The History Of Jop Part 7 aka We're Rockers And Rappers United And Strong

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

The Pazz and Jop polls take us to the fairly unheralded year of 1985, and the selection is.....well, judge for yourself and discuss below. You get NINE votes, cast them wisely.

Notes: The John Fogerty song that got in last time rose to #3(!!) this time. It was excluded.


[Poll #826538]


The Joptimists 1984 Vote Verdict:

1. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun (38 votes)
2. When Doves Cry (37 votes)
3. Jump (31)
4=. I Feel For You (28)
4=. Time After Time (28)
6. Let's Go Crazy (23)
7. What's Love Got To Do With It (21)
8. Dancing In The Dark (20)
9=. Free Nelson Mandela (19)
9=. Let's Hear It For The Boy (19)

Comments

[braisedbywolves.livejournal.com]

There is no A-ha in this poll = you are all racists and that's all there is to it.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Aha! One of my earliest pop video memories: Money For Nothing. I LOVED it.

Just look at his FACE!

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I saw a DEADHEAD sticker on a Cadillac

[the-roofdog.livejournal.com]

Who isn't ticking Don ?

Roofdog OTM

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I HEARTED Rupert and his Frog Chorus, three-year-old Kat watched an awful lot of telly...

Re: I saw a DEADHEAD sticker on a Cadillac

[nicolars.livejournal.com]

ME. He is vile yuppie cocaine soft rock.

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

ISTR we once Proved By Science on ILX that 1985 was Worst Year Ever for pop. And so it is in a way. However, there also many, many "exceptions to the rule". I had a hard time whittling this lot down to nine.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Strangely, I wanted to tick exactly 9.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

the ILM CDRGo! for '85 was good iirc.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

This is a strange poll, from a cross-time cross-Atlantic perspective it looks as if the album voters have taken over the asylum somewhat in terms of a very respectable top 5 or 6 (fogerty at #3 remember) - Robt Christgau's essay on this poll is more than usually tetchy and he says it was a pretty grim year for his choices too.

I am not sure I've ever heard Freeway of Love!

Worth noting maybe that Sun City got almost twice the votes of anything else. Again, don't think I've heard this since its release, though obviously "will stand the t.o.t." wasn't necessarily a factor in this placing.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Incidentally Poptimists enjoying these polls can get the essays that accompanied them at www.robertchristgau.com - dense but rewarding reading. I can't link to individual examples because the site is work-blocked for "mature content"! - so I have been using google cache.

[martinskidmore.livejournal.com]

Freeway Of Love surely got the nod in the mode of wanting to honour an all-time great who surprised us by making a half-decent (at a push) record when we didn't think we'd even get that.

only when i'm dancing can i feel this free

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

MADGE!

I had to really struggle to pick a ninth, plumped in the end for a Eurythmics song I'd never even heard of as continued reward for 'Sweet Dreams'.

Really really love 'Smooth Operator' and Sade generally.

Why are so many charity-type records making these lists? This is supposed to be a critics' list, right? I can't imagine stuff like Band Aid 20 making the equivalent list these days.

Re: only when i'm dancing can i feel this free

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Charity records were new and exciting back then. Also stellar cast list - We are the World is a pretty rotten record though IMO.

Re: Eurythmics

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

You probably wouldn't like "Would I Lie To You", Lex, in your current anti-rock anything-with-guitars-on-it-is-indie phase.

i REALLY REALLY hate the smiths

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Seriously that lead Madge has over one of the WORST BANDS EVER who are unaccountably in second place is NOT NEARLY COMFORTABLE ENOUGH.

Re: i REALLY REALLY hate the smiths

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

What makes them worse than other boys-with-guitars? As someone who was a Smiths obsessive (tho arrived to this just as they were breaking up) I'm intrigued.

Christgau reviews the Smiths

[koganbot]

Meat Is Murder [Sire, 1985]
It makes a certain kind of sense to impose teen-macho aggression on your audience--for better or worse, macho teens are expected to make a thing of their unwonted hostility. These guys impose their post-adolescent sensitivity, thus inspiring the sneaking suspicion that they're less sensitive than they come on--passive-aggressive, the pathology is called, and it begs for a belt in the chops. Only the guitar hook of "How Soon Is Now," stuck on by their meddling U.S. label, spoils the otherwise pristine fecklessness of this prize-winning U.K. LP. Remember what the Residents say: "Hitler was a vegetarian." C+

(I had a convo a couple years ago w/ xhuxk where he said he and Xgau had been talking and agreed that the Smiths were a group they'd each missed the boat on, underrated; and I'd have to include myself there. Which isn't to say I've gone back and discovered what was good and what not, but there's actually some authoritative singing/performing there.)

