tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post5958845016650537749..comments2024-03-28T14:41:03.787-04:00Comments on PowerPop: Weekend Listomania (Special There's No Accounting For Taste! Video Edition)NYMaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10863355110457910935noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-68421562313520862532009-02-09T16:10:00.000-05:002009-02-09T16:10:00.000-05:00you can't get that fucking melody out of your head...<I>you can't get that fucking melody out of your head--that's why it went to no. 1</I><BR/><BR/>Of course, the old eighth-notes-on-the-organ trick helped; put that on a chorus and your odds of a hit increase tenfold. <BR/><BR/>Would be a good Listomania - songs that use that trick.Noam Sanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14078219408896745687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-30087784191128329002009-02-09T10:26:00.000-05:002009-02-09T10:26:00.000-05:00Noam said: Seasons in the Sun was a favorite of Cu...<I>Noam said: Seasons in the Sun was a favorite of Curt Cobain. There is something alluring in its weirdness.</I><BR/><BR/>Agreed. Certainly when in <A HREF="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO4BF67pvsc" REL="nofollow">Curt’s hands</A> anyway.Who Am Us Anyway?https://www.blogger.com/profile/08260586634760800759noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-35196822064345321392009-02-09T10:24:00.000-05:002009-02-09T10:24:00.000-05:00I agree that a lot of these songs are perfectly ex...I agree that a lot of these songs are perfectly execrable, but wasn't the idea to come up with songs that one can't understand why they were hits? As awful as many of these songs are--all those 70s tunes for example, except Shannon and Radar Love--many of them are catchy in horrible ways, or they cater to the lowest common denominator of music listener in cloying cynical ways. I mean, of course Seasons in the Sun is heinous, but you can't get that fucking melody out of your head--that's why it went to no. 1. As for Snoopy and the Red Baron...JEEZ...how indeed??Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04378528518778247285noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-15609902191170300492009-02-09T10:04:00.000-05:002009-02-09T10:04:00.000-05:00"My Love" has a great guitar solo. Not really a te..."My Love" has a great guitar solo. Not really a terrible song by pop standards. <BR/><BR/>Seasons in the Sun was a favorite of Curt Cobain. There is something alluring in its weirdness.Noam Sanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14078219408896745687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-81425839133905510342009-02-09T08:40:00.000-05:002009-02-09T08:40:00.000-05:00I feel as you do about Colbie Caillat, but my wife...I feel as you do about Colbie Caillat, but my wife likes it, so I bite my tongue most of the time.geor3gehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18382136451663610951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-77512915302624355612009-02-09T08:13:00.000-05:002009-02-09T08:13:00.000-05:00My Love by mac is that hated? It's really not so b...My Love by mac is that hated? It's really not so bad...try picking up your acoustic and sing it for your girl.<BR/><BR/>But what do I know? As a kid I really dug Seasons in the Sun...ghey!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-52482806322942705642009-02-08T22:29:00.000-05:002009-02-08T22:29:00.000-05:00This is a much harder topic to comment on than las...This is a much harder topic to comment on than last week's Listomania. For one thing, repression is a wonderful thing. While titles tripped off the top of my head last week, I've spent decades trying to forget perfect candidates for this week's list.<BR/><BR/>Second, there are plenty of songs that I hate whose popularity isn't inexplicable to me. There's a certain category of romantic, melodic, catchy songs that are going to be hits even if it means listening to Celine Dion caterwauling.<BR/><BR/>That's why of the titles mentioned in the comments section that I hadn't thought of before, My Love stands out -- what a turgid boil of a song from a brilliant artist. <BR/><BR/>So I'll eliminate the merely sappy or the novelties, even the highly annoying ones, and suggest a few "inexplicables":<BR/><BR/>Exactly who were the folks who ran out to buy Kenny Dino's "Your Ma Said You Cried in Your Sleep Last Night"? Not since Freddy Cannon had the nose played such an integral part of a vocal. (I could nominate Freddy Cannon here for "Tallahassee Lassie," for that matter, but he redeemed himself later with "Palisades Park" and "Transistor Sister.")<BR/><BR/>Tommy Roe had a perfectly wonderful start of his career, with throwback soft-rockabilly hits like "Sheila" and "Everybody," and then came "Sweet Pea," and down the chute he went with "Hooray for Hazel," "Dizzy," and other atrocities.<BR/><BR/>Except for their very earliest covers, I've never been fond of the Rolling Stones' R&B covers. When their disappointing version of "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" came out, it was more of a comment on the Jagger/Richards well being dry than an endorsement of their version. But then it became a pretty hit. I can't figure out why, except for the obvious merits of the song.