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

[gunnar hendershow]

"Dear Mama" is a good 2Pac song and a strong inclusion based on his body work. "Brooklyn's Finest" is like the 6th best song off Reasonable Doubt, barely a top 25 Biggie song as well as Jay song. Seems like an incredibly lazy way to cross two names off their "we need these guys on the list somewhere" rule.

"Dead Presidents" crosses off every box, is a major part in one of the biggest hip-hop feuds, and remains an extremely good song and representative of the heights that Jay-Z has been able to reach as an MC. "Brooklyn's Finest" is two guys getting together who did much, MUCH, better stuff on their own.

[Liam]

836.      

'Novocaine for the Soul’, Eels (1996)

Influenced by: The Tears of a Clown • Smokey Robinson & The Miracles (1967)   

Influence on: Your Woman • White Town (1997)   

Covered by: The Moog Cookbook (2005)   

Other key tracks: Fucker (1996) • My Beloved Monster (1996) • Cancer for the Cure (1998)

This was released during the time I remember first getting into music, or at least music beyond what I heard on the radio from my Mum and Dad. This was a song I recall being played on Top of the Pops and me thinking it was strange, but also alluring. I think that if you like this slow, meandering, indie sound, you’ll like this song a lot. It is just as likely that someone will find it boring. Mainly melancholy but with an oddly uplifting feeling that the book pinpoints, it deserves some plaudits for breaking out at a time when this style of music didn’t really shift records en masse.

837.      

'Ready or Not', The Fugees (1996)

Influenced by: Ready or Not Here I Come (Can’t Hide from Love) • The Delfonics (1968)   

Influence on: I Don’t Wanna Know • Mario Winans featuring Enya & P. Diddy (2004)  

Covered by: The Course (1997)

There are songs, irrelevant of genre and your own personal tastes, where you can enjoy the talent on show. For me, Lauryn Hill is an artist that I have very little interest of digging further into, but she has an undeniably cracking voice. This was also shortly before a window of Wyclef mainstream success that I particularly enjoyed, so this song has a lot going for it. Brooding and menacing, yet with Hill’s sultry delivery of the chorus adding another layer – this song is fire.

838.      

'Firestarter', Prodigy (1996)

Music is subjective. Obviously. However, I don’t quite get how people can’t find something redeeming in Prodigy. Energetic and loud, yet with an undeniably catchy underlying sound, they are by no means my favourite band, but I am rarely if ever disappointed when I throw a song of theirs on. This may not be my favourite song by them – I’m partial to ‘Out of Space’ – yet it is an absolute classic of this era.

839.      

‘Professional Widow (Armand Van Helden’s Star Trunk Remix)’, Tori Amos (1996)

CHOON! Simple really.

PS: Van Helden wanted to do a remix, Amos agreed only if it was completely different to the original. He nailed that. There you go.

840.     

'Nancy Boy', Placebo (1996)

Influenced by: Disappearer • Sonic Youth (1990)   

Influence on: Underdog • Kasabian (2009)   

Covered by: Norwegian Celery Farmers (2001)   

Other key tracks: Slackerbitch (1996) • Eyesight to the Blind (1996) • Miss Moneypenny (1996) • Teenage Angst (1996) • 36 Degrees (1996)

I’ve had different bands that I consider the most underrated or underappreciated bands of all time, but as I get a bit older, Placebo sits pretty high up that list. That isn’t to say they don’t have a sizeable following, more that they have so many good songs and singles and I forget how good they can be. Seeing them live several years ago as part of a festival, every song was another ‘Oh yeah, what an absolute tune’ moment. I get them putting this song on the list over some of their better songs – partial to Every Me, Every You or Special K – though it is interesting that Molko himself wasn’t a huge fan of the song compared to the rest of their back catalogue.

Edited January 14, 2021 by Liam

[Skummy]

Phenomenal list. 

Eels are fantastic, and just really mix "depressing" content with jaunty tunes and are consistently interesting and offbeat without ever sounding gimmicky.

"Ready Or Not" might be one of my favourite songs ever, just an absolute masterpiece. Lauryn Hill carries a lot of it, but it's still an ensemble piece, and I love it.

I've never been the biggest Prodigy fan, but can't deny the importance of "Firestarter" at all.

Tori Amos was a really teen angst artist of mine, so this version of Professional Widow never really fit in with my experience of music, though I grew to love it beyond the context I normally listened to her music in. I was once in an awful generic pop dance music club many years ago, and absolutely lost my shit when it unexpectedly came on. It's great.