At the time

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

The top 15 of my Top 75 tracks list of 1985:

1. The Smiths - "The Headmaster Ritual"
2. Tears For Fears - "Everybody Wants To etc."
3. The Woodentops - "Move Me"
4. Kate Bush - "Running Up That Hill"
5. Scritti Politti - "Perfect Way"
6. Jesus & Mary Chain - "Just Like Honey"
7. Scritti Politti - "The Word Girl (Flesh and Blood)"
8. The Men They Couldn't Hang - "Ironmasters"
9. New Order - "Perfect Kiss"
10. Rush - "The Big Money"
11. Eurythmics & Aretha Franklin - "Sisters Are etc." *
12. Go West - "We Close Our Eyes"
13. The Fall - "Paint Work" **
14. The Woodentops - "Well Well Well" (12" extended version)
15. Prefab Sprout - "Faron Young"

*Clearly, with benefit of hindsight, not as good as "There Must Be An Angel", which was my #16.

** ex-post substitution for "19" by Paul Hardcastle, which got bumped way down the list. But this is probably too high a position for MES as well, especially given that I put "Into The Groove" at a mere #24.

I overrated #6 and #8 at the time.

Re: At the time

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

"Faron Young" by Prefab Sprout is a huge favourite of mine too, despite being (as McAloon later admitted!) catastrophically wrong!

Paul Young, though...

[nicolars.livejournal.com]

How did that end up on pazz and jop? I am at a loss here. This 1985 poll reminds me of what I didn't like about the eighties.

Meanwhile in England

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

NME Top 50 Singles (crossovers in bold)

Never Understand - The Jesus & Mary Chain
Just Like Honey - The Jesus & Mary Chain
Running Up That Hill - Kate Bush
How Soon Is Now - The Smiths
Tupelo - Nick Cave
You Trip Me Up - The Jesus & Mary Chain
Yesterday's Men - Madness
Single Life - Cameo
A Pair Of Brown Eyes - The Pouges
Death Valley '69 - Sonic Youth & Lynda Lunch
Death Of A European - The Three Johns
Here I Come - Barrington Levy
Nightshift - The Commodores
Caravan Of Love - Isley, Jasper, Isley
Back In Stride - Maze
Johnny Come Home - Fine Young Cannibals
Boys Of Summer - Don Henley
Into The Groove - Madonna
Status Quo - Donald Banks
Blue - Fine Young Cannibals
All Fall Down - Primal Scream
Sho' Nuff Bumpin' - Eu
Makes No Scence At All - Husker Du
Bonzo Goes To Bitburg - Ramones
Jumping Into Love - Champion Doug Veitch
Cruiser's Creek/La - The Fall
Still Smokin' - Troublefunk
The Wind Of Change - Robert Wyatt & The Swapo Singers
Time After Time - Miles Davis
Up The Hill Down The Slope - The Loft
Under Me Sleng Teng - Wayne Smith
Born In The USA - Bruce Springsteen (previous poll)
Lover Girl - Teena Marie
Let My People Go - The Winans
King Of Rock - Run Dmc
Road To Nowhere - Talking Heads
Motor Slug - Wiseblood
Let Them Eat Bogshed - Bogshed
Turn It Up - Conway Brothers
Raspberry Beret - Prince
Move Closer - Phyllis Nelson
How Will The Wolf Survive?/Don't Worry Baby - Los Lobos
Raping A Slave - The Swans
Set It Off - Strafe
Fields Of Glass - Thetriffids
Movin' 'N' Groovin' - Redds And The Boys
Ironmasters - Men They Couldn't Hang
Uncle Sam - Madness
Birthday Girl - Microdisney
Yu Gung - Einsturzende Neubauten

Re: Meanwhile in England

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

WHAT DID YOU VOTE FOR UNCLE SUKRAT?

OMG

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

I've only just realised what 'My Toot Toot' is. Sorry Sade but your tick must go to the greater art.

Re: OMG

[byebyepride.livejournal.com]

I have never heard or heard of My Toot Toot, but I voted for it on its name alone.

