Another Year In Pop: 42

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

Pink has hung on to the top spot, fighting off stiff competition from a comedian in drag and last year's X Factor dude (Same Difference were ROBBED why yes I am still bitter).

Probably-X-Factor-related re-entry watch: Boyz II Men's 'I'll Make Love To You' in at no.89, U2's 'With Or Without You' at no. 66.

[Poll #1281810]

Comments

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

No, I'm right, it's actually something I've only recently begun being aware of - apart from a few great isolated moments or artists, the lineage of white British pop really isn't one I'm down with overall...it's not something I can really articulate yet b/c I've only recently started thinking about it, but what it values in pop music seems completely at odds with what I look for.

[koganbot]

Well, I don't know if "lineage of white British pop" is a coherent concept. For instance, I'd say that '60s British pop worked itself into the heritage of a lot of late '60s and early '70s American music that you will enjoy when you hear them, e.g., the Four Tops' "Standing In The Shadows Of Love," Sly & The Family Stone's "I Wanna Take You Higher," Isaac Hayes' "Theme From Shaft," The Temptations' "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone," Funkadelic's "Funky Dollar Bill."

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

I don't like the idea of Britain having 'set in stone' pop music values but if they do exist i'm not entirely sure what they are now (if ever). obviously you can just look at the charts and base it on that but it's worth noting what has changed and what has stayed the same in the last 10, 30 or even 50 years. I may start a new thread for this as it could be interesting.

Another part of the argument for me is the sense of futility in judging and measuring UK pop against or expecting the UK to compete with certain other nations in various ways. On the one hand I think and would like the UK to produce the same kinds of artists as certain ones I like from US, France, Sweden, Germany and a handful of other places. My big disappointment with UK pop is that this isn't happening (but otoh the UK still has some good pop forced and characters who probably couldn't come from anywhere else...loose definition of pop here tho yes).

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Hopefully you'll be able to explore this a bit on Popular - there's some songs from British pop's 'golden age' on the way I'd be really interested in yr opinion of.

I reluctantly have to admit that this Katy Perry single is one of the few teenpop singles to have grabbed me this year. :(

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

I'm still not 100% sure what I mean here, it's still just a feeling, but further evidence was the 'Tainted Love' poll on ILM this week (Gloria Jones vs Soft Cell) - I always thought I loved the Soft Cell version, and then I heard the Gloria original and was like HOLY FUCK this is so ridiculously better, so loose and soulful. And if I'd been the right age, and familiar with the original first, I'd've been really pissed off with the Soft Cell cover.