I don’t care if the fascists have to win
I don’t care democracy’s being sucked


#197.



Stereolab - "Jenny Ondioline (Part 1)" / "French Disko"

Year: 1993

US Chart Position: n/a

UK Chart Position: #75

Acclaimed Music Ranking: n/a

AMG Says: "The most notorious song in all of Stereolab's catalogue, 1993's "Jenny Ondioline" is the tune that forever fixed an image in its detractors' minds, that of synthesizer-obsessed equipment snobs (an Ondioline is an early French monophonic synthesizer much beloved by collectors of vintage electronic instruments) who perform epic one-chord drones that stretch on for 20 minutes at a shot. In reality, "Jenny Ondioline" is based more on Tim Gane and Sean O'Hagan's guitars than Mary Hansen and Laetitia Sadier's keyboards, only lasts 18 minutes and has at least three or four chords, thank you very much. Not an endless Neu!-style groove but a multi-part epic that swings back and forth between an ever-accelerating pulse and sections of dreamy, watercolor pop with lilting harmonies by Sadier and Hansen before climaxing with a My Bloody Valentine-style tension-and-release explosion of feedback and overtones, it's the most elaborate and complex song of Stereolab's early career; as the rest of the eclectic Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements proves, Stereolab were already growing out of this sort of aggressive noise-rock by this time."

Ranked Highest By: The Eyes (#8)

Can Be Most Easily Found On: Transient Random-Noise Bursts With Announcements

Punching women, kicking men
Five on one, one on ten
These fuckers getting all that they deserve


#196.



Disco Inferno - "Summer's Last Sound" / "Love Stepping Out"

Year: 1992

US Chart Position: n/a

UK Chart Position: n/a

Acclaimed Music Ranking: n/a

AMG Says: "The band's last release on the Che label, or more accurately the sublabel Cheree, was the first in five astonishing singles, all containing non-album material, which cemented Disco Inferno's reputation for haunting beauty combined with extreme experimentation. Harnessing the power of sampling and avant-garde production techniques, the band's songs grew ever more ambitious, even as Ian Crause became the best lyricist of the outsider since Morrissey. The title track slowly builds over a weirdly ascending melody line, with the guitar completely transformed into a high, floating edge of sound, while "Love Stepping Out" has only Wilmot's bassline to link it to traditional rock, otherwise indulging in an electronic soundscape, half calmly beautiful, half strangely threatening. Crause delivers his images of decay and, in the latter track, feelings of hatred and loathing for happy couples out parading around with a distanced, lost air, increasing their impact even more."

Ranked Highest By: Pavement Ist Rad (#14)

Not Available on Amazon.com

I'm scared for my life
For the first time in it

Sad but predictable.

DAMAGE
DAMAGE
DAMAGE
DAMAGE


#195.



LL Cool J - "Mama Said Knock You Out"

Year: 1990

US Chart Position: #17 / #12 R&B / #11 Dance / #1 Rap

UK Chart Position: n/a

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #6 (year), #49 (decade), #436 (all-time)

Ranked Highest By: Paul (#29)

Can Be Most Easily Found On: Mama Said Knock You Out

All I know is I'm clean as a whistle baby
I didn't let the cat out


#194.



Liz Phair - "Never Said"

Year: 1993

US Chart Position: n/a

UK Chart Position: n/a

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #30 (year), #274 (decade), #1658 (all-time)

Rank on Our All-TIme Singles List: #402

Ranked Highest By: Paul (#17)

Can Be Most Easily Found On: Exile in Guyville

Song title, Bill?

touche

This song wasn't actually a single, btx. It did have a video, though, so I guess it's technically eligible by our rules.

DAVE PIRNER





missing since 1996



#193.

