The History Of Pop Part 41 aka I-I-I've notice you around, I find you very attractive...

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

After the HIGH DRAMA of Now 40, the next instalment was always going to be a letdown - some lame tracks, end-of-98 filler and what looks to me a clear winner. But I've been surprised before, for instance by "Because We Want To" overhauling "Teardrop" and winning the last Now poll (with Fatboy Slim in 2nd). Billie and Fatboy are back this time, mixing it up with the Vengaboys and old now 'favourite' BIG PHIL (no, not that Big Phil). UB40 are there too! It's just like old times!


[Poll #720983]


TIXYLIX.

Comments

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I was one barely-remembered Steps record away from my first ever "NONE OF THE ABOVE" ticky.

Not remembered at all:

Deetah
SHAM ROCK - the mind shudders.
Sweetbox

This week I predict that the Lex will get in a huff about people not ticking......

....


....


KELE LE ROC!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I was wrong!

And also I was wrong even about my own ticks cos I hadn't noticed Jennifer Paige.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

haha I don't remember that song! The only good KLR songs I know are 'Romeo' and 'Frontline' though.

[juror8.livejournal.com]

Sham Rock were a novelty "Oirish" linedancing act. The lyrics went:

Tell me ma'
When I go home
The boys won't leave
The girls alone

It was like having an American come to your house to discuss their "Irish ancestry".

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

I had my first 'NONE OF THE ABOVE' ticky. The only song from the first list that nearly swayed me was Jennifer Paige. But this is the Now I dislike the most... I've only ticked 4 songs in total.

[awesomewells.livejournal.com]

Man alive, there are NO GOOD SONGS AT ALL on that first side. It gets better as it progresses but Stardust should run away with this one.

Millennium is vying with Rock DJ for the worst Robbie Williams single.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Deetah was, I THINK, a 2-step track.

Sweetbox was the one that sampled the same classical music as from the Hamlet cigar advert, with lady singing on top.

[thenipper.livejournal.com]

This is so much better than the last one! Three or four solid gold classix: Jenni Paige, Stardust, Cardigans, Aqua!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Stardust is good but I hated - and still kind of dislike - the guy's taking-a-dump vocals: pretty much everything that copied it was better.

Aqua and J Paige - yes.

Cardigans - ugh.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Agreed on all four! I am sad that I can't put 'Crush' as my favourite, it is utterly exquisite, but the fact that "music sounds better with you" is basically the best thing you can ever say to anyone ever means that Stardust win.

Aqua power-ballads >>>> Aqua plastic pop, shockingly!

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

Lots of pop filler, IMO -- pleasant enough stuff but not anything I'd call classic bar, a few exceptions. This is another volume filled with Euro stuff coming out of nowhere that seemed inescapable for a while (Touch and Go, Vengaboys).

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

Stardust suffered from overexposure. I remember going to a house (in the 'literal' sense i.e. a terrace in Swindon) party with a team of DJs and Music Sounds Better... was played about once every 15 minutes all night.

One of my favourite Spice Girls singles, actually.

And: where are the GOOD Lighthouse Family songs? (i.e. Lifted, Ocean Drive). Have I missed the chance to vote for them and declare my shameful enjoyment of at least two tracks by them (guilty pleasures, urk.)

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

yeh 'Too Much' is good, it deserves better here.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

OK, you all remember the Mel B solo one what was produced by Missy, I presume, and you all remember it's a hott beatt and a pretty good song all round, yeah?

But do you remember the SPOKEN WORD OUTRO????? It is maybe the most audacious thing I have ever heard in my life, having spent the past three minutes forcibly asserting her 'street' 'cred' Ms B then proceeds to stumble drunkenly into the studio and insert a raddled-ladette monologue in BROAD LIVERPUDLIAN (or is it Yorkshire? I get confused with northern accents) along the lines of "yeah, you know I said I wanted you back right, you know, well, actually, I don't HAAAA HAAAAA HAAAA".

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

YUSS I do remember this! Hahahahahah Lex that has brightened my lunchtime and filled it with cheer.

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

tbh I saw the name Missy alongside Mel B and thought "Shurely Shome Mistake?"

I own 4 of these, I think (Cardigans - the video for this was quite disgraceful btw - All Saints, Fatboy and Stardust).

I don't own, but should, Spice Girls and Alisha's Attic, probably the 2 best songs on here.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Also I really like the LYRICS of all things to this Sheryl Crow song. "Did you know, when you go, it's the perfect ending - to the bad day I'd gotten used to spending". Etc.

[(Anonymous)]

"My Favorite Mistake" is quite excellent, and it is one of only three of these songs that I remember hearing (I think I may have once owned the Tamperer - it was a gift - but I don't remember hearing it).

PRESSING QN: Are all bands from Sweden inherently good?

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Crap, forgot to tick Aqua.

I hated Tamperer at the time but now fondly recall it as being HIGH JINX.

Re: PRESSING QN: Are all bands from Sweden inherently good?

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

No, Robyn is mostly shit, and Bodies Without Organs are completely rubbish, and Ace Of Base only had one good song.

A lot of Swedish pop groups seem not to know what basslines are.

ATTN TOM

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Missy Elliott spelt with one 't' is my biggeset sub-editory peeve EVAH if only because EVERYONE does it, I get quietly distressed and moan things like "it is on her CD COVERS why do people not LOOK AT THEM" :(

Re: ATTN TOM

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Point taken and will be amended for later poll appearances

Baffler

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I can't believe that the awful "Gangster Trippin" is pushing the leader so hard! One of the biggest ever hit-to-hit drops in quality!

Re: Baffler

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

GT = textbook "just a bit of fun"

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

No Regrets is the cod-Pet Shop Boys one with the gasoline video, yes?

I thought Sham Rock must be bad, I had no idea how bad!

Robbie

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

Are the NOW! folk making up for lost time here w.r.t. Robbie? i.e. I don't remember "Let Me Entertain You", "Strong" et al featuring on earlier Now!s. Or did I just miss them?

re Sit Down (Apollo 440 mix)

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

THIS WAS SCHAFFEL

Re: re Sit Down (Apollo 440 mix)

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

WHAT IS SCHAFFEL???

My emo moment with Jennifer Paige

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

I remember hearing "Crush" sometime not long after the peak of its popularity with my g/f of the time. She caught me foot-tapping along or something and asked, with surprise, "You like this song?" as if it were something she didn't think I would ever have heard, let alone liked. A chill went down back, which I later realized was because the reason she liked the song so much was because it reminded of her of the fling she was having behind my back.

A great song, nevertheless. And one of those songs where you're actually quite surprised that more doesn't follow from the "artiste".