[koganbot]

Billboard Top 100 Pop Singles of 1985 - * Song went #1

*1... CARELESS WHISPER, Wham! Featuring George Michael (Columbia) (#1, Feb)
*2... LIKE A VIRGIN, Madonna (Sire) (#1, Dec 1984)
*3... WAKE ME UP BEFORE YOU GO-GO, Wham! (Columbia) (#1, Nov 1984)
*4... I WANT TO KNOW WHAT LOVE IS, Foreigner (Atlantic) (#1, Feb)
5... I FEEL FOR YOU, Chaka Khan (Warner Brothers) (#3, Nov 1984)
*6... OUT OF TOUCH, Daryl Hall and John Oates (RCA) (#1, Dec 1984)
*7... EVERYBODY WANTS TO RULE THE WORLD, Tears For Fears (Mercury) (#1, June)
*8... MONEY FOR NOTHING, Dire Straits (Warner Brothers) (#1, Sept)
*9... CRAZY FOR YOU, Madonna (Sire) (#1, May)
*10.. TAKE ON ME, A-Ha (Warner Brothers) (#1, Oct)
*11.. EVERYTIME YOU GO AWAY, Paul Young (Columbia) (#1, July)
12.. EASY LOVER, Philip Bailey with Phil Collins (Columbia) (#2, Feb)
*13.. CAN'T FIGHT THIS FEELING, REO Speedwagon (Epic) (#1, March)
*14.. WE BUILT THIS CITY, Starship (Grunt) (#1, Nov)
*15.. THE POWER OF LOVE, Huey Lewis and the News (Chysalis) (#1, Aug)
*16.. DON'T YOU (Forget About Me), Simple Minds (A&M) (#1, May)
17.. CHERISH, Kool and the Gang (De-Lite) (#2, Sept)
*18.. ST. ELMO'S FIRE (Man In Motion), John Parr (Atlantic) (#1, Sept)
19.. THE HEAT IS ON, Glenn Frey (MCA) (#2, March)
*20.. WE ARE THE WORLD, USA For Africa (Columbia) (#1, April)
*21.. SHOUT, Tears For Fears (Columbia) (#1, Aug)
*22.. PART-TIME LOVER, Stevie Wonder (Tamla) (#1, Nov)
*23.. SAVING ALL MY LOVE FOR YOU, Whitney Houston (Arista) (#1, Oct)
*24.. HEAVEN, Bryan Adams (A&M) (#1, June)
*25.. EVERYTHING SHE WANTS, Wham! (Columbia) (#1, May)
26.. COOL IT NOW, New Edition (MCA) (#4, Jan)

WE ARE THE WORLD USA For Africa

[koganbot]

Oops, forgot to bold USA For Africa.

1985, a very good year, but P&J didn't know it?

[koganbot]

My ticks are provisional (don't even have nine), but this is a TERRIBLE list (compare to 1983). I believe* this is not due to the year but to where P&J tended to look, and P&J hadn't yet kenned to the fact that postpunk was beginning to really suck. And that the mainstream wasn't that bad. And that hip-hop was quite amazing and generating much. And that disco was not going away not going away not going away but had merely spread out and changed its name. But then, it might take me a bit of research to recall/discover in retrospect what was great in 1985. Debbie Deb's "Lookout Weekend" (which was not as great as "When I Hear Music," but then nothing is).

Re: 1985, a very good year, but P&J didn't know it?

[koganbot]

OK, Divine's great "Walk Like a Man" was 1985; "Unexpected Lovers" by Lime was 1985; La Nueva Fattoria's "Disco Pollo" (en Anglais it's "Disco Chicken") was 1985; Sylvester's "Take Me To Heaven" was 1985; the Flirt's "Helpless" was 1985"; Silver Pozzoli's "Around My Dream" was 1985; Magazine 60's "Don Quijote" was 1985 (unless it was 1986); Spoonie Gee's "Street Girl" was 1985; LL Cool J's "I Can't Live Without My Radio" was 1985 (I think); the original Exposé's "Exposed to Love" was 1985; Nayobe's "Please Don't Go" was 1985; (Needless to say, most of these I didn't hear at the time.)

I can't believe I voted for Sade

[koganbot]

OK, I've finally worked my way up to 9. And I voted for Dire Straits. Ach! And I'm not even going to name my ninth pick.

(But oddly enough, I didn't pick a worst; I mean, most of these are OK, you know, when they come on the radio. That Paul Young has a nice chorus. The R.E.M. is quite good until you reach the chorus. "Would I Lie to You" is a good song, but I wish Annie hadn't tried to prove that she can really sing soul. Annie, you can really sing soul, now so what? (She is really smoochable in the vid, btw.) Johnny Cougar probably gets underrated in these parts, though "Small Town" is hardly his best (and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" isn't Tears' best). Um, whatever.