songs of decades gone by

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1. What's the worst song of the '80s? What's the best?

2. What's the worst song of the '70s? What's the best?

3. Aw, heck, go ahead and do the '90s, too.

4. If you feel like picking them for other decades, feel free.

-- Anonymous, August 17, 2000

Answers

Whoa whoa whoa. Not another "best of" question? Damn, it's so hard to pick just one. Well, here's my first answer. I'm sure I will answer it again. :-)

Damn, does it sound like I'm some sorta metalhead? Okay, try this...


Yes, I'm serious.

Relatively. :-)

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2000


Ah! Now THAT'S a topic!

The best song of the 1760's was, 'The maid by the mill-pond', (artist unknown) which was variously known as 'The mill-pond maid' in East Anglia, and, simply, 'Mill-pond maiden' by those notoriously taciturn Northerners. It enjoyed a good deal of popularity among the common folk for a number of years, before a refined version (I suppose today we would call it a remix) was popularised at the start of the 1770's and became a big hit at court, where it was known as, 'A maiden weeps softly by the mill-pond in the morn (I wonder, could she be love- lorn?)', thus introducing a far more sophisticated rhyming element.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2000


Of the '90s? The worst song is that Chumbawumba song that played non- stop when it first came out. I hate that song. I hate it. I really hate it. And it STILL is played far too frequently.

The "Maid by the Pond" song is really great, though. It's on the Time-Life "Awesome MegaHits of the 18th Century" series of CDs. Well, the remake is, anyway.

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2000


Hey, I've got that "Maid by the Pond" tune on 8 track. I hate it when it switches tracks between "naked lass" and "hold my rags"....

-- Anonymous, August 18, 2000


I like the Nellee Hooper and Fat Boy Slim dance mix versions of "Mill Pond Maiden" myself.

You know...
"Mill Pond Maiden is *chillin'* in heaven, *chillin'* in heaven, *chillin' in heaven..."

If you REALLY want to know what I like, go here:


Listen to my LAUNCHcast station!


-- Anonymous, August 18, 2000


Hmm...good question! Best song of all time...Bohemian Rhapsoday by Queen, that song is amazing to me! Worst...anything by Mandy Moore, Jessica Simpson, Britney Spears, Chritina Aguilera, etc. (I'm not bitter, really!)

-- Anonymous, August 20, 2000

Okay, I thought of some worsts: in the 80s, I HATED "Bette Davis Eyes" by old Kim what's-her-face. And I think this was in the 90s: "All She Wants To Do Is Dance" by Don Henley. God-awful. Oh, and don't forget "Neutron Dance" by the Pointer Sisters in the 80s. Another one from the 90s is "Isn't It Ironic" by Alanis Morrisette. Yes, she had one of the best of the 90s and one of the worst. That's talent.

-- Anonymous, August 20, 2000

1. Worst:Anything by the Pointer Sisters, Eddy Grant, Aretha Franklin, and that damn Lady in Red song. I scream whenever that Weight Watchers commercial comes on.

Best:Question of Lust, Depeche Mode.

2.Worst:Anything by Bob Seger. I hate saxaphones and rowdy rock and gravely voices.

Best:Lonely Boy by Andrew Gold. Mr.Bojangles by Jerry Jeff Walker and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. Man, those songs tear me up, I tell ya.

3.Worst:pssst...Nirvana was crappy...pass it on Oh, I know everyone else loved Kurt Cobain, but he did nothing for me. But...

Best: Hero by Foo Fighters. Dave Grohl can eat crackers in my bad any time.

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2000


Best of the 90's: NIN's Closer Best of the 80's: Duran Duran's Rio; almost everything by the Cure, Depeche Mode, and New Order

I have to say that I don't agree with everyone else's votes for favorites but I do hate all the same songs as the rest of you! Bob Segar SUCKS! But I'm surpired no one has mentioned any of the supremely wretched hair metal of the 80's. Kid Rock and Limp Bizkit are to the 90's what Bon Jovi and Whitesnake are to the 80's. Whoa- OH! Livin' on a prayer!

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2000



I forgot "Livin on a prayer" and that "Lady in Red" song. yuck!!! (thanks for putting those two in my head today)

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2000

What? Eddy Grant sucks? Okay, that's it. Y'all aren't rocking down to Electric Avenue with ME today, dammit!

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2000

Is that who sang Electric Ave? That was a great song! Was he a one hit wonder or does he have others I might have heard?

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2000

I heard Eddie Grant owns a recording studio in the Bahamas, or some other island in the Atlanic (this guy really has a thing for that ocean), and people like the Rolling Stones record there, so I'm thinking this guy made the most of his one hit wonder.

'80's worst... fuck it. The best song of all time is Rock the Casbah by the Clash. For what other song are jet fighters called to ban that Boogie sound? Back the fuck up.

-- Anonymous, August 22, 2000


Hey, Gwen, I've seen the actual Electric Avenue, aren't you jealous now?

Some of the best songs are:

60's: "Be My Baby"-Ronettes, "Les Sucettes"-France Gall, "Golden Lights"-Twinkle, etc.

70's: "What Do I Get"-Buzzcocks "Germ Free Adolescents"-X-Ray Spex, "20th Century Boy"-T-Rex, "Virginia Plain"-Roxy Music, "I Need Love"- Donna Summer, etc.

