vastar iner
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I am the poster on your wall
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Post by vastar iner on Aug 30, 2014 14:41:22 GMT 1
There was something about Martika. Two extremely interesting singles in "Toy Soldiers" and LTWBD, she ought really to have explored that leftfield side more and perhaps she would have a far more influential career. Most of her other stuff was dully mainstream. Including "Martika's Kitchen", difficult to believe that was co-written with Prince.
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Post by raliverpool on Aug 30, 2014 14:57:52 GMT 1
120 Stereo MC's - Connected 92
Nick Hallam electronic rap act had their breakthrough with UK #18 & USA #20 and worldwide hit with their "Madchester Sly & The Family Stone workout" which was also the title track of their third album, which they then took over 8 years to follow up.
119 Jeff Buckley - Last Goodbye 95 118 The Sundays - Here's Where The Story Ends 90
117 Groove Armada - At The River 99
Originally released independently in 1997 limited to just 500 7" copies as their debut release, the English electronica duo (Andy Cato and Tom Findlay) sample of Patti Page's "Old Cape Cod" over a chill out musical bed and bluesy trombone became a UK #19 hit in 1999 after becoming popular in Ibiza.
116 Oasis - Don't Look Back In Anger 96
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Post by raliverpool on Aug 30, 2014 16:06:55 GMT 1
115 Sub Sub ft Melanie Williams - Aint No Love (Ain't No Use) 93
The Madchester Hacienda dance act who became far more successful in the 2000s as Doves had a UK #3 hit with Temper Temper's Melanie Williams, so become a one hit wonder before Britpop arrived, and a fire burnt down their studios resulting in a rebirth of musical identity.
114 Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You 95
The Orange Juice frontman scored the biggest hit of his career with this Velvet Underground meets Northern Soul effort. Taken from his third solo album Gorgeous George. It became a massive international hit reaching UK #4, and went top 10 throughout the world including #1 in Belgium. It also made USA #32 after using this second video.
113 Pixies - Velouria 90 112 Echo & The Bunnymen - Nothing Lasts Forever 97 111 Youssou N'Dour ft Neneh Cherry - 7 Seconds 94
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Post by raliverpool on Aug 30, 2014 16:22:47 GMT 1
110 Blondie - Maria 99
109 TLC - Ain't Too Proud To Beg 92
The best "girlgroup" ever IMHO debut single made USA #6, & UK #13. Written by Dallas Austin and Lisa 'Left Eye' Lopes, this R'N'B rap song about sex was the perfect vehicle for T-Boz, Left Eye, and Chilli.
108 Prince - Cream 91
Taken from the 1991 album Diamond & Pearls which marked the debut of Prince's new band, the New Power Generation. This became his 5th and final USA #1 hit to date (and bonus marks for keeping Bryan Adams off the top!). It also made #2 in Australia, went Top 10 in most European countries, except the UK where it only made UK #15. He apparently wrote this standing in front of the mirror whilst he had a Marc Bolan & T-Rex compilation playing in the background, which makes perfect sense.
107 New Order - Regret 93 106 Oasis - Some Might Say 95
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Post by raliverpool on Aug 30, 2014 16:38:21 GMT 1
105 The Stone Roses - I Am The Resurrection 92
104 Paula Cole - Where Have All The Cowboys Gone 97
The Massachusetts born female singer songwriter released her self produced second album This Fire in 1996. It contained this USA #8, UK #15, Canada #7 story narrative hit which got nominated for three Grammys: Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.
103 Sophie B Hawkins - Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover 92
102 The Dandy Warhols - Not If You Were The Last Junkie On Earth 98
The alternative rock power pop outfit from Portland, Oregon in 1994 by singer-guitarist Courtney Taylor-Taylor and guitarist Peter Holmström released this track from their major label debut ...The Dandy Warhols Come Down album. The neo-psychedelic UK #13 hit otherwise known as "Heroin Is So Passe" features a David LaChapelle directed PopArt video featuring Toni Basil directed choreography.
101 The Breeders - Cannonball 93
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Aug 31, 2014 8:01:41 GMT 1
^ this is probably my favourite quintet so far - Sophie B and Paula Cole another couple of Beverly Cravenesque vanishes.