<BR/><BR/>What was the deal with Paper Lace's "The Night Chicago Died?" I've heard worse, but I have no idea how this became a #1 song.<BR/><BR/>I'm with you on "Umbrella." A more recent corollary: "Just Dance" by Lady GaGa. What's so catchy about this? <BR/><BR/>I'm fond of "Hanky Panky" but the only inclusion on the list that rankles me is "Love Is a Battlefield," the only song of Pat Benatar's that I ever liked: love the melody, love the punch, and even love the vocals. But I'm also going to defend the video, because like the movie version of "Hair," it's cool precisely because it subverts the simplistic generational solipsism of the lyrics of the song(s).. In the end, the singer/character in the video WAS wrong. Yay for parents and kids having to come back with their tails between their legs! <BR/><BR/>I find the whole video charming, including Benatar's commitment to dancing when she can't really dance, the gold-tooth guy, and the shimmy dancing battle. I really commend Benatar for having the smarts to know that replicating the sentiments of the actual song would be trite and nauseating. Besides, she has so many other candidates for the list ("Heartbreaker?" "We Belong?")...Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03743825684303825072noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-17473819078097896162009-02-08T22:11:00.000-05:002009-02-08T22:11:00.000-05:00Every single horrible song mentioned above is real...Every single horrible song mentioned above is really f-ing (and to my friends on the island, f-ink) killer if sung in the manner of Bob Dylan. Even "Havin' My Baby". <BR/><BR/>Sheesh. Buncha whiners.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-34101692884366152012009-02-08T11:47:00.000-05:002009-02-08T11:47:00.000-05:00MBowen:Dance With Me is actually a great song to l...MBowen:<BR/><BR/>Dance With Me is actually a great song to learn how to play bass guitar to.<BR/><BR/>Seriously -- if you can do the part on that record, you can pretty much play every other rock song in history.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-44545473536256305582009-02-08T10:46:00.000-05:002009-02-08T10:46:00.000-05:00Patti Smith was a fan of "You Light Up My Life", t...Patti Smith was a fan of "You Light Up My Life", too. She used to cover it straight in concert back when it was a hit.<BR/><BR/>Another monument of suck: "Dance With Me" by Orleans, perhaps the nadir of 70s neuter-rock. So bland, it makes fresh tofu taste like Dave's Insanity Sauce. Other countries get cool rockers in their government, like Peter Garrett or Amelia Fletcher. I'm stuck with this fountain of "lite" as my congresscritter.MBowenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17992038501958547302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-41830856425005367112009-02-08T10:01:00.000-05:002009-02-08T10:01:00.000-05:00cthulhu:None of the Big Daddy stuff is in print? N...cthulhu:<BR/><BR/>None of the Big Daddy stuff is in print? Not even the one where they do a Harry Belafonte version of Talking Heads "Once in a Lifetime?"<BR/><BR/>That album is the greatest masterpiece of rock criticism in history, damnit!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-71737037956796741792009-02-07T22:11:00.000-05:002009-02-07T22:11:00.000-05:00The McCartney Hall of Shame: "Mary Had a Litt...The McCartney Hall of Shame: "Mary Had a Little Lamb," "My Love," "Ebony & Ivory," "Let 'Em In," "No More Lonely Nights," "Say Say Say," "Goodnight Tonight," "Coming Up," "Girlfriend," "Temporary Secretary," and too many others I've suppressed over time...Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13372496375739714441noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-16052523793916136072009-02-07T21:46:00.000-05:002009-02-07T21:46:00.000-05:00How can Dave dump on 10cc?? Great band, great song...How can Dave dump on 10cc?? Great band, great song.<BR/><BR/>But as far as the theme, I'm going to apply the theme, "Horrible Hits that Big Daddy Did To Perfection!"<BR/><BR/>So, we get the shining resurrection in glorious '50s styles of such utter dreck as <I>I Write The Songs, Bette Davis Eyes, Super Freak, Eye of the Tiger</I> - all off their first album, ROFL funny. An absolute frickin' shame none of their albums are in print anymore!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-81123064527349459212009-02-07T19:50:00.000-05:002009-02-07T19:50:00.000-05:00Ugh, I just remembered, it wasn't "Jet," it was "L...Ugh, I just remembered, it wasn't "Jet," it was "Live and Let Die."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-80955760896208243882009-02-07T19:49:00.000-05:002009-02-07T19:49:00.000-05:00"Jet" - cover of Wings tune by Guns N' Roses - vid..."Jet" - cover of Wings tune by Guns N' Roses - video featured Axl Rose in totally gai purple velvet short shorts, and also this selection ties together the Maca/GnR hate on this thread.<BR/><BR/>The entire oeuvre of the band Quarterflash. How did they ever become successful? <BR/><BR/>"Bad Medicine" is a much worse Bon Jovi song than Livin on a Prayer, which is a guilty pleasure.<BR/><BR/>That song by Puff Daddy which was a Police song with P rapping new lyrics... WTF?