1,001 songs to listen to before you die...

[VerbalPuke]

I like God Save the Queen better than Anarchy in the UK, better opening riff, catchier, just a more fun song. Motorhead does a pretty solid cover of it. 

I don't know that two Sex Pistols songs are necessary, but not surprise at all by the two chosen. 

[METALMAN]

Warren Zevon and Upsetters are cool.

God Save the Queen is a great tune. Everything is in its right place (unlike the Radiohead song of that name, which is shit)

[Malenko]

I respectfully disagree. God Save the Queen kicks your behind.

Anyway, Lee Scratch Perry and the Upsetters also started out as a reggae band like the ones you heard before and said you didn't like that much. They started shifting into this sort of sound in the early 70s. I already mentioned I enjoy it in small doses but Lee scratch Perry was something else. Maybe I wasn't in the right mindset or I just wasn't ready for it or it was the end of a really long day/night but man, was it unbearable for me. Granted the Upsetters were long gone and this was just Lee Scratch Perry and the assorted musicians he tours with but still...

It's weird because there are others who definitely evolved in a similar way like Prince Buster and King Tubby but I like them a lot more. Also, the style these people pioneered was obviously an influence in other bands I like like the Clash or Police and definitely you can see some elements of it in many early 80s post-punk bands and 90s big beat acts that I like, besides trip hop as you mentioned. It's just this guy that bothers me a bit for some reason.

[Liam]

446.      

‘Trans-Europe Express’, Kraftwerk (1977)

Music video version:

 

Influenced by: Bayreuth Return • Klaus Schulze (1975)   

Influence on: Confusion • New Order (1983)   

Covered by: Señor Coconut y su conjunto (2000)   

Other key tracks: Autobahn (1974) • Radioactivity (1975) • Europe Endless (1977) • Showroom Dummies (1977) • Tour de France (1983)

Here is another act that I feel I should have gone out of my way to listen to before, but just never got around to it. This is also another song that you hear and try and imagine what it must have been liked first listening to it back in the 70s. This must have felt so ‘futuristic’ and forward thinking in terms of the sounds it used. That it was very legitimately about a train almost makes it better in some regards. There is that sense of lurching locomotion throughout, whilst the synthesiser going in and out in terms of volume was designed to mimic the Doppler Effect, further adding to the sense of movement.

447.      

‘Sweet Gene Vincent’, Ian Drury (1977)

Influenced by: Bluejean Bop • Gene Vincent (1956)   

Influence on: Oranges and Lemons Again • Suggs with Jools Holland & His Rhythm & Blues Orchestra (2001)  

Covered by: Robbie Williams (2001)   

Other key track: Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (1977)

My knowledge of Ian Drury is pretty limited outside of the ‘obvious’ songs, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect with this song. I definitely didn’t expect the slow opening, yet when things kicked into gear, everything fell into place a bit more. A song that – unsurprisingly – is an homage to Gene Vincent, it is a lively rocker with a playful tone to it. I like when UK artists keep their accent and though it meant the song had very little success outside of the UK, it is fun to hear Drury’s Estuary English accent recorded for posterity. A good song, nothing more, nothing less.

448.      

‘By This River’, Brian Eno (1977)

With vocals and keyboard only, this is a very minimalist song but is all the more effective for it. Apparently, Eno largely moved away from vocals during his work in the next decade, yet his voice is perfect for the atmosphere this song seems to be aiming for. The notes themselves feel upbeat when considered on their own, but as they fall together, it creates a melancholy atmosphere that is furthered by his forlorn sounding vocals. If anything, the song felt a little on the short side – I could have gone for a little more of it, that’s for sure.

[METALMAN]

Another three good ones, particularly Trans Europe Express. I listened to that tune on an overnight train from Zurich to Berlin last year and it worked perfectly. I love songs that evoke travelling and movement and TEE is the best for that. The entire album is wonderful.

Edited July 3, 2020 by metalman

[Malenko]

This is the only Ian Dury album I own. Everything he did since then is definitely not for me. To be fair, I don't even like this one that much apart from a few songs. I really like this song though.

 

One of my friends loves Kraftwerk. I visit often. As a result I've heard them a lot. It's not something I'd listen to for too long but I'm ok with the occasional song.

[GoGo Yubari]

Some assorted thoughts:

- I adore "New Rose." From an American perspective, The Damned are absolutely the major punk band that gets short shrift over here (Ramones/Sex Pistols/Clash are the defining three of that era for us), so I knew who they were but couldn't have told you a single song of theirs before I heard this via the book, and I loved this so much I picked up the album the moment I saw it in a store. Those pounding, surf-rock sounding drums, beautiful.

