Top 40 Singles Of 2006 Poll #5: May

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Well predictably Rihanna was beaten off in the end by crazy old Gnarls Barkley and his three more ticks. 'Crazy' got more ticks (27) than any other Top 40 single this year and 87.1% vote share, making it the most popular chart hit of the year among Poptimist members. Who says we're not in touch with Joe Still-Buys-CDs / £50 Mang?

And so now to cast your minds back...way back...to those heady days of May 2006...


[Poll #742857]

Comments

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I've not actually heard the Ultrabeat song I ticked either but I ticked it on trust cos "Feeling Fine" was so good.

I think when you factor in consistency of output, mass popularity, and pan-media playlist credibility the Red Hot Chilli Peppers are surely the worst band in the world.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

Yes you are probably right. I feel some shame for liking RHCP as much as I did up until and including 'Scar Tissue'.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

They are usually dreadful yes but they can be listenable or at least ignorable in ways that have so far completely eluded Stereophonics, Oasis and Rhyming Slang Blunt!

[zenith.livejournal.com]

!

They are worse than all of those except Blunt, I think, just because of the way Kiedis sings, which is the sonic equivalent of a gurn.

[zenith.livejournal.com]

(Sorry the "!" is shock at you defending the "Chilis" in any way at all, obv.)

Speaking of !

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

"Country Girl"??? Dude.

Re: Speaking of !

[zenith.livejournal.com]

I'm not proud. It is "any good at all" rather than "properly good" - and also an honest to God real guilty pleasure.

I secretly still really like 'Rocks' and 'Jailbird' though. Junkies keep a junking! Whores a keep a whoring!

Re: Speaking of !

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

(I retain a sneaking affection for "Rocks" too - but once they'd done it they didn't need to keep doing it surely!)

Re: Speaking of !

[zenith.livejournal.com]

It is very much a backward step. Having said that they'd also arguably run out of electro-industrial material... They really ought to pack it in, but how would Bobby get into parties for free then?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

And the way they PLAY is the rhythmic equivalent of a gurn too.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I've been bored and annoyed with RHCP but never physically repulsed by the mere sound of them compared with the people I listed - I find it very easy to tune RHCP out, I don't think his voice is particularly noticeable in any way at all.

Actually this is all re the more laidback 'Scar Tissue' type stuff - I've just remembered how abominable they were early on in their career. Still not as vile as others though.

[zenith.livejournal.com]

Is this not a cultural thing though? Those three worse alternatives you mention are worse because they represent Bad (and often hard to avoid) Things about the culture we currently have to live in. I think if you had to live in the USA or were a bit older in the very early Nineties (same diff) you might hate them more.

You're right about the earlier stuff being worse though, 'Give It Away' = shudder!

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

You may be right - I avoided any ubiquity they had in the early 90s by dint of being 10 years old and since then they don't seem to have quite the cultural presence necessary to rouse my ire.

[zenith.livejournal.com]

Yes, I imagine the words "Levellers" don't quite have the same effect on you for similar reasons.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Levellers are just slightly comedy to me? Like, ha ha ha, look at the awful band which awful people liked way back before I was alive.

EARLIER STUFF????

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

that's their fifth alBUM mate, the REAL EARLY STUFF wz GRATE*...


*ok, about two songs off of mothers milk are fun...

Re: EARLIER STUFF????

[boyofbadgers.livejournal.com]

Smileycardude, he speak truth.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Lex if you can hear the guy sing "dreeeum of califoooorniicayyy-shunn"* and not sink into a pit of misery and loss of faith then I suppose I admire you, in the way I might admire a sword-swallower or something.

*(& this is another way in which they are the worst - the 'wordplay' JAYSIS)

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I don't like it but I remember that song - it kind of just drifts past me in a v safe ignorable way. I am not particularly happy that it exists and that people like it, but it doesn't make me want to kill kill kill.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

No, you see, this is the other thing about them - nobody you actually talk to would ever defend Blunt etc but the RHCPs seem to bring weak-minded apologists out of the woodwork. Also it's surely more painful to hear people with a notion of what a beat is relentlessly churn out porridgey ones, than to hear people who never even attempt them.

[zenith.livejournal.com]

Yes - also a recent Barbelith thread about them led to lots of "this place is full of uber-cool music fascists" nonsense (akshually it is full of Tool fans), just because there dared to be a consensus that they were shit in a forum where - compared to rest of internet - the regulars are quite live-and-let-live...

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Blunt somehow has more public presence though - I assume RHCP still sell bucketloads but no one would think to write a news article about how important they are to the UK (or US I guess) economy. And no one I talk to would defend them either!

People have tried to be apologists for both Oasis and Stereofuckwits to me in person, though.

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

That's because - no offense - England is so much smaller than America, and because the RHCP are one of those groups that has truly transcended national boundaries, at least in terms of fan base. Wherever you go people like them. Not quite on the scale of say, Queen or ABBA, but still pretty huge.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

but there are loads of Blunt apologists out there!

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

OTM on both points actually. I was expecting to be underwhelmed by "Elysium (I Go Crazy)" but it's rather fine.

P.S. stern graph reminder. If youi can do this before you go on holiday I'd really appreciate it.