I Love #1's - 1979

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

A last ditch effort from East 17 couldn't dislodge Whigfield's Saturday Night from claiming victory with a massive 37 ticks last week, making the Danish mime artist Queen of 1994. And of course everyone loves Take That even though Sure was a bit of a rubbish single. This week we have another bumper selection for you. As many ticks as you like, for... 1979!

[Poll #796016]

Comments

[juror8.livejournal.com]

What's with the Hatorade for Dr Hook?

[the-roofdog.livejournal.com]

I felt betrayed, he wasn't a real doctor.

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

"Sylvia's Mother" is grebt. Don't much care for any of his other hits.

[raw-patrick.livejournal.com]

Is it bcz Dr Hook were total and utter shit?

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I have prior beef (http://www.trailofdisgrace.com/columns/hook/woman01.html) with Dr Hook.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

I prefer Captain Hook's 'When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman (It's HAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRD)'

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Arr!

I am rub

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

I ticked everything except 'Bright Eyes,' because I have no idea what it sounds like. Not quite sure about 'One Day At A Time,' but what the hell.

I ticked 'Another Brick' and 'YMCA' because they are irresistible and therefore classic, albeit annoyoing.

Re: I am rub

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I always tell myself I don't like Pink Floyd much, then people keep saying "what about Song X" and I go "apart from Song X which is quite good".

floyd maths

[the-roofdog.livejournal.com]

where 0 <= X <= Gilmour

ERROR

[the-roofdog.livejournal.com]

0 <= X < Gilmour


All-important removal of the equals sign, there!!!

Best year ever

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

I ticked all but Lena and Dr Hook. I once suggested on ILM that this was the worst #1 and #2 combination in any week of the UK Top 40 ever. And was promptly reprimanded by hobart paving.

My sister and I had to buy the 7" of "Bright Eyes" for my mum. I didn't like it at the time, but probably only because of its ubiquity. It soon grew on me. Also: RIP bunnycam :(

Re: Best year ever

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Pete rode his bike into it!

Re: Best year ever

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

He did, but I think the cam was already f*cked before that - after his jaunt over the wall to House Next Door, Glyn trod on it to get back down again.

Buggles = overrated

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Let's face it, the verse is rubbish compared to the (admittedly ace) chorus, isn't it?

Re: Buggles = overrated

[sbp.livejournal.com]

no. but then I never listen to the words anyway. and the verse has the "ooh ooh" bits in which are fab.

Re: Buggles = overrated

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

no way i like the verses. his robotized intonation is great.

Re: Buggles = overrated

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I find it really hard to dance to.

Re: Buggles = overrated

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

I don't think I would dance to it.

Re: Buggles = overrated

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Yet many people attempt to do so! It unsettles me that a perfectly good, happy, upbeat pop song is so difficult to get one's groove on to. Whereas something like Come On Eileen is just as structurally mental but immensely boppable.

Re: Buggles = overrated

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

I don't think of Buggles as particularly hard to dance to as there is a steady 4/4 beat throughout the whole thing except for that lovely bit towards the end with the lady singing "aaaahhhhhh video starrrrrr".

Perhaps because it's a song with a very fragile tone people feel a bit awkward dancing to it?

Re: Buggles = overrated

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I think it needs a hi-nrg remix.

Re: Buggles = overrated

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

(listening now)

the idea of injecting MORE energy into those bright synths hootling-tootling all over the verses is frightening.

i love this song so much because there are like 18 different parts to play air guitar or synth or whatever to, plus all the oohs and aahs.

Re: Buggles = overrated

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I've heard a bosh version I think. Disappointing.

Re: Buggles = overrated

[ninebelow.livejournal.com]

Kid 606 has done a remix of it.

Re: Buggles = overrated

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

DEATH TO FALSE BOSH.

Re: Buggles = overrated

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

cf Joan Jett!

[sbp.livejournal.com]

Hurrah! I remember seeing all these on Top of the Pops the first time round! And being slightly distressed at Debbie Harry's dress because it was asymmetrical around the straps.

Smokey Robinson's "I don't care what they say" up next, I shouldn't wonder. Ah, looks like that was '81. I remember it being #1 for ages.

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

what a great run tho. ah 9 year old me

[whalefish.livejournal.com]

I am glad that Poptimism has not made one of the most common pop mistakes - that Paul Simon had something to do with Bright Eyes. The amount of times I've seen or heard it referred to as a Simon & Garfunkel song...

To be honest I don't like either man very much, but the mistake still annoys me.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

All information above c+p'd from everyhit.co.uk! Hence presence of "Tubeway Army".

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

B-b-but Tubeway Army is 100% correkt! It always annoys me when ppl credit Are 'Friends'... to "Gary Numan". The contribution of the other two (esp. bass-player Paul Gardiner) to the Replicas LP is a key reason why it is so fab.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

:-) It was meant to emphasis korrektness of everyhit (in most matters at least, they don't have Sex Pistols at No1 in 1977...)

This is the best year in the history of pop

[awesomewells.livejournal.com]

I ticked loads and loads. Can't wait til Tom gets round to doing this lot.

Heart of Glass = #1 on the day I was born.

Re: This is the best year in the history of pop

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I ticked all but Lena Martell.

My 'marking structure' is going to disintegrate completely I ph34r.

Re: This is the best year in the history of pop

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I think when I have done all the #1 years in a particular decade I shall ask everyone's best year. This has to be a contender!

[koganbot]

I ticked every one I remembered. If Youtube weren't poxying my fule right now I might well have ticked them all.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I could probably hum you all of the above except Lena Martell. However until Livejournal introduces a humming-post option, youtube will win.

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

I ticked them all on the assumption that if so many were good even the ones I hadn't heard must be good too. This is the kind of thing that really winds up people like k-punk I suspect.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Is this Poptimism of such an extreme that it is OUT THE OTHER SIDE?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

People saying Cliff is the worst are WRONG WRONG WRONG. He's done some rub records in his time but "We Don't Talk Anymore" is 100% brilliant.

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

The tussle for the #1 spot between Cliff and Geldof in the summer of '79 was really memorable. Went on for weeks and weeks as I recall it.

I'd completely forgotten this

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

Came across it just now while surfing FT (http://freakytrigger.co.uk/old-ft/nylpm/2005/10/the-ft-top-100-songs-of-all-time-no-75/)

[epicharmus.livejournal.com]

Hmm...this 1979 poll reminds me of something, I wonder what...