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/G4XXhB1XCRg"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/G4XXhB1XCRg" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

Soul Asylum - "Runaway Train"

Year: 1993

US Chart Position: #5 / #3 Mainstream Rock / #2 Top 40

UK Chart Position: #37 / #7 in '93

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #38 (year), #374 (decade), #2208 (all-time)--Rolling Stone's #1 Single of the Year for 1993

Ranked Highest By: Chocothunder (#8)

Can Be Most Easily Found On: Grave Dancers Union

Don't you never, ever pull my lever,
'Cause I explode

I never thought Ione Skye was worth all the trouble, honestly


#192.



The Smithereens - "A Girl Like You"

Year: 1989

US Chart Position: #38 / #3 Mainstream Rock / #2 Modern Rock

UK Chart Position: n/a

Acclaimed Music Ranking: n/a

AMG Says: "A long delayed and well-deserved commercial breakthrough for the Smithereens, the riff-rocking "A Girl Like You" has all of the retro charm of the singles from the Smithereens' earlier records -- songwriter Pat DiNizio never met a '60s lick he couldn't cop -- but new producer Ed Stasium gives the song a mighty sonic wallop that his predecessor Don Dixon never quite managed. Jim Babjak's lead guitar has the stomping self-confidence of any of the poodle-metal hitmakers of the day, backed with a level of blues-rocking grit they could only aspire to, and each of Dennis Diken's drum beats lands with a mighty thwack. Unfortunately, at close to five minutes, the song is at least 90 seconds too long; more is undeniably more, but sometimes less is good too."

Ranked Highest By: Chocothunder (#4)

Can Be Most Easily Found On: 11

Cause I'm the King Ad Rock and you're Dick Butt-kiss

yeah I guess the guy knows better than I do

This doesn't sound like a 90's song whenever I hear it now. I don't know how to explain it, just feels older than that.

My hatred for this song knows no bounds.

Cool to see "Jenny Ondioline" up there, though it really got my vote because of "French Disko", which is still THE Stereolab song to me.

"Jenny Ondioline" is THE Stereolab song. I should hear "French Disko" apparently.

You should! You're right in that "Jenny Ondioline" is probably the most representative of everything (at least the early) Stereolab could do. I think I just like my 'Lab more concise.

agreed

soul asylum halted a pretty great run there

Huge fan of that song as well and neglected to put it on my list.

And in regard to Runaway Train...no complaints here...a sucker for a good pop melody

Though I don't really get "Runaway Train" being higher than the easily superior "Somebody to Shove" the fact that both made it makes me so happy that it's fairly irrelevant.

2 songs I probably forgot to vote for, both quite deserving of a decent placement here.

Shit, we could do this every weekend


#191.



The Notorious B.I.G. - "Big Poppa"

Year: 1994

US Chart Position: #6 / #4 R&B / #1 Rap / #1 Dance

UK Chart Position: #63 ("Nasty Girl" is Biggie's only #1 in the UK, LOL)

Acclaimed Music Ranking: n/a

Ranked Highest By: The Luscious Phil (#21)

Can Be Most Easily Found On: Ready to Die (not available on Amazon)

Hey, an instrumental


#190.



Rhythim is Rhythim - "Strings of Life"

Year: 1987

US Chart Position: n/a

UK Chart Position: #74 in '89

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #16 (year), #75 (decade), #488 (all-time)

Ranked Highest By: Rajexico (#3)

Can Be Most Easily Found On: Machine Soul: An Odyssey Into Electronic Dance Music

In September, my cousin tried doing reefer for the very first time
Now he's doing horse
It's June


#189.



Prince - "Sign O the Times"

Year: 1987

US Chart Position: #3 / #1 R&B / #1 Dance

UK Chart Position: #10

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #2 (year), #14 (decade), #127 (all-time) (why is Prince always so ridiculously high on this site?)

