poptimists | The Historiography Of Pop Part 7 aka The Great Eight

Eight songs. Four to advance to the final votes. Here's how we do it:

You pick your favourite FOUR of the songs - no more, no less. The four highest scorers go through. It's easy! To help you decide, Poptimists members have written a short blurb for each of the songs explaining why it's awesome and should win.

"All The Things She Said": runaways waif-rock backstory (girlteens use exploitation as portal), pellmell frankie-ish backdrop (outsiders use BIG BOLD SOUND as self-announcement); obsessive worry-cycle on lip of VAST DECISION subtext: "can i trust you? will this work?"); in hazard EVERY LAYER, right up to manufactured meta-context and your respondent solidarity. (

dubdobdee)

"Always On My Mind": Not for nothing was the first PSBs comp. called ‘Disco-graphy’: beneath their deadpan exteriors pump the hearts of boshin’ rave mentalists. Elvis sounded like he was just making excuses; jacking the melody to a Hi-NRG beat handbags self-pity to reconcile pop future with pop past. Best apology EVER! (

byebyepride)

"...Baby One More Time": Though her first major hit, it has all we expect from Spears. The husky, honeysuckle voice, the hard rhythms of the opening minute, the few quick seconds of florid piano, and melancholic teenage heartbreak collapsing into the post Freudian eroticism of a not so innocent Lolita, who knows her history. (

anthonyeaston)

"Can't Get You Out Of My Head": The year is 1986. A beautiful new face arrives on Ramsey Street. Fast forward 20 years, and through Charlene & Scott, 'I Should Be So Lucky', the indie 90s, playing at the Sydney Olympics and winning her fight with breast cancer, the pint-sized pop princess is still at the top of the game. Europop songs don't come much better, much catchier than 'Can't Get You Out Of My Head'. #1 in 40 countries. The world needs more Kylie, and Poptimists must surely vote for everyone's favourite Aussie. Also, she's tonnes better than Danni! (

bengraham)

"Common People": A single mix, where your drunken aloof friend tells the room about the one thing that they really care about, and they're beautiful and impressive and they've obviously prepared this beforehand, and the longer one, where they reach out and grab your sleeve, and say no, this is IMPORTANT. (

braisedbywolves)

"Pump Up The Volume": Silly samples galore, spooky space atmos, a punchy beat you can really feel plus that bouncy bassline that sounds as if you're being chased by Michelin Men in an inflatable roller disco. One of the oddest, controversial #1s in pop history so show this forward-thinking triumph of the dancefloor love. (

stevem78)

"Running Up That Hill": VOTE K8. She is a National Treasure, everyone else left in put together: pop and rave and goth, all at the same time. 'Running Up That Hill' has beats which sound like galloping hooves, and is simultaneously a ballad, a banger and everything in between. She embodies pop. VOTE K8. (

alexmacpherson)

"Toxic": Everyone had cruelly written off Britters after her Madge-snogging antics and dodgy Kabblah tattoos, but this song propelled her right back to the top of the pop mountain. Inescapable Bollywood string hooks and that killer chord-change chorus send Toxic veering between rave surrealism and classic Bond theme, which gave pop a well-needed kick up the charts. (

katstevens)

[Poll #802785]

Thanks to all the blurbers, and may the best pop win! (or at least qualify)