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

[Skummy]

Not a lot to say about the last list, but I love Dub Be Good To Me. Guns of Brixton is already my all-time favourite bassline, and that track just manages to give it an extra little groove.

Echo a lot of other thoughts on TMBG; they're adjacent to a lot of American nerd culture stuff that I find irritating or a bit desperate, so it took me too long to get into them. Birdhouse is a masterpiece, though, as is pretty much everything on Flood.

[DFF]

17 hours ago, Bobfoc said:

Screaming for Vengeance, British Steel and Painkiller are all about equal for me. I actually think the albums Ripper Owens sang on are a tad underrated too.

I rate all of those listed, but the first of the Ripper albums was dreadful. Didn't mind the second one though. 

[Bobfoc]

2 hours ago, DFF said:

I rate all of those listed, but the first of the Ripper albums was dreadful. Didn't mind the second one though. 

That's fair, actually. The Ripper songs I like are on Demolition.

[METALMAN]

7 hours ago, Skummy said:

they're adjacent to a lot of American nerd culture stuff that I find irritating or a bit desperate

this is what I should have just said instead of going on a deranged rant about that stupid Istanbul song.

[Liam]

736.      

‘Kool Thing’, Sonic Youth (1990)

 Influenced by: Femme Fatale • The Velvet Undergound & Nico (1969)   

Influence on: Swimsuit Issue • Sonic Youth (1992)   

Covered by: Steve Wynn (1991) • Tub Ring (2004)   

Other key tracks: Expressway to Yr. Skull (1986) • Teen Age Riot (1988) • The Sprawl (1988) • Dirty Boots (1990)

I was expecting myself to have heard this song before for some reason…I couldn’t have been more wrong. This is an interesting track primarily because it saw Sonic Youth team up with Chuck D of Public Enemy, apparently one of those ‘right place, right time’ moments. This was the closest the band came to something approximating mainstream acceptance according to the book, though this was somewhat at odds with the music they had been churning out the years previous. This is good-ish, but doesn’t inspire much more than that from me if I’m being completely honest.

737.      

‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’, Saint Etienne (1990)

I’m a big fan of the original Neil Young song, but this couldn’t really be further from it. However, a sound that you don’t think necessarily should work on that song genuinely does. A blissed out dance vibe is almost creepy in its deployment, whilst things kick a little more into gear towards the second half to liven up what might otherwise become a song that outstays its welcome.

738.      

‘Crazy’, Seal (1990)

Influenced by: The Wind Cries Mary • The Jimi Hendrix Experience (1967)   

Influence on: Space Cowboy • Jamiroquai (1994)   

Covered by: Talisman (1996) • Iron Savior (2002) • Mushroomhead (2003) • Alanis Morissette (2005) • Helena Paparizou (2006)

This is a personal favourite from my youth. The more I get to listen to songs from around this period, the clearer the influence of dance music and the like on pop music, something that I believe you can really hear in ‘Crazy’. Seal has a great, husky voice, whilst the lyrics, especially of the chorus, can be empathised with. This is also a tune that I probably didn’t realise had a lot more going on than it seemed when I first listened to it. The production makes everything feel lush.

739.      

‘Mustt Mustt (Lost In His Work)’, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (1990)

Qawwali is a blend of Islamic (Sufi) poetry and Hindustani music. Khan supported such fusion because, in the Qur’an, Allah is said to favor diversity—and Khan considered music the best way to celebrate this. He had already updated qawwali, speeding up and shortening traditional pieces that could last up to an hour and were performed with just harmonium, drums, and chorus vocals. “Musst Musst” (“intoxicated” or “high”) features a West African djembe drum, funky bass, and electric guitars. Over this, Khan recites Urdu poetry and improvises in his trademark wordless style, similar to scat.

I enjoyed it.

740.      

‘Diaraby Nene’, Oumou Sangare (1990)

A Malian woman singing openly and honestly about female desire? Unsurprisingly, this was quite a controversial song at this time. The quick hi-hat driven tempo is simple, yet quite entrancing, whilst Sangare herself has an enjoyable, soulful quality to her vocals with the occasional moments in which she lets loose to really show her power. It is never really going to be ‘my bag’, per se, but a pleasant addition to the list.

[METALMAN]

Kool Thing is pretty good. I like Sonic Youth but I'm not really good at picking out individual tunes. They're all good as a package though. I thought we might have got something from them a bit earlier but if you're gonna have one of their songs in this one makes sense I guess.

I really like the Neil Young original and this is a nice cover too.

I'd heard Crazy before but had no idea it was Seal. I like this song. I've got to admit I quite like this adult contemporary MOR rnb type music you got around this period.