AMG Says: "Frequent Prince collaborator Susan Rogers says Sundays had a profound effect on the artist. He'd come up with his most contemplative songs. It was on such a quiet Sunday that Prince came up with one of his best-loved and most far-reaching songs, "Sign O' the Times." Working with programmer Todd Harriman, Prince created almost all of the music using the groundbreaking Fairlight Synthesizer. The social commentary tone of the lyrics resonated with the public, with the single parking at number one R&B for three weeks and peaking at number three pop in the spring of 1987. The Sign O' the Times album went platinum and included the singles "If I Were Your Girlfriend," the Top Ten R&B/number two pop duet with Sheena Easton "U Got the Look," and "Hot Thing." "Sign O' the Times" marked a welcomed return to a rawer sound for Prince."

Ranked Highest By: Coolrock (#4)

Can Be Most Easily Found On: Sign O the Times

And everything was looking like a movie


#188.



Talking Heads - "And She Was"

Year: 1985

US Chart Position: #54 / #33 Dance / #11 Mainstream Rock

UK Chart Position: #17

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #29 (year), #296 (decade), #1609 (all-time)

AMG Says: "Kicking off with an uncharacteristically rockist "Hey!" from David Byrne and an addictive, chiming guitar hook that wouldn't sound out of place on an early R.E.M. album, "And She Was" clearly sets out the artistic parameters of 1985's Little Creatures; a retreat from the expansive musicianship and world-music influences that started with 1979's Fear of Music, "And She Was" is both a return to the deceptively simple pop of More Songs About Buildings and Food and the start of the next phase of Talking Heads' career. Self-consciously reminiscent of the magic realism of Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Byrne's lyrics describe a woman levitating through an ordinary suburban landscape. Although this newfound fascination with "ordinary America" (see also Camper Van Beethoven's "Good Guys and Bad Guys," Green On Red's Gas Food Lodging and a ton of other '85-'87 releases) would get progressively more irritating, culminating in the profoundly smarmy film True Stories, "And She Was" has a pure-pop charm unusual for Talking Heads. The last minute or so of the song, where the guitar riff expands into a crystalline, nearly psychedelic reverbed solo with echoing harmonies, followed by an upward modulation and repeats of the chorus, accompanied by the toughest-sounding lead guitar ever on a Heads record and collapsing into a dead stop, is Talking Heads at their most pop-savvy, proving that when they wanted to, they knew how to deliver the radio-friendly goods."

Ranked Highest By: Stphone (#22)

Can Be Most Easily Found On: Little Creatures

man, this list is going to be frustrating and not very indicative of lots of things that were exciting in the late 80s and early 90s -- hip-hop is getting ko'd a bit and dance music will be non-existent if that song is that low (and bill made that comment)

I will quietly sit in the corner and root for saint etienne songs...

yes, and this is going to end up being my main problem with the list. God knows there's no greater proponent of late-80s / early-90s alternative than myself, but the way some of those artists are going to end up just dominating this list, while great one or two-offs from less abum-based genres get skipped over entirely, is kind of depressing.

That said, "Strings of Life" is far more important than good, IMO. #190 seems an entirely reasonable placement to me.

I too will root for Saint Etienne, but fear they were victims of the dread vote-splitting.

Just a simple fact


#187.



Jane's Addiction - "Been Caught Stealing"

Year: 1990

US Chart Position: #29 Mainstream Rock / #1 Modern Rock

UK Chart Position: #34

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #11 (year), #84 (decade), #655 (all-time)

Rank on Our All-Time Singles List: Would've been #529

Ranked Highest By: Chocothunder (#18)

Can Be Most Easily Found On: Ritual De Lo Habitual

^ Song needs to be retired/destroyed.

I just forgot to vote for Saint Etienne, which sucks because I surely would have voted for 2 or 3 of their songs.

There's a city in my mind
Come along and take thta ride


#186.



Talking Heads - "Road to Nowhere"

Year: 1985

US Chart Position: #25 Mainstream Rock

UK Chart Position: #6

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #30 (year), #301 (decade), #1626 (all-time)

Ranked Highest By: Scarymuppet (#21)

Can Be Most Easily Found On: Little Creatures

^^

only XRT could burn people out on that song. and did they ever.

What does it all mean?


#185.



