The Historiography Of Pop Part 4 aka A Point Is All That Two Can Score

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

The dust has settled and 32 of 64 songs stand ready for the next round. Say a sad farewell to Ace of Base, Betty Boo, and - yes - Gorillaz among others. Then prepare for the next instalment of ALL OUT POP BATTLE.

i.e. pick which song you think is best.

In round 2 each song is facing one of its close contemporaries, the battle of the ages having proved indecisive.


[Poll #797787]


How the draw was decided:

i. Examination of real actual chart placing i.e. 2 for Human League, 7 for Pulp.
ii. Examination of tick % from revious now poll i.e. 79% for HL, 81% for P.
iii. These two things not being in agreement I just went for the one I liked best, seeing as it's me who's gone to the bother of polling these things. Bye Disco 2000!

Comments

Please explain

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

...why "Mmmbop," which was pretty much a worldwide pop megahit, seems predetermined to lose to "Music Sounds Better With You," which was... well, I don't know. My perception was that it was fairly long-lived, but more of a club hit and kind of a "cool" pop song.

Partially it's our inner indie coming out (or Lex's clubby tendencies), but is that all?

Re: Please explain

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I don't like either of them much and am a bit annoyed that one must progress.

"Mmmbop" is chirpy but a bit irritating.

"Music Sounds..." pretty much set the tone for pop-dance for the next several years though I think most of its imitators were better.

So it's not indieism so much as a genuflection to a 'genre classic' maybe.

Or it's just a better record.

Re: Please explain

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

Mmmbop appears to be viewed by most people as a silly novelty hit rather than a pop masterpiece. Even some of my pop-loving friends now seem to think of it in that way. Perhaps this has subconciously affected people's memory of quite how marvellous it is.

Music Sounds Better With You is a great club record, not a poptimist smash.

Re: Please explain

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

There's no difference, especially not when it got to #2! The great thing about poptimism is that it doesn't respect genre lines - pop can and will gobble up bits of everything if the hooks are good enough.

Re: Please explain

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

(I know, I'm just bitter about one of my favourites being beaten. Grr)

Re: Please explain

[koganbot]

"Mmmmbop" was a reasonably catchy pop-rock hit that was instantly overshadowed by way better and catchier and smarter and more passionate pop-rock hits by the likes of the Spicies, Backstreet Boys, *NSync, Britney, etc. etc. etc. I also don't see any value in plumping for something on the basis of its being a worldwide megahit. So what?

Re: Please explain

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

It,s nothing to do with it being a global mega-hit. That's irrelevant.

While I agree that the next wave of pop hits may have been smarter, I really don't agree they are catchier. Plus they are all a lot more heavily-produced, while mmmbop has this naive exuberance coursing through it from start to finish that no amount of expert songwriters or producers could quite replicate. I'm not saying I don't like the other groups you mention, but there was something quite unique about mmmbop that could only have been produced by a group of kids that age.

Re: Please explain

[koganbot]

What do you think of the Jonas Brothers? They haven't hit me yet, but then I haven't given them much of a chance. Their album's out just last week, and they're getting big play for "Year 3000" on Radio Disney but almost no play anywhere else. (Well, I don't know about MTV.) Anyway, they've definitely got a Hanson vibe to them.

Re: Please explain

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

would anyone even on poptimists rep for any other song by Hanson?

of the people behind Stardust, all but the vocalist have done better work elsewhere.

Re: Please explain

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I have to side with the bosh. Hanson are immensely enjoyable pop fluff, but Stardust flicks that switch in my head that sends a shudder down my spine and makes the world seem like a wonderful place.

Re: Please explain

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

How is Stardust remotely indie?!

Re: Please explain

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

If I thought about it, I could probably come up with an explanation, given how loosely we use the term. But I was actually referring to us, rather than the song. Sure it's bosh, it's pop. But to me, at the time, it sounded like little else out there. There was something "credible" about it. (My gf at the time, in one of our final disagreements, insisted that it was actually The Cure. And she was the one who liked dance music.)

Re: Please explain

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

All French people are or have been indie at some point.