Also a big shoutout to "Velouria", the best Pixies track ever. For some reason they couldn't do TOTP so went to a quarry and shot a video sharpish for broadcast. Odd lacuna in 4AD's general artyness that they never really went in for promo clips.
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Post by raliverpool on Aug 31, 2014 19:40:37 GMT 1
100 Pixies - Planet Of Sound 91
This UK #27 Gil Norton produced track was the lead single from their 4th full studio album Trompe le Monde (their 4th album in as many years). Alas being on indie label 4AD meant being hugely influential and critically acclaimed is no match for the might of David Geffen (think of a Los Angeles music loving version of Simon Cowell), his three decades worth of music industry contacts and his pinup group Nirvana who promptly smashed down barriers that the vastly superior Black Francis, Joey Santiago, Kim Deal, David Lovering could never hope to achieve. Hence utterly disheartened they split less than 18 months later. PS. A shoutout to anyone who used ITV & Channel 4's Teletext Planet Sound (RIP) inspired by this track for its excellent music service in the pre internet days.
99 Pearl Jam - Alive 91
98 Oasis - Champagne Supernova 96
Never released as a single in the UK, the seven-minute anthem closing track on the record-breaking album (What's the Story) Morning Glory? was a major hit when released internationally as the final single from the album (after Don't Look Back In Anger). It reached USA #20 (& #1 on Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart), #11 in Canada, #16 in New Zealand, #26 in Australia, etc.
97 Saint Etienne - He's On The Phone 95 96 XTC - Ballad Of Peter Pumpkinhead 92
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Post by raliverpool on Aug 31, 2014 19:54:58 GMT 1
95 Radiohead - Street Spirit (Fade Out) 96 94 Catatonia - Road Rage 98
93 The Auteurs - Lenny Valentino 93Luke Haines alternative rock band released this as the lead single from their second album Now I'm a Cowboy; where this "Ziggy Stardust meets The Pixies" track made UK #41. 92 The Shamen - Pro-Gen (Move Any Mountain) 90
91 Sheryl Crow - Run Baby Run 93Stevie Wonder, Belinda Carlisle, Don Henley, and most famously Michael Jackson's former backing singer www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1MGCNYU4WE signed a solo deal with A&M records in 1992. This was her Beatles' Abbey Road-esque debut single which initially made UK #92. After 4 more singles were released from the album Tuesday Night Music Club, it got re-released over two years later where it peaked at UK #24.
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Post by raliverpool on Aug 31, 2014 20:31:54 GMT 1
90 Britney Spears - … Baby One More Time 99 89 Sinead O'Connor - Nothing Compares 2 U 90 88 Crash Test Dummies - Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm 94
87 Jesus & Mary Chain with Hope Sandoval - Sometimes Always 94
Inspired by the late 1960s Lee Hazlewood & Nancy Sinatra duets, this duet from their 5th album Stoned & Dethroned features guitarist William Reid's then-girlfriend Hope Sandoval (Mazzy Star). It became their only USA Top 100 hit (USA #96) and reached UK #22.
86 Aimee Mann - Save Me 99
Taken from Magnolia: Music from the Motion Picture the soundtrack album to the brilliant Paul Thomas Anderson motion picture of the same name heavily featuring newly composed tracks by the Boston, USA based songwriter. "Save Me" would garner Mann an Academy Award nomination for Best Song, losing out to Phil Collins's song "You'll Be in My Heart" from Tarzan. It also got her nominated for a 2001 Grammy award as Best Pop Female Vocal (she lost to Macy Gray's "I Try") after it peaked at USA #7 and an insulting UK #102. It was helped somewhat to the brilliant video which featured many of the film's actors, including Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Tom Cruise, William H. Macy, and John C. Reilly with the scenes shot at the end of filming days with Mann and actors who were asked to stay in place..