De La Soul - "The Magic Number" / "Buddy" (Single Mix f/ The Jungle Brothers, Monie Love, Queen Latifah & Q-Tip)

Year: 1989

US Chart Position: #2 Rap (Buddy)

UK Chart Position: #7

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #29 (year), #270 (decade), #1475 (all-time) (Buddy)

Rank on Our All-Time Singles List: #654

AMG Says: "The opening track and mission statement for De La Soul's pioneering debut, "The Magic Number" is one of the all-time great pieces of self-mythology in hip-hop. The song sets the tone lyrically not only for the rest of Three Feet High and Rising, but for De la Soul's entire career, laying out the basics of the "D.A.I.S.Y. Age" idea and smartly rejecting the idea of the group as role models ("Casually see but don't do like the Soul/Cause seein' an' doin' are actions for monkeys") in favor of true self-realization for all. Of course, in the middle of all this, Posdnuos and Trugoy the Dove drop references to Punky Brewster, Fred Astaire and the Schoolhouse Rock ode to multiplication that the rap is based on. Musically, Prince Paul's wiggly, bass-heavy groove tosses in samples ranging from a reference to Coldcut and Steinski's pioneering "Paid In Full" ("Say children, what does it all mean?") to the start of an Eddie Murphy standup routine to the Johnny Cash sample that gives the album its title, letting the listener in for the inventive, sometime hilarious flow of quotes that are one of the album's charms."

Ranked Highest By: Slackmo (#15)

Can Be Most Easily Found On: Three Feet High and Rising

Come on Enya. Surely in top 184

i saw a good number of "like a motorway" votes and i placed it pretty high, so maybe it'll come through.

I spent a lot of time with Ray before he died and it's important to remember that Ray found Jesus. Now while there may be no proof for Jesus, there's no proof for lots of things like science or the stock market but we still believe in them. Look, what I'm trying to say is, supposing I never used to like, say, ...Enya but then I decided I really really liked ...Enya and that Enya was great and Enya died for our sins and I wanted an Enya themed funeral with mentions of Enya and photos of ...Enya, I think it would be a bit bloody rich for my sister to ban all mention of Enya!

Hey, maybe. If "The Last Dance" can place as high as it is going to, then there is certainly hope for St. Etienne.

Jesus is the way


#184.



Nirvana - "All Apologies" / "Rape Me"

Year: 1993

US Chart Position: #4 Mainstream Rock / #1 Modern Rock

UK Chart Position: #32

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #8 (year), #85 (decade), #677 (all-time)

Rank on Our All-Time Singles List: Would've been #804

AMG Says: ""All Apologies" was the last song on what proved to be Nirvana's final studio album, In Utero; though hardly intentionally, it represents Nirvana's final words, and in the context of an album in which Kurt Cobain's psyche had been worn raw by the world around him, it sounds like a gesture of resignation and retreat. "What else should I be?/All apologies," he mutters, like a child who figures he should take back what he said to his parents, even though he meant every word of it, with his feelings wrapped around a melody that's simple but compelling (and the ideal framework for a clean but spidery guitar figure). "What else could I write?/I don't have the right," he says, seemingly to a world that made him a spokesman against his will. "I wish I was like you/Easily amused," he sneers to the mass audience that he seems to hold with a mixture of pity and contempt. And in closing, he announces sadly, to himself and all of us, "All in all is all we are." On In Utero, the song starts quietly and builds into a Marshall-stack fury in the second verse, only to retreat into near- a cappella quiet at the close; in the casual but more satisfying acoustic version on Unplugged in New York, the song comes to a head through the intensity of Cobain's performance, which is at once more impassioned but makes any hope of emotional liberation seem all the more unlikely. Either way, as a closer to the career of the most famously troubled rock star of the '90s, it was a sadly appropriate way to go -- a song suggesting the best was over, and little of worth awaited listeners, which may well have been how Cobain felt at the time."