80's: "White Lines"-Grandmaster Flash, "The Freeze"-Spandau Ballet, "Doctorin' the Tardis"- The Timelords "That's what You Always Say"- Dream Syndicate, "London"- The Smiths, etc.

90's "We Love Dancing"- Arling and Cameron, "Kandy Pop"-Bis, "This is Hardcore"-Pulp, "You're in a Bad Way"-Saint Etienne, etc

I can't think of the worst songs at the moment.

-- Anonymous, August 23, 2000



How about these? I think they're all from the 80s.

Stop Draggin' My Heart Around - Tom Petty and Stevie Nicks
Maybe I'm Amazed (live version) - Paul McCartney and Wings
And if you don't like those, then how about "Train in Vain" by The Clash. You gotta like that one.

-- Anonymous, August 26, 2000


Rosemary seems to have similar taste to me, which pleases and surprises me. Doesn't happen all that often. Yay. :)

-- Anonymous, August 30, 2000

I have no choice of best songs because there are too many genres to choose from, but I know which ones are the worst. Because he spans all three decades, I vote for any song by the always irritating Bob Segar to be the worst for the 70s, 80s and 90s. Somebody needs to stuff his noise-hole with full size Chevy.

-- Anonymous, February 01, 2001

Ha, ha. Bob Seger sucks.

"Train in Vain" rules.

-- Anonymous, February 04, 2001


I can't believe you all hate Bob Seger. I admit, I didn't like him at all until the past year, but now I can't believe I ever disliked his music. Of course, he and Kenny Rogers sound similar to me, and yes I do like Kenny Rogers.

Oh, but "Old Time Rock and Roll"...that just sucks ass.

Best song of the 70s: "Anarchy in the UK" by Sex Pistols, "I Wanna Be Sedated" by The Ramones, any song by Led Zeppelin (come on, guys, they WERE the 70s!).

Worst of the 70s: Anything by ZZ Tops.

Best song of the 80s: "Come Dancing" by Kinks, "World Destruction" by Time Zone. I want to just list a million Cure and Smiths songs, but I'm trying to keep control.

Worst song of the 80s: Any Metal Ballad. Especially any Metal Ballad with Ozzie AND Lita Ford.

The 90s: I think the swing revival really brought out some fantastic music. Anything done by Puff Daddy should be burned. That includes Jennifer Lopez.

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2001


Robyn, you didn't like "Close My Eyes Forever"? :-)

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2001

I hate to admit this after Robyn's message but I loved and still love that song (Close My Eyes Forever...)!!!!!

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2001

Nope. I thought and think it was ultimately cheesy. It doesn't even do it for me in a nostalgic way. And I cannot think of Lita Ford without remembering her gross humping thing in her video for some other hair-rock song.

I never liked big hair, heavy guitar bands. Never liked Def Leppard, Skid Row, Poison, Dokken, ACDC, Kiss, or Whitesnake. I still don't. But I was in the minority on that for many years in the 80s, and I notice that I'm becoming the minority again.

Hey, I'm just waiting for the Yaz reunion tour. It *will* happen! I've been waiting for 15 years-It Must Happen!

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2001


Robyn, that "gross humping thing" must have been "Kiss Me Deadly." :-) The problem with Lita Ford is she was once a much more fierce heavy metal guitarist, but as part of a career resurrection she went glamorous and traded off her looks for fame instead of her shred-ability. Ah, poor Lita. :-)

I've been playing guitar for over 20 years, and for many rock bands I have to measure them against a personal yardstick: "It's the guitarist, stupid." So, for me the '80s were rich precisely because of all the big-hair guitar-heavy bands, so long as I could suspend my disbelief, hold my nose and ignore the ridiculous costumues, hair and makeup, the wretched songwriting and singing, and just concentrate on the wicked riffs. :-)

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2001


OOOOhhh! Paul. I hear some heresy among us. Heavy Metal rules the world. Yeah! My fave....Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. Yeah dude!!!! Take a listen to Al Di Meola and Steve Vai "On Turkish Highway". Yow! James

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2001

Well, James, heavy metal at least used to rule the world. The best thing about the hair bands was that underneath the pop or cheesy rock exteriors often lurked a serious virtuoso on guitar. Anyway, it's very cool that you like Satriani. I had the pleasure of seeing him in concert once. He was amazing, until he decided he could sing (not). Steve Vai, on the other hand, is just an example of good talent gone mutantly wrong through lack of focus and too much experimentation without purpose. (My two cents, of course.) :-) And DiMeola is still schooling all these fast-fingered johnny-come-latelies.

-- Anonymous, February 05, 2001

Paul, have a listen to Al's newest. Fabulous. He's finally expanding his boundries. James

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2001

Oh yeah. I indeed meant the guitar playing in heavy metal. I certainly don't think much of what some call singing and song writing in the metal period. But the guitar and base licks are great. James

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2001

Hey guys, what about the virtuosos (did I misspell that?) of the synthesizers? It takes some serious skill to hit the right buttons at the right time to begin that mambo beat! You say Steve Vai? I say Axel F!

just joking...

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2001


And what about Zamphir and his Pan Flute? Bubba's favorite. James

-- Anonymous, February 06, 2001

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