Jo's Pick of the Week: I’m still lamenting the loss of Snakadaktal, because, well, who didn’t love the name Snakadaktal? However, the sorrow can be mended slightly with the sounds of Two People, a little duo whose name describes it all, consisting of ex-Snakadaktal members Pheobe Lou and Joey Clough, who haven’t lost their Snakadak-ey roots, but have moved on and grown up a little with this track, the first from their debut EP, due for release later this year. ‘Fading’ is all atmosphere and drive with a certain darkness pushing its way through, the repetitive synth hypnotising and the voice of Pheobe pleading for you to listen over and over. Looking forward to hearing what else these Two People (boom! See what I did there?) have in store for the rest of 2016. (Jo Michelmore)
3. Highasakite - Someone Who'll Get It
4. PJ Harvey - The Wheel
5. Ella Hooper - Monkey Mind (NEW)
Matt's Pick of the Week: Earlier in the week, Ella Hooper released a preview of her upcoming New Magic EP in the form of 'Monkey Mind'. After last year's somber, heartbreaking and reflective Venom EP, 'Monkey Mind' promises there are brighter days ahead for one of our longtime favourites. Hooper is no stranger to reinvention. She's always leaned in an alternative direction, but here we find Ella with arguably her most 'pop' sound and I couldn't be loving it more. There's a constant drive to the beat and some mighty fine electronic touches behind the guitar lines. But despite a more summer-y demeanour to the music, everything we've come to love about Ella Hooper remains. As a storyteller, she continues to prove she's at the top of her game. You'll be listening over and over again to explore and interpret the lyrics. And about the lyrics... there is something so deliciously Stevie Nicks-esque about a line like, "is it wrong to hold on, child?" that puts the biggest smile on my face. The more I listen to 'Monkey Mind', the more I love it. (Matt Bond)
Wonder teen, Kita Alexander has the brightest of futures ahead of her. With just one song, she was able to secure the services of Empire of the Sun, one of Sia's producers and the management behind Angus and Julia Stone and Lana Del Rey. She's been touted as the next big thing, will without a doubt place in the upcoming triple J Hottest 100 and you're likely to see her pop up all over the world over the next twelve months. That song was 'My Own Way', cool in the way that Alexander seems perfectly in control, yet without a care in the world. If this is as good as Kita Alexander is upon her debut, she deserves all of the amazing things coming her way. (Matt Bond)
#39. IS THIS LOVE?
by Karl S. Williams
Is this pain what I needed
To awaken my mind from its sleeping?
I was walking past a pub once, and as I wandered by I pointed and spoke out loud the words that were written on the blackboard out the front. Those words were “Karl S Williams”. As I said them, Karl S Williams walked around the corner, nodded and said “hey” before walking in the door of said pub. I was dumbfounded, I literally LOL-ed and at that exact moment I decided I loved Karl S Williams. That moment and then this moment, this sweet, sweet tale of love, those gentle strings pulling at every emotion, the piano bringing in all the emotions and Karl’s incredible vocal pleading with me to listen closer, over and over. That and Thelma in the clip. No need to ask Karl, from that first amusing “hey” outside that pub through to all the words you sing. Yes. Love. (Jo Michelmore)
Karl S Williams, musical fool. And what a romantic musical fool he's proven himself to be with 'Is This Love?' From the beautiful orchestration and soaring (and I mean SOARING) vocals to Williams' 'do you want me by your side' confused questioning throughout, the answer to the question in the title becomes quite obvious. At least from the viewpoint of the listener. So, is it love that Williams is feeling? Totally. I mean, who wouldn't fall in love with Thelma Plum? Is there a happy ending though? The video leans towards no and it gets super awkward. Thelma... how could you? :,-( There's even solo reflecting by the water to close things out. Oh, the feels. Damn it all! Karl S Williams, musical genius. (Matt Bond)
#38. RESONATE
by Avec Sans
And your heart, your heart, your heart
Bears no name to hold me now, to resonate.
