I've never heard about this band, it was before my time it seems. It's some kind of 2nd tier Nickelback it seems (commercially, not quality-wise). It's not too good, but there's far worse poppy post-grunge trash out there. This one even has some moderately interesting guitar work, and the parts with bass and cello are nice. The chorus is overblown, but not nearly as overplayed as most of Nickelback's material so I guess that's the reason I like it more.
I'm not really convinced that Coolio was "raised by the streets" by this polished, obviously commercial anthem. But it's a damn good song nonetheless. Coolio's soundtrack for Dangerous Minds samples a good chunk of Stevie Wonder's Pastime Paradise, borrowing a hook and melodies, as well as some of the lyrics. It's a staple rap song, and even though it's not entirely my cup of tea when it comes to 90s rap, I like it.
Rankings:
Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
Blondie - Call Me (1980)
50 Cent - In Da Club (2003)
The Mamas and the Papas - California Dreamin' (1966)
Percy Faith - Theme From "A Summer Place" (1960)
The Knack - My Sharona (1979)
The Police - Every Breath You Take (1983)
Pharrell Williams - Happy (2014)
Wings - Silly Love Songs (1976)
Cher - Believe (1999)
Nat King Cole - Too Young (1951)
Percy Faith - The Song From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart) (1953)
Pee Wee Hunt - Twelfth Street Rag (1948)
Vaughn Monroe & His Orchestra - Riders In The Sky (1949)
Prince - When Doves Cry (1984)
Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise (feat. L.V.) (1995)
Bobby Lewis - Tossin’ And Turnin’ (1961)
Domenico Modugno - Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu) (1958)
Usher - Yeah! (ft. Lil Jon, Ludacris) (2004)
Tony Orlando And Dawn - Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree (1973)
Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra) (2012)
Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk (2015)
Kesha - Tik Tok (2010)
Perry Como - Prisoner of Love (1946)
Elvis Presley- All Shook Up (1957)
Sam the Sham & the Pharaos - Wooly Bully (1965)
Three Dog Night - Joy To The World (1971)
Ace of Base - The Sign (1994)
Lifehouse - Hanging By A Moment (2001)
Lulu - To Sir With Love (1967)
Perez Prado - Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White (1955)
Mr. Acker Bilk - Stranger On The Shore (1962)
Nickelback - How You Remind Me (2002)
Chicago - Look Away (1989)
Flo Rida feat. T-Pain - Low (2008)
Daniel Powter - Bad Day (2006)
SSgt Barry Sadler - The Ballad Of The Green Berets (1966)
Barbra Streisand - The Way We Were (1974)
Faith Hill - Breathe (2000)
Ed Sheeran - Shape of You (2017)
Dionne & Friends - That's What Friends Are For (1986)
Boyz II Men - End Of The Road (1992) _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
I've always considered Adele a musician for people who don't listen to music. Like it's the safest, blandest, default white-person singer. That's why she sold so many albums, if you need to buy a gift for Christmas, just go with the safest music you can find cause everyone likes that. Young people 'cause it's "in", old people 'cause it's rooted in the genres they're accustomed to. And while my opinion on that hasn't changed much, I think that's not Adele's whole story. Cause she can write a good, catchy song and also sing. Rolling In The Deep isn't just by-the-numbers pop song, there's a lot of blues, soul and gospel elements to it which make it infinitely more interesting than, let's say, an average Taylor Swift song. It's far from terrible. Sure, her albums aren't really consistent or "good" per se, but, in a way, I guess I'm happy that Adele is the "default" musician, and not someone worse. Also, she seems like a down to earth person, pretty likeable and not very glamurous and filling the headlines. Good for her!
Rod Stewart - Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright) (1977)
Wow this is not nearly as terrible as I've expected. Nothing special, 70s pop rock, but there's some orchestral touches, a lot of folk too, and some Eagles-like soft rock qualities. And I don't hate the Eagles, unlike a lot of people including a certain Mr. Lebowski. The sax solo was tasteless and unnecessary, it all felt a bit too synthetic, and the lyrics are absolutely terrible and (slightly) mysogynistic, but in the end it's not nearly as bland and boring as I've expected from Rod Stewart having heard some of his other songs.