Speaking of teen angst, here's Placebo. A lot of their stuff is almost embarrassingly on the nose, but they had a run of absolutely fantastic singles, and Nancy Boy is one of them. Back when we were allowed in pubs, I'd quite often put Placebo on for the drunken walk home, and it made me feel like I was a 16 year old goth kid again.

[GA!]

Fun fact: 'Firestarter' is one of the first popular songs I fully heard and comprehended when I was younger as I spent the 90s struggling with deafness.

Well, not that fun.

[Colly]

I've not even heard of 3 of the songs on the 'see other' list for Placebo. I might have to investigate why.

[METALMAN]

Oh things have picked up now.

Ready Or Not is a really good tune. I actually don't know that many other Fugees ones (although I like the first Lauryn Hill album) but this one is a top tune.

I'm not overly keen on the Prodigy. They need to chill out a bit. In any case they deserve to have something in the book, and it might as well be Firestarter. It's pretty good when I'm in the mood for it.

Nancy Boy is really good. It's also the only Placebo song I know particularly well.

I had no idea that song was Tori Amos! I know it's a remix and all, but it's not the sort of music I'd associate her with (tbf I don't actually know Tori Amos at all well). Anyway it's a belter.

Novocaine for the Soul is good too. It's one of two Eels songs I know, along with that one from Shrek. 

 

[Colly]

4 hours ago, Colly said:

I've not even heard of 3 of the songs on the 'see other' list for Placebo. I might have to investigate why.

3 of them were Nancy Boy b-sides. Seems a bit weird, they had a decent number of hits.

[METALMAN]

11 minutes ago, Colly said:

Nancy Boy

You’re not allowed to say that these days 

[Liam]

841.      

‘Devil’s Haircut’, Beck (1996)

Influenced by: I Can Only Give You Everything • Them (1966)   

Influence on: Legend of a Cowgirl • Imani Coppola (1997)   

Covered by: Doug Munro’s Big Boss Bossa Nova (2007)

Probably shouldn’t surprise me that the only other song outside of ‘Loser’ by Beck might be the one that ends up on the list. This is admittedly from the one album I know, ‘Odelay’, and is probably a ‘better’ song than loser in terms of what it tries to do and the ambition shown between the pop sensibilities and the various other influences. Sometimes the list throws up a good song, you think ‘that’s a good song’, and then you go back to not thinking about it much in your year to year existence. That is this song.

842.      

‘I’ll Be There For You…’, Method Man featuring Mary J. Blige (1996)

A rare Wu-Tang Clan-adjacent love song, this was a song that it took me a moment to remember, but when it kicks in, it is a real banger. Apparently an attempt by Def Jam’s chief executive to get Method Man more mainstream and higher profile, the idea to link him up with Blige is excellent. There is almost a creepiness to the underlying tone of the song, possibly due to the use of reverb of the vocals at points, whilst the rapping isn’t my thing but works perfectly within this setting. The layering of two different styles creates a haunting love song and one that I really enjoy.

843.      

‘The Beautiful People’, Marilyn Manson (1996)

A few entries ago, I talked about how I didn’t get people who weren’t at least a bit into what Prodigy had to offer. Whilst I won’t say the same for Marilyn Manson, this window of his work hit the happy middle ground between being noisy and being accessible, to the point where I think it is hard not to enjoy songs like ‘The Beautiful People’ just a little bit. It is big, dumb and full of… but it is a storming rock tune for my money. The fact that my Dad liked it probably is the exact reason why people didn’t always like Manson – nothing is less cool than music your Mum and Dad might like – yet this delivers what it sets out to: an pumping, aggressive rock song.

844.      

‘Criminal’, Fiona Apple (1996)

Influenced by: Stoned Soul Picnic • Laura Nyro (1968)   

Influence on: Miniature Disasters • KT Tunstall (2005)   

Covered by: Amazing Transparent Man (2003) • Natalie Cole (2006)   

Other key tracks: Sleep to Dream (1996) • Slow Like Honey (1996) • Shadowboxer (1996)

What impresses me the most about this song is how young Apple was when she released it. She was just 18, yet everything sounds so fully realised in terms of her musical direction and the sound she wanted to create. It probably explains why she is still kicking around 24 years later, rather than being a teenage one hit and done type like many others. It doesn’t set my world alight necessarily, yet the use of the word ‘belter’ in the book does summarise my thoughts pretty accurately.

845.      

