Post subject: Low Rank Vs. High Rank listening challenge. Same Year/Style.
RULES:
- You have to listen to a previously suggested 2 albums, and comment on them before you can post a new listening challenge.
- The two albums you list in your challenge must be from the same year, and be somehow comparable in style/genre.
CHALLENGE #1
I’ll start.
I’ve been listening to 1983 lately, which has a lot of New Wave rock.
I like both of these albums, and while Cyndi Lauper’s is a consistent listen (ranked 22), and has some big singles on it, I think the Divinyls album is better (ranked 295). Dare you to listen.
1. Money Changes Everything
2. Girls Just Want to Have Fun
3. When You Were Mine
4. Time After Time
5. She Bop
6. All Through the Night
7. Witness
8. I'll Kiss You
9. He's So Unusal
10. Yeah Yeah
Note: the Divinyls album came in two different track listings. I’m going with the international track listing.
1. "Boys in Town"
2. "Only Lonely"
3. "Science Fiction"
4. "Siren (Never Let You Go)"
5. "Elsie"
6. "Only You"
7. "Ring Me Up"
8. "Victoria"
9. "Take a Chance"
10. "I'll Make You Happy"
If you already know both of these albums well do you still have to listen to them? Cuz I already know them. So I can tell you that even though Divinyls are probably better than Cyndi Lauper, when it comes to these two specific albums I like the Cyndi Lauper better. Although I think Divinyls Temperamental album is better than both. This one here I'm not too crazy about. And I have to admit the Cyndi Lauper has several that I think are pretty good. I like She Bop, and Time After Time, all through the night, and Girls Just Want to Have Fun are fairly decent too. And there's one absolutely great one that I think is awesome, Money Changes Everything. I like it better than the original even. And I can see why the album was a humongous hit. I saw the Divinyls live when I was about 17 years old or in High School at a free outdoor concert thing at a local University, and I remember she poured a bucket of water over her head. How could you forget that? Lol
Last edited by bobbyb5 on 04/15/2018 03:00; edited 2 times in total
Okay. I couldn't decide where to even begin to think of two albums, so I'm just going to stick with your idea because I liked it.
These are both are in the New Wave Rock genre. I happen to like both of them about equally, but the Billy Idol is ranked 37 for the year, and The Fixx is ranked way behind at 180h. I checked to see how well these albums did back then, and from what I could tell they were both Hit albums and both sold fairly well and were relatively equal in popularity at the time. And both had a couple hit singles. I'm sure both of these albums aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I kind of have a taste for certain kinds of New Wave Rock. And I particularly like these ones.
I like it but "same year" is kind of limiting and I see no real reason for it.
if one album is similar to another yet seemingly MUCH better but for some reason it's MUCH worse ranked, I think that should qualify.
a good reason for why year doesn't matter: 2 albums could be separated by a SINGLE DAY but still not be in the same year anyway. 2 albums could also be separated by 365 days but still be released in the same (leap) year.
I like it but "same year" is kind of limiting and I see no real reason for it.
if one album is similar to another yet seemingly MUCH better but for some reason it's MUCH worse ranked, I think that should qualify.
a good reason for why year doesn't matter: 2 albums could be separated by a SINGLE DAY but still not be in the same year anyway. 2 albums could also be separated by 365 days but still be released in the same (leap) year.
so basically: YAAAAAAAY but also BOOOOOOOO
Yeah, but we’re looking at how they’re comparatively ranked for a given year.
I like it but "same year" is kind of limiting and I see no real reason for it.
if one album is similar to another yet seemingly MUCH better but for some reason it's MUCH worse ranked, I think that should qualify.
a good reason for why year doesn't matter: 2 albums could be separated by a SINGLE DAY but still not be in the same year anyway. 2 albums could also be separated by 365 days but still be released in the same (leap) year.
so basically: YAAAAAAAY but also BOOOOOOOO
Yeah, but we’re looking at how they’re comparatively ranked for a given year.
Plus.... my thread, my rules
I like it. Obvs year matters. RYM, BEA, Pitchfork, and every single other music publication is organized on a YEAR basis. So makes a lot of sense. Why fight how things have always been grouped. Like fashion, the year matters A LOT.
Initially I wanted to go with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but it's more experimental, from 2002 (four years difference) and not a fair comparison. All in all, Let It Roll is better than both. Ghost and Let It Roll are pretty close genre-wise, released within 2 years of each other and there's a huge gap in rankings. Just listen to the songs and tell me Distant Shore isn't better. _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
Okay. I couldn't decide where to even begin to think of two albums, so I'm just going to stick with your idea because I liked it.
These are both are in the New Wave Rock genre. I happen to like both of them about equally, but the Billy Idol is ranked 37 for the year, and The Fixx is ranked way behind at 180h. I checked to see how well these albums did back then, and from what I could tell they were both Hit albums and both sold fairly well and were relatively equal in popularity at the time. And both had a couple hit singles. I'm sure both of these albums aren't everyone's cup of tea, but I kind of have a taste for certain kinds of New Wave Rock. And I particularly like these ones.
One Thing Leads to Another
Sign of Fire
Running
Saved by Zero
Opinion
Reach the Beach
Changing
Liner
Privilege
Outside
ok. Let me start by saying that these are both 80s classics. And their both really good. Reach The Beach has dated A LOT better than Rebel Yell, but if you're in the mood for Velveeta 80s AOR it doesn't get much better than Rebel Yell.
Reach The Beach is the far more consistent album throughout. And far less cheesy. With some really interesting introspective lyrics. the guitars are amazing and almost iconic 80s pop rock.
The Winner: Reach The Beach but Rebel Yell will also place on my '83 chart and a rebel yell has to be given to both "Eyes Without A Face" and of course "Rebel yell". Two classics of 89s radio that still sound awesome today.
And Idol's next album - Whiplash Smile - was much better and his high-water mark.
You're exactly right. Surprisingly The Fixx sounds less dated than Billy Idol. I thought it would have been the other way around. And I just listened to Eyes Without a Face and it sounds as awesome as it did then. It's one of those magnificent flukes. The kind of record that is so much greater than it deserves to be. Rebel Yell sounds a little dated like you said, but it still has a kind of power to it. Eyes Without a Face is just as awesome as it ever was though.
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