Rankings:
Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
Blondie - Call Me (1980)
50 Cent - In Da Club (2003)
The Mamas and the Papas - California Dreamin' (1966)
Percy Faith - Theme From "A Summer Place" (1960)
The Knack - My Sharona (1979)
The Police - Every Breath You Take (1983)
Pharrell Williams - Happy (2014)
Wings - Silly Love Songs (1976)
Cher - Believe (1999)
Nat King Cole - Too Young (1951)
Percy Faith - The Song From Moulin Rouge (Where Is Your Heart) (1953)
Pee Wee Hunt - Twelfth Street Rag (1948)
Vaughn Monroe & His Orchestra - Riders In The Sky (1949)
Prince - When Doves Cry (1984)
Coolio - Gangsta's Paradise (feat. L.V.) (1995)
Adele - Rolling In The Deep (2011)
Bobby Lewis - Tossin’ And Turnin’ (1961)
Domenico Modugno - Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu) (1958)
Usher - Yeah! (ft. Lil Jon, Ludacris) (2004)
Tony Orlando And Dawn - Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree (1973)
Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know (feat. Kimbra) (2012)
Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars - Uptown Funk (2015)
Rod Stewart - Tonight's The Night (Gonna Be Alright) (1977)
Kesha - Tik Tok (2010)
Perry Como - Prisoner of Love (1946)
Elvis Presley- All Shook Up (1957)
Sam the Sham & the Pharaos - Wooly Bully (1965)
Three Dog Night - Joy To The World (1971)
Ace of Base - The Sign (1994)
Lifehouse - Hanging By A Moment (2001)
Lulu - To Sir With Love (1967)
Perez Prado - Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White (1955)
Mr. Acker Bilk - Stranger On The Shore (1962)
Nickelback - How You Remind Me (2002)
Chicago - Look Away (1989)
Flo Rida feat. T-Pain - Low (2008)
Daniel Powter - Bad Day (2006)
SSgt Barry Sadler - The Ballad Of The Green Berets (1966)
Barbra Streisand - The Way We Were (1974)
Faith Hill - Breathe (2000)
Ed Sheeran - Shape of You (2017)
Dionne & Friends - That's What Friends Are For (1986)
Boyz II Men - End Of The Road (1992) _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
I'm gonna stop with this game just for a second, cause I've found an amazing Pharoah Sanders album which I've never heard of before, and which is for some reason rated pretty low on RYM (3.4/5).
This is something like 6th or 7th Sanders album I've heard. The personnel includes Sanders, pianist Joe Bonner, bassist Cecil McBee, drummer Norman Connors, and percussionist Lawrence Killian. Upon seeing its low rating on RYM and not much praise at all online, I didn't expect anything from it. But I was pleasantly surprised: it's his most upbeat, soulful, world music inspired release I've heard. There's everything, from West African inspired High Life, killer flute and loads of drums, to the shorter, 5 minute recording of his signature tune Love Is Everywhere which just bursts with energy, to the hypnotic, percussion-driven title track, to the (again) hypnotic drums and great kora (I think it's kora, couldn't find the credits anywhere) work on Bonner-written The Golden Lamp, to the 11 minute closer Selflessness, which starts with tribal drums and chanting, and soon becomes another signature Sanders groovy piece with his soaring tenor sax and piano leading the way, and incredible drumming and percussion providing the background.
