Arguably the stupidest thing I've done on here since I ranked all the Bond theme songs, but I'm back to having time for music so I'm setting out on a new venture!
Yes, that's right, listening to and ranking the Now That's What I Call Music! albums, one track at time.
I recently got shown a full playlist of all the Now albums and it brought up a lot of nostalgia (the 50's/60's Now album were early albums for me in my musical journey...).
Anyway, while digging through the list I came across several bangers (and several 'non-bangers'), and it's inspired to dig through the archives, one song a day, every day, for the foreseeable future.
Am I crazy? Yes, absolutely, but anyway, let's crack on!
Starting us off in 1983, with the original version of Now, is Phil Collins's covering The Supremes, quite enjoy this a lot in all honesty. Have been on a bit of a Genesis rediscovery journey of late and naturally that leads into Phil and his solo stuff. The man does make a good pop hit every so often (Easy Lover, dope), and I love the fact that he doesn't look remotely like a popstar (strikes me as more of an Eastenders character, plus he's got the name).
Was on his 1982 album, Hello, I Must Be Going, which has made it onto a year chart of mine, and anyway, as the first song up, straight to number one with a bullet.
Ranking:
1. Phil Collins -You Can't Hurry Love (Now 1)
Ha! Fun trip! I'll definitely be following along. And agreed, Phil was an '80s singles machine. I would have told u I hated him in the '80s, but I would have been LYING!
Ha! Fun trip! I'll definitely be following along. And agreed, Phil was an '80s singles machine. I would have told u I hated him in the '80s, but I would have been LYING!
Glad you like the concept, I was driving along yesterday when I thought of this and figured I was losing it!
(On an unrelated note I was actually driving to the cinema to see Kneecap at the time, a movie about an Irish language hip-hop group that's well worth a watch).
Possibly the most 80's of all the 80's bands? I first came across Duran Duran through those free CD's that newspapers used to give out (no idea if this was thing in the US?)
Many a band were discovered through those newspapers comps, I enjoy this, not their best work (A View To A Kill obviously, another Bond reference following on from yesterday), but I do enjoy this and Duran Duran in general.
Will they leapfrog Phil? Not this time, but it's right at home on an 80's Now comp nonetheless.
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Ranking:
1. Phil Collins - You Can't Hurry Love (Now 1)
2. Duran Duran - Is There Something I Should Know? (Now 1) _________________
I hope I'm not overstepping, but in case anyone wants to know what's coming up in this thread and is having trouble getting the first volume to appear in the BEA search dropdown, this is it right here:
It's roughly 30 tracks per volume, with 118 volumes released so far and counting, not including the US versions, the "Millennium Series," the thematic editions, so... this project could take some time. Personally, I would have given up already.
Which reminds me, BEA needs a "See All Results" landing page for searches. But that would be a big coding job, and possibly open up the site to scraping and SQL injection attacks. Oh well...
Quote:
Possibly the most 80's of all the 80's bands? I first came across Duran Duran through those free CD's that newspapers used to give out (no idea if this was thing in the US?)
Possibly... but let's face it, the most 80's of all the 80's bands was Kajagoogoo. That's why they have two tracks on the first volume when everyone else (except Culture Club and UB40, natch) has only one.
Oh it's ambitious and an over the top idea that will take years for sure, I could probably up the song count and might do in due course but for now I'll see how it goes haha, I will probably stick to the original Now list purely cause I'm not unhinged (yet)!
Takes up probably less than 5 minutes a day at least and keeps me occupied!
Cheers for the input so far, I know things have been quiet in these parts of late so I was wondering if something stupid like this might just generate some discussion, great to see it!
Another one I'm obviously well familiar with (has been a staple of Irish local radio for decades now).
And another newspaper CD discovery back in the day, I quite enjoy UB40 (and I spent several years living in the part of England where they originated also, fun fact...).
Their favourite song of mine? Probably not, but it's serviceable all the same and I'm well able to sing along to Ali and the lads.
Goes without saying that this was another cover (Neil Diamond originally).
Ranking:
1. Phil Collins - You Can't Hurry Love (Now 1)
2. UB40 - Red Red Wine (Now 1)
3. Duran Duran - Is There Something I Should Know? (Now 1)
(This will become a spreadsheet at some point...) _________________
Gotta be honest, have never heard of this whatsoever? Like not even a bit, rings no bells whatsoever.
Ultimately, I don't mind this, stays in tune with the 80's hits so far and is reasonably catchy, but definitely not enough to leapfrog any of the other bigger hits that have come so far, sorry Limahl!
