[The Soup Nazi]

"Lost Cause" - Beck
"Set You Free" - The Black Keys
"Material Girl" - Madonna
"99 Problems" - Jay-Z

Just four for now.

[Drjohnrock]

Beyoncé - All The Single Ladies
Queen - Keep Yourself Alive
Joe Diffie - Third Rock From The Sun
John Mayer - No Such Thing
Violent Femmes - Add It Up (cue outrage from VF fans)
The Eagles - The Disco Strangler
Bee Gees - Edge Of The Universe
AC/DC - Nightprowler
Jefferson Starship - Sara (as long as I don't listen closely to the lyrics)
The Police - Message In A Bottle

[louder]

what makes "All The Single Ladies" different than other singles by Beyonce?

[tw2113]

Release date

Originally Posted by louder

what makes "All The Single Ladies" different than other singles by Beyonce?

[Drjohnrock]

It sounds a bit more real to me than her other plastic, machine tooled corporate bullshit, as if someone involved in the creation of it might have listened to some real music at one time. But on the whole, she still sucks.

[louder]

real music

[tw2113]

Not a full list, but some to contribute.

Mr Brightside - The Killers
Toxic - Britney Spears
Just Like Paradise - David Lee Roth
The Cowboy Rides Away - George Strait

[SonikJesus]

nobody gives a shit. shut the fuck up

[Severian]

Originally Posted by Diesel

If I had to pick albums as apposed to singles I'd say the whole fucking chillwave scene. Every band was fucking awesome, and then they all went quite frankly downhill fast. Shit like washed out, mac demarco, beach fossils, best coast and before that wavves.

Wait, Wavves are chillwave? Half the time they sound like Green Day trying to sound like Nirvana. A quarter of the time they sound like Sebadoh, and a quarter of the time they sound like one of the infinite bands that has attempted to simultaneously sound like Sebadoh and Sonic Youth. How is that chillwave?

Also, what's chillwave? Lol

[Severian]

Originally Posted by louder

what makes "All The Single Ladies" different than other singles by Beyonce?

Uhhhh... first of all it's called "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)," and second, it's the fucking buzzsaw synths in the chorus that make it sound different than other Beyoncé singles.

I was just thinking about this track the other day. It's still dope, and it's damn near a decade old. It might have been Beyoncé's first really great song, and her only truly transcendent single. Even now (I see you made this comment years ago, so forgive my brashness, btw), with Bey being "acceptable" listening for people who otherwise listen to ... well... I guess Sonic Youth... it still stands as her most crizazzy banger. Per Wikipedia, it "uses hand claps, minor chords, spaced-out synthesizers, robotic effects and an ascending whistling in the background," all of which contributed to a unique sound that was probably more fizzy hip-hop than true R&B.

What caught my attention about it at the time (and, mind you, this was the first Beyoncé song I ever liked, or had any desire to listen to more than once) was how aggressive it sounded, particularly during the key change in the chorus. It has a lightning-in-a-bottle effect, and for Severian circa 2008, who was still reeling from a year-long Cryptograms bender, it sounded like the most refreshing thing in pop music.

'Course now it's a wedding song.

[_slavo_]

Originally Posted by Severian

Uhhhh... first of all it's called "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on it)," and second, it's the fucking buzzsaw synths in the chorus that make it sound different than other Beyoncé singles.

That song is fucking dope.

[Severian]

^^ see?

Even the great Slavo, a bonafide musical genius, knows "Single Ladies" kicks fucking ass.

[The Soup Nazi]

"Chillwave" is basically something for which people should apologize to Kevin Shields, mercilessly named as some kind of patron saint of this crap. I do like Best Coast's first album, though.

[Severian]

Originally Posted by Diesel

Have you heard Best Coasts last album? I turned it off midway through the 2nd song. They sound like generic american rock radio now. Weren't really chillwave but whatever.

If you like it then you shoulda put a ring on it?! Gold digger slut confirmed.