Nusret Fatah Ali Khan and Oumou Sangaré I know and like, but I'd never heard of any of these songs. I like their music but don't really know enough or have enough familiarity to say which songs are better than others, but I like the feel of them.

First time I've liked everything in a set for a while, pretty good stuff!

[Colly]

Just on Seal have we had Killer by Adamski? Because if not this list is nonsense.

[VerbalPuke]

Kool Thing is the right choice for Sonic Youth. I adore them, I remember being enamored with them at an early age since they had been featured on Beavis and Butthead. Goo is a really good album which Kool Thing is on, really love the guitar work throughout. I could have seen Teenage Riot from Daydream Nation make it which is probably their finest stuff but glad they're here anyway.

[Liam]

741.      

‘1952 Vincent Black Lightning’, Richard Thompson (1991)

I’m not entirely sure why this is here. It is a decent enough singer songwriter style song, with some nice acoustic guitar work and a story of a man who – in trying to woe Red Molly – ends up crashing his motorbike and dying. If the book is anything to go by, this seems to be as much because of the narrative. Apparently it links to the style of stories expected of the British ballad style, James Adie the main character a classic antihero. Ok, but that isn’t really enough for me.

742.      

‘Balada Conducatorolui’, Taraf de Haïdouks (1991)

This one at least makes a bit more sense. With Western music banned behind the Iron Curtain, many ancient music styles were preserved. The band’s name translated to ‘band of outlaws’; the name of the song, to ‘ballad of the dictator’. The song tells about the overthrow of the tyrant, though the most interesting thing for me is the grinding noise that is in the introduction and repeated throughout. Apparently this was created by tugging horse’s hair on the violin’s strings. Never have I heard a more disconcerting noise.

743.      

‘Calling All Angels’, Jane Siberry with k.d. lang (1991)

Sometimes, a song just isn’t really for you. I can appreciate Siberry’s vocals, the arguable beauty of the guitar work, and lang’s additional work, but I don’t particularly like the song. I keep waiting for it to kick into something more than what it is, yet it never quite gets there. The sum of the parts doesn’t create the engaging whole that I might have been expecting, though I can definitely see the appeal.

744.      

‘I Can’t Make You Love Me’, Bonnie Raitt (1991)

This is more like it for me. Though it doesn’t necessarily offer anything over and above the previous song in terms of quality, there is something about the combination of the vocals and the piano accompaniment that works for me. Perhaps it is easier to empathise with an unrequited love song? The vocals were done in one take as Raitt declared that she couldn’t summon up the necessary emotion more than once – to be fair, she pretty much blasted it out of the park. Weary, sad, loved up; it all comes together across the course of the song.

745.      

‘Jesus Built My Hotrod’, Ministry (1991)

Influenced by: Surfin’ Bird • The Trashmen (1963)   

Influence on: Some Dispute Over T-Shirt Sales • Butthole Surfers (1993)   

Covered by: Shining (1999) • The BossHoss (2006)   

Other key tracks: TV Song (1991) • N.W.O. (1991) • Just One Fix (1991)

I’ve never listened to as much Ministry as I feel I should have done, though what I have heard has never really inspired me to want to check out their back catalogue. That industrial sound is one that I can take or leave depending on who is doing it if I’m being honest. This is pretty batshit insane, that’s easy enough to point at, as the driving drums and guitar are accompanied by bug-eyed vocals by Gibby Haynes from Butthole Surfers. What makes this an interesting slice of music is how you can hear the pop elements, they are just completely overridden by all the other weirdness going on over the top. It isn’t a mind change for me, but it is decent, I’ll give it that.

[Skummy]

I love that Richard Thompson song, but have no idea why it's made this list. 

My Ministry phase ended years ago, and I haven't felt the need to listen to them since, but that's a banger all the same.

No real thoughts on the rest, seems a strange list, this one. My Dad likes Bonnie Raitt.

[Hobo]

I like Bonnie Raitt.

Am I Skummy's dad?

[VerbalPuke]

I like Ministry, but don't love them. Some of their stuff is great, some of it is a miss, that's a pretty solid album all around. I think I liked their work with Jello Biafra and Lard better than actual Ministry. 

[METALMAN]

I love Richard Thompson, Fairport Convention etc but I’ve never listened to that one, I’ve mostly kept to the 70s. But it’s a good song and nice to see it here!

[Liam]

746.      