- The top tier of the Sex Pistols' songs are pretty phenomenal. Anarchy in the UK, God Save the Queen, Pretty Vacant, Holiday in the Sun, all wonderful. After that it falls off a lot for me but then, they don't exactly have the depth of catalogue that a lot of their peers do.

- "Trans Europe Express" is great! Probably tops "Autobahn' as my favorite Kraftwerk song, no surprise that both are basically doing the same thing, but for different types of transportation.

- "Sweet Gene Vincent" is good. I think off that album I like "My Old Man" the best, though "Sex & Drugs & Rock and Roll" is the only one that really has a fingerprint in the States. For a good reason though, it's also very good.

[VerbalPuke]

Really good trio here. Not as familiar with Brian Eno but like what I've heard. 

Fucking love Trans Europe Express, probably my favorite Kraftwerk song and is what really got me into them. That whole album is quite good. 

Ian Dury is great, that album is anyway. Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll is my top choice but the whole album is really top notch. 

[Liam]

449.      

‘Dum Dum Boys’, Iggy Pop (1977)

Considering I know Pop purely for his short, rocking numbers, I was surprised to see a seven minute tune of his crack this collection. This is a song that reminisces about the Stooges, three years after Pop had taken his leave from them. I’m not sure whether I’d have picked it out myself, but when it turns out that David Bowie produced and part-wrote the song, it feels very Bowie-esque, at least for my knowledge of this era of his work. The guitars may not be as noisy or frenetic as some of Pop’s earlier work, but the relatively simple tune that is generated creates a groovy soundscape for his bittersweet lyrics, whilst the effects and echoes add a little touch of sonic interest. Probably my favourite song of his to end up on the list so far.

450.      

‘Come è profondo il mare’, Lucio Dalla (1977)

I’ve included the music video that was recorded only a few years ago seemingly, yet I believe this is a cleaned up version of the original rather than some new recording based on Dallas’ age. The jaunty whistle gives way to a song that is actually about the melancholy he was feeling, the book describing it as a meditation on the human condition. If you didn’t know that, it would be hard to tell, especially when you factor in some choral backing at points and the spare instrumentation. Dallas’ voice is very expressive and it is as you listen that you can perhaps hear the frustration that the rest of the song doesn’t always hint at.

451.      

‘Ghost Rider’, Suicide (1977)

Inspired by the Marvel comic of the same name, this is what happened when a sculptor and a free-form Jazz musician came together to try and mix the sensibilities of the Strokes and Andy Warhol’s pop-art movement. The term ‘anti-music’ gets used and there is an argument that this singular reliance on the drum machine and a one note riff is trying to boil music down to its very essence, seeing what was capable with the simples of commodities. Bands like Depeche Mode and Radiohead cited these as an influence, but I think it says a lot that I’m much more interested in their take on this stylistic choice of music. Not a bad song by any means, just one that came and went for me.

[VerbalPuke]

Well, I love Suicide and Iggy Pop.

The Idiot is a really good album, its a pretty good departure from the Stooges material, but certainly still feels like Iggy. Night Clubbing was the first I heard from it due to Trainspotting.

I've liked Suicide a long while as well. I always had a thing for synthy stuff like this, Alan Vega was pretty wild from I've read. I probably like Rocket USA best on this album.

[Malenko]

I'm not a fan of the direction suicide took after the first album but I do like this album and song. There's a big 10 minute song in it called Frankie Teardrop. I may like it even more. The single Cheree, which I have to admit I'm surprised they didn't pick, is the one song in the album I don't care about.

As for Iggy, I'm more of a stooges guy personally, but I do like a lot of his stuff in between lust for life and zombie birdhouse. This album sounds different in my opinion than everything he did right after this. The next few albums sound a little bit more like the stooges and I like them more. Not the best of reasons, I guess, but it's the truth. 

 

Edited July 7, 2020 by Malenko

[gunnar hendershow]

I always have been fond of Suicide. Vega was in every sense of the word an artist and Suicide was just one of his outlets. Meanwhile, Martin Rev has had a long musical career doing basically everything you can do with music. Pretty amazing the two found each other. More amazing they were pushing out music like that in 1977. Bruce Springsteen pointed to them as a huge influence on his career, especially his "Nebraska" album. "State Trooper" is heavily influenced and maybe even borrows too much from "Frankie Teardrop" which is the song I consider Suicide's best. It remains haunting to this day.

