The History Of Jop Part 1 aka Everybody's Talking About Pop Musik

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Obviously nothing can replace the Now Polls in our hearts. But koganbot suggested doing polls bassed on the Village Voice Pazz and Jop feature, and that seemed a good idea to me.

The what and what? The Pazz and Jop poll* is an annual poll published by the Village Voice newspaper** in New York. The idea is that every rock critic in America - and latterly in THE WHOLE WORLD (sort of) - gets to vote for their favourite albums and singles of the year. We'll be looking at the singles polls here, historically the poor relation of the albums polls ftb loads of critics not bothering voting in them.

These polls will be done canon-style, i.e. you pick your favourite ten out of the top thirty singles. Or in this case, because this first one was a small enfeebled thing, you pick your favourite NINE out of 26.

The point of the polls, as well as the usual timewasting comment fun, is to get a handle on how critical opinion works and has shifted and where you agree and don't and all that fun stuff.

Without further ado - TO THE TICKY BOXES.


[Poll #809394]


*don't worry too much about the Pazz bit.

**whether there will still be a Pazz and Jop poll following the VV's recent takeover by The Man, I do not know.

Comments

[maura.livejournal.com]

man, i really loathe the pretenders.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I should say that the first three text qns are about these specific records and the last is about ANY RECORD released that year (i.e. 1979). I will phrase this better next time!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Ones I have never knowingly heard (of):

The Records
Robin Lane and the Chartbusters.

Also why "Tusk" was a winner and not "Sara" I can't imagine.

Ha ha

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

I began ticking and then thought to myself "This is a stupid poll. They're almost all good. What are we going to learn from this?" And then I read again and realized I only get NINE tickies. Owch!

[dickmalone.livejournal.com]

It always shocks me looking at these old P&Js how little critical consensus has changed in 25 years...

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

For me, also The Brains, The Flying Lizards, and Lester Bangs.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I could bang on about how amazing Sister Sledge are for HOURS. And probably will at some point. But 'We Are Family' is one of my very earliest musical memories and it is still superb today. Gawd bless Nile & Bernie, living LEGENDS. Except Bernie died 10 years ago. But you know what I mean.

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

did P&J not do singles before 1979!!?

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Flying Lizards = bizarre cover of the Barret Strong Motown hit, on the Empire Records soundtrack.

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

I HAAAATED "We Are Family" at the time. I am tempted to say that it, along with some Carpenters songs and Steely Dan's "Deacon Blue" are among my earliest musical memories.

[blue-russian.livejournal.com]

And I know the Brains via the excellent Cyndi Lauper cover. But as "talked about" as the Flying Lizards may be, I'm fairly sure I've never heard it.

Re: Ha ha

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

Good point!

it is finally time to RESTART YR SOBBIN

[dubdobdee.livejournal.com]

i'm impressed how poorly the pretenders are doing! WELL DONE POPTIMISTS!

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

If they did it's not listed on Xgau's website!

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

aha, that's what i was wondering.

everyhit's "every single that went top 3" option provides a great list, this was just when i was starting to become aware of music (precocious, moi? i was five and a half ;)), "hurray, hooray it's a holi-holi-day" was probably up there, but i distictly remember I don't like mondays, video killed the radio star, and walking on the moon, not to mention fiddler's dream...

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

I don't hate them, but I'm sort of staggered that they got two songs on this - I can't imagine anyone 'seriously' rating them.

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

mind you, only you and i have chosen the real best song here!

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Vocals sound like Margaret Thatcher practicing her elocution lessons in a turgid monotone. Dustbin-lid snare sound, submarine radar blip noises... You'd know if you had heard it!

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

arf, "They say it's not allowed/aloud – girls talk" and "My Sharona" in the same year of aceness = no coincidence that NGA is the best GA song.

Re: it is finally time to RESTART YR SOBBIN

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

following sunday night brass in pocket/singstar HILARITY, regarding my mishearing of the line "gonna use my side-step" as "gonna use my SOSSIDGE" for approx 20 years, i am currently very well disposed to Ms Hynde and her colleagues.

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

it was a high charter! top5 at least. it's her on the Richard X album n all.

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

bah. too much stuff to choose from. i go with this list to arbitrarily (v so) cut it down.

ooh, controversy (a bit)

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

so i ticked Rapper's Delight in the end, it just about beating out McFadden and Whitehead, but, is it really all that?

Re: ooh, controversy (a bit)

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

the answer is: no. and it's about 3 hours too long.

Re: ooh, controversy (a bit)

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I should have put that the listing was EXPLICITLY the 12" (i.e. long) version.

I like it more long than short though, the best bits are all around the middle.