Well this is just nifty, isn't it? London's Avec Sans have been steadily releasing moments of electronic intrigue over the past couple of years, with their cover of Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill' and the tracks 'All Of Time', 'Shiver' and 'Hold On' earning a ton of play around these parts. But nothing quite compares to their 2015 release, 'Resonate'. "The sky falls away so they can't see, and the light holds it's place inside of me." As soon as it hits the chorus, 'Resonate' blows up in the most satisfying way. I love when music is described as 'doom pop' and throw electronic in front of that and I reckon it fits this song to a T. Alice Fox and Jack St. James make up Avec Sans. They don't just have amazing names, they're also pretty brilliant at that whole making music thing. Here's to so much more in 2016! (Matt Bond)
Avec Sans have got themselves some nice web hype and internet loving over the last couple of years and I’m super happy to have provided a teeny bit of that hype, because my love of their brand of electronic pop is a super big love. ‘Resonate’ is just like their catalogue of awesome-ness; full of beats you can’t help moving to, Alice Fox’s voice is captivating and Jack St James holds it all together with a style and honesty that makes them shine. The web hype tells me they’re playing SXSW next year, so I’m really looking forward to that web hype becoming more than just hype in 2016. (Jo Michelmore)
#37. QUEEN OF PEACE
by Florence + The Machine
Suddenly I'm overcome, dissolving like the setting sun
Like a boat into oblivion, Cause you're driving me away.
I didn’t always love Florence + The Machine. It took me a while to understand what all that wailing was about, but now I get it, it’s pretty much a given that Florence can do no wrong with that powerful set of lungs of hers. As for The Machine, does anyone know who they exactly are? What a great gig that would be, travelling the world, playing festivals and stages to millions of adoring fans, but no one really knowing who you are, so being a tourist at every stop would be super easy. What am I doing with my life? Why aren’t I a member of The Machine? Flo and I would be great friends. Instead, I’m just sitting here listening to ‘Queen Of Peace’ over and over again, writing words about how good Florence is. Who am I kidding? I don’t need the writing words bit to be an excuse to do that, I’d be listening over and over again anyway. (Jo Michelmore)
#36. NO HARM IS DONE
by Christine and The Queens ft. Tunji Ige
It's a blur
The pulsing is so loud, surely we'd feel better
If we had something to fight for.
Wait a minute... this isn't in French. Now we can't act all fancy. We weren't going to get away with 'fancy' anyway, but allow me to distract you from that thought with the incredibly smooth and dreamy tones of Christine and The Queens. A determined pop performance against hip hop flavoured beats allows Christine and The Queens' Heloise Letissier to show once more why she is one of the very best music makers in the world right now. Letissier and Philadelphia' Tunji Ige both exude a restrained anger, waiting for the right moment or cause to explode. Dramatic and fantastic in equal measure, 'No Harm Is Done' might not be as 'fancy' as Christine and The Queens' French cuts, but that doesn't make it any less sophisticated. C'est magnifique! (Matt Bond)
If you think we put Christine and her Queens back in because we needed the fancy again, you’d be mistaken. There’s not even one bit of French in this song, but her slight accent every now and then sure makes English sound better than I’ve ever spoken it. ‘No Harm Is Done’ was released as part of her debut album release in the US, which probably explains the appearance of Tunje Inge rapping in the middle there, because you know, Americans love rap, maybe, or something like that. The real question here is, who are The Queens? What a great gig that would be, travelling the world with no one really knowing who you are etc. What am I doing with my life? Just sitting here lisening to Christine and the Queens over and over again, writing words about how good they are. Wait, de ja vu? That's French. Just checking you’re reading everything I write. But I don’t need the writing words to be an excuse to listen to songs like this. I’ll be listening over and over again anyway. Does anyone see what I’ve just done here? (Jo Michelmore)
#35. SPRINTER
by Torres
There's freedom to and freedom from
Freedom to run, from everyone.
Torres has been releasing some impressive music in the last few years, the type of things that you may not hear everyone in the world talking about, but the type of music that deserves the all of the quiet attention it has been receiving, and more. ‘Sprinter’, the title track from her third album is painfully brilliant, agreeably unsettling, melancholy without being depressing and thought provoking without being forceful. Its spaces and restrained sounds within make it an outstanding song, one that deserves so much more than just quiet attention. (Jo Michelmore)
On Torres' Facebook page, her influences contains only one name. Detective Olivia Benson. If that's not enough to make you automatically love her, may I suggest giving her music a listen? Because it's brilliant. Torres, also going by her birth name Mackenzie Scott, released her sophomore LP Sprinter to critical fanfare earlier in the year. It was one of the first albums of 2015 I truly fell for, with some of the most breathtaking lyrical moments of the year and alternative spins on classic Americana sounds. The standout moment would be the title track, 'Sprinter'. Following in the thematic spirit of last year's 'New Skin', 'Sprinter' speaks to all those beaten down by the daily grind. It's one of those 'the struggle is real' kinda tunes, but in a literal sense... not like those bullshit Instagram posts. You grow up and you're tired all the time and nobody tells you that you can't go back to those simple days that went by too fast. Songwriting gold, straight out of Nashville, Tennessee. (Matt Bond)
#34. MAGNETS
by Disclosure ft. Lorde
Pretty girls don't know the things that I know
Walk my way, I'll share the things that she won't.
