68 remaining. Random number generator gives us: 63, 53
David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes
Position: 92
From the most hopeless Bowie to the funkiest, junkiest and most fun Bowie. A wonderful funky new wave jam, showing us that he truly was the biggest chameleon in popular music. His most experimental phase has just finished, he got out of bed one day and thought "I'm feeling happy this week, what about a trendy pop masterpiece". And just like that, he was already back on the charts with his most successful single at that point. It went on to top the UK charts and was successful all over the Europe (and US and the world to a slightly lesser extent). At the time the most expensive music video ever, it was trying to capitalize on the sudden rise of MTV and music video culture. Honestly, I like the video better than the song, which is a fantastic pop tune in its own right, but far from my preferred Bowie style. The video on the other hand influenced the New Romantic movement in England. It's iconic, yet almost forgotten for some reason, or at least I've rarely seen it mentioned. A lyrical successor to Space Oddity, but absolutely not a spiritual successor. It's much more upbeat and decidedly less epic. "Ashes to ashes, funk to funky, we know major Tom's a junkie" might be one of the most iconic lines he's written.
Here's the video. In the process, I've mistakenly clicked on "Faith No More - Ashes to Ashes", another truly great single (and honestly a better song overall - go listen to that one as well).
Ok, this is the one that will probably raise some eyebrows. Sorry to everyone reading this, but I... don't care for this song at all. Much less so than even Beach House. Fishmans are hit or miss for me, their two most acclaimed releases are very good, but apart from that I've struggled to really get into them. And honestly even Long Season and that live aren't really among my absolute favourite things ever done. However, the biggest surprise wasn't how little I cared for this song, it was how many people seem to love it. It's by far the biggest surprise on the list for now (and I have a feeling it'll remain that way). I knew Fishmans were one of those YT recommendation bands who made it big years after their tragic end, but they dominate RYM charts. Had no clue about that, and I don't mind it at all. Japanese dream pop, even when it's not entirely to my liking, is something I can get behind. Ranking this last since I'm not cool.
Sunday Morning
Pictures of You
Epitaph
Marquee Moon
Idioteque
The Shook Ones Pt. II
The World Is Yours
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
1979
Lazarus
When You Sleep
Paranoid Android
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
Wuthering Heights
Paper Planes
No Surprises
Care of Cell 44
Train In Vain (Stand By Me)
Alright
Sugar/Tzu
HAZARD DUTY PAY!
Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)
This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)
Ashes to Ashes
Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Reckoner
Runaway
Enjoy the Silence
The Heart Part 5
Sinnerman
Jesus, Etc.
Be My Baby
Space Song
ナイトクルージング (Night Cruising) _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
66 remaining. Random number generator gives us: 17, 45
Slowdive - Alison
Position: 31
Love me some Slowdive, wouldn't characterize myself as a big fan or anything, but when they hit, they really hit. Alison is one of those songs. Such a bittersweet, melancholic sound that transports you to a different dimension. This sound is the definition of "dream pop" to me, it can't get any dreamier, hazier or more psychedelic than this. And it's not at all abrasive, which you'd expect from something with such a chaotic atmosphere and disintegrating guitar wallofsound/riffs/melodies/something. A stroke of genius. This is probably the first time ever that I'm reading the lyrics, looks cool as well. I have a lot more admiration for Slowdive than I actually love their music it seems, which probably has something to do with not listening to them enough
Bob Dylan - Like a Rolling Stone
Position: 66
Probably the hardest song on this list to write about. It's one of the most iconic songs of all time, and I truly mean that. It has shaped so much of Dylan's career and 60s music, it's been quoted as the best song of all time by everybody and their gran (including that (in)famous Rolling Stone list), it's the quintessential "quirky Dylan" song. Yes, I like to call that phase the "quirky Dylan" as opposed to the "storytelling Dylan", although those two styles certainly do have an overlap. I love the "storytelling Dylan" of the 70s, Desire and Blood on the Tracks era, while I find myself being somewhat less entertained by the 60s rock trilogy. That being said, Like a Rolling Stone feels like a perfect blend of both styles. A piece of history and an incredible statement, as well as a tremendous song, while not being among his absolute best for me personally.