Ranking:
1. Phil Collins - You Can't Hurry Love (Now 1)
2. UB40 - Red Red Wine (Now 1)
3. Duran Duran - Is There Something I Should Know? (Now 1)
4. Limahl - Only for Love (Now 1) _________________
Starting us off in 1983, with the original version of Now, is Phil Collins's covering The Supremes, quite enjoy this a lot in all honesty. Have been on a bit of a Genesis rediscovery journey of late and naturally that leads into Phil and his solo stuff. The man does make a good pop hit every so often (Easy Lover, dope), and I love the fact that he doesn't look remotely like a popstar (strikes me as more of an Eastenders character, plus he's got the name).
Was on his 1982 album, Hello, I Must Be Going, which has made it onto a year chart of mine, and anyway, as the first song up, straight to number one with a bullet.
Ranking:
1. Phil Collins -You Can't Hurry Love (Now 1)
Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.
OMG! Phil had GIANT balls. To cover a classic R&B song by the Supremes as a frumpy middle-aged white boy. Frumpy's got balls I tell ya. I never would have risked the ridicule. But he pulls it off easy peasy with a tasteful and faithful rendition. A victory for frumpy, middle-aged white boys everywhere!
But I'm a total softie for Duran Duran and their sugar coated earnestness. The tag New Romantics made complete sense for them. "Save A Prayer" is one of the best songs of the entire eighties. I always assumed I'd meet some girl who'd be crushed & overwhelmed by the romanticism of this song as much as I was and we'd raise little Repo babies, but alas that did not come to pass.
Anyways, "Is There Something I Should Know" has an incredible guitar hook and and guitar tone. A total New Wave banger that would have had me heading out to the dance floor with joyful abandon, eternally assured that things were going to work out just so.
I'll try to keep up a bit EXCEPT for those random songs I've never heard of.
OMG! Phil had GIANT balls. To cover a classic R&B song by the Supremes as a frumpy middle-aged white boy. Frumpy's got balls I tell ya. I never would have risked the ridicule. But he pulls it off easy peasy with a tasteful and faithful rendition. A victory for frumpy, middle-aged white boys everywhere!
But I'm a total softie for Duran Duran and their sugar coated earnestness. The tag New Romantics made complete sense for them. "Save A Prayer" is one of the best songs of the entire eighties. I always assumed I'd meet some girl who'd be crushed & overwhelmed by the romanticism of this song as much as I was and we'd raise little Repo babies, but alas that did not come to pass.
Anyways, "Is There Something I Should Know" has an incredible guitar hook and and guitar tone. A total New Wave banger that would have had me heading out to the dance floor with joyful abandon, eternally assured that things were going to work out just so.
Thumbnail. Click to enlarge.
Haha, welcome aboard! I enjoy a challenge and hope you do too!
I think this just about beats out Phil for me, big fan of this and I do like Heaven 17 in general, Penthouse and Pavement cracking fairly high up in one of my year charts and a tune definitely well known to me before today, a new leader!
Ranking:
1. Heaven 17 - Temptation (Now 1)
2. Phil Collins - You Can't Hurry Love (Now 1)
3. UB40 - Red Red Wine (Now 1)
4. Duran Duran - Is There Something I Should Know? (Now 1)
5. Limahl - Only for Love (Now 1) _________________
Obviously this is going to the top, a proper classic that never ages for me, I do love this and it always puts me in good form.
As for the band themselves, I actually know very little about (so if there's any shady dealings or what not I need to know about please let me know...)
Anyway, easy number 1 so far, love it!
Ranking:
1. KC & the Sunshine Band - Give It Up (Now 1)
2. Heaven 17 - Temptation (Now 1)
3. Phil Collins - You Can't Hurry Love (Now 1)
4. UB40 - Red Red Wine (Now 1)
5. Duran Duran - Is There Something I Should Know? (Now 1)
6. Limahl - Only for Love (Now 1) _________________
I'm tired after being at a conference all day, but this nearly has me moving, familiar with this from before naturally, and it's a tune, debated putting it top for now but it moves into a close second...
Ranking:
1. KC & the Sunshine Band - Give It Up (Now 1)
2. Malcolm McLaren - Double Dutch (Now 1)
3. Heaven 17 - Temptation (Now 1)
4. Phil Collins - You Can't Hurry Love (Now 1)
5. UB40 - Red Red Wine (Now 1)
6. Duran Duran - Is There Something I Should Know? (Now 1)
7. Limahl - Only for Love (Now 1) _________________
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