Like most fourteen year olds, I am obsessed with Lorde and desperate to hear the follow up to her groundbreaking debut, Pure Heroine. In the meantime I'll take whatever comes my way. Whether it be a song or two on a Hunger Games soundtrack or a team up with some English electronic dudes that are pretty great, but I don't go out of my way to listen to. Unless Lorde is on one of their songs. I'll throw people out of my way and push them down some stairs to get to that. Because it has Lorde, and as I've often heard throughout my life, the Lorde is my saviour. SAVE ME, LORDE. Like most fourteen year olds, I am also prone to emotional outbursts when it comes to my idols. You should have seen me at the Taylor Swift concert. Oy. Right, I should be talking about 'Magnets'. Like a piece of metal, it's got some forces working that are pulling me right into it. And the video is fire. And the comments on it about Lorde selling out and getting all sexual are lame-o. Girlfriend is 19, let her live a little. So she macks out with an older dude and then kills him for being a cheating tool. We've all been there once or twice. Right? Stop the hypocrisy, people. Just stop. (Matt Bond)
There was a cheesy pop song released in the early 00s
that had a lyric in it that would bring me close to tears every time I
heard it. I'm not going to tell you what song it was, that will reveal
far too much about my personality. However, that brings me to the
concept of how strange it is that sometimes you hear little bits of
unexpected songs that affect you. While Disclosure and Lorde do a really
good job of making music together, there’s a lyric in ‘Magnets’ that
has struck a chord (get it?) with me, that I really adore. But it's sung
by Lorde and what would she know? Every time I hear it I think “get out
of my head” and “you’re like a teenager, what would you even know?” but
you know, music is transcendent and important and all that, so
sometimes it’s better to just get lost in songs the way you want to and
have a cry without question. Shut up. I won't be judged and I won't tell
you what the lyric is, because that will reveal far too much about my
personality, but it’s so very true; they don’t know the things that I
know. (Jo Michelmore)
#33. WTF (WHERE THEY FROM)
by Missy Elliott ft. Pharrell Williams
Got a new idea, let me switch it
Man, I'm so futuristic.
There is a track in this countdown that makes me so (insert swear word)-ing happy that it’s in here. Because it has been a long, long, LOOOONG wait for something new from Ms Missy Elliot. The last time she released something substantial of her own, this little blog didn’t exist and the last time we saw her she was doing everything about a bazillion tiomes better than Katy Perry during Missy Elliot’s Katy Perry’s halftime performance at the Superbowl. A return like this could have been a disaster, except of course, it couldn’t, because it’s Missy and let’s face it, she’s the best. Like, I mean it. The. Best. 'WTF' is the best. Like, I mean it. The. Best. End. (Jo Michelmore)
I have been hanging out for another Missy Elliott one time exclusive for what feels like an eternity. Years had come and gone without a proper return from the undisputed Queen of Hip Hop and we were all poorer for it. Poorer, I say! No one else can do it quite like 'Misdeameanor', she is force of nature designed to get your body moving with the finest of beats and the fiercest of rap attitudes. Alright, alright... I'm a total fan girl. What of it? When she stole the show joined Katy Perry for a medley of Missy delights during the Super Bowl, everyone must have known there would be no better time than now for Elliott to make her long awaited comeback. I knew it, you knew it and Pharrell Williams knew it... which is why the former (?) N.E.R.D front encouraged her to get her badonk-a-donk-donk back in the studio. And thus 'WTF (Where They From)' was born. Really, what more could we have asked for? This was a return to form that exceeded the ridiculously huge expectations placed upon it. Missy and Pharrell both proved they have plenty of gas in the tank and that they can keep it funky fresh dressed (to impress at any party). What comes next is anyone's guess, but in this moment the original bad gal was back in the game. Thank you, Missy! (Matt Bond)
#32. NO ONE
by Golden Features ft. Thelma Plum
We were only young We were falling in love.