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vastar iner
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I am the poster on your wall
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Post by vastar iner on Aug 31, 2014 20:44:10 GMT 1
I once had something published on C4's music pages. It was an OMD top ten, under the name of The AMP. Stood for Archaic Mindblowing Pyramid. Acid house had just taken off, and whereas everyone else was drawing smiley faces, I was drawing smiley triangles instead. Which then graduated into smiley triangles with their tops being exploded.
I also saw, and videos, Brakes doing "Sometimes Always" with Rose and Becki Pipette. First appearance of the Pips on an album, with Julia.
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Post by raliverpool on Aug 31, 2014 20:54:40 GMT 1
85 The KLF - Last Train To Trancentral 91
84 Del Amitri - Nothing Ever Happens 90
Taken from the Scottish band's breakthrough album Waking Hours, this Justin Currie anthem became their proto Mumford & Sons UK Top 40 debut peaking at UK #11, and Ireland #4. A cleverer song than it first appears, the song deals with the banality of everyday life and its commentary relates to how oblivious most of us are to the world around us e.g. "the Martians could land in the car park and no one would care" but its last line before the final chorus which is the killer..."they'll burn down the Synagogues at six o'clock and we'll all go along like before," which is a reference to Kristallnacht. The series of co-ordinated attacks against Jews throughout Nazi Germany and Austria on 9–10 November 1938, carried out by paramilitary forces and non-Jewish civilians, and came to symbolize the tipping point of the beginning of Hitler's the Final Solution and The Holocaust.
83 George Michael - Praying For Time 90 82 The Cure - Friday I'm In Love 92
81 Jane's Addiction - Been Caught Stealing 91
Written by the band's Eric Avery & Perry Farrell and taken from their 1990 album Ritual de lo Habitual. It became their most well known tracking topping the USA modern rock chart for 4 weeks. It also made UK #34 and is probably most famous for its very memorable video.
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vastar iner
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I am the poster on your wall
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Post by vastar iner on Aug 31, 2014 21:59:39 GMT 1
The video to JCS was based on a true story; some bloke had been arrested shoplifting with goods stuffed under a fake pregnancy bump. Top song. The cheerleaderesque girl in the miniskirt had a definite trashy charm. Much more so than Madonna.
"Praying For Time" is probably George Michael's best single, despite the pretension. Just ahead of "Freedom 90". Blind squirrel finding a nut.
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TheThorne
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*Hillside, slip and slide, feel the pain, it's no surprise!*
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Post by TheThorne on Sept 1, 2014 12:34:35 GMT 1
'Waking hours ' is one my favourite albums ever but I counted it as 80s , are you including 'kiss this thing goodbye ' as well as it was a hit in 1990?
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 1, 2014 17:39:00 GMT 1
'Waking hours ' is one my favourite albums ever but I counted it as 80s , are you including 'kiss this thing goodbye ' as well as it was a hit in 1990? To me Kiss This Thing Goodbye charted in 1989 making UK #59, before it got reissued in 1990. So I categorised it with James Sit Down, Roxette It Must Have Been Love, The La's There She Goes as an 1980s tune. Whilst Nothing Ever Happens was released on the last Monday of December 1989, so did not chart until Jan 1990.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 1, 2014 19:22:19 GMT 1
Still posting batches of 5 and talking about a couple, but now adding video links for other 3 tracks: 80 Lenny Kravitz - Believe 93www.youtube.com/watch?v=spPWnh3JvZ079 Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You 98www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwv-3cM2pVk78 Jellyfish - New Mistake 93I think by now you know I love the under performing Power Pop band from San Francisco. This UK #55 tale of a rock and roll groupie meeting a rock star and having a love child is classic 1960s/1970s pop confectionery at its finest. 77 The Verve - History 95www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jmf9UQ3YIs76 Semisonic - Secret Smile 99The Minneapolis melodic rock band fronted by singer/songwriter/guitarist Dan Wilson are most famous worldwide for Closing Time from the same Feeling Strangely Fine album. However, I prefer this Crowded House-esque UK #13 hit. The band split in 2002 shortly after musical "hypocrites" (I completely endorse Jimmy Page & Robert Plant's philosophy if you "borrow" from traditional folk tracks or old blues artists, you should not then complain or litigate when the same happens to you) Mick Jagger & Keith Richards took the band for the cleaners to claim a share of the royalties for this composition due to its apparent similarities to their 1978 USA #1 hit "Miss You". Since then Dan Wilson has become a successful tunesmith & producer for hire for the likes of Adele www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLQl3WQQoQ0 ; Dixie Chicks www.youtube.com/watch?v=pojL_35QlSI ; and the likes of .... Taylor Swift; P!nk; James Morrison; John Legend; Paloma Faith; Alex Clare; Sara Bareilles; Jason Mraz; Birdy; LeeAnn Rimes; Josh Groban; KT Tunstall; Keith Urban; Bic Runga; Missy Higgins; Colbie Caillat & Gavin Degraw; etc ...
