Members Hard Truth Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 I am totally out of touch with pop music and I generally don't feel like I am missing much. I do hear the occassional song that becomes a cultural phenomena (the Macarena), or is used in a commercial etc. I'm wondering if any good music ever actually becomes popular these days. Can anyone name a top five song from the last two years that you can say is good, without any reservations or embarrassment? Please disqualify songs that have bad lyrics, have a good hook but no other qualities, or a less than very good performance. I'm looking for an all-around good song, although it doesn't have to be absolutely perfect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rasputin1963 Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 ....a-a-and... cue the crickets... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted May 6, 2008 Moderators Share Posted May 6, 2008 I think John Mayer's Gravity was a great tune and great performance. Amy Winehouse's Rehab. Don't let the media machine erase the fact that her stuff is great. Back To Black is even better. Icky Thump - White Stripes The one by Lily Allen about revenge on your ex Mary J. Blidge's Just Fine. GREAT modern R & B. Not enough of that. Gone, Gone, Gone - Alisson Kraus and Robert Plant Accelerate - REM 100 Days, 100 Night - Sharron Jones and the Dap Kings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rasputin1963 Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 Yeah, I stand corrected: "Rehab" was a great single. A brilliant hook and sonic treatment. My only kvetch with Amy is that her verses are too long and verbose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members meccajay Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 Nice list Lee! Here's one- Lupe Fiasco & Mathew Santos- "Superstar" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Magpel Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 What do you like, Hard Truth? Where are your "Sweet spots"? I hear quite a lot that I like these days. I'd make some recommendations if I had a sense of what you warm to. Right now, for instance I'm listening to Joni Miitchell's Blue. Quite good, quite good. Oh, wait a minute... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Magpel Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 Yeah, I don't know how you even measure top 5 in this balkanized musical world, but I will say: a song that everyone liked that I also thought was pretty damn great was "New Slang" by The Shins. Nothing fancy but a melody and emotive vibe to die for. And for a while it was everyone's favorite song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Chosen Few Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 Nice list Lee! Here's one- Lupe Fiasco & Mathew Santos- "Superstar" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty0u1PzXfTo Do you honestly think in 10 years from now, anyone will remember that ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Magpel Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 from the same world of Indie Mega-Hits, I think "Crooked Teeth" by Death Cab for Cutie is a wonderful song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted May 6, 2008 Share Posted May 6, 2008 It wasn't top ten, but it was indeed a hit: pv5zWaTEVkI From the same band, and IMO an arguably better single, but I don't know if it charted or not... 1LNbzqoOPu4 Both get two :phil: :phil: from me. But I have terminal powerpop-itis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slight-return Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 the wife really likes OK GO(what's the earlier one...million ways to be cruel. That one made the rounds as well) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wwwjd Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 I keep watching the Billboard version of POP but haven't heard or seen many of the songs listed here. What makes a pop hit now days seems to be grind music, lyrics you BEEP out, and collaborations so you can put the word FEATURING in the byline But you meant GOOD, MEMORABLE music right? I don't understand that REHAB song. The "looser than should be musically allowed" timing of drums/instruments/vocals makes me shut it off before the end of the 1st verse. With "SUPER PRODUCERS" popping out 300 extra songs every few months to sell to the "hit" artists, it should be a while until real talent is heard again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Hard Truth Posted May 6, 2008 Author Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 Thanks for the offer Magpel, but I didn't want anything for my particular tastes, I wanted to see what other folks like. By "top 5" I meant Billboard's (or equivelent) regular old pop single charts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Magpel Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 You know, I was listening to our local classic rock station (WPDH, one of the flagship stations of the classic rock genre) and I was reminded how much I loathe music bad Bad Company and The Steve Miller Band. Really, does less than nothing for me--it subtracts from my life when I hear it . So, as much as I love the rock of the '60s, I don't romanticize the era of "rock hit radio" of the '70s one little bit. A lot of it strikes me as some of the worst music ever made. Back when "Rock" dominated the charts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Jimbroni Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 Don't know if its a hit necessarily, but it has been played on the radio in my parts. Wilco - Walken from Sky Blue Sky. Is very cooooooellll. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Rudolf von Hagenwil Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 I like that one by The Bloodhound Gang "The Roof Is On Fire" [YOUTUBE]KdF6M2FBKG4[/YOUTUBE] http://bloodhoundgang.com/index2.html . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ggm1960 Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 The newest songs on my bands setlist are:Lips Of An Angel by Hinder and Animal I've Become by Three Days Grace. They are/were hit songs people like, I also like them or they wouldn't be on my set list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Geoff Grace Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 I don't know if "Shut Up and Let Me Go" is a hit yet; but after being featured in Apple's latest round of iPod commercials, it will be: qvs7umUF4qs The Ting Tings seem transported from the early eighties. They're a duo like The White Stripes, but nothing like The White Stripes. Here's another sample: Great DJ Best, Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members nat whilk II Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 how much I loathe music bad Bad Company and The Steve Miller Band. I was a big Steve Miller fan before his era of radio hits - there were 5 albums before The Joker that are much more hippy/psychedelic/TexasElectricBlues style that I still like to drag out of the mothballs. I loved Paul Rodger's singing with Free (All Right Now of course) and I found Bad Company to be a pretty big step down into borrrring, so I'm with you there. I recommend checking out the early Steve Miller stuff - the albums Brave New World and Your Saving Grace are IMHO particularly good. nat whilk ii Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members marxalot Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 I don't know if "Shut Up and Let Me Go" is a hit yet; but after being featured in Apple's latest round of iPod commercials, it will be: The Ting Tings seem transported from the early eighties. They're a duo like The White Stripes, but nothing like The White Stripes. Here's another sample: Great DJ Best, Geoff reminds me of Bananarama. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Deeprig9 Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 This is an R&B hit, underground, that I like alot, and I don't like modern R&B. But something about this one makes me really really love it. ruef7aYCEbc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Geoff Grace Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 reminds me of Bananarama. I can see that. As for me, the guitar riff from "Shut Up and Let Me Go" is reminiscent of Queen's "Another One Bites The Dust;" and some of Katie White's vocal nuances from "Great DJ" remind me of Missing Persons' Dale Bozzio. Oh, and the opening guitar riff from "Great DJ" sounds a lot like the one in Eddie Money's "Baby Hold On." Best, Geoff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members slight-return Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 But something about this one makes me really really love it. probably the sensitive treatment of an uncomfortable issue. I see what you mean, but I felt it was hedging its bet a little - walking on eggsshells and not really confronting the 'elephant in the room' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members kurdy Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 Don't know if its a hit necessarily, but it has been played on the radio in my parts. Wilco - Walken from Sky Blue Sky. Is very cooooooellll. Yes! You must be reading my mind! I don't even think that song even made near the top 20, but it should have. The song just kicks ass. Definitely my favorite song at the moment. Also, I have to give mention to "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles. It's definitely a solidly-constructed, quality pop song. And I'm pretty sure it made top 5. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members rasputin1963 Posted May 6, 2008 Members Share Posted May 6, 2008 Unbelievable. The apocalypse is nigh. Actually, it's a perfect pop song, isn't it? It'll never get airplay, but it's a perfect pop song from beginning to end. Gotta be the best jealousy record since Marianne Faithfull's 1980 "Why'd Ya Do It?" [YOUTUBE]nH6bAMKA5fU[/YOUTUBE] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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