Everything is better with Thelma Plum. It's something we've been saying for a couple of years now and we keep being able to do it because she keeps proving it true. Need the perfect featured vocalist for your hot new electronic jam? Call in the Plum. Old mate, Golden Features did just that. Yep, Golden Features, all enigmatic and gold mask wearing, is one of the most exciting producers to emerge in the past couple of years. Who's behind the mask? Or is it what's behind the mask? Maybe he's a robot? Maybe this is where the robots begin their assimilation into human society... taking us over from within, one dance hit at a time. Maybe I've recently watched Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Oh well, if this is the kind of sound that will lead the human race into doom, I'm all for it. What? The siren sounds of Thelma Plum and the delicious beats of Golden Features. You'd be all for it too. (Matt Bond)
Well isn’t this a special group of ten songs? One way or another you knew we’d get more than one reference to Thelma Plum in this here countdown and while we’ve been quiet so far, bam! Twice in one ten. Both features to other artists, but we’ll take what we can get, really. When’s that album Thelma? I digress. Golden Features was a secret for a long time, no one actually knowing who he was, but I’ve since done some research (hello facebook) and found out he is Tom Stell, which actually doesn’t mean anything to me, but one things for sure, he’s quite talented isn’t he? Busy producing his own work instead of others seems to have paid off for him, if ‘No One’ is any indication, its rapid beats are a perfect accessory to Thelma’s magnificent vocal. Whoever you are Tom and whatever you’re doing, keep doing it. (Jo Michelmore)
#31. NEVER BE
by Meg Mac
I get lost in the world in a day All I'm saying, you get trapped in the world in a day.
Meg Mac. Matt and I have a joke about her being from
Sydney. Which isn't funny in itself, but I don't need to explain our
jokes to you, he'll do a good enough job of that himself. Meg Mac has
already been named a bunch of things by people other than Matt and I,
places like JJJ, Rolling Stone and the like, so an appearance in our
countdown probably doesn't mean much, but at least we have more to say
about her than Nova. Anyway, the important part here is how good this
song is; part soul, part pop, it feels like a gospel church service, can
I hear an amen? I've never been to a gospel church service. I have been
to Sydney though. You know something about Sydney? That's where Meg Mac
is from. Amen. (Jo Michelmore)
Meg Mac. She's from Sydney, you know? While that might be the best a daytime Nova presenter can come up with after playing 'Never Be', you feel like maybe the song left him so speechless... astounded... mystified... that the best he could do was acknowledge that such a talent is one of Australia's own. Which really shouldn't be a surprise either, AUS music is the best. After killing it in the 2014 Hottest 100 (and deservedly so), the Mac found herself one of the country's most celebrated artists. And that took her all over the world, sharing her beautiful music with a diverse and much appreciative audience. Keeping hard at work, we were treated to the new single 'Never Be', arguably the best outing yet from this soulful stunner. Everything Mac has released so far has been excellent, so it could turn into quite the debate, but yeah, for my money 'Never Be' is where it's at. A piano driven pop gem that once more shows the depth and power of Meg Mac's voice. And it provides a mighty singalong too. There's nothing better than a good singalong. 2014 and 2015 were big for Meg Mac. 2016 will likely be massive. Bring it on! (Matt Bond)
There's only 30 songs left to go... and we'll be back with the #30 - #21 on Saturday!
It has been far too long since we've had a true Missy Elliott one time exclusive on our hands. Far. Too. Long. The wait has been worth it... to see Missy work it, put her thing down, flip it and reverse it. Yes, Christmas has come early for fans of Misdemeanor in the form of your new favourite dance jam, 'WTF'. "I'm a Big Mac, make you wanna eat that." All that and so much more, Missy. Snappy lyrics, beats that will get those feet moving and a much more motivated Pharrell than what we've been getting lately all feature on the return of the Queen. If I haven't made it clear yet, the song is amazing. Just as much of a treat is the music video for 'WTF', which finds itself a more than suitable addition to an artist who has established herself as THE artist when it comes to clips. 'The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly), 'She's a Bitch', Get Ur Freak On', 'Work It', 'Pass That Dutch', 'Lose Control'. You can't read those track titles without picturing their legendary videos. 'WTF' is definitely in league with what has come before.