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 1, 2014 19:56:17 GMT 1
75 4 Non Blondes - What's Up? 93 The San Francisco rock band fronted by singer/songwriter Linda Perry are most famous for being one hit wonders with this USA #14, UK #2, Australia #2, Canada #2, New Zealand #2 anthem which topped the charts in Germany, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands, & Norway. Of course in the 2000s she has reinvented herself as a hugely songwriter/producer for hire for the likes of P!nk; Christina Aguilera; Gwen Stefani; Alicia Keys; Kelis; James Blunt; Enrique Iglesias; Jewel; Faith Hill; Melissa Etheridge; Sugababes; Celine Dion; Vanessa Carlton; Kelly Osbourne; etc 74 The Smashing Pumpkins - Ava Adore 98www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uWwvQKGjLI73 Foo Fighters - Learn To Fly 99www.youtube.com/watch?v=1VQ_3sBZEm072 Alanis Morissette - Head Over Feet 96www.youtube.com/watch?v=4iuO49jbovg71 Kylie Minogue - Some Kind Of Bliss 97Using Kylie's lyrics the music was written by the Manic Street Preachers James Dean Bradfield & Sean Moore; with all of the band playing on the track with their long-time producers Dave Eringa. This was the lead single from her forthcoming "IndieKylie" album "Impossible Princess". Unfortunately this was released when Princess Diana was killed in a car crash, so radio did not bother playing much playlisted new music that week, and the Daily Mail acted with Royalist fury against the former Neighbours star for her "sick and offensive" titled album. It entered at number UK #22 and ultimately broke Minogue's consecutive top twenty hits and becoming her lowest solo single until "Better Than Today", which charted at number UK #32 in November 2011. The subsequent backlash was not helped by the Bonnie & Clyde themed video starring British actor Dextor Fletcher. As a result "Impossible Princess" was postponed and not released until March 1998 retitled as "Kylie Minogue"; and when the Deconstruction record label went into receivership and was taken over by SonyBMG, head of their A&R Simon Cowell had no hesitation in dropping her. Of course as all of the brain dead sheep who loyally follow fiX-Factor, he was as ever totally correct, and Kylie Minogue did not become one of the biggest most successful female acts of the 2000s!