kokkinos is a much better and more meticulous writer than me (come back to your diary man!), not to mention a bigger Dylan fan overall, so here's his snippet about the song. Might be the best paragraph in his whole Dylan project.
kokkinos wrote:
Opening with his most classic song (for real, is there a more iconic moment in music history than the snare drum that opens Like A Rolling Stone?) and it’s worth all the praise it’s received – but if you want my hot take, it’s barely a top-3 song here, which speaks volumes about the quality of the rest of the material here and is by no means a criticism towards it. Its structure is nothing short of awe-inspiring. It starts as a fairy tale, everything’s rosy for our little princess. The verses slowly build up in intensity, he triumphantly strips her of all the glory and grandeur that surrounds her, as he puts on display her flaws (she Is arrogant, pretentious, insensitive, disrespectful, superficial, you name it) that lead to her dramatic, thundering fall. I’ve always had the impression that the chorus is meant to release tension, a moment of catharsis, she’s reached the bottom of the barrel, his “attack” is less vicious, almost soft. And the one million dollar question: Who is it addressed to? Is it real-life inspired, is there a specific person, could it be a friend that betrayed him or a lover that left him, or no one in particular (as the last verse opens up to include “all the pretty people”)? It doesn’t matter that much, some things are better left unsaid (and it inspires everyone to draw his own conclusions, some of them are surprisingly inventive, there’s even an interpretation that the song deals with drugs, i.e. the person in question had everything, did drugs and lost it all, had a good laugh while reading it, but I have to admit this theory is a stretch to say the least). One thing’s for sure, the bitterness comes through crystal clear, that’s the epitome of a diss track a good 3 decades before they were cool. Even the finest efforts (No Vaseline, Ether, Hit Em Up, etc.) would have a hard time keeping up with this. Another technique he’s mastered during this stage of his career is his tendency to include various, seemingly random yet undeniably mysterious and fascinating characters that add an extra dimension to each song (in this case it’s the mystery tramp, the diplomat and his Siamese Cat and of course Napoleon in rags). The way he handles the chorus, for example changing lyrics from one to the other, is of interest as well, though I have to resort to my favourite method of pointing to another album, as the chorus “manipulation” so to speak reached its peak in Blonde On Blonde, thus I’ll keep this subject for later.
Sunday Morning
Pictures of You
Epitaph
Marquee Moon
Idioteque
The Shook Ones Pt. II
The World Is Yours
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
1979
Lazarus
When You Sleep
Paranoid Android
Alison
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
Wuthering Heights
Paper Planes
Like a Rolling Stone
No Surprises
Care of Cell 44
Train In Vain (Stand By Me)
Alright
Sugar/Tzu
HAZARD DUTY PAY!
Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)
This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)
Ashes to Ashes
Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Reckoner
Runaway
Enjoy the Silence
The Heart Part 5
Sinnerman
Jesus, Etc.
Be My Baby
Space Song
ナイトクルージング (Night Cruising) _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
I'm gonna have to stop you there, LedZep. I believe Like A Rolling Stone - BY DEFAULT - goes at number 1 on all such lists.
------
That aside, love the write ups! I am surprised by the number 1 being Sunday Morning so far! I would not have guessed that coming in. But it is an incredible track!
And I generally agree with you about Fishmans and Night Cruising. I have never clicked with their creative blend of styles. I will never forget the first moment in about 2013 when I went to explore RYM for the first time and I saw that their music was idolized almost as much as all time legends like The Beach Boys and Beatles. That was the moment I was like "Wait... how have I completely missed out on even hearing ABOUT this band?!". I proceeded to listen to their albums half a dozen times here and there over the years and at best I have come away thinking "That was really good, solid as hell.". _________________ -Ryan
I'm gonna have to stop you there, LedZep. I believe Like A Rolling Stone - BY DEFAULT - goes at number 1 on all such lists.