Collaborating with director Dave Meyers was the first sign this clip would be one to remember. Meyers is of course the man responsible for the previously mentioned 'Get Ur Freak On' and 'Pass That Dutch', as well as 'One Minute Man' and 'Gossip Folks'. When it comes to Missy, Meyers knows how to bring out the best in hip-hop's First Lady. 'WTF' is a song you're going to want to dance to and the video makes sure you know it. Elliott breaks it down in a disco-ball inspired tracksuit (complete with silver disco ball lipstick) before showing she's still more than capable of shaking it with the best of them in her Biggie beanie. Segway dancing, puppets and a beautiful closing shot of futuristic dolls in their boxes. This is everything we could have wanted from new Missy Elliott. Welcome back, Missy. 'WTF' is showing just how much you've been missed.
Matt Bond gives the video for 'WTF (Where They From' four and a half
Mixtapes are making a comeback! Or so I quickly read yesterday on an article title that showed up in my news feed on Facebook, sandwiched between a billion Caitlyn Jenner pieces. Something about USB sticks that look like cassette tapes the kids can pass around instead of meth. We apparently have an ice epidemic, so I'm just assuming kids are passing it around. But the mixtape is back and don't I know it. Heading off home at my parents' place on Monday, my Dad handed me an old CD that said 'Matt's Music'. Now, I'm not old-old (just old), so when I made mixtape playlist things, they were in the form of a burned CD. For the youngsters, there was no fire hazard involved. It wasn't a literal burning of the CD. After spending a couple of hours downloading eleven songs (twelve if you were really lucky), you could spend ten minutes copying them to a 700MB or one hour duration blank CD that you could play in your handy discman or CD player. If you're lost on any of that, ask your friend Siri to help you out.
I used to make many a mixtape with all the latest "jams", so I couldn't wait to find out what was on Matt's Music'. But when was it from? What would it tell me about the kind of music listener I was whatever year it was from? Would I be ashamed? Not likely. It had my name on it, so obviously it was going to be amazing. I got into my car, put the faded neon blue CD into the player and was treated to the familiar sounds of Fat Joe. "Put the fucking mic on! Mic is on." 'What's Luv?' Featuring Ashanti and Ja Rule. Three artists that don't seem to exist on this planet anymore. I was excited. I remembered all the words, especially the iconic and thought-provoking lines, "you say you gotta man and you're in love, but what's love got to do with a little menage?" The following selection of tracks would lead anyone who found 'Matt's Music' today to think Matt was one fly gal. The flyest. I don't really know what that means, but you'd hear it in songs all the time back then. R&B jams dominated the charts and they sure dominated my chosen tunes of the time.
As there were indeed eleven songs making the cut on 'Matt's Music', the opportunity for a '10 and 1' presented itself. And since I was only mildly embarrassed by one of those tracks, that's what we'll be looking at. Ten songs from 2002 you'll be needing to hear right now and one you'd likely sooner forget. The flashback starts now...
THE 10:
What's Luv
by Fat Joe ft. Ashanti and Ja Rule
When You Look At Me
by Christina Milian
Nasty Girl
by Destiny's Child
4 My People
by Missy Elliott
Without Me
by Eminem
What Would You Do?
by City High
Foolish
by Ashanti
Hot In Herre
by Nelly
U Got It Bad
by Usher
Just Like A Pill
by P!nk
THE ONE:
Dear Lie
by TLC
I love TLC as much as the next fly gal, but this has to be their worst single. The opening lyrics suggest they agree. "Dear Lie... you suck." Can't argue with that. I must have been caught up in the post-'No Scrubs' TLC hysteria that was sweeping the world way back when. Those were good times.
Alright... I can't keep up this ridiculous facade. I still love this song and I am ashamed but I don't care but I do. It wasn't even released in 2002. It's from 1999 and it still made its way onto a mixtape of mine three years later. I've got nothing...
Whoever said pop stars weren't smart? No one probably, but just to prove it, as we've now reached O in the A to Z of Pop and a whole post dedicated to One Direction didn't really interest me and pop stars from Ohio, Oklahoma and Osaka didn't really bring up anyone that exciting, maths it is.
One
A family known more for their moves than their maths, at least five of The Jacksons knew how to count and they would have appreciated the first three letters of this alphabet, if nothing else. If only Michael's maths skills could have saved him from his ultimate untimely fate.
Two
One of the Jackson sisters proved how much more intelligent than her brothers she was by having much less plastic surgery counting from five...backward. This sisters name doesn't start in La and end in Toya. Just saying.
