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

[gunnar hendershow]

It's a big leap to say the Spice Girls were pop music saviors. Maybe in the UK? I always associate them with taking the Cool Britannia title from Oasis/Blur and taking it international but maybe that's not fair. I'll be hard-pressed to make British pop artists in the 90s who weren't already there in the 80s so that could be it?

But at least in the US pop music still maintained a ton of relevance and innovation during the 90s. Backstreet Boys and then N*SYNC really blew the doors down in 97 and 98 in terms of how popular a pop group could get but throughout the decade there was a ton going on even if it might not have reached the lofty heights the boy bands did.

I'm going to say "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" is in the top 3 for boy band hits from that boom period. "I Want it That Way" is probably what I'd consider the top one IMO. I was never really into them but obviously the hits are gigantic parts of culture even 20+ years on.

Good to see Aphex Twin get recognition on this list. His music isn't "ahead of its time" nowadays as 25 years of imitators have come and gone. But it's still some of the very best electronic music ever made.

I'm an experimental Radiohead fan more than their earlier work and "OK Computer" along with "Kid A" top the list for me. It's a very good bridge between being more straightforward rock and avant-garde stylings that they were clearly interested in. I like that they never delved too deep into full experimentation but it also means when I want really experimental rock they don't fit the bill. A massive influence on my music tastes when I was younger they're such a great balancing act between the sounds you need to top charts and the innovative, experimental sounds that were all over the place in the late 90s.

"Given to Fly" is certainly a Pearl Jam song!

Also the "4, 3, 2, 1" inclusion screams as a way to get as many of these guys included in the book as possible as each did vastly superior work than this song. Been a very annoying, recurring theme.

[METALMAN]

Spice Up Your Life is v good. We're starting to get to songs I remember from my childhood now, rather than just ones I found out about after. I hated Spice Girls at the time because all the girls in my class at school liked them but they had some great songs - and way better than Backstreet Boys or NSync who are both a bit dull and rubbish. They're Westlife if Westlife went to kid's birthday party and drank lots of fizzy drinks Sorry Damshow.

This Pearl Jam one is nice. I've never really cared for what Pearl Jam I've heard - and this one is new to me - but this is a pleasant song. It sounds like something you'd get on one of those Disney films like Tarzan or Brother Bear.

I don't like Radiohead but Paranoid Android is pretty good. I think it's one of two songs I like on OK comp. So there you go.

WHEREAS...I like Aphex Twin but don't really like Come to Daddy. It sounds like Outrageous by Jeremy from Peep Show.

Never Ever is amazing. All Saints had three absolutely top notch songs (this, Pure Shores and Black Coffee). Brilliant stuff. All three are right up there with the very best of the girl group singles. Never Ever - great as it is - is the weakest of the three.

[RPS]

2 hours ago, Liam said:

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.

I just read up and saw it is not on the list. That is certainly a bold choice. 

Windowlicker would be in my top 25 songs of all time. Completely mind blowing and ahead of it's time. I get the impression that the person making this list is not a fan of dance/electronic music and is just cherry picking the popular acts/songs. 

[Colly]

50 minutes ago, metalman said:

Never Ever is amazing. All Saints had three absolutely top notch songs (this, Pure Shores and Black Coffee). Brilliant stuff. All three are right up there with the very best of the girl group singles. Never Ever - great as it is - is the weakest of the three.

If Pure Shores doesn't make this list the world is broken.

[gunnar hendershow]

48 minutes ago, RPS said:

I just read up and saw it is not on the list. That is certainly a bold choice. 

Windowlicker would be in my top 25 songs of all time. Completely mind blowing and ahead of it's time. I get the impression that the person making this list is not a fan of dance/electronic music and is just cherry picking the popular acts/songs. 

This is my biggest gripe as it's pretty clear outside of one or two very particular types of music a lot has been picked based on almost filling out the rest of the major musical stylings.

Not to say their picks in the styles of music they clearly hold in high regard aren't deserving but, well, "4, 3, 2, 1" is a great example of how the backfill. Almost knowing they need to include all of those names and lucking into being able to do it with just one song.

[RPS]

15 minutes ago, damshow said:

This is my biggest gripe as it's pretty clear outside of one or two very particular types of music a lot has been picked based on almost filling out the rest of the major musical stylings.

Not to say their picks in the styles of music they clearly hold in high regard aren't deserving but, well, "4, 3, 2, 1" is a great example of how the backfill. Almost knowing they need to include all of those names and lucking into being able to do it with just one song.

The two particular styles of music very clearly being pop and rock. I would agree with that. I also find that it is written from a very UK perspective. Which... there is nothing wrong with that, but is interesting. 

I am not quite sure what the songs to listen to before you die signifies. Historical importance? Greatness? Songs that are noteworthy or anecdotal? 