And with good reason. I do love the song, it's just not my absolute favourite Dylan style. So, naturally, I prefer his other cuts.
Mercury wrote:
That aside, love the write ups! I am surprised by the number 1 being Sunday Morning so far! I would not have guessed that coming in. But it is an incredible track!
I'm surprised too if I'm being honest, but after listening to these 40 tracks, there just isn't a single one I like more. Makes sense though, I'm a big fan of VU&N and consider several tracks to be my all time faves (Venus in Furs, All Tomorrow's Parties, Heroin, Sunday Morning, perhaps even I'll Be Your Mirror).
Mercury wrote:
And I generally agree with you about Fishmans and Night Cruising. I have never clicked with their creative blend of styles. I will never forget the first moment in about 2013 when I went to explore RYM for the first time and I saw that their music was idolized almost as much as all time legends like The Beach Boys and Beatles. That was the moment I was like "Wait... how have I completely missed out on even hearing ABOUT this band?!". I proceeded to listen to their albums half a dozen times here and there over the years and at best I have come away thinking "That was really good, solid as hell.".
Really good, solid as hell is how I'd describe Long Season and the 98 live, but definitely not Night Cruising. Unfortunately, nothing about that one particularly excites me. Definitely agree with the rest, I also had a feeling (and still have, to a degree) that I'm missing out on a great band. Turns out I do love some dream pop, just not the brand that Fishmans play. _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
64 remaining. Random number generator gives us: 37, 54
Björk - Hyperballad
Position: 57
Once upon a time I'd confidently declare this the best Bjork song and a top whatever song of all time. Album version, of course. Repeated listens have taken their toll, I'm slightly less enchanted by this pop gem, but I still consider it a close to perfect song. Here's what she had to say about the lyrics:
Björk wrote:
The critical time in a relationship, which usually happens after 3 years, and I can see all around me with all my friends. It’s got to do that when you fall in love it is so precious to you, you never know this might be the last time, so your behaviour towards the loved one becomes very sweet and you go somewhere else to be aggressive. Because I believe that all people have got both sides. So you end up having to unload your aggressions at a bar or by throwing cuttlery off cliffs. So you can come back to your loved one, kiss him sweet on his cheek, and say happily, ‘Hi honey.’
It's widely known how weird and forward thinking Hyperballad was in 1995. After all, you could say that it still feels unique and unrivaled in the electronic pop music spheres today. It's aged really well imo, even if some of the production and aesthetics are 90s through and through, reminding the listener of the (at the time) ongoing UK electronic revolution. There's a bit of Massive Attack and/or Portishead influence here, some New Order, Pet Shop Boys and similar indie dance stuff, perhaps even Happy Mondays or Saint Etienne and, of course, a weird artsy twist. But you'd never mistake Bjork's style for any of her contemporaries - both the instrumentals and her distinctive voice. It's also easy to see she was following the electronic music scene religiously, it's not just the indie darlings and crossover artists who have influenced her. And the feeling was mutual, as evidenced by the variety of remixes, including by some of the big guys like LFO (1997), Robin Hood (1996), Fluke (1996) etc. The original chorus and bridge (from 3:12 'till the end) rival pretty much any dance, house or techno beat of the time - the only difference is that she's channeling her inner Kate Bush and singing pop melodies over those instrumentals. The melodies are one of the most distinctive features of Bjork's music, they're as unusual as they're catchy, often borrowing (or being directly sampled) from various underground gems. The sampling, sound engineering and production work deserves a whole book so I'm not gonna try to explain it here. The whole idea of throwing various pop and electronic genres in the blender and giving the product a distinct, avant-Bjork spin has left a lasting impression not only on the music scene, but on me personally. I've never thought about this before, but I'm sure my love for the pop/(UK) electronic mix (Kelly Lee Owens, Eartheater, Breaka stuff with guest vocals, Palm Trax remixes, perhaps even Underworld, Prodigy, Chemical Brothers and the bunch, Goldie, Kosheen...) can be traced back to Bjork. I'm always on the hunt for electronic stuff with pop sensibilities that I can throw into sets and dance to, as well as art pop stuff leaning heavily on the electronic background which I can enjoy at home. In conclusion, this is easily one of the best songs from the list.