Why is this not heralded as one of his classics? Because I've not heard a more unique take on jazz/African music fusion. Is it just less known than his other albums or do people genuinely not like it much? The only "flaw" that I could find is the recording of Love Is Everywhere, I wish Sanders played through the whole 20-minute composition with this lineup 'cause I have a feeling that the full version could even surpass the incredible recording of the song on Love In Us All. _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
So, I'm gonna try to be more active on BEA starting now. Apologies to Repo for never submitting that 83' metal list, to Merc for not following his diary etc. The diary format is fantastic, I like the BEA community, but life gets in the way. There are several project ideas I have lined up to get back in shape: RRW (explained below), RYM top 100 singles list (started working on that one), favourite concerts I've been to in 2022 etc. Ofc I'm abandoning whatever I was doing before, like this Billboard topping songs thingy. It was a fun project. Hopefully I'll finish at least a few of the new ones _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
Let's start with this loosely defined project - random ranking Wednesday (RRW). I'm pretty sure this won't be a weekly feature (probably not even a Wednesday feature), but whenever I feel like ranking something without too much thinking, I can do it here and claim it's a RRW "project" What can I say, I love meaningless lists and excuses to talk about music. _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
Blackwater Park Morningrise My Arms, Your Hearse Still Life
Orchid
Deliverance / Damnation
Ghost Reveries
Watershed
Sorceress
Pale Communion
Heritage
In Cauda Venenum
I saw Opeth live for the first time the other day. They absolutely killed it (perhaps a bit surprisingly) - more on that in the "concerts ranking" project. As one of my favourite bands from the high school period, I have a lot of memories connected to the band. Also, Mikael Akerfeldt is the chillest guy ever. Writes great songs, makes fun of his own music, is genuinely funny, doesn't give a crap and just likes playing with his friends and bandmates. Ticks all the boxes. I don't like the stan/fan culture, but he's definitely one of the musicians I'd love to grab a beer with, given the chance.
Blackwater Park is basically the default number 1. Here's a snippet from the 2000s chart.
Quote:
The album that exposed me to extreme metal. First listen, I didn't manage to pass the 1 minute mark. "Screams, ugh. That's not for me." But that minute was so intriguing that I couldn't get it out of my head. I basically challenged myself (maybe for the first time ever) to listen to something that's outside my comfort zone. And, needless to say, I haven't stopped listening to it ever since. It's fair to say that this one changed the way I think about music, and it encouraged me to immerse myself in a lot of different genres, mainly metal, hip hop, electronic and ambient at the time. My Arms Your Hearse or Morningrise may be even better, but I'd pick Blackwater Park as Opeth's crowning achievement, if nothing else for its importance in my musical education.
TBH both Morningrise and MAYH are just as good, if not better in terms of some key "Opeth elements". Morningrise is the heaviest, nastiest and coolest they've ever sounded. MAYH is the most compact and immediately impactful - no song crosses the 10 minute threshold and they're all good to great. Those two are basically polar opposites in terms of composition length. Blackwater Park is a bit overproduced for my tastes at this point in time. I appreciate Steven Wilson's immense impact, the clean, almost perfect sound they managed to find. But sometimes, less is more. Morningrise sounds like someone poured their heart and soul into those rough around the edges songs, so the less than perfect production fits the songwriting. Despite all that, Blackwater Park still has the best songs and ranks at the top.
Never been as big on Still Life as some Opeth fans. The Moor is possibly their finest moment, that much is definitely true. Great album all around, but "only" top 5 for me. Orchid is everything I've said about Morningrise, but less great. I have a lot of love for the debut. Deliverance / Damnation is one album and I won't accept any other opinion on this It's also the reason I rate it higher than Ghost Reveries - the diversity and the sheer quantity of great material is astounding. It's funny how Ghost Reveries is the 7th album on the list, and it still contains several key Opeth tunes and some of their best songwriting. Watershed has its moments (in fact, a lot of good moments), but I have a subjective feeling that they've started losing their identity during that time period.
The hotly debated "new Opeth" or "Newpeth" isn't all that controversial to me personally. It's some nice throwback prog with modern ideas and sound. Don't know the records all too well tbh, but don't mind them at all. In fact, I quite like some of the material, especially from Sorceress. The title track is heavy af when you listen to that main riff. Those last 4 are listed by how often I listen to them. Very close in quality, all good albums, but if I'm listening to Opeth's discog, it's usually the older stuff. _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
So, I'm gonna try to be more active on BEA starting now. Apologies to Repo for never submitting that 83' metal list, to Merc for not following his diary etc. The diary format is fantastic, I like the BEA community, but life gets in the way. There are several project ideas I have lined up to get back in shape: RRW (explained below), RYM top 100 singles list (started working on that one), favourite concerts I've been to in 2022 etc. Ofc I'm abandoning whatever I was doing before, like this Billboard topping songs thingy. It was a fun project. Hopefully I'll finish at least a few of the new ones
It's never too late!
<Will listen to some Opeth this weekend! - Great list! >
Here's my RRW...
