Top 50 Singles early list 2007

[koganbot]

Here are my Top 50 singles as of November 29:

1. Lloyd f. Lil Wayne "You"
2. Ashley Tisdale "Not Like That"
3. JoJo "Anything"
4. Miley Cyrus "See You Again"
5. Britney Spears "Gimme More"
6. Yung Berg f. Junior "Sexy Lady"
7. Linda Sundblad "Lose You"
8. Paula DeAnda f. Lil Wayne "Easy"
9. Keak Da Sneak "That Go"
10. Gwen Stefani "Early Winter"
11. Natasha "Hey Hey Hey"
12. Rihanna f. Jay-Z "Umbrella" [also the remix w/ Lil Mama]
13. Dragonette "I Get Around"
14. Aly & A.J. "Potential Breakup Song"
15. Kelly Clarkson "Never Again"
16. Britney Spears "Piece Of Me"
17. Beyoncé f. Shakira "Beautiful Liar (Freemasons Remix)" [but not the original]
18. The Veronicas "Hook Me Up"
19. Rihanna "Shut Up And Drive"
20. Miley Cyrus "GNO Girls Night Out"
21. Sadie Ama "Fallin'"
22. Taylor Swift "Teardrops On My Guitar"
23. Robyn "Handle Me"
24. Lil Mama "Lip Gloss"
25. Girls Aloud "Call The Shots"
26. Freemasons f. Bailey Tzuke "Uninvited"
27. T2 f. Jodie Aysha "Heartbroken"
28. Ashley Tisdale "He Said, She Said"
29. Kleerup f. Robyn "With Every Heartbeat"
30. Gogol Bordello "Wonderlust King"
31. Amy Diamond "Stay My Baby"
32. Drop The Lime "Wake Up Call (Infants Remix)"
33. Julieta Venegas "Eres Para Mi"
34. Thierry Amiel "Coeur Sacre"
35. Unklejam "What Am I Fighting For?"
36. The Fixxers "Can You Werk Wit Dat"
37. Gorilla Zoe "Hood Nigga"
38. Mia "Zirkus"
39. Marit Larsen "Solid Ground"
40. Keak Da Sneak "N Fronta Yo Momma House"
41. Ashley Tisdale "Be Good To Me"
42. Redman "Put It Down"
43. M.I.A. "Bird Flu"
44. Aly & A.J. "Bullseye"
45. The Go! Team "Grip Like A Vice"
46. Dude 'N Nem "Watch My Feet"
47. Lethal Bizzle "Police On My Back"
48. The Hives "Tick Tick Boom"
49. Mira Craig "Leo"
50. Shaggy "Church Heathen"

A fewer percentage of men on this list than on my albums list, even. Damn, why aren't male vocalists any good anymore? Not that you have to have a silver throat to make this list; if you're the right voice with the right song or arrangement that's enough, even if you're a generally uninspired singer. So another question might be why don't men know what to do with themselves as singers, and why don't songwriters and producers know what to do with them either?

Surely if I were listening more deeply to country and hip-hop I'd be including more male voices. But not enough to counteract this ridiculous imbalance.

Comments

[brak55.livejournal.com]

That's great that you are recognizing Dragonette. I met their lead singer, Martina Sorbara, many times back in her tampon music days (her words, not mine) and she's a really nice and funny person.

I'm not sure on your male vocalist question. I've always been a bigger fan of female vocalists, so I'm probably a little biased, but today's males seem to be either mad at the world, pompous rockers (i.e. Nickelback) or so sweet that they're almost unlistenable. I will say, though, that I've like just about everything off of Justin Timberlake's album.

[koganbot]

But I don't generally prefer female vocals to male. It isn't as if I no longer like the Stones' "Heart Of Stone" or Rocket From The Tombs' "30 Seconds Over Tokyo" or the Fall's "Totally Wired" or the New York Dolls' "Frankenstein" or the Stooges' "I Wanna Be Your Dog" (not to mention Spoonie Gee's "Spoonin' Rap" or Mory Kanté's "Yéké Yéké"). I did hear something of a shift with freestyle in the '80s, almost all of whose great songs were sung by women. But I still find guys to care about, mainly in hip-hop. And I'll say that earlier in the decade I was loving hits by Eminem and Lil Jon and 50 Cent and Panjabi MC. Also, when I look at my list, I wouldn't say that the women on it are necessarily doing a fabulous job of singing. Taylor Swift is (I know you think her voice is weak, and you're right, but that doesn't bother me in the least), but her track isn't even in my Top 20, and Miley Cyrus, two spots above her, is barely doing a walk-through on "GNO Girls Night Out," just not giving the song anything - but it's a tremendous song, would be in my Top Ten if she'd sung it better. (And she does a great job on "See You Again," so the paleness of her singing on "GNO Girls Night Out" is inexplicable.) Er, my point is that the women are getting the better songs and arrangements, not necessarily that they've got better pipes. But I also think this means that they're getting better roles, as it were, and I wonder if this has something to do with what's going on in the culture, men not finding their voice in a number of ways.