Ranked Highest By: The Eyes (#20)

Can Be Most Easily Found On: [ulrl=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000003TAR/sr=1-1/qid=1156272974/ref=pd_bbs_1/002-4208728-5876047?ie=UTF8&s=music]In Utero[/url]

Either you are quoting some TV show or movie, or you are getting a little too weird, Mitchy.

Let's do it


#183.



Tone-Loc - "Wild Thing"

Year: 1988

US Chart Position: #2 / #1 Dance

UK Chart Position: #21

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #30 (year), #255 (decade), #1406 (all-time)

AMG Says: ""Wild Thing," an immense radio and club hit, was one of the first commercial productions from the Dust Brothers -- later responsible for great albums from the Beastie Boys and Beck. The producers took a page from the book of Rick Rubin's Def Jam label and built the song around a hard-rocker riff, "Jamie's Crying" by Van Halen. Tone-Loc's gravelly tenor and come-hither rhymes did the rest. Though Paula Abdul's "Straight Up" had the number one spot locked during February 1989, "Wild Thing" settled for number two and eventually sold many more copies, over two million."

Ranked Highest By: Chocothunder (#15)

Can Be Most Easily Found On: Loc'ed After Dark

A man can tell a thousand lies
I've learned my lesson well


#182.



Madonna - "Live to Tell"

Year: 1986

US Chart Position: #1

UK Chart Position: #2

Acclaimed Music Ranking: #40 (year), #406 (decade), #2112 (all-time)

Rank on Our All-Time Singles List: Would've been #858

AMG Says: "Throughout her career, Madonna has occasionally reasserted herself as an artist by releasing a dramatic ballad that proves that behind all of the contrived controversy and manipulation, she's a genuinely talented singer. "Live To Tell" was the first of these reminders; written and recorded as the theme for then-husband Sean Penn's film At Close Range (and cannily tied to a complete image overhaul featuring a sleek new Jean Seberg blonde gamine cut and more streamlined wardrobe), "Live To Tell" is a slow, atmospheric ballad unlike anything Madonna had recorded up to that point. Showing off her newly developed lower range, which would quickly become her strongest vocal asset, Madonna delivers one of her all-time strongest vocal performances, singing the slightly melodramatic lyrics with just the right blend of restraint and emotion. Patrick Leonard's wide-open, spacious production -- which even dispenses with drums at a couple of points, daring for such a dance-oriented artist -- perfectly suits his simple but effective tune, where the verses are merely connecting points between reiterations of the utterly beguiling melody of the chorus. "Live To Tell" belongs at the top of any reasonable list of big '80s ballads."

Ranked Highest By: The Eyes (#6)

Can Be Most Easily Found On: The Immacultae Collection

Tone Loc over Wu Tang? I thought this was supposed to be a good period in music. 1994 dominated our long ago all-time singles poll.

well, c.r.e.a.m. and method man have yet to place, and i'm pretty sure protect ya neck hasn't either.

wild thing is a fun song. i saw him just two or three years ago in downtown auburn at some city fest thing.

yeah, Tone Loc over a Wu-Tang song. Still more Wu to come. And wtf, everyone loves "Wild Thing".

Glad that and "Live to Tell" made it. Most underrated Madonna song, I think.

this is all inevitable, I guess, as we get more into post-punk era stuff-- everyone is off in their own little corners now, and there is less consensus. I'm not saying much different than corazon did in the lp thread, just lamenting the exclusion of different types of music that he did.

All Apologies is shockingly low (though I'm not that sad since the horrid Rape Me if the flip). Nice to see Live to Tell appear; it's a masterpiece.

I don't understand this concept, though--if there's less consensus, shouldn't we get more weird stuff and less artists with six or seven singles/albums making the list?

Not to mention the albums that have already landed more than one single on the list. I'm a big fan of Graceland, but even I think three singles on the list so far is a bit silly.

On this poll, I voted for a heck of a lot more singles from albums that I would never buy...if other voters did the same, such as may be the reason for so much Paul Simon (and assuredly Talking Heads, Madonna, etc. to come).