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-37456007051644781532009-02-07T18:55:00.000-05:002009-02-07T18:55:00.000-05:0010cc -- "I'm Not In Love" Made me want to fall ou...10cc -- "I'm Not In Love" Made me want to fall out of love every time I heard it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-77126392827713702002009-02-07T18:17:00.000-05:002009-02-07T18:17:00.000-05:00One more just came to me. Tie A Yellow Ribbon - To...One more just came to me. <BR/><BR/>Tie A Yellow Ribbon - Tony Orlando and Dawn.Libby Spencerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01915834698802726985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-17753682295511898752009-02-07T17:41:00.000-05:002009-02-07T17:41:00.000-05:00These are mostly fine (meaning terrible) selection...These are mostly fine (meaning terrible) selections, of course. But, I wish to defend the Golden Throats and others who sing novelty songs. I will take cheerful comedy over serious, it's been done a thousand times just-like-this genre music any day. Convoy. Kung Fu Fighting. Disco Duck. This is Good. <BR/><BR/>Also, I wish to defend Debbie Boone's "You Light Up My Life." The ASL version is quite good.David Rasmussenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03652293916468672552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-13242026122580515852009-02-07T17:01:00.000-05:002009-02-07T17:01:00.000-05:00Even worse than "Ebony and Ivory"?By about 10,000X...<I>Even worse than "Ebony and Ivory"?</I><BR/><BR/>By about 10,000X. Even ignoring the fact that we get Michael Jackson arguing that he is the bigger stud at the end (not that it can be ignored), any song that breaks down into a conversation -- a LONG conversation -- just says to me that they ran out of ideas.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-45919722585665113052009-02-07T15:38:00.000-05:002009-02-07T15:38:00.000-05:00C'mon, help us out here, Meat.That's Mr. Loaf to y...<I>C'mon, help us out here, Meat.</I><BR/><BR/>That's Mr. Loaf to you.<BR/><BR/>"Pink Houses" is one of the most grating songs I've ever heard. And where have I heard that whole real -Americans-come-from-Podunk hooey before?<BR/><BR/>Oh,yeah.Noam Sanehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14078219408896745687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-88650443922305875672009-02-07T13:41:00.000-05:002009-02-07T13:41:00.000-05:00Who am us wrote: "for me, after about 2 minutes th...Who am us wrote: "for me, after about 2 minutes the vocals on both those songs just turned into fingernails on the chalkboard."<BR/><BR/>What are you? Some kind of Jedi master? I cannot stand two seconds of any Geddy Lee vocal. Ditto Axl Rose. You sir, are a stud plain and simple.<BR/><BR/>TreyTMinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07221261635305430323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-37363245814798555542009-02-07T12:06:00.000-05:002009-02-07T12:06:00.000-05:00And am I allowed to nominate The Donny and Marie O...And am I allowed to nominate The Donny and Marie Osmond variety show? Everything on that was awful. Special recognition to their signature song, Little Bit Country, Little Bit Rock n Roll.Libby Spencerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01915834698802726985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-40589116420684047712009-02-07T11:57:00.000-05:002009-02-07T11:57:00.000-05:00I second Ballad of the Green Berets. That song ser...I second Ballad of the Green Berets. That song seriously creeped me out. <BR/><BR/>Off the top of my head, the first thing that comes to mind is <BR/><BR/>We've Only Just Begun - The CarpentersLibby Spencerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01915834698802726985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-40231645829364649902009-02-07T11:21:00.000-05:002009-02-07T11:21:00.000-05:00Her dad is Ken Caillat, producer and/or engineer o...Her dad is Ken Caillat, producer and/or engineer on the big Fleetwood Mac albums as well as Michael Jackson's "Bad", so I'd imagine that had something to do with her entry into the music industry.MBowenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17992038501958547302noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8921382.post-41800046550117685082009-02-07T10:18:00.000-05:002009-02-07T10:18:00.000-05:00mbowen:Boy, do I have to disagree with you on that...mbowen:<BR/><BR/>Boy, do I have to disagree with you on that Colbie Callat thing.<BR/><BR/>Apart from being a)moronic and b)butt ugly...<BR/><BR/>it's about as amateur a song as I've ever heard, what you'd expect from somebody who had just picked up a guitar and thought "I betcha I could write a song."<BR/><BR/>It doesn't really have a verse or chorus per se, just a rambling melody line that goes nowhere except doubling back on itself. And the sort of bridge may be the worst in history.<BR/><BR/>Sorry -- it's just absolute crap. By comparison, Debbie Gibson is Gustav Mahler.<BR/><BR/>I mean it -- the fact that a major record company thought it was worthy of release is really insulting, and its success a sign of our total cultural decadence.<BR/><BR/>Okay, perhaps I'm getting a little overheated here, but I really REALLY hate that song.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com