‘No More Tears’, Ozzy Osbourne (1991)

Influenced by: I Am the Walrus • The Beatles (1967)   

Influence on: No More Tears • Darrell Deese (2008)   

Covered by: Black Label Society (1999) • Shaaman (2006)   

Other key tracks: Crazy Train (1980) • I Don’t Know (1980) • Diary of a Madman (1981)

Ozzy’s solo stuff has never appealed to me really. While I don’t mind the overly anthemic nature of the heavy metal furrow he chose to plough, I am just not a huge fan of his vocals. What worked for Black Sabbath when they were left to their own devices is not something I particularly enjoy when produced in the manner that we saw for his solo work. What that means for this song is that I quite like the stuff around it, yet as vocals and lyrics are the meat and veg of my enjoyment of music, I don’t particularly care for it as a whole. The breakdown in the middle is the highlight for me.

747.      

‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’, Nirvana (1991)

Influenced by: More Than a Feeling • Boston (1976)   

Influence on: I’ll Do Anything • Courtney Love (2004)   

Covered by: Tori Amos (1992) • Xorcist (1993) • The Flying Pickets (1994) • J.B.O. (1995) • Beki Bondage (2000) • Blanks 77 (2000) • Melvins (2000) • Willie Nelson (2001) • Paul Anka (2005)

What can you really say about this? It is a mammoth tune that changed music for the better or worse depending on your stance on the brand of music Nirvana were peddling. I don’t really know anyone who classes this song as the best one by Nirvana – a case of diminishing returns due to overplay, I’m sure – but it is an absolute barnstormer of a song. Taking the quiet/loud dynamic shift of some of the other bands who have already been on the list, but absolutely nailing the pop sensibilities, created everything that still make Nirvana a worthwhile listen today.

748.      

‘Summertime’, DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince

 Influenced by: Summer Madness • Kool & The Gang (1975)

Influence on: Summertime • Kenny Chesney (2005)  

Covered by: The Wipeouts (2007)   

Other key tracks: Parents Just Don’t Understand (1988) • You Saw My Blinker (1991)

It is funny to see the different ways in which rap was beginning to branch off at the turn of the decade. Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince were very much not a part of the gangster rap style that was peddled by NWA, yet their radio and public-at-large friendly take on the genre has made them and this a staple of many a music compilation. It lacks a bit of depth for me really, but that isn’t what it is trying to do. It offers an alternative from that which was out there at the time.

749.      

‘Give It Away’, Red Hot Chilli Peppers (1991)

Influenced by: Loopzilla • George Clinton (1982)   Influence on: What I Got • M.I.A. (2008)

 Covered by: Bjørn Berge (2002)   

Other key tracks: Under the Bridge (1991) • Soul to Squeeze (1991) • Suck My Kiss (1991) • Californication (1999) • By the Way (2002) • Snow (Hey Oh) (2006)

There is an argument to be hard that the Red Hot Chilli Peppers had one good album. That isn’t to say I haven’t enjoyed other work down by them, but the first four albums were pretty naff funk, before the albums after this moved towards the poppier side of things and offered diminishing returns on that style. bloodsugarsexmagik was ultimately the album were they managed to take their ideas about funk, rock and pop and create a legitimate banger. Give It Away is one of the best songs on the album and is probably the best representation of what RHCP could offer when everything was firing on all cylinders.

750.      

‘One’, U2 (1991)

Influenced by: The Cross • Prince (1987)   

Influence on: Yellow • Coldplay (2000)   

Covered by: Information Society (1999) • Johnny Cash (2000) • Warren Haynes (2004) • Joe Cocker (2004) • Cowboy Junkies (2005) • Professional Murder Music (2005) • Keziah Jones (2008)

I’ve already spent time talking about U2 and how I think they are unfairly judged at times. However, I’m really not as big a fan of this song as some people are. It almost feels like an ‘Imagine’-style song – one that gets on the list because of what could be considered as controversial or challenging lyrical ideas placed in what were otherwise pop songs. I mean, I probably prefer this to ‘Imagine’, but the band has many other songs that are just better. Simple really.

[Hobo]

My first exposure to Smells Like Teen Spirit was The Flying Pickets cover. So for a long time I only knew an accapella version. I was never hugely interested in Nirvana that much either. It's a good song though.

Same with RHCP actually. I knew the flying pickets cover of Under The Bridge before I heard theirs. Generally not too moved by them overall either.

I think I have mostly listened to Johnny Cash's cover of "One" than the original. U2 are fine. They can be a bit much for me.

[apsham]

I like Joe Cocker's version of One. That is all.

 

[GoGo Yubari]

"Summertime" is so good. Admittedly a big part of what's doing the heavy lifting is the "Summer Madness" sample but I think the hook and Will Smith's laid-back, incredibly simple flow really enhance it as well. It's a song I want to hear all the time in July and August and only then, feels wrong hearing it any other time. A vital part of the Song of the Summer canon, maybe even the centerpiece.