Yah, Best Coast is terrible. They had a nice contribution to that Space Project album, but they were outdone by Jason Pierce. Their "era" was (I say "was" because I think it's pretty much over) a really weird one for indie rock. The dying of the light was something, and rather than rage, Best Coast and other of their ilk decided to merely sloth against it.

[The Soup Nazi]

Originally Posted by Severian

Yah, Best Coast is terrible. They had a nice contribution to that Space Project album, but they were outdone by Jason Pierce.

Well, they're not exactly comparable. On the other hand, Bethany Cosentino (as Bethany Saraya, if I remember correctly) was in Pocahaunted (!), so I suppose she could come up with weird shit if she wanted. In any case, I stand by saying I like Crazy For You — good pop music that says what it has to say in half an hour. Boom.

[Drjohnrock]

Ten more:

Toby Keith - The List *
Sade - Smooth Operator
Grateful Dead - US Blues
Ray Peterson - Oklahoma City Times **
The Carpenters - Love Is Surrender (well, the lyrics at least--music and singing suck)
Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out
Tom T. Hall - What Have You Got To Lose ("try women and booze and the cigarette blues/what have you got to lose")
YG featuring Nipsey Hussle - Fuck Donald Trump
Lionel Richie - All Night Long
Billy Joel - Allentown

* I really hate admitting this. Still, the song would be a lot better if someone with real talent sang it.

**1970 song that Peterson wrote after his teen idol says were over. I saw him lip synch it on a television show that I have a crude cassette recording of. It is very different from and better than his maudlin ballads. The only other people who have heard of it are probably middle aged women who heard Bobby Sherman's version which I haven't heard but is likely inferior to Peterson's original. I'd like to hear other songs Peterson recorded around that time; maybe I can move him off my "people whose songs you generally don't like" list.

Whew, doing not one but two of these lists is a lot like work. I'm not inclined to do a third. I'd rather listen to and seek out good stuff than come up with good tunes by people whose music is usually toxic.

[The Soup Nazi]

Originally Posted by Drjohnrock

Sade - Smooth Operator

There were several Sade songs on that Steve Shelley playlist that was posted here years ago.

[Drjohnrock]

Originally Posted by The Soup Nazi

There were several Sade songs on that Steve Shelley playlist that was posted here years ago.

Good Mr. Shelley and I will just have to agree to disagree on this.

[evollove]

"The Sweetest Taboo" is fantastic. There are about five Sade songs I'm crazy about.

Originally Posted by Drjohnrock

Billy Joel - Allentown

I'm not a massive Joel fan, but is this really the ONLY one you like?

Originally Posted by Drjohnrock

Toby Keith - The List *

Jesus fuck. Will I listen to this at some point today, out of curiosity? What list could he be talking about? A listen will only be a few minutes. But will those few minutes ruin me forever?

[Drjohnrock]

Originally Posted by evollove

"The Sweetest Taboo" is fantastic. There are about five Sade songs I'm crazy about.



I'm not a massive Joel fan, but is this really the ONLY one you like?



Jesus fuck. Will I listen to this at some point today, out of curiosity? What list could he be talking about? A listen will only be a few minutes. But will those few minutes ruin me forever?

I don't interpret the thread title as saying you only have to like one song by artists you don't usually care for. But I think Allentown might be his only really solid song. Piano Man is OK but has been played to death over the years. Only The Good Die Young is OK but too smarmy, like so much of his stuff. New York State Of Mind would, like the Toby Keith song, be better if sung by someone else. In fact, I remember hearing a jazz guy do a good version of it. I'll see if I can dig up the name.

As for Keith, the list contains errands and chores around the house he has to do. Again, the song would be a lot better if someone superior to him--and that's a pretty large group of singers-- sang it, as his delivery is kind of annoying. But don't worry. If you listen to the tune, you won't be tempted to wear a Make America Great Again hat or buy out the stock at the nearest gun shop. Honest.