 

[METALMAN]

28 minutes ago, RPS said:

The two particular styles of music very clearly being pop and rock. I would agree with that. I also find that it is written from a very UK perspective. Which... there is nothing wrong with that, but is interesting. 

How curious. I actually thought it was tending towards a more US perspective, especially when we were going through the late 80s/early 90s and every American alt-rock band that worked out how to hold their guitar the right way up was getting a mention. But I can see it both ways.

Although I looked up the editor and it turns out he is a British guy who has worked on 24 Hour Party People and done a history of house music, which certainly explains the slightly larger focus on 80s dance music than I'd have otherwise expected. I like that stuff though so I don't mind. 

[GoGo Yubari]

I don't think the song choices make it too obvious -- well, not yet, without spoiling anything wait until the mid-'00s -- but the write-ups often are very concerned with the NME's opinion and so on, and there's a lot of stuff in them that speaks to a lived experience of what popular music was like in the UK. That "the Spice Girls saved the world" thing was one of them, since specifically the thing they're talking about it being in opposition to is actually Britpop, IIRC. I've also been in an online space for much of the last year where a lot of the commenters and the head dude are Gen-X UK music writers/enthusiasts and there are certain things from being in that space that I can kind of see reflected in this book.

I'm way behind on commenting on the songs so let's see if I can do thirty words max on some of them since I last posted.

"Guilty By Association" by Madonna/Joe Henry: The worst corner of the book is the "here's a story" one, IMO. This song isn't important enough or good enough, and the story's very isolated.

"Novocaine For the Soul" by Eels: Honestly a pretty good representation of one of the better corners of mid-'90s alt. Catchy, performatively self-loathing, fun to sing along with. Good pick!

"Ready or Not" by The Fugees: Very good, though "Killing Me Softly" is better. I prefer solo Lauryn to the Fugees as a whole, tbh.

"Devil's Haircut" by Beck: Good song but a little redundant. You could do better at picking two Beck songs that diverge stylistically than this/"Loser," this style of alternative isn't all he does.

"Criminal" by Fiona Apple: Great, though what strikes me about it is that it feels way broader compared to how intensely personal her work is now. But, I mean, she was 18.

"Crash Into Me" by Dave Matthews Band: There's one exceptionally awful line in this song, was glad to read that he's really embarrassed he wrote it now. The song's used hilariously in Lady Bird, though.

"Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" by Backstreet Boys: A banger.

[METALMAN]

3 minutes ago, GoGo Yubari said:

I don't think the song choices make it too obvious -- well, not yet, without spoiling anything wait until the mid-'00s

Are you hinting that we're going to see the JCB Song by Nizlopi and I Got You Babe by Bo Selecta coming up soon?

[GoGo Yubari]

I mean, I'm not not hinting that.

[gunnar hendershow]

7 hours ago, RPS said:

The two particular styles of music very clearly being pop and rock. I would agree with that. I also find that it is written from a very UK perspective. Which... there is nothing wrong with that, but is interesting. 

I am not quite sure what the songs to listen to before you die signifies. Historical importance? Greatness? Songs that are noteworthy or anecdotal? 

 

I think it's a mix of deep cuts the writer really likes, songs that are genuinely timeless, and noteworthy artists who the writer doesn't know a ton about but knows something by them should be included.

Like the majority of the list is spot on and are songs I'd recommend to everyone but the head-scratchers really show perhaps a bit of a narrow perspective in musical stylings. It's not a bad thing, I'm no expert in opera or country. But it's important not to take this list as definitive and more as one (or more?) guy's idea of songs everyone should hear.

[GoGo Yubari]

Keep in mind also that there's one main editor and then like twenty contributing writers or so, so there are a lot of different agendas at play. I can't help but assume that most of the "let's see what's going on in Australian rock" entries are because of that.

[Liam]

856.      

'Simarik', Tarkan (1997)

You read the words ‘The Prince of Pop’ and ‘Turkish media’ in close proximity and you get at least vaguely interested as to what this might sound like. Almost immediately it is clear that this will be better known to most as ‘Kiss Kiss’ by Holly Valance (or possibly Stella Soleil’s version if you are American). It showcases just how important a soundbyte or flourish within a song can be. It is ultimately catchy, but it is the sound of the kiss at the end of the chorus that gives it something to truly help it stand out. An interesting inclusion.

857.      

‘Spice Up Your Life’, The Spice Girls (1997)

The thing that surprised me more than this being on the list was that I’d apparently already played it on Youtube before. That isn’t to say that this wasn’t a song that deserved to be on the list, but that I maybe didn’t expect a second outing from the Girls. Perhaps that is because I don’t realise how important they were to the music industry at large, though the book almost talks about them as the saviours of the pop industry. That may or may not be true, but the thing I definitely agree on is that this sounds massive in a way that many other songs by them don’t. With a fun rumba beat, this is arguably a better song than Wannabe.