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" is very good. Does what it's meant to. Definitely think it's a little too big to touch, though, especially being from Seattle. Like, I agree that if you're into Nirvana your favorite Nirvana song is invariably something else (for me it's "About a Girl" by a mile, followed by "In Bloom").

"Give It Away" is good. This is definitely the sweet spot for RHCP, even if I like some of their stuff that comes after this point.

[METALMAN]

I think I'm with Liam when it comes to Ozzy Osbourne solo. This isn't a bad song but it's not great either.

Smells Like Teen Spirit is obviously excellent. Took the style of those late 80s American alt-rock bands and made it shinier, brighter, poppier, and better.

The sample is what makes Summertime. It's great.

Similarly, Give It Away has such a good groove that it doesn't really matter what inane nonsense Anthony Kiedis is spewing over the top. Good song.

I can understand why people revere One so much. It is very anthem. But not for me thanks. I don't think it is bad or anything. Merely okay.

[Liam]

751.      

‘Losing My Religion’, R.E.M. (1991)

Influenced by: Every Breath You Take • The Police (1983)   

Influence on: We Both Go Down Together • The Decemberists (2005)   

Covered by: Tori Amos (1995) • Rozalla (1995) • Swan Dive (1997) • Scary Kids Scaring Kids (2006)

There are certain songs where, even though you would probably argue that the band has songs that you enjoy more, it is clear that it is their best song. ‘Everybody Hurts’ could make the claim for R.E.M., though I think it is hard to argue against ‘Losing My Religion’. Driven by a mandolin of all instruments, this was the song that sent the band into the stratosphere. Apparently this was played by Peter Buck at his home one evening, but it was only when he listened back to his recordings the next day that he realised what he had. A song that makes you want to sing along from start to finish.

752.      

‘Life Is A Highway’, Tom Cochrane (1991)

Sometimes songs are just fun. ‘Life Is A Highway’ is that. Catchy, big and dumb, it is a road song that gets lodged in your head. I don’t really have much else to say. Enjoy it.

753.      

‘Always On The Run’, Lenny Kravitz (1991)

I know he isn’t one, but I’ve always largely forgotten about everything else Lenny Kravitz to the point where he is almost a one hit wonder to me (‘Fly Away’ getting that honour). I’m not entirely sure why Kravitz hasn’t ever clicked with me beyond that. The component parts are there: wailing guitar, strong vocals, some soul, but I’m often left fairly nonplussed. To give the song its due, this is pretty good and is a proper strutting rock song. Slash was the guitarist and came up with the riffs; multitalented Kravitz did everything else pretty much.

754.      

‘Treaty’, Yothu Yindi (1991)

Influenced by: Black Boy • Coloured Stone (1984)   

Influence on: Celebrate • Christine Anu (2000)   

Other key tracks: Djäpana (Sunset Dreaming) (1991) • Yolngu Boy (1991) • My Kind of Life (1991) • It’s Okay (One Blood) (2006)

It’s another Australian offering, so I can immediately suggest that its inclusion could be up for debate. To give this one credit, it deserves recognition for its stated aims as much as anything else: raising awareness of the Aboriginal plight and a call to recognise their land rights. Mixing classic Aboriginal instruments and lyrics in Gumatj, this was a success both locally and internationally. It will never really be my cup of tea, but there is a rousing atmosphere that it creates – coupled with the reason for its production – that I can get behind.

755.      

‘Unfinished Sympathy’, Massive Attack (1991)

Influenced by: Back to Life (However Do You Want Me) • Soul II Soul (1989)   

Influence on: Play Dead • Björk (1993)  

Covered by: Tina Turner (1996)  

Other key tracks: Daydreaming (1991) • Safe from Harm (1991) • One Love (1991) • Protection (1995)

This is probably my favourite song that I forget exists. This is perhaps damning with faint praise, but Massive Attack aren’t really in keeping with a lot of my musical tastes. However, this song (alongside ‘Teardrop’) is a certifiable banger. Symphonic with the yearning vocals of Shara Nelson, so much is going on but with such effortless and subtle touches. Samples, scratching, strings: everything lays a great foundation for Nelson to emote over. Just a joy to listen to every couple of years when I remember it exists.

[RPS]

It just dawned on me that we are passed 1990 and we did not get a single song off Amerikkka's Most Wanted. How is that possible? 

The video for Losing my Religion is synonymous with the song for me. When I hear the song, I visualize the video in my head. The song and the video are both remarkable. I really enjoy the song and think it is top notch, but to me the special part of the song is the video.