I don't actually love this song as much as I adore the lyrics. It's such a vivid, direct and dirty, yet heartfelt look at Warhol's NY gang. From the drug use to sexuality to celebrating their differences and similarities alike. I just love Lou Reed's songwriting, one of the rare lyricists which actually make me stop and think about the text in depth. The song title is perfect as well, it's a look at the wild side of NY scene. It does help that one of the coolest, if not straight up best hip hop beats ever samples the main melody. It's such a simple and powerful melody that it works both as a catchy, melancholic pop rock tune and as a base of the beat. Placing Lou next to his good friend David.
Sunday Morning
Hyperballad
Pictures of You
Epitaph
Marquee Moon
Idioteque
The Shook Ones Pt. II
The World Is Yours
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
1979
Lazarus
Walk on the Wild Side
When You Sleep
Paranoid Android
Alison
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
Wuthering Heights
Paper Planes
Like a Rolling Stone
No Surprises
Care of Cell 44
Train In Vain (Stand By Me)
Alright
Sugar/Tzu
HAZARD DUTY PAY!
Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)
This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)
Ashes to Ashes
Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Reckoner
Runaway
Enjoy the Silence
The Heart Part 5
Sinnerman
Jesus, Etc.
Be My Baby
Space Song
ナイトクルージング (Night Cruising) _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
62 remaining. Random number generator gives us: 5, 8
The Beatles - Penny Lane
Position: 7
Wow, we're almost 40 songs in and this is only the first Beatles track. A surprise to be sure, don't know if it's a welcome one or not. Neutral I guess. They do have a plethora of incredible singles, I would gladly rank many of them near the top, but there's no need to overdo it. And that applies to every band. Yes, that's a subtle dig at the R-band represented below, as well as some others who will have more than 3 songs. In retrospect, I probably should've gone for a 1 per artist version of this same game, it'd be much more interesting.
I digress. Penny Lane is a cool and representative song, although I'm not quite sure how and why it's the number one rated Beatles track and the 7th best single of all time. It's entirely possible that I don't understand the Beatles lore enough. While definitely being a huge single, a fairly forward-thinking pop song and a fantastic accomplishment overall, I'm not sure I'd rank it in the top 5 most important Beatles singles. Nothing against Penny Lane, I have a lot of love and admiration for it, but I have a feeling it's neither the biggest nor the best song they've done. One of the essential McCartney pop singles though, that much's true. With that slight concern out of the way, let's talk about England winning the 66' World Cup. From what I've read, the country was at its happy period in 66' and the biggest British band perfectly captured that. The old classist worldview was seriously outdated at that point and, according to some historians, the people needed a workers song to reflect that. Penny Lane, with its "blue suburban skies", catchiness, young, naive optimism, Northern imagery and English smug (as well as a brass band) fit right in. I'm sure it was a great time - for some people. Right now I'm having a great time revisiting this classic. I'm more of a psychedelic, artsy and rock Beatles enjoyer than a McCartney pop fan, but the quality of this tune is undeniable. Simple pop structure with some quirks, genius chord progression and chorus.
Even the song name reflects the shift in the mindset, with Lennon and McCartney choosing to write about a random Liverpool street where they used to meet and play in their childhood, rather than a significant or illustrious avenue. The lyrics are English through and through, describing the daily lives of various characters one could encounter on the street. Makes me want to live in the 60s England, despite knowing quite well that it's not nearly as idyllic as described.
I've just now realized that Penny Lane was a double A-side single with Strawberry Fields Forever. It all makes sense now, it's the biggest single pairing you could possibly think of and Strawberry Fields Forever has an even better reputation and is overall a greater song than the A-side we're discussing here (at least imo). Two of them combined are easily top 7 of all time.
