The Historiography Of Pop Part 7 aka The Great Eight

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

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)

Comments

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

I predict 'Common People' will actually win the whole thing and this will be the final straw for Lex who will depart Poptimists to launch new LJ group JUNG PARISIANS and woe betide anyone who enters within sans extensive knowledge of what's on teenage tennis bitch Sonja Diasporova's iPod.

[awesomewells.livejournal.com]

I think a change of format is required for the semis. We need two pairs of tracks going HEAD TO HEAD.

[awesomewells.livejournal.com]

Preferably with either Pulp or the PSBs knocked out in the semis.

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Though not opposite each other, as this will create a splinter group...

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

'Common People' must go up against 'Always On My Mind' before the final!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Why??

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

so everyone can go 'should've been the final' in true Champions League fashion.

[juror8.livejournal.com]

Hah, is it worth noting what other website becoming the with phrase "pop" also voted "Common People" the best record of the past 25 years?

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

This is ridiculous. This is already the final straw. I understand why people like Pulp but more than tATu, Britney, Kylie, K8???

YOU SHOULD ALL BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES.

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

Kate has released what, four CONCEPT ALBUMS IN A ROW? She is not pop, I'm sorry. Or if she is, no more so than Common Pulple. I am pretty disappointed that neither Baby One More Time nor Kylie are going through. Both are classics for the ages, pillars upon which the Pop of Tomorrow could stand.

Concept Albums Are Indeed Pop

[koganbot]

Not that I don't endorse anyone who votes against k8, but concept albums are indeed pop. In fact, the Who's first and best concept album - The Who Sell Out - was a tribute to pop radio. And Boney M's concept album, 10,000 Lightyears, was their best, not counting greatest hits packages.

Re: Concept Albums Are Indeed Pop

[koganbot]

Of course, I'd have no trouble voting the Fall's "Totally Wired" or "The Classical" over anything left in the top 8 with the exception of "...Baby One More Time."

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Girls Aloud have released THREE concept albums in a row!