‘Crash Into Me’, Dave Matthews Band (1996)

Influenced by: Willow • Joan Armatrading (1977)   

Influence on: Why Georgia • John Mayer (2001)  

Covered by: Stevie Nicks (2005)   

Other key tracks: Ants Marching (1994) • So Much to Say (1996) • Christmas Song (1996) • Proudest Monkey (1996) • Say Goodbye (1996)

I’ve not heard a lot of Dave Matthews Band, but what I have heard makes me think I’d have liked them at a certain point and age in time. Back during a time when I was listening to The Goo Goo Dolls, Matchbox 20, Live…that type of music. However, this doesn’t do a lot for me now. I can hear the appeal, whilst the lyrics are interesting and somewhat at odds with the tone of the music, yet it is just all a bit meandering. There’s skill here, of course there is, just not something I care for really.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Criminal and The Beautiful People being 1996 breaks my brain.

[METALMAN]

Why the hell are there two Beck songs in this book? Devil's Haircut is better than Loser but it's still not very good.

I don't think I've heard this Method Man and Mary J Blige one before but.I liked it.

I think Liam is bang on with his assessment of Beautiful People. It's a bit shit but there's still a lot to like about it.

I've listened to Fiona Apple's first album a couple of times and while it was by no means bad nothing was particularly memorable. So I know for a fact I've heard Criminal before but I just can't remember it. It's fine but this song doesn't really go anywhere.

I've never knowingly listened to the Dave Matthews Band before I played this song. It kinda sounds like what I'd expect the Dave Matthews Band to sound like. Lame.

 

Fucking 90s eh. Just wait until the inevitable Neutral Milk Hotel placement and I'll really blow a gasket.

[Liam]

...I like Neutral Milk Hotel.

[METALMAN]

[Liam]

846.      

‘On & On’, Erykah Badu (1996)  

Influenced by: Fine and Mellow • Billie Holiday (1939)   

Influence on: A Long Walk • Jill Scott (2002)   

Other key tracks: Otherside of the Game (1996) • Next Lifetime (1996) • 4 Leaf Clover (1996) • Appletree (1996) • No Love (1996) • Sometimes . . . (1996) • Bag Lady (2000) • Soldier (2008) • Honey (2008)

I’ve never seen an ‘Other Key Tracks’ list as long as this one, which probably speaks to Badu’s enduring involvement in the music industry. However, I can’t say for definite that I’ve ever heard anything by her until today. The book talks about this early entry being an example of neo-soul, and it certainly is smooth in a way that a lot of the other R&B and pop starlets weren’t quite doing at this time. Possibly a little bit too laid back for me; I kept waiting for things to kick in just a bit more than it ever did. Badu has a lovely voice to give her credit, but the style of music doesn’t overly excite me.

847.      

‘Woo-Hah!! Got You All In Check’, Busta Rhymes (1996)

Influenced by: Space • Galt MacDermot (1973)   

Influence on: Tribute • Nonpoint (2000)  

Covered by: DJ Sega (2008)   

Other key tracks: The Finish Line (1996) • Flipmode Squad Meets Def Squad (1996) • Everything Remains Raw (1996) • Hot Fudge (1996) • Dangerous (1997)

I remember being a ‘fan’ of Busta Rhymes in the way that only a white teenage boy can be: enjoying his more commercial work without really digging back through his back catalogue or history. I’ve always liked the sound of Rhymes’ rapping as he has a very recognisable flow and there is a bassiness and aggression that makes what he says sound cool. The quirkiness of this early offering from Rhymes comes mainly a take on a soundtrack from a 70s film called Woman is Sweeter. What it does is allow Rhymes to be the star, and he steps up and does just that. He is a hard man to ignore, full of energy and vigour even this early on.

848.      

‘No Diggity’, Blackstreet featuring Dr. Dre (1996)

You sometimes wonder whether you misjudge songs when you make sweeping statements about songs, but I honestly don’t think I know anyone who dislikes this song. A mix of rap, R&B and with music sampled from a gospel song, it all works. In a song about a temptress of sorts, the raps add that grittier urban feel, whilst Blackstreet offer up the soulful undertone to everything. The piano in particular is something that I think, for people of a certain age, you could play and they’d be able to place the song and the mostly positive memories I assume come alongside it. Absolute tune.

849.      

‘Woke Up This Morning’, Alabama 3 (1997)

I think it is easy enough to suggest that this is on the list due to its involvement with ‘The Sopranos’ more so than any real musical merit. I mean, it is perfect for the TV show and convinced the producers to stick to one song throughout the whole series, so did enough to impress those in a position of power. What I find somewhat funny is that they were based in London and largely the brainchild of someone from Wales and someone from Scotland. Not exactly what you might expect given the providence of the sound.

850.      