Top TEN Albums of 1992
==========================================
10. Ride - Going Blank Again [Brit Pop, Shoegaze]
9. The Jayhawks - Hollywood Town Hal [Alt Country, Power Pop]
8. Tom Waits - Bone Machine [ Blues Punk]
7. Alice In Chains - Dirt [Grunge, Alt Rock]
6. Sade - Love Deluxe [R&B, Trip Hop]
5. The Lemonheads - It's A Shame About Ray [Power Pop, Alt Rock]
4. The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II [ Hip Hop]
3. Aphex Twin - SAW I [IDM]
2. Red House Painters - Down Colorful Hill [Slowcore]
1. Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted [Indie Rock]
<Will listen to some Opeth this weekend! - Great list! >
Here's my RRW...
Top TEN Albums of 1992
==========================================
10. Ride - Going Blank Again [Brit Pop, Shoegaze]
9. The Jayhawks - Hollywood Town Hal [Alt Country, Power Pop]
8. Tom Waits - Bone Machine [ Blues Punk]
7. Alice In Chains - Dirt [Grunge, Alt Rock]
6. Sade - Love Deluxe [R&B, Trip Hop]
5. The Lemonheads - It's A Shame About Ray [Power Pop, Alt Rock]
4. The Pharcyde - Bizarre Ride II [ Hip Hop]
3. Aphex Twin - SAW I [IDM]
2. Red House Painters - Down Colorful Hill [Slowcore]
1. Pavement - Slanted & Enchanted [Indie Rock]
Hey, it's not too late! I'm gonna drop that list one lazy Wednesday
This is a cool one, don't think I've heard the Jayhaws record or the Sade one. Missed the Lemonheads tour recently in my town, they were playing the whole It's a Shame About Ray. It's a shame. Not sure how my 1992 list would look like, but it'd include Dry, Dirt, Henry's Dream and Wish. And Aphex Twin, obviously. _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
I'm starting a new project. Ranking RYM top 100 singles (no B sides). It's a great list imo. If there are multiple versions of the song, I'll listen to the best one. I don't really care if it's a single version, an album version or an extended one. If it's better, that's what I'm ranking.
I've heard all of these songs before (I think), but, ofc, some I know better than the others. Some are long time favourites, some were just "I have to educate myself" listens. What I want to say is that this is a heavily biased list. You probably won't see soul classics near the top, nor will you see metal near the bottom. It's just the way it is, I'm doing this to possibly get into some genres/bands/songs I didn't dig as much before. Another thing I want to say is that pretty much every song here is good. There may be a few near the bottom which I think are just ok, but there isn't a single song where I thought "huh, why's this a classic". I understand the appeal and status of every song on this list, much more so than the albums list. So, when I'm complaining about a song, it's important to remember that I probably still love it, but for the sake of rankings I need to nitpick.
100 remaining. Random number generator gives us: 52, 76
The Smashing Pumpkins - 1979
Position: 52
A good one to start this thing off. I love the Pumpkins. I love 1979. Ever since the high school I've considered this song close to perfect and my opinion hasn't changed much (perhaps surprisingly). Probably not my favourite Pumpkins track, but it's not that far off something like Mayonaise or Hummer. One of the better coming-of-age songs, the guitars are seriously gorgeous, the loops are crazy good and wacky for an alt rock song. Billy wasn't operating on the same wavelength as Vedder or Cobain or Lanegan, and that's actually a plus since it's made Smashing Pumpkins the most original band out of that scene. I still think OK Computer wouldn't have been the same without 1979 preceeding it. A blueprint for electronic tinkering in alt rock.
Spiritualized - Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Position: 76
I was obsessed with this one for a few weeks upon discovering it. Loved the whole album so much. I've quickly cooled off (as it often is the case), but it's still a magical tune and easily the best song on the album. I still vibe to it several times a year. Spiritualized are nice, should probably listen to them more. The album's name comes from a novel Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder.
"Only philosophers embark on this perilous expedition to the outermost reaches of language and existence. Some of them fall off, but others cling on desperately and yell at the people nestling deep in the snug softness, stuffing themselves with delicious food and drink. ‘Ladies and Gentlemen,’ they yell, ‘we are floating in space!’ But none of the people down there care."
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What can I say, I love meaningless lists and excuses to talk about music.