Iggy Pop deserves all the praise he gets as well. I haven't listened to him as closely as I should in a very long while, but no matter what when I hear his music I quite enjoy it.

[METALMAN]

I’m not a huge Stooges fan but I like those two albums Iggy Pop did with David Bowie. If there was going to be something represented from them, The Idiot is great but Dum Dum Boys would be down towards the bottom of any notional list of favourite songs. What a strange choice.

[VerbalPuke]

2 hours ago, metalman said:

I’m not a huge Stooges fan but I like those two albums Iggy Pop did with David Bowie. If there was going to be something represented from them, The Idiot is great but Dum Dum Boys would be down towards the bottom of any notional list of favourite songs. What a strange choice.

I like it...but I mean Nightclubbing, Sister Midnight, and China Girl are all right there.

[Liam]

I think it must have been due to it being a reflection on his time with The Stooges, so had more autobiographical interest?

452.      

‘Orgasm Addict’, The Buzzcocks (1977)

Influenced by: I Can’t Control Myself • The Troggs (1966)   

Influence on: Uncontrollable Urge • Devo (1978)   

Covered by: Manic Hispanic (1992) • Momus (1996)   

Other key tracks: Boredom (1977) • What Do I Get (1978) • Everybody’s Happy Nowadays (1979)

Perhaps the strangest thematic subsection in music is that masturbation song. I hadn’t really thought too much about it, but there are quite a lot of songs about self pleasure and this is a very good example. Clocking in at just over two minutes, it is loud, raucous and very funny. Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t touched by the BBC and almost didn’t even get pressed due to its content. Still, this is a really good song irrelevant of the subject matter. In fact, as far as masturbation songs go, it is a stroke of genius and hard to beat…. I’ll see my way out.

453.      

‘Holidays in the Sun’, Sex Pistols (1977)

Influenced by: Chatterbox • New York Dolls (1974)   

Influence on: Good Times • Towers of London (2006)   

Covered by: The Bollock Brothers (1983) • Skid Row (1989) • Green Day (1997) • Hayseed Dixie (2007)   

Other key tracks: Satellite (1977) • Pretty Vacant (1977) • E.M.I. (1977)

I hadn’t expected more than two Sex Pistols songs on the list and this is definitely one that I haven’t heard before. It probably sits right in the middle of the other two in terms of my enjoyment, though perhaps I should be giving The Jam the credit since the main riff was stolen from ‘In The City’. This apparently led to a duel of headbutts between Sid Vicious and Paul Weller according to the book, which probably is the most exciting thing about this song. I don’t care too much for the vocals, but the crunchy guitar tone is at least enjoyable for someone who likes their music on the heavier side from time to time.

454.      

‘Peaches’, The Stranglers (1977)

Another for the ‘oh yeah, THAT song’ list. I had no idea what this was just looking at the title and the band name, but was instantly aware from the opening note. It also is another song that I don’t think I’ve ever had to listen to the whole way through, with the chorus being the main hook used…I’m guessing in films, TV and advertising? I’m not sure – it seems to be the only place I can imagine hearing this. A large debate about this song is whether the lead singer uses the word ‘clitoris’ or ‘clitares’, which may or may not be a French name for a swimsuit. Either way, this is a lot more talk/singy than I’d imagined heading in, though it is all about the simple yet addictive bass line anyway. That’s what makes this song ‘work’.

[Malenko]

I love all of these. I'll listen to them now as I always do, but this time felt like commenting beforehand because I guess I'm happy with what's coming.

I'm very surprised it's your first time listening to Holidays in the Sun. I understand most of their songs you'd know only if you're a fan or if you are around the punk scene in one way or another, but Anarchy in the UK, Pretty Vacant, God Save the Queen and Holidays in the Sun, are just songs that pop up in the radio at random times (although, obviously more often in Rock Radio Stations).

[METALMAN]

Orgasm Addict is good. I forget about the Buzzcocks quite a lot. They had a number of good tunes.

Holidays in the Sun is good, sure, but it's really weird to have three Sex Pistols songs in the book. I mean, I know they were significant, but gee whiz. Not to mention that if you were going for a Sex Pistols threesome it really should be Pretty Vacant joining Anarchy and GSTQ.

Peaches has a good groove. I've not really listened to the Stranglers outside their big three songs (this one, Gordon Brown and NMH) but maybe I should listen to more. People say good things about them.

[Liam]

455.      