Also, this list would have more men on it if country music record companies would agree with me about what deserves to be a single. (Speaking of Nickelback, have you heard Travis Tritt's cover of "Should've Listened"? Other than "See You Again," which I am controversially calling country (because it is), it's my favorite country track of the year.)

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

'Mory Kanté's "Yéké Yéké'

man i would love a new breakthrough hit from that part of the world as great as this (not that I've been checking to see if there is one...)

[brak55.livejournal.com]

I have this idea that women have a better ear for melody and hooks. They are more practical and can more easily visualize (auralize?) what is pleasing to the ear as far as song structure goes.

Taylor Swift is growing on me, especially Our Song. I don't really think she has a weak voice (although that was my opinion based on her not-great performance at the CMA's) but it is yet to mature. It's still a little teen fluttery and that particular venue brought it out that much worse.

My favorite country hit of the year is Reba's Because of You which, let's face it, isn't really country. It's just a case of a decent song being given a really good performance (and I'm not even a big fan of Reba) with a great arrangement.

If you want to get real country, though, I'm currently getting a kick out of Josh Turner's Firecracker. I don't care that it sounds like a bunch of other country songs.

[koganbot]

I know almost nothing about Dragonette. What would tampon music be? Stevie Nicks? Tori Amos?

[brak55.livejournal.com]

Tampon music (Martina's term) is basically Lilith Fair music (Jewel, Indigo Girls, etc.).

Whatever she wants to call it, her one solo album on Nettwerk (The Cure for Bad Deeds) resides on my all-time top 10 list. The thing has so much going for it, from variation of styles to clever writing to beautiful melodys. It just never got the push it needed.

Dragonette is basically a Canadian group that moved to London knowing that the type of music they play wouldn't be appreciated by a North American audience.

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

I'm glad someone else likes that Hives song - it would be hovering around my top 50 too I think. I feel they blow (no pun etc.) the "boom!" on the chorus a bit though but the "you see I done it before" bit is irresistible.

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

I empathise re male vocalists absence. Unklejam and Shaggy might make my top 50 too. I've enjoyed some of Timbaland's vocals and I have a remarkable tolerance for Simon Lord on Simian Mobile Disco's 'I Believe'. Other tracks I like this year ft. mansong:

Hot Chip - Shake A Fist + My Piano
Noze - Love Affair + that one from the Pop Open
The Arcade Fire - Keep The Car Running + Black Mirror + Intervention (love the female backing on AF tracks too tho)
N-Dubz - Feva Las Vegas (he sings the chorus!)
Ludacris - Slap (he sings the chorus!)
Panda Bear - Take Pills
Battles - Atlas
LCD Soundsystem - Someone Great + Get Innocuous
Pet Shop Boys - Integral remixes

[koganbot]

The other male vocalist I realize will make my Top 20 (maybe even Top 10) is Frankie Valli for the Pilooski Edit of the Four Seasons' "Beggin'." Which proves my point.

50 Cent - who can sometimes be wonderfully gentle and usually sounds more puzzled than thuggish - does a nice job on "She Wants It," though that's not a Top 20er. (Haven't heard this year's Fiddy album, but the previous singles off it baffled me in their lameness.)

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

'She Wants It' = 'Ayo Technology', right? the Dexplicit rmx of that killlls.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

ughhh I really hate Panda Bear. stevem have you heard 'Lonely Hearts' by Joakim? I think you'd like it.

A subject for further research

[koganbot]

Panda Bear baffle me - their arrangements are artily recessive, but behind the arrangement there's something potentially piercingly... something. I suspect that their strategy is self-defeating, but perhaps putting themselves behind filters and screens makes their music more effective.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

excluding rappers the male singers on my singles longlist are:

Lloyd ft Missy Elliott & Yung Joc - Get It Shawty
Junior Boys - FM (Tensnake Remix)
Joakim - Lonely Hearts
J Holiday - Bed
Nôze - Remember Love
Sean Kingston - Beautiful Girls
R Kelly ft TI & T-Pain - I'm A Flirt
Akon - Don't Matter

that's pretty good going I think, esp as historically I have preferred female voices. only Lloyd really likely to have a shot at my Idolator top 10 but Junior Boys/Joakim/Nôze will all make my Resident Advisor lists, and it's obv no slur on the non-Lloyds - they're all terrific.