Three
I'm not the world's biggest Bruno Mars fan, but I do love a ukulele and I especially love a singalong and even more especially I love an out of tune singalong. Throw a "like one two three" in there and everything is almost perfect...except for one of the laziest rhyming lyric counts ever. 'You' rhymes with more than just 'two' Bruno. Just saying.
Four
This one is my fave, 'cause it's so smart it's hidden. Missy Elliott might not technically be pop, but I'm not doing an 'A to Z of Hip Hop' next, so I'm gonna stick her in here. Bet you can't even find the 1, 2, 3, 4. It's there. Just trust me...and you're welcome.
Why hello there, gentle readers. Welcome back to the 10 and 1! It's been some time since we busted one of these out, but we're going to be bringing you our own special little list every Tuesday from now on. Unfamiliar with the concept? We tackle some type of topic, like this week's one... songs that should have been #1 hits... and give you ten examples of tracks that really deserved to make it all the way to #1. Then we leave you with the one; in this case a song that made it to #1 that really (really) shouldn't have. Get it? Great. Here we go!
SONGS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN #1 HITS
Work It
by Missy Elliott (2002)
US: #2, UK: #6, AUS: #6
It's not just that 'Work It' never made it to #1, it's that for ten weeks, Missy Elliott stayed firmly planted in the runner-up position to Eminem's 'Lose Yourself.' A great song that one, but Elliott's 'Work It' was a masterpiece; the greatest rap song ever delivered unto us by a female artist. Fun, catchy and sexy with just the right amount of random thrown in for good measure... this one had every element required of an incredible chart topping smash hit. Every. Single. Element. I'm assuming there was just some clerical error one week at Billboard that kept Missy from claiming a very deserved #1. Yep... clerical error.
Seven Nation Army
by The White Stripes (2003)
US: #76, UK: #7, AUS: #17
Every year there's an act that's touted as the saviours of rock and or roll. Young people, disenfranchised by the popular music of today run screaming through the streets, "rock lives! Long live rock!" A week later, their saviours have abandoned the now-lost flock, either having gone their own separate ways after incredibly lame in-fighting, or the realisation that they actually suck dawns on the world. The young people rock back-and-forth in a huddled mess crying, "rock is dead." There is absolutely nothing to fear, for in two months the cycle will begin again. In 2003, The White Stripes were already established to be the next big thing. White Blood Cells had catapulted them into the spotlight and if there was ever a time for a rock group to hit it big, the time came with the release of 'Seven Nation Army.' It didn't suck. It didn't suck at all. I'm not alone in my belief that, at the time of its popularity, 'Seven Nation Army' seemed destined to top the charts and restore the dominance of rock once more. Probably not in the US, but there was a good chance it could have claimed #1 in the UK. Everyone's so much cooler in the UK. Kidding! Kinda. (I love you American readers... never forget that.) The White Stripes would never hit #1 with 'Seven Nation Army' and life went on, but at least the kids weren't claiming, "rock is dead." The White Stripes proved to the world that the genre still had a lot of gas in the tank.
Since U Been Gone
by Kelly Clarkson (2004)
US: #2, UK: #5, AUS: #3
"No, I'm pretty sure 'Since U Been Gone' was a #1 hit." Yeah well, I understand why you'd think that way, but I'm also pretty sure you should lose the attitude and accept that it's just not the case. Honestly though, who doesn't think Kelly Clarkson went all the way with this one? 'Since U Been Gone' would seem to be the definition of 'monster hit,' dominating radio and music TV for an entire year all over the world.
Tell Me
by Diddy ft. Christina Aguilera (2006)
US: #47, UK: #8, AUS: #13
Diddy, P. Diddy, Puffy, Puff Daddy, Sean John... whatever. This man can crank out a massive hit every now and then, unless of course that song is 'Tell Me,' which featured the last sign of greatness from Christina Aguilera. The original 'Dirrty' girl teams up with one of the biggest rappers of all time and they can only just break the top 50 in the US? Not good enough. The blame here lies squarely on the shoulders of those who were meant to be promoting it.
Anything, Anything (I'll Give You)
by Dramarama (1985)
Anything (anything) could make it to #1 in the 80s, unless it was a fine slice of 80s rock from a band that only loses points for the stupidity of their name. Dramarama. It's like the dude version of Bananarama, you know? No? No.