Radiohead - Let Down
Position: 11
Unlike their compatriots above, Radiohead already have 5(!) songs on the list, with at least 1 more to come iirc. Another strong but unusual single from OK Computer, much more unconventional than No Surprises and just as cool as Paranoid Android. What really stands out here is the overdubbing of Thom's vocals, which creates an epic sounding harmony. Excellent buildup throughout the track, masterfully adding both vocal and instrumental layers until there's almost a cacophony of sounds. It manages to sound even more epic near the end than it does in the first verse. Despite that, the first verse is my fave, not only lyrically, but it's also the first time a listener is introduced to the vocal layering technique, which makes it a fresh and more impactful experience. A good one.
"Transport
Motorways and tramlines
Starting and then stopping
Taking off and landing
The emptiest of feelings
Disappointed people
Clinging onto bottles
And when it comes it's so so disappointing"
Sunday Morning
Hyperballad
Pictures of You
Epitaph
Marquee Moon
Idioteque
The Shook Ones Pt. II
The World Is Yours
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
1979
Lazarus
Let Down
Walk on the Wild Side
When You Sleep
Paranoid Android
Alison
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
Wuthering Heights
Penny Lane
Paper Planes
Like a Rolling Stone
No Surprises
Care of Cell 44
Train In Vain (Stand By Me)
Alright
Sugar/Tzu
HAZARD DUTY PAY!
Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)
This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)
Ashes to Ashes
Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Reckoner
Runaway
Enjoy the Silence
The Heart Part 5
Sinnerman
Jesus, Etc.
Be My Baby
Space Song
ナイトクルージング (Night Cruising) _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
I haven't checked to see how much this may have effected other singles thus far covered here, but a significant reason why "Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields" single is so revered and so high is, well, that second half of the single as well. Both songs are great but Strawberry Fields has always held an extra special place in my heart - and I'm not even a massive Beatles fan. But shit that dreamy atmosphere featured on side B is sublime and the deadened, almost sad vocal of John Lennon is awesome. _________________ -Ryan
Oh and my own ranking thus far for the songs you've covered are like this. I may update this as time goes by.
Would Be In A List of My All Time Favorite 100 Songs Tier
Like a Rolling Stone
Runaway
Reckoner
Great and I love these tier
Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever
Train In Vain (Stand By Me)
Paranoid Android
Pictures of You
Sunday Morning
Penny Lane (on it's own)
The Shook Ones Pt. II
This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)
Int'l Players Anthem (I Choose You)
I Really Like These but they don't stick out as favorites from that artist/band/album tier
Alison
Care of Cell 44
Idioteque
No Surprises
1979
Epitaph
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
Jesus, Etc.
Yeah These are cool ... tier
Be My Baby
When You Sleep
Let Down
Paper Planes
Wuthering Heights
Sinnerman
Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
The World Is Yours
Meh or I don't really get why its so so loved tier
Marquee Moon
Enjoy the Silence
Sugar/Tzu
I kinda don't like these unless in a specific mood ... tier
Ladies And Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
Alright
I don't like it... tear
Walk on the Wild Side
I Don't Remember and withhold final judgement tier
Hyperballad - can't remember much...
Lazarus - can't remember much about this one for some reason.
HAZARD DUTY PAY! (I have heard this maybe 2 times... con't remember much...)
The Heart Part 5 (heard it once... wasn't impressed. - either low on ranking or in this section)
ナイトクルージング (Night Cruising) (while I don't remember loving this - I can't honestly remember anything about it.)
Ashes to Ashes (Have I heard this? Surely! Cam't remember a thing about it. Not a huge Bowie fan.)
