Critical Hit Ratio

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Has there been any single track so far this year which you could see topping a critic's poll? (Pazz & Jop/NME/Idolator/Pitchfork/Poptimists EOY Poll/you name it).

There's not been any world-squashing summer hit like "Umbrella", but there's not been anything as crit-pleasing as "All My Friends" either. Unless I'm missing something really obvious.

(OK, I can see Ting Tings winning the NME poll)

Are we all still waiting...? (Obviously, I have my own favourites, and excellent favourites they are. But while I can see a few of them placing in EOY polls, I couldn't see any of them WINNING one.)

Comments

[martinv.livejournal.com]

Good point. I was trying to do a half-year list for my blog and it's not easy. Lots of tracks that I've loved, but fewer 'universals'?

'American Boy' will presumably figure somewhere in a lot of lists, from a pop perspective.

I think both Mystery Jets singles released this year will be there or thereabouts, too.

Crit pleasing is harder... Santogold perhaps? Dunno.

[bengraham.livejournal.com]

I was going to suggest 'Two Doors Down' or 'Young Love' as well.... would certainly be the obvious choices for the NME EOY poll.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

The most popular song on Muxtape is MGMT's "Time To Pretend", which has its fans here and I guess must be a contender for an EOY place. I kind of hope not though.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

groan yeah. DVNO is their only decent one i reckons.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

ting tings were second last year!!!

wearing my rolex will be token black hit on indie lists in the uk i reckon.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

There isn't really an 'Umbrella' in most years though! And was 'All My Friends' really that obvious a contender? But I know what you mean, until last week I didn't even have a personal stand-out track - probably 'Shawty Get Loose' or 'No Air' or 'Charlotte' was my favourite and none really match up to past EOY No 1s. It's an easy choice now though, 'High Price' by a zillion miles - I'll be surprised if anyone tops it, which gives Ciara her fourth EOY No 1 for me, which is...kind of astonishingly good. I have no idea how well it will do commercially or critically but critics' taste nowadays is at a particularly low ebb I think.

'American Boy' will probably get the Poptimists EOY No 1 (if 'High Price' doesn't make a big impact in the UK). 'LES Artistes' might get the Pazz & Jop or Idolator vote by dint of consensus, sort of lots of people placing it at No 5 or something.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I think a lot of people don't like Santogold though! (Or haven't heard it).

"Ready For The Floor" will place high on critic's polls if people remember it come November.

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

I've still only heard High Price twice and both times on sh1tty speakers but it is STILL GREAT and I could hum you the synth bit right now off the top of my head. It deserves to be huge.

Agreed on 'American Boy' - by far the best thing in the charts so far this year.

[jauntyalan.livejournal.com]

any vampire weekend qualify for 2008?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

They'll be very high in any albums list but a vote-splitter on the tracks I think.

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

yeah, but a bit too much fractured voting i reckon, there's no ONE song that far ahead of the rest. also they may fall into the "oh wait, was that 2008?" in the alBUM category as well what with coming out third week of jan...

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

"White Winter Hymnal" maybe?

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

It'll place high on P4K, mid on Idolator and P&J, but I can't see it getting that much traction - although have Radio 1 playlisted it???

[carsmilesteve.livejournal.com]

also i keep reading the title as "critical hit raDio"...

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

POTENTIAL WORST RADIO STATION EVER.

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

I could see "A Milli" taking the top of the Idolator singles poll.

I would love that

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

A MILLI A MILLI A MILLI A MILLI A MILLI A MILLI A MILLI A MILLI A MILLI A MILLI A MILLI

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Again, it wouldn't surprise me at all if they topped the album poll, but the track one... I keep thinking "oh, top 10 maybe" and yes one of the "oh top 10 maybe"s will end up top 1 - but I can't pin down which.

[lockedintheatti.livejournal.com]

Oh god I hope not. I love the album but that track is just annoying. Really, really, annoying.

[piratemoggy.livejournal.com]

'Ghost Hardware' by Burial. It's my favourite off the album and it was the EP leader.

Lil Wayne & Wiley

[koganbot]

If the vote were held today Tha Carter III would win Idolator and P&J in a landslide and "A Milli" would win in not as much a landslide (though I'm not sure what challenges it: I don't know if Wiley's "Wearing My Rolex" is getting any attention from U.S. critics, but if so it will do well; "L.E.S. Artistes" will do respectably; "No Air" I can't predict; and Estelle has no presence in America). Miranda Lambert's "Gunpowder and Lead" would be the top single in the Nashville Scene's Country Music Critics Poll.

As for the poptimistspoll, I think "No Air" would beat "American Boy" soundly, which won't necessarily finish ahead of "Gonna Be Mine" or "A Milli" or Ashlee's "Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)," either; in fact, "No Air"'s real competition will be "Wearing My Rolex," which I'd consider the favorite as of now. In fact, I'd predict it would do very well in Brit crit polls too, though you guys know that territory better than I do.

Adele and Duffy will do very well in Brit critic polls and may even do well in American, depending on how solidly they cross (remember, though "Umbrella" won Idolator overwhelmingly, it was edged in P&J by "Rehab").

As for indie respectability à la LCD Soundsystem, my ear's not to the ground on that one, and I have no idea.

Re: Lil Wayne & Wiley

[koganbot]

So "Mercy" will poll well on both sides of the Atlantic, and so will "Chasing Pavements" (if it gets any presence in the U.S.: I'm not sure it has).

[friend-of-tofu.livejournal.com]

The Ting Tings ought to be near the top of more than just the NME poll, but I can't think of much else that has made an impression on me to that level AS A SINGLE.

[misspelledwerd.livejournal.com]

"American Boy" is a very good song, but it would be a disappointing year if it were truly the best single. As of today, "No Air" and "Official Girl" are at the top of my list. I'm curious to see how the latter fares with the addition of Lil Wayne. I guess we'll have to wait until Aug 1 to find out.

I don't really see any consensus picks yet, which is pretty interesting. I wonder if Alphabeat's "Fascination" will get a push in the US? And "Lovin' U Long Time"? While I don't think "A Milli" will end up in that position, if the polls were held today, it would have a pretty good shot.

I think there's a good chance the top single will come from one of the following upcoming releases: Beyonce, Clipse, Missy Elliott, Ciara, Annie, Cassie, Colby O'Donis, Solange, Robin Thicke, T.I., Pink, Britney (???), Ryan Leslie, David Archuleta, Dr. Dre or (let's be optimistic!) Eminem.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

'Sandcastle Disco' is the best track on the Solange album (which on one listen is slightly underwhelming, but that's definitely not a set-in-stone judgment yet). The Annie album is really mediocre but 'Songs Remind Me Of You' is terrific - not single of the year by any means though. 'Turn The Lights Off' is still my track of the year, but who knows when that album will even come out, let alone whether 'Turn The Lights Off' will be on it. 'Best Best' is OK but I don't think Missy's really running things any more. TI, yes, v eagerly anticipating Paper Trail. Will Britney and Beyoncé even get round to releasing albums this year? When all is said and done, the Cassie mystery apart, I think Ciara's sewn it up (again!) with 'High Price', which is as worthy a single of the year as you're going to get.

[jeff-worrell.livejournal.com]

Sudden thought: could that loooooooooong new Lindstrom track grab the LCD spot this year? (I expect it'll be the album that gets the critics' votes, actually, but stranger things have happened.)