858.      

‘Given To Fly’, Pearl Jam (1997)

Influenced by: Going to California • Led Zeppelin (1971)   

Influence on: Given to Fly • Ola (2006)   

Covered by: String Quartet Tribute (2006)  

Other key tracks: Alive (1991) • Jeremy (1991) • Pilate (1997) • Leatherman (1997) • Wishlist (1997)

This is an interesting choice and one where my personal interest and the esteem I hold a song in meets a slightly ‘deeper cut’ pick for a band. My memories of this are largely tied to seeing them live in Hyde Park, London, with this being the song that launched a two hour masterclass, by far my favourite gig of all time. I doubt it will be enjoyed by people who aren’t already into Pearl Jam, nor do I think the studio version matches the live versions that I’ve heard since, yet there is a soaring element to this that matches wonderfully with the title that I’ve always loved. One for when I was young and less cynical, perhaps.

859.      

‘Paranoid Android’, Radiohead (1997) 

Influenced by: Happiness Is a Warm Gun • The Beatles (1968)   

Influence on: Rodeohead • Hard ’N Phirm (2005)   

Covered by: Brad Mehldau (2002) • Christopher O’Riley (2005) • Easy Star All Stars (2006) • Sia (2006) • Lachi (2009)

The more sonically ‘interesting’ Radiohead got, the less I cared about them. I’m very much a ‘The Bends’ fan moreso than anything ‘OK Computer’ onwards, though I do recognise the latter as a period before – to me – they went very much off the deep end. This sees the band getting it just right for me, as it is musically challenging, yet still a good, well-written song. Your mileage may vary on the band, especially Thom Yorke’s vocals. However, if you can get past that, this is one of the best in their back catalogue.

860.      

‘Come To Daddy (Pappy Mix)’, Aphex Twin (1997)

I only ever used to see Aphex Twin on television when I was staying at my mate’s house after a drunken house party, at which points his music videos were basically nightmare fuel. However, it was through the Dillinger Escape Plan that I was introduced to this specific song as they covered it with Mike Patton on vocals. It is so deranged and weird, before you even get to the video that comes with it, yet I pretty much love every second of it. Envisioned as a ‘death metal jingle’ by Richard D. James., he hit the nail on the head. An absolute banger.

861.      

‘Never Ever’, All Saints (1997)

All Saints always felt slightly more grown-up than The Spice Girls, though with that came a sound that was probably not as easily marketable. They clearly sold a lot and I’m not pretending they were Bob Dylan, but this is a ‘better song’ than most of the stuff that girl bands at the time were churning out. Soulful and spare with the instrumentation for the most part, this showcased a group that had some potential and one that has had some longevity – I remember more by them than many bands from that time.

862.

‘Song 2’, Blur (1997)

Influenced by: Smells Like Teen Spirit • Nirvana (1991)  

Influence on: The Fight Song • Marilyn Manson (2000)   

Covered by: Avril Lavigne & David Desrosiers (2004) • Plain White T’s (2006) • My Chemical Romance (2006)  

Other key tracks: Beetlebum (1997) • Coffee & TV (1999) • No Distance Left to Run (1999)

I’ve always understood this to primarily be a satire of the soft-loud-soft dynamic most used by American rock bands over the previous five years, though the book implies there is an argument that this was Blur looking to move away from being defined solely as a Britpop band. Whichever one it is – maybe a little from column a, a little from column b – this is a fun song that comes in, punches you in the face with its energy, and then finishes before it threatens to overstay its welcome. Weirdly enough, this doesn’t sound as dated as you might expect for a song that pretty much looks to capture a sound that was of its time, though it is overplayed due to its ubiquitous involvement in sport of all sorts.

863.

‘Time of Your Life (Good Riddance)’, Green Day (1997)

Influenced by: She’s Leaving Home • The Beatles (1967)   

Influence on: I Miss You • Blink-182 (2003)

Covered by: Raymond och Maria (2004) • Glen Campbell (2008) • Dwight Yoakam (2009)

This is a personal favourite, whilst also being a song I’ve never really heard too much negativity towards. I feel like your mileage could vary on Green Day as a band, yet this offers something for many who may not like their other pop punk stylings. Making good use of strings to lift things above it being purely acoustic, the lyrics and simplicity of it all begs for it to be sungalong to, something which I did when I saw them live in….2002? Years ago, that’s for sure.

864.