Don't tell Kat but...

[koganbot]

I just realized that "Remember Love" uses the chords to "House Of The Rising Sun."

An admission

[koganbot]

I've been resisting this, since as I said her vocalizing of the verses is totally lame-o, but Miley Cyrus's "GNO Girls Night Out" is going to end up in my Top Ten.

Bad news for Keak and Gwen.

And Linda Sundblad's now on the bubble. (Had to finally admit that though she's better than Paula, Paula has the better track.)

Blokes in my PF 50

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

(which won't be very close to a final 50)

rapping: Dizzee Rascal, Dude, Nem, Lethal Bizzle, Soulja Boy, Diddy, Will I Am

Interesting I guess that all of these are quite awkward rappers compared to the fluid, fluent Rakim/Nas standard - either not American or not technically great or not trying to be. That seems to make me respond more.

singing:

Spoon - Black Like Me
Fall Out Boy - The Take Over etc.
Omarion - Ice Box
LCD Soundsystem - All My Friends
Klaxons - As Above So Below
Lloyd - Get It Shawty
Ne-Yo - Because Of You
MCR - Teenagers
Midnight Juggernauts - Into The Galaxy
Studio - Life's A Beach
Enrique Iglesias - Ring My Bell
John Cale - All My Friends

Most of the indie guys here - LCD, Klaxons, Midnight Juggernauts, Studio - actually make their songs WORSE with their clogged-up singing, but there's other stuff happening that makes it not matter. John Cale sings the same song as LCD, and sings it better, with his usual repressed granite authority, but it doesn't work so well with the music. The best indie voice is Spoon, who is even more clogged-up but it fits the song really well.

Lloyd, Omarion and Enrique are all sad, vulnerable, troubled. Ne-Yo is slicker on this song but has some of the same sorrowful tone to his voice, and he was a tactical vote anyway which probably won't work.

That leaves the emos - FOB and MCR - the FOB guys singing doesn't shame his song at all, and the song's quite demanding so that's a good thing, but the singing doesn't make it either. The conflict snarl/sneer attract/repulse cabaret vocal on "Teenagers" though completely makes the song and it's the best performance here.

Re: Blokes in my PF 50

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

I forgot to mention 'Ice Box'. I am hoping to play a very good (faster) remix of it on Saturday.

Re: Blokes in my PF 50

[freakytigger.livejournal.com]

Oh I forgot McFly - Transylvania!!

Erm the singing on it is only OK, I never like McFly's voices. File under indie!

Re: Blokes in my PF 50

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

See clogged-up or bad vocals is hardly hardly ever something I can get past no matter how much else good there is going on - J Murphy UTTERLY ruins the LCD album for me (and I don't even mind his voice in small doses). Instrumental Studio = heavenly and poss best music ever; vocal Studio = srsly dodgy. ZERO TOLERANCE ON BAD SINGERS.

Re: Blokes in my PF 50

[mooxyjoo.livejournal.com]

i think that's wrong abt lcd soundsystem - and it's the variation of pastiche that suits him and makes his singing more than acceptable. i LIKE hearing eno or the much-spotted m.e.s. or whoever showing up in his singing. a good strategy for making the most out of his voice.

i like the reservedness (?) on the ne-yo song i think; it feels old-fashioned (well, at least as late as 80s-fashioned), and like he's playing it closer, keeping more back than some other chart r+b. suits me better.

[mcatzilut.livejournal.com]

Frank, no Tattoo?

Also, I wonder if the regulation of men to indie and emo music (as pop music is no longer "manly") has something to do with that. I'm pretty sure you're not listening to emo music (at least not ALOT of it) and indie music is, frankly, boring no matter how great the voice is. (Case in point: M. Ward has an INCREDIBLE voice, but his arrangements put me to sleep.) I could recommend about a dozen really great emo songs (great voices, explosive hooks, etc) that you might want to check out. (And Jessica was right: Emo really /is/ where the girls ain't.)

[mcatzilut.livejournal.com]

Also, no Carrie Underwood? Are you hating on American Idol? :(

[koganbot]

I could recommend about a dozen really great emo songs (great voices, explosive hooks, etc) that you might want to check out.

Recommend away.

[mooxyjoo.livejournal.com]

you're listening to 'pop' is why

[koganbot]

Well, my country singles list at the moment goes Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift, LeAnn Rimes, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire f. Kelly Clarkson, Gretchen Wilson, Gretchen Wilson (again) f. John Rich, Eric Church, Rissi Palmer, Tim McGraw, which means you have to go to the seventh spot to find your first guy, and only in a guest spot. That's eight-and-a-half women to two-and-a-half guys. Of course the list is subject to revision.