Sway
by Bic Runga (1997)
AUS: #10, UK: #93, NZ: #7
Holding off 'Sway' from reaching the top spot in Australia were classics like 'Viva Forever' by the Spice Girls, 'Lady Marmalade' by All Saints, 'Ladidi Ladida' by S.O.A.P and 'Horny '98' by Mouse T. This makes me want to repeatedly bang my head against the wall. Bubblegum pop and the movie song were dominating the charts in 1998 ('Dr. Jones' and 'I Don't Want To Miss A Thing' - I will say no more) and a well written, beautifully performed track like 'Sway' really had no place in the upper echelon of the top 50. That it reached #10 at all is a testament to how amazing the song is... but it still should have been a #1 hit.
Cherry Lips
by Garbage (2001)
UK: #24, AUS: #7
What more could Garbage do to make a strong push for a #1 hit? Shirley Manson went blonde, sang like a seductive pixie, got naked in the music video and delivered one of the best singalong choruses of the early 2000s. All of that still wasn't enough for you, was it? WAS IT? 'Cherry Lips' was the most commercial track Garbage had ever released, a pop-rock smash dripping with sex appeal and a healthy dose of irony. It was almost as if the band was saying, "if this doesn't earn us a hit, nothing will... who gives a sh*t anyway?" This was everything we never thought a Garbage song would be, but it still managed to be perfect. You may have noticed that 'Cherry Lips' never charted in the US. Funnily enough, it was never released at all, with Interscope making the questionable choice (that's being very nice) to release 'Breaking Up The Girl' instead. Dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb, dumb (that's not being very nice).
Tiny Dancer
by Elton John (1972)
US: #41
Sometimes it takes years for the appreciation of an amazing song to grow and Elton John's 'Tiny Dancer' has built up enough respect to be named one of the greatest pieces of music ever recorded.
Call Your Girlfriend
by Robyn (2011)
NZ: #17
I don't care that it topped the US Billboard Dance Club Play Chart (nice name). The fact that 'Call Your Girlfriend' didn't claim the top spot all over the world is a travesty. Come on, this is definitely better than anything released last year from all of the Nicki Mi-Ke$ha's out there! Is it a lack of promotion or is there something about Swedish pop sensation Robyn that a large portion of the world just doesn't understand? Wait, what's not to understand? 'Call Your Girlfriend' is as good as pop gets! You can throw 'Dancing On My Own' in here too.
Thriller
by Michael Jackson (1984)
US: #4, UK: #10, AUS: #3
I can already envisage your mind being blown by this one. Arguably the most iconic single released from the world's best-selling album, it was accompanied by a revolutionary music video and... it never made it to #1. Well, it did in France and Spain. But it never did in the USA! Why didn't 'Thriller' take pole position in so many major markets? The simple answer is because it was the seventh single released from Thriller, which had been on the market for over a year. Bizarrely, the track took a backseat to 'Human Nature' and 'P.Y.T (Pretty Young Thing),' both of which also failed to hit #1 and were seriously lame when compared to the brilliance of 'Thriller.'
AND 1:
Sexy And I Know It
by LMFAO
Do I even need to make an argument here? Nah... I'll just let the song speak for itself. You can go find it if you wish to torture yourself for it has no place here.
Oh, hello there impossible list to make. We continue our 'Music Listography' feature with a look at It's My Kind of Scene's "Top 20 Favourite Songs." In case you haven't figured it out, the quotation marks denote that this isn't exactly the most accurate list I'll be making on here. If you're the kind of person who can list their twenty favourite songs in order, I take my hat off to you. P.s. I never wear hats. So that whole me taking my hat off to you thing... it was a lie. Anyway, after writing down 118 songs, I managed to pick twenty that could earn a place in my definitive top 20. Let's get to it...
Oh, hello thurr... we've arrived at our final destination; the top 10 music videos of all time! Are you excited? You're excited. Stop pretending you're not excited. Seriously. Now that you've embraced your excitement we can get to it. Our journey to the #1 spot, and the guessing associated with said journey, is over. What's it going to be? Let's find out...
Welcome to Hype Williams' futuristic playground. In this world, Williams is the creator and Missy Elliot is the Queen. We are their loyal servants. We... are not worthy? From the start of the video, complete with titles, you get that feeling that you're about to watch something impressive. Enter Missy in black and white, slow motion walking down the hallway complete with floating coat, space suit, dark shades... bald head? It's all pretty much genius and makes for some good viewing. Williams doesn't let up with the cool imagery. We get fast cars, cowboys and then a giant 'M' rises from the water with Missy dancing on it. Yep, this one has all the ingredients of an incredible music video. We are, indeed, not worthy.