‘Broken Heart’, Spiritualized (1997)

Influenced by: I Fall to Pieces • Patsy Cline (1961)   

Influence on: Lost Souls • Doves (2000) 

Covered by: Islands (2008)   

Other key tracks: No God Only Religion (1997) • The Individual (1997) • Electricity (1997)

Spiritualized have always been a band I’ve wanted to check out more from, yet purchasing a CD or two of theirs perhaps a decade ago didn’t spark me into sudden fandom. I often seemed to buy CDs to own rather than to listen to at that time though, so perhaps didn’t give it a fair shake really. This feels – and I could very much be wrong – like a song that maybe is a little bit out of step with what I remember hearing from them in the past: sadder, sorrowful in its instrumentation and an overarching feeling of melancholy. I can imagine a time when I would have enjoyed this a lot more and can see the appeal, though it didn’t overly inspire me to that fandom I mentioned earlier. Some beautiful use of strings though.

865.

‘Into My Arms’, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (1997)

Influenced by: Hallelujah • Leonard Cohen (1984)   

Influence on: I See a Darkness • Bonnie “Prince” Billy (1999)  

Covered by: Yots.K (2009)   

Other key tracks: Tupelo (1985) • Nature Boy (2004) • The Lyre of Orpheus (2004) • Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (2008)

Considering how they have chosen the songs from some acts, they have nailed the Nick Cave songs in terms of my personal interest. I love the duet with Kylie Minogue and ‘Into My Arms’ probably sits as my favourite of the songs I’ve heard by him. The lyrics explore Cave’s spirituality (not considering himself a Christian, but believing in something) and his ideas around the faith and spirituality caused through love…or that’s what I think. There are few moments I enjoy more from song to song then the little piano melody that leads into the chorus – just an excellent little flourish in a great, great song.

 

Edited February 8, 2021 by Liam

[Liam]

I actually missed a song out and didn't post 5 I should have done. Fixed now, so do go back and have a look.

[METALMAN]

Oh I've heard that Tarkan before! It's really good. So is the Holly Valance. 

Song 2 is obviously great. Does its job then gets out after about 2 minutes. I'm not the biggest Blur fan but I think it is around this point that I start finding their music a lot more interesting.

Uh Green Day never really happened for me as a kid and they never really happened for me as a teen or an adult either. I get why people like this though. it's a catchy little tune but it's not for me.

I like Broken Heart and I like Spiritualized, but I have to be in the right mood for it. Otherwise I get bored.

I think I've been a bit hard on the Nick Cave songs that have appeared on this list thus far. But Into My Arms is a really good one. Nice to see it here.

[Skummy]

"Broken Heart" is very good, but I think that album functions so well as a whole that I'd struggle to pick out a single track as the essential listen. It's a composite work.

I love "Into My Arms", it might be my favourite Nick Cave song. Like you said, it's a gorgeous love song, but mostly it plays with Cave's spirituality, which is an essential part of his best work for me. Many years ago, there used to be a late night music show - either BBC or Channel 4? - that looked at artists and faith; the only two I remember watching were Nick Cave and Tori Amos. I'd never knowingly heard Nick Cave before, but he closed on a performance of "God Is In The House", and I loved it, and bought the album (And No More Shall We Part) the next day. So that was always my baseline for what Nick Cave "should" sound like - moody piano ballads, grappling with questions of faith and love - and "Into My Arms" is his masterpiece in that area.

I soured on him for quite a long time - I thought Dig! Lazarus! Dig! and Push The Sky Away were completely forgettable, and his last novel was god-awful, while Grinderman were just very patchy. Skeleton Tree was a masterpiece, though, and part of what made it work for me was the shock of hearing lyrics about, effectively, losing faith - "they told us our Gods would outlive us, but they lied", and about calling out and not getting an answer. I'm not remotely religious, but it's always been part of Nick Cave's lyrical toolkit that I've appreciated, and hearing really bleak, stark songs about that just wasn't there any more was incredibly moving.

[MalaCloudy Black]

Dig! Lazarus! Dig! ruled. I thought the first Grinderman album was good but never cared enough to check out the others. 

[METALMAN]

I think it was the first Nick Cave album I heard. I thought it was pretty good but maybe a little forgettable. More News From Nowhere is one of my favourite Nick Cave songs though, so that's something.

[Hobo]

40 minutes ago, metalman said:

More News From Nowhere is one of my favourite Nick Cave songs though, so that's something.

It is also one of his songs I like.

Which is kinda the Nick Cave experience for me.

There are songs I like. But only in isolation. I couldn't listen to a whole Nick Cave album.

Im like this with Emmylou Harris too. If she turns up in a song. I like it. But her actual albums wouldn't interest me in the slightest.

I will always associate Song 2 with FIFA 98. And that's probably the only context in which I have listened to it

 

[Skummy]

It might be worth a revisit, it just felt a bit of a slog at the time, and a lower energy version of what he was doing with Grinderman, whereas I absolutely loved the previous double album (or, at least, there was a great single album in there).