‘Block Rockin’ Beats’, The Chemical Brothers (1997)

Influenced by: Coup • 23 Skidoo (1983)   

Influence on: Gangster Trippin’ • Fatboy Slim (1998)  

Covered by: DJ Sundance (2007)   

Other key tracks: Leave Home (1995) • Song to the Siren (1995) • Life Is Sweet (1995) • The Private Psychedelic Reel (1997) • Hey Boy Hey Girl (1999)

Sometimes you may not like a genre particularly, but one band or artists stands above the parapet. For me, The Chemical Brothers, though peddling a style of music I largely don’t care for, are excellent. There is often a vitality and urgency to their music that I like and whilst this isn’t my favourite song by them (probably ‘Let Forever Be’ for those who haven’t asked), it is one of their earliest commercial hits so deserves a place on the list.

Edited February 8, 2021 by Liam

[MalaCloudy Black]

Can-I-Bus! I used to be fairly into his stuff back in the early 00s. Looking back I think his studio albums were all a bit shit though. 

BACKSTREET'S BACK (ALRIGHT!)

I prefer "I Want It That Way" tbh though.

[METALMAN]

Oh I like the first three very much! Between the Bars is great but has been ruined a little bit through its use in all those wanky sadboi films with some skinny sensitive indie kid with shit glasses and a baggy t-shirt moping around feeling sorry for himself. But I guess it’s that kind of song. 😕

[Liam]

851.      

‘Breakdown’, Mariah Carey (1997)

Influenced by: Tha Crossroads • Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (1996)   

Influence on: Lil Love • Bone Thugs-n-Harmony featuring Mariah Carey and Bow Wow (2007)   

Other key tracks: Emotions (1991) • Fantasy (1995) • Honey (1997)

I’ve never been much of a Mariah fan, as I’ve never been a big fan of the breathless note-jumping nature of her vocals. I get that there is a level of skill there and that it appeals to some, it just does nothing for me. This was a song I was unfamiliar with, one about her marriage breakdown and somewhat prophetic of Mariah’s own state in the coming years. This is pleasant enough, though the best part of it for me is that backing vocals plainly because it evokes the better song ‘Tha Crossroads’.

852.      

‘Chan Chan’, Buena Vista Social Club featuring Compay Segundo (1997)

Compay Segundo was approaching 90 when this was recorded; Ry Cooder was the drive behind the Buena Vista Social Club itself, though it cost him a $25,000 fine (commuted from $1,000,000) for breaking the Trading with the Enemy Act. This feels that it is on the list to celebrate the BVSC and Compay Segundo as much as anything, but that perhaps downplays what is a pleasant Cuban ballad that showcases Segundo on a guitar of his own invention.

853.      

‘Between the Bars’, Elliott Smith (1997)

Having liked work by Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley and a number of other singer/songwriter types, I’ve always found it weird that I’ve never got into Elliott Smith as much as I feel like I should. I own CDs of his stuff, but it rarely enters my rotation. I think, if I’m being honest, that his voice doesn’t do a lot for me, whilst there isn’t the immediacy in his songwriting that I have found in other musicians of this type. That isn’t to try and do this a disservice: it is a good, if slight, tune that does its job and doesn’t outstay its welcome. Feels a bit oddly placed, but there have been stranger things on the list.

854.      

‘Everybody (Backstreet’s Back), Backstreet Boys (1997)

Probably the best pop song of all time. There.

Ok, when I say pop here, I’m referring to that window of time where pop largely meant boy and girl bands creating saccharine tunes for the radio in the mid to late 90s. Of that fare, this song is an absolute banger, helped along by a very notable music video. Fun fact: I used to know all of the dance moves to this song. Don’t over think it and enjoy it.

855.      

‘4,3,2,1’, LL Cool J featuring Method Man, Redman, Canibus and DMX (1997)

As always with rap, I have to defer to others when it comes to whether this is good or bad or indifferent – I can only really state what I think and any of the contextual stuff surrounding it according to the book. The most interesting thing for me is that this started off beef between J and Canibus in particular, spiralling out into a number of different diss tracks. The herky-jerky nature of the tune does little for me and I’ve heard better things from pretty much all of the acts in this (apart from not having any idea who Canibus is…).

Edited February 8, 2021 by Liam

[MalaCloudy Black]

I love that DEP EP with Mike Patton and it was also my first real exposure to Aphex Twin. So weird. So good.

[RPS]

Wait. Is Windowlicker not in this? Did I miss that? 

[Liam]

13 hours ago, RPS said:

Wait. Is Windowlicker not in this? Did I miss that? 

I'm guessing not. It was either going to be that or Come To Daddy if they had to make a choice.

 

Edit - Windowlicker is from 1999 as well, having just looked it up.

Edited February 5, 2021 by Liam