Best Moment: That slow walk down the futuristic hallway blows my mind!
Christopher Walken: Redefining 'Dancing With the Stars.'
We're getting to the business end of our countdown boys and girls. After today we've hit the Top 20 and there will only be two posts to go! What exciting, intriguing, spectacular, amazing videos do we have waiting for us today? Let's find out...
Michel Gondry is known for his surreal and unique music videos, making a name for himself with his work for The White Stripes, Bjork, Massive Attack and Radiohead (to name but a few of his collaborations). I should have known that he was the man behind the video for 'Everlong' but never did until "research" was conducted for this countdown. You know when I say research, I mean Wikipedia, right? Good. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised to discover Gondry was the force behind 'Everlong,' the greatest video in the Foo Fighters catalogue. Grohl and Co. have given us some quality characters in comedy videos like 'Learn To Fly' and 'Long Road to Ruin,' but none can compare to those we see in 'Everlong.' Taylor Hawkins seems destined to drag it up for at least one song per album and let's just say I'm all for it. What? P.s. this isn't the last you've seen of Mr Michel Gondry...
Best Moment: I love how the bed explodes into Hawkins' drum kit towards the end!
Welcome to the halfway point of the countdown! After today we're in Top 50 territory, the best of the best... of the best. At this moment we're still just looking at the best of the best.
#60 - I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That) (1994)
by Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf's vision of Beauty and the Beast was surprisingly good. But it was the 90s... everything was good in the 90s. Everything. Anyway, in this version Meat Loaf plays the Beast as a fugitive being hunted down by the po-po. Beauty sees that he's rolling in money and fancy jewels so she's keen as keen could be, tracking Meat to his haunted mansion. She then has a bath. As you do. Then Dracula's vampire brides show up. At this point the narrative is spiralling out of control... Still, good clip, right?
Best Moment: Beauty and the now non-Beast on the motorcycle at the end.
Backstreet's Back... and they vant to suck... your blood.
Promo clip. Illustrated song. Filmed insert. The music video has had more names than you'd probably care to know over the years, especially in the days before Music TeleVision. But we're not here to take a look at the historical timeline the naming process of the music video has taken, we're here to look at 100 of the greatest music videos of all time. "But how would you rank such a list?" you ask, face scrunched up in a mixture of bewilderment and possible need to take a bathroom break. Well, how kind of you to ask. I can wait until you get back though. Run along... take your time.
You're back? Good. To answer your question, this is a countdown, much like It's My Kind of Scene's Top 100 of the 1980s, that is based solely on personal opinion of the writing staff. Don't worry, I've got really (REALLY) good taste. What of the other writing staff? Don't be ridiculous, there are no 'other writing staff.' We'll be looking at all sorts over the next eleven posts; big budget music videos, famous film directors, budget music videos, no-name directors. It's gonna be awesome! Before we kick off the official top 100, we're going to look at ten honourable mentions to get you in the mood for the goodness that's to come. Get excited!
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls... all four of you out there in cyberspace reading this blog, it's the post you've been waiting your life (three weeks) for; the top 10 songs of the 2000s. Over the last twenty-nine posts we heard 290 songs that made us laugh, made us cry, or made us do neither of those two things but maybe do some other stuff instead. Music's biggest stars came out to play, (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rihanna, Britney Spears, OutKast) as did some critical favourites (Cat Power, Damien Rice, Bat For Lashes, Antony and the Johnsons). But now we're ready to say hello to the ten best songs of a decade chock full of good ones. Of course I'm ready, I already know what they are! The question is, are you ready? You'd better be, because here we go...
Rolling Stone had it at #3. Pitchfork placed in one spot back at #4. NME went all out and declared it the #1 song of the 2000s. You can understand how 'Crazy In Love' charts within the top 10 of virtually every end of decade countdown out there. It really is that good. Beyonce showed in the delivery of one spectacular song, one of what would become many, that she was the Diana Ross of Destiny's Child... someone that wouldn't be stopped from achieving solo success by anyone or anything. Somehow she's managed to deliver time and time again, becoming one of the highest selling and most respected female artists of the 21st century. But nothing tops her debut. 'Crazy In Love' is a party song, an empowering anthem, one of the greatest love songs in pop form and really, it's one of the greatest songs of the 2000s. However, it's not the greatest song of the 2000s.
