For some context - between 1989 and 1991, national youth broadcaster Triple J used to do an annual countdown of the listener voted Hottest 100 songs. The trouble was, every year, Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart came in at first place - except for 1991, when Smells Like Teen Spirit clinched the top spot. That's when they realised that if they continued with the current format, Smells like Teen Spirit would come first every year after that.
So the bigwigs at Triple J decided to scrap the Hottest 100 in that form, and rather restrict the voting to the songs released within the calendar year, a system which began in 1992 and has continued since. In 1998, they decided to revisit the idea of being able to choose from any song ever made, ever, and (surprise!!) Smells Like Teen Spirit came in first place again.
Eleven years on, they're at it again. Voting has begun for the fifth Triple J Hottest 100 of All Time, and the polls close at the end of June. But how do you choose only ten songs to vote for out of every song that has ever been released, EVER? The discussions started this morning.
I launched into full on panic mode pretty much straight away. What do I choose, how do I order them, do I vote for songs because I truly love them but may not be in the list or do I vote for songs I am not as in love with because I know that they'll make it into the list and I'll still be happy with it? It was crazy times from very early.
Mr AGirlCalledKill parked himself in front of the computer and compiled his top ten list within the space of about 25 minutes. It irritates me that he can so easily achieve things that regularly take me hours of thinking, analysing, list-making, cross-comparing, ticking and crossing out. But I digress.
He voted for:
Russell Morris - The Real Thing
Eagles - Hotel California
Clash, The - London Calling
Crowded House - Mean To Me
Beatles, The - A Day in the Life
Bob Marley & The Wailers - Redemption Song
Deep Purple - Highway Star
Doors, The - La Woman
Cult, The - She Sells Sanctuary
This is a damn good list. The Real Thing has this glorious, psychedelic, wall-of-sound crescendo, which is just sublime. Crowded House's Mean To Me leads their debut album like a shot out of the dark - one of the finest pop songs ever crafted. Everyone chooses Smoke On The Water when they think of Deep Purple but it's obvious Highway Star shits all over that song. And A Day In The Life is 60's psychedelic rock refined to a sharp point.
Now, his Favourite Band is Tool. He did not vote for any Tool songs, which launched a 24 minute discussion about why he made that decision. I questioned why, and he said that he had Stinkfist in his shortlist, but that when it came to choosing the top ten, they didn't make the cut. I then questioned why it's even worth having a Favourite Band, if none of their songs are good enough to make your Top Ten List of best songs ever. You may as well choose a different Favourite Band, if you're just going to vote against them, right?
I couldn't imagine not voting for the Foo Fighters Everlong in any list of the best songs ever. Pretty much whenever the Hottest 100 comes around, I check to see if the Foo Fighters released any songs in the voting year, and vote for one of their songs by default. It's like in the footy tipping - you always tip your own team, even if they're the suckingest team of the season.
So that means I only really have 9 spaces, because I have to vote for Everlong. It's just my favourite song. Always has been.
So I am thinking about voting the following way:
1. Foo Fighters - Everlong
2. Green Day - Jesus of Suburbia (all five movements)
3. The Beatles - Within You Without You
4. U2 - Bullet the Blue Sky (live Rattle and Hum version)
5. The Eagles - ?
6. Led Zeppelin - ?
7. The Clash - Clampdown
8. ?
9.?
10.?
When I think about what to slot into 8, 9 and 10, my head starts to spin. Pink Floyd. Jeff Buckley. Cold Chisel. Tori Amos. Ani DiFranco. David Bowie. Creedence Clearwater Revival. Metallica. At The Drive In. Midnight Oil. Queen. Hunters and Collectors. The Cure. Gaah! It's all too much.
I need to take a break from all this and kinda clear my head a bit. If you had to choose your ten favourite songs OF ALL TIME, what ten songs would you choose?
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Hang on - wasn't Pearl Jam's "Black" the #1 song last time they did the Hottest 100 of All Time?
ReplyDeleteNegative. It was Smells Like Teen Spirit, in 1998. I remember it because it was the least surprising thing to happen the whole year.
ReplyDeleteBlack was in the top 5 though, from what I can recall.
http://lyricwiki.org/LyricWiki:Lists/Triple_J_Hottest_100_Of_All_Time_(1998)
ReplyDeleteI guess you're right. Black was #10 according to this list. I recall one of my mates making a huge deal over the fact he voted for Black. That year, you could only vote for one song. I voted for Past the Mission by Tori Amos (backing vocals by Trent Reznor).