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 1, 2014 21:31:36 GMT 1
70 Travis - Why Does It Rain On Me 99www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXatLOWjr-k69 Macy Gray - I Try 99www.youtube.com/watch?v=WEQ0l_m3Xm0 68 Pizzicato Five - Magic Carpet Ride 94P5 were the Japanese dream pop art group with the core members of Maki Nomiya and Yasuharu Konishi. Taken from the Europe & American release Made in USA (compiled from the best of their three previous albums. It originally appeared on their 1993 Japanese release Bossa Nova 2001). This Saint Etienne channelling The Beatles psychedelic phase track was released as the lead track on the A Television's Workshop EP in the UK, where despite the support of Radio 1 DJ's Marc & Lard, Annie Nightingale, and John Peel it failed to trouble the charts. 67 Radiohead - No Surprises 98www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5CVsCnxyXg 66 Belle & Sebastian - The State I Am In 97The now legendary Glasgow indie folk rock band released their debut release, the EP Dog On Wheels, from which this, the second track became the one picked up by music writers and alternative radio pushing the EP to UK #58. It was named Channel 4 teletext's music magazine Planet Sound's Single Of The Year 1997. Stuart Murdoch's band are perhaps most known for the most unexpected and hilariously brilliant BRIT Awards winning triumph in its history when they were awarded the Best Newcomer (for their third album!) at the 1999 BRIT Awards, splitting and upsetting better-known manufactured pop acts such as Steps; 5ive; Another Level; & Billie Piper. Resulting in Steps manager Pete Waterman going into a rant on Radio 1 Breakfast host Zoe Ball's show. In 2009 Ball became the six-weeks relief presenter for Ken Bruce's weekday mid-morning show on BBC Radio 2. On her very first show (I was on holiday then driving up to Oxford) she made reference to the BRIT Awards episode, basically rubbished most late 1990s manufactured pop, and said she was completely wrong to dismiss Belle & Sebastian when the late John Peel privately criticised her back then. She then played this track.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 1, 2014 21:52:52 GMT 1
65 Alannah Myles - Song Instead Of A Kiss 92The lead song from the Canadian rocker's second album "Rockinghorse" featured a 60-piece orchestrated ballad with the string arrangement done by former Zeppelin multi-instrumentalist John Paul Jones (certainly not the last time this occurs on my countdown). The track failed to reach the USA Top 100 (probably due to its love song to an aborted child lyrics), and made UK #89. However, elsewhere was a completely different story where it became more successful than Black Velvet as it topped the charts in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Finland, The Netherlands, Greece & Poland. 64 Inspiral Carpets - This Is How It Feels 90www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-fX0UbpZls63 kd lang - Constant Craving 92www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXqPjx94YMg62 Dubstar - Stars 95www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-x6ywUqVvk 61 Dionne Farris - I Know 95The New Jersey born singer/songwriter rose to fame as the female vocalist in the US hip hop group Arrested Development. After they imploded, she signed a solo deal to Columbia records where her debut album, Wild Seed – Wild Flower (1994), featured this 1995 USA #4 hit which was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance in 1996. In the UK after a re-release it peaked at #41, but was a more sizeable hit elsewhere.
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Post by raliverpool on Sept 2, 2014 20:06:04 GMT 1
60 PJ Harvey - Down By The Water 95 The lead single from the critically acclaimed alternative rocker singer/songwriter's third studio album To Bring You My Love was produced by with Flood and John Parish. It narrates the tale of a woman drowning her daughter over a stark electronic background. It reached UK #38, but became her first significant international success. 59 Midnight Oil - Blue Sky Mine 90The political aware Australian rock band released the virtual title track of their 7th studio album early in 1990. The lyrics to this blues rocker were inspired by the experiences of workers at the Wittenoom asbestos mines who contracted various asbestos-related diseases. The "blue" refers to blue asbestos, and the "sugar refining company" refers to the Colonial Sugar Refining company (CSR), the owner of the mines. Whilst it only made UK #88, it topped the USA Modern Rock Chart (& USA #47), and was a top hit in Canada, Australia & New Zealand, and made the Top 40 in several European countries. Lead singer/lyricist Peter Garrett quit the band in 2002 to focus on Politics, so causing the band to split. He went on to become a Labor MP in 2004, and then Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts in 2007, where under his remit he adopted the Bono school on hypocrisy approach, and adopted many policies his younger pop star/activist self campaigned against; such as in 2009 he approved a major expansion of South Australia's Beverley uranium mine, earning him the Australian tabloid nickname of "Turncoat Garrett". 58 Spice Girls - Viva Forever 98www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wkuqRFXNvI57 Robbie Williams - Angels 97www.youtube.com/watch?v=luwAMFcc2f856 Crowded House - Distant Sun 93www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xQsfvD0QbI
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vastar iner
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Post by vastar iner on Sept 2, 2014 20:33:08 GMT 1
"Down By The Water" is a work of absolute genius. Again I feel there's a film in that song alone. The video is a perfect complement to the song.
"Blue Sky Mine" was played a lot on MTV. Very angry song. Quite right too. Deserved to be a much bigger hit.
Spice Girls and Robbie Williams though...oh dear. They wouldn't be in my top hundred million billion.
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