‘Ram Jam’, Black Betty (1977)

This is one of those songs where I feel what it brings to the table is pretty self-evident. Lyrics to singalong to? Check. Loud guitar to enjoy? Check. Hooky drum work? Check. It is at its best when it isn’t necessarily trying too hard to do anything outside of the ordinary – the solo in the middle is good, just the move into it halts the momentum of the song in my opinion. Dumb and loud – just the way it should be.

456.      

‘Born For A Purpose’, Dr. Alimantado and The Rebels (1977)

Recorded in 1977, but not released on an album until 1981, this song came about when Alimantado was recovering having been run over by a bus on Boxing Day 1976 – an incident that may have been due to his deadlocks as they were frowned down upon in Jamaica. Lyrically and musically, this is a very good song. The sense of not wanting someone to determine what you do with your life made Alimantado an inspiration in the UK punk scene of all places, whilst the understated musical accompaniment rolls along, providing a percussive sound that makes you want to move your body. Alimantado’s vocals are also very good – he has a melodic delivery that is easy on the ear.

457.       

‘Zombie’, Fela Kuti and Africa 70 (1977)

It took a brave man in Nigeria during this time period to ridicule the military, yet that was what Fela Kuti chose to do with this twelve minute song. The backlash was ridiculous: he was beaten up, his mother was murdered, and his studio was destroyed. However, it served some purpose as it inspired rising up in other areas of Africa, such as Ghana. Kuti was a saxophonist so responsible for the jagged rhythms that carry the song, whilst it was the lyrics that were designed to make the army seem foolish. The biggest affront was that some of this mocking came from women as the backing singers chanted ‘Zombie’. This isn’t really my jam at all, but I can definitely see why it is here and it isn’t a bad tune by any means.

458.      

‘Wuthering Heights’, Kate Bush (1977)

Influenced by: A Really Good Time • Roxy Music (1974)   

Influence on: Silent All These Years • Tori Amos (1991)   

Covered by: Pat Benatar (1980) • White Flag (1992) • Angra (1993) • James Reyne (2000) • The Puppini Sisters (2006) • Hayley Westenra (2006)

The book makes the point I was going to make immediately – this is as eye opening or startling as any Sex Pistols or the other groundbreaking acts that came about in this year, but in a very different way of course. Bush was only nineteen when she released this song and became the first British female to top the chart with a self-penned song. The real hook is her high pitched wail, which apparently was her trying to embody the role of the book heroine, a book that she didn’t even particularly care for. This feels over the top in all the best ways and is a hard song for me personally not to enjoy.

459.      

‘Uptown Ranking’, Althea and Donna (1977)

There is a swagger throughout this song that makes it hard not to enjoy. Streetwise patois adds to that feeling of ‘cool’ that emanates from every moment of the tune. It was rare – based on this list at least – to have lyrics from women that prominently featured them talking themselves up in some fashion, or showing off about how they looked and what they wore. This appealed to enough people to go to number 1 in the UK which is the least it deserved.

460.      

‘I Feel Love’, Donna Summer (1977)

A controversial song as it took disco away from its African-American soul and funk roots, this was one of the first noteworthy tunes that had a completely synthesised backing track. This feels like the perfect amalgamation of a musical world that were still enthralled by disco but had just had bands like Kraftwerk rock up to the party. Whether people liked the removal of the human element to the backing track, it is hard to argue that the synthesised melodies don’t create a pulsating and busy background which Summer’s clear vocals laid on top. Making up the ‘Future’ section of her album ‘I Remember Yesterday’, Summer was pretty much spot on as we headed into the 80s.

[METALMAN]

Zombie and Uptown Top Ranking are both amazing!

Here is Abs from 5ive sampling the latter

 

[GoGo Yubari]

Belatedly, huh. I completely forgot "Holidays in the Sun" was in there. Concur with the sentiment that it's good but the Sex Pistols having three songs in the book is a little silly.

Try as I might, "Wuthering Heights" has never worked for me. Like, it's adjacent to so much music I love but every time I've actually tried to listen to it I'm just left feeling absolutely nothing. I feel like once a year I go back to it like "oh, is this the time?" and no, not this time. It is to music as Carol is to movies for me; a lot of people whose opinions I deeply respect revere it and I'm glad they like it but it just isn't registering for me.

"Uptown Top Ranking" rules. There's this effortlessness to it, like it could be a song you might have just heard a couple teens singing walking down the street and never heard again, but it's a #1 single.

"I Feel Love" is tremendous too. The synthesized backing music works perfectly, I don't think I'd like that song as much without that that slightly alienating effect to it.