it!
Here you go. Happy to dig for more if these don’t tickle your fancy.
[spotifyplaylist]https://open.spotify.com/user/121516985 ... sIDHIrwbJg[/spotifyplaylist]
Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand - Sir Duke (1976)
User avatar
StevieFan13
Wuthering Heights
Posts: 6962
Joined: Mon Jan 02, 2017 5:00 pm
Location: New York, New York
Contact:

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by StevieFan13 »

Anyone know how to fix that link?
Music is a world within itself, with a language we all understand - Sir Duke (1976)
User avatar
Live in Phoenix
Full of Fire
Posts: 2502
Joined: Wed Jan 02, 2013 12:50 am

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Live in Phoenix »

StevieFan13 wrote:Anyone know how to fix that link?
I thought I did, but apparently not. Here is an old, still-working Spotify list of mine (that I disabled by adding spaces at the beginning and end of the code, and after "playlist/") It looks pretty similar, though yours has more code at the end.

[spotifyplaylist]https://open.spotify.com/user/121516985 ... sIDHIrwbJg[/spotifyplaylist]

[spotifyplaylist] http://open.spotify.com/user/1264809493/playlist/ 2zVHvOBZnwlAHJJwFBwe9e [/spotifyplaylist]
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Hymie »

andyd1010 wrote: You're probably right about your last point, and about there being a relative lack of critics knowledgeable in pre-rock-&-roll music,
Not just pre-rock and roll, but most critics know little about pre-Beatles rock and roll. This idiot Tom Briehan has been reviewing every number one song on the Billboard Hot 100, and he has made a fool of himself with his reviews of 50s and early 60s records. He actually claims that Connie Francis was a country star, and even more preposterous, that she is Jewish.
Hymie
Running Up That Hill
Posts: 3330
Joined: Sat Jun 08, 2013 10:37 pm

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by Hymie »

In 1953 Billboard polled DJs across the country for their top records of all time and they voted "Stardust" by Artie Shaw as the greatest record of all time.
User avatar
andyd1010
Keep On Movin'
Posts: 1796
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2016 12:08 am

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by andyd1010 »

Hymie wrote: In The Mood - Glenn Miller - 1939
...
Jingle, Jangle, Jingle - Kay Kyser - 1942
12 of these are not ranked on AM, and I don't think I have never heard the bolded ones (will listen soon):
The Mills Brothers | You Always Hurt the One You Love
The Mills Brothers | Daddy's Little Girl
Billy Murray | Grand Old Rag
Nat King Cole | Too Young
Billy Murray | Casey Jones (with American Quartet)
Al Jolson | You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want to Do It)
Benny Goodman | Why Don't You Do Right? (with Peggy Lee)

Al Jolson | Sonny Boy
Arthur Collins & Byron Harlan | Alexander's Ragtime Band
Jimmie Lunceford | Blues in the Night (feat. Willie Smith)
Guy Lombardo | Auld Lang Syne
Kay Kyser | Jingle Jangle Jingle


And AM's top 12 pre-1954 songs that you didn't list... I see the latest one you listed was from 1951 so I'm guessing you still hold some of the 1952-53 ones in high regard. Do you think some of the other ones don't belong?

Artist | Song | Year | AM Rank
Woody Guthrie | This Land Is Your Land | 1945 | 303
Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats | Rocket 88 | 1951 | 341
Édith Piaf | La Vie en rose | 1947 | 567
Big Mama Thornton | Hound Dog | 1953 | 616
Thelonious Monk | 'Round Midnight | 1944 | 655
Julie London | Cry Me a River | 1953 | 815
Elmore James | Dust My Broom (I Believe My Time Ain't Long) | 1951 | 909
Hank Williams | Your Cheatin' Heart | 1953 | 1001
Robert Johnson | Hellhound on My Trail | 1937 | 1023
Robert Johnson | Love in Vain | 1937 | 1145
Mahalia Jackson | Move on Up a Little Higher | 1947 | 1203
Lloyd Price | Lawdy Miss Clawdy | 1952 | 1215

I must say I am thoroughly enjoying listening through the high end of your list. Many are certainly worthy of consideration on an all-time list, with Sing, Sing Sing (with a Swing), In the Mood and Rhapsody in Blue being frontrunners to make my next top 1,000.
User avatar
andyd1010
Keep On Movin'
Posts: 1796
Joined: Sun Jun 05, 2016 12:08 am

Re: Biggest Fan - February 2019

Post by andyd1010 »

Hymie wrote:In 1953 Billboard polled DJs across the country for their top records of all time and they voted "Stardust" by Artie Shaw as the greatest record of all time.
I'm aware, and that's included on AM. I agree that song is underrepresented here.
Post Reply

Return to “Music, Music, Music...”