Space Song (another one I can't remember. I'm sure I heard it once back when that Beach House album dripped...) _________________ -Ryan
Looking more closely at a lot of these RYM top 100 singles, it's clear that especially with older singles, much of the love and legend is DEFINITELY side B of the 45. In many cases the side B is a definite afterthought and doesn't seem to be at all what is being rated.
the ones that seem to be more a reflection of BOTH sides' quality or even more so a result of the great side B:
Penny Lane AND Strawberry Fields Forever
Train In Vain AND London Calling
Suzanne AND Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye by Leonard Cohen
Alone Again Or AND A House Is Not A Motel
Something AND Come Together by The Beatles Atmosphere AND She's Lost Control by Joy Division
Teenage Riot AND Silver Rocket/Kissability by Sonic Youth
Starman AND Suffragette City by David Bowie
Disintegration AND Plainsong by The Cure
Sunday Morning AND Femme Fatale
Let Down AND Karma Police Wouldn't It Be Nice AND God Only Knows
I put in BOLD above the singles where I think it can be argued or its pretty obvious that SIDE B is the more significant and revered and famous song. If you get to say, Wouldn't It Be Nice/God Only Knows and only write about and rank Side A you will be missing out on the reason why that single is often cited as the absolute pop music GOAT.
Obviously for a fun project like this it may be hard to compare a "single" of the last 30 years where it was commonly released with no Side B to a more traditional Single which is a 45 with 2 sides and in most cases they both were submitted to radio to be played. _________________ -Ryan
Looking more closely at a lot of these RYM top 100 singles, it's clear that especially with older singles, much of the love and legend is DEFINITELY side B of the 45. In many cases the side B is a definite afterthought and doesn't seem to be at all what is being rated.
the ones that seem to be more a reflection of BOTH sides' quality or even more so a result of the great side B:
Penny Lane AND Strawberry Fields Forever
Train In Vain AND London Calling
Suzanne AND Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye by Leonard Cohen
Alone Again Or AND A House Is Not A Motel
Something AND Come Together by The Beatles Atmosphere AND She's Lost Control by Joy Division
Teenage Riot AND Silver Rocket/Kissability by Sonic Youth
Starman AND Suffragette City by David Bowie
Disintegration AND Plainsong by The Cure
Sunday Morning AND Femme Fatale
Let Down AND Karma Police Wouldn't It Be Nice AND God Only Knows
I put in BOLD above the singles where I think it can be argued or its pretty obvious that SIDE B is the more significant and revered and famous song. If you get to say, Wouldn't It Be Nice/God Only Knows and only write about and rank Side A you will be missing out on the reason why that single is often cited as the absolute pop music GOAT.
Obviously for a fun project like this it may be hard to compare a "single" of the last 30 years where it was commonly released with no Side B to a more traditional Single which is a 45 with 2 sides and in most cases they both were submitted to radio to be played.
Definitely that bolded bit, which is why I've decided to go 1 (main A side) song per single. It's also how I rate singles on RYM in general, cause it's hard comparing 2 or 3 songs to 1. I mean, I love Hyperballad, but it wouldn't stand a chance against pretty much any pair of singles you've listed here. 2 great songs > 1 really great song. I'm glad you've listed the B sides though, that's probably what I should've done in the reviews in the first place - not to rate the B sides, but to show the full historical/musical value and to better understand the context, like you said. However, some of these classic B sides were also released as standalone singles (usually later) and are listed as such on RYM - God Only Knows, She's Lost Control, London Calling etc. I should probably highlight the history of the single in question a bit more in the reviews.
Also love your rankings, the tier bit is fantastic. Imma steal that idea for the final post and ranking of all 100 songs (if we ever get there ).
The Strawberry Fields comment is also spot on. Also not the biggest Beatles fan, but they tend to have some songs which sound and feel legendary. Not sure if I can express my feelings correctly, but the moment I hear the Strawberry Fields intro, I feel like I'm witnessing an important moment in music history. Which raises an interesting question: if I was born under a rock and never heard a Beatles song in my life, but still know and listen to a lot of pop/rock music, would I consider Beatles a legendary, influential band with timeless singles, or would they be just another band? Probably a mix of both. _________________ Finally updated the overall chart
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).
