koganbot | Preliminary Pazz & Jop Singles Agony

Current Mood: chipper
Current Music: Lilyjets "Hit By A Girl"

Entry tags:

Preliminary Pazz & Jop Singles Agony

It's almost December, which means it's time for me to start going into agony over my Pazz & Jop singles list. I narrowed this down to fifty, any one of which is good enough for my top ten.

Anything from "Ghetto Story" up could be number one, except the point of there being a number one is that there only be one of them, not twenty-three. And a top ten only gets ten, not fifty. The torment will continue for the next month, exacerbated by slews of country and hip-hop and dance tracks I'm going to start force-feeding myself.

A song is a single if it (1) is an actual physical single or (2) is a radio focus track or emphasis track or whatever they call it or (3) acts like a single (e.g., lots of people talk about it or it gets lots of club play; in 2001 Jay-Z's "Takeover" was a good example of an album track that acted like a single) or (4) is offered for download on myspace or somewhere (not counting short-term promo dl's).

Songs released late in 2005 count for 2006 if a hunk of their impact was this year.

This list contains twins, sisters, great Max Martin and/or Dr. Luke tracks that flopped commercially, a larger number of Norwegian country tracks (one) than have ever previously appeared on my lists, and disco. I spent most of 2005 berating myself for not putting JoJo's "Leave (Get Out)" on my 2004 ballot. This year I'm well on my way to repeating the mistake.

How is it that I haven't put Cassie's "Me & You" at number one? This and other puzzles will be ruminated upon in future posts.

Singles 2006, Preliminary List (November 30, 2006)

1. Veronicas "4ever"
2. Aly & AJ "Rush"
3. Lily Allen "LDN"
4. The Pack "Vans"
5. Marit Larsen "Only A Fool"
6. High School Musical (Zac Efron, Andrew Seeley, Vanessa Hudgens) "Breaking Free"
7. Hi_Tack "Say Say Say (Waiting for You)"
8. Britney Spears "And Then We Kiss"
9. Blog 27 "Hey Boy"
10. Yung Joc "It's Goin' Down"
Sally Shapiro "I'll Be By Your Side"
Paris Hilton "Nothing In This World"
Fergie "London Bridge"
Cassie "Me & U"
Lillix "Sweet Temptation"
K-Sis "Beijos, Blues E Poesia"
JoJo "Too Little Too Late"
Cansei De Ser Sexy "Let's Make Love And Listen Death From Above"
Jessica Simpson "A Public Affair"
t.A.T.u. "Loves Me Not"
Marion Raven "End Of Me"
Young Jeezy "Trap Star"
Cham "Ghetto Story"
Simian Mobile Disco "Hustler"
Marit Larsen "Don't Save Me"
Beyoncé f. Slim Thug "Check On It"
Wir Sind Helden "Von Hier An Blind"
Snook "Snook Svett Och Tarar"
Fergie "Fergalicious"
Brooke Hogan "About Us"
Nelly Furtado "Say It Right"
Poni Hoax "Budapest"
Sticky f. Lady Stush "Dollar Sign"
The Automatic "Monster"
Megan McCauley "Tap That"
Flyleaf "I'm So Sick"
Carrie Underwood "Before He Cheats"
Gnarls Barkley "Crazy"
Marie Serneholt "That's The Way My Heart Goes"
The Ark "Clamour For Glamour"
Chow Nasty "Ungawa"
Morningwood "Nth Degree"
Paris Hilton "Stars Are Blind"
Lil Jon f. Three 6 Mafia "Act A Fool"
Dixie Chicks "Not Ready To Make Nice"
T.I. "What You Know"
Too Short "Blow The Whistle"
Sammy & Sasha "Fine"
Pitbull f. Lil Jon & The Ying Yang Twins "Bojangles"
Nelly Furtado "No Hay Igual"

How I whittled my list down to only 50 (stuff that I'd include in my top 50 if I could convince myself it was eligible; if any of you have info as to when these were released, please let me know):

-Mahshar "Vase Chi" [don't know the year it came out; if eligible it could well make my top ten]
-Girl Authority "Hollaback Girl" [don't think it was a single; I could claim it acts like one, but not enough people have paid it attention]
-Ashlee Simpson "L.O.V.E." [yes, it had as much impact this year as last, but I already went through the pain of reluctantly keeping it off my top ten last year and I don't want to go through that again]
-Lida "Bito Nemikhandam" [don't know the year it came out]
-DJ BC (Phillip Glass Vs. Dizzee Rascal) "Stand Up And Dance" [think it came out in 2005 or earlier]
-Jena Kraus "Both Dads R Dead Dogs" [it was recorded a decade ago, was unreleased, original tape was lost, was posted on her MySpace page in a low-quality dupe but she hasn't kept it there; if I thought it was going to be in my top ten I'd count it, but it's probably in the thirties]
-Benyamin "Mesl-e To" [don't know what year it came out]
-Mohsen Yegane "Atish Pare" [don't know what year it came out]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

'Budapest' was quite early 2005 I think; 'Dollar $ign' was like 2002 or something!

I can't even think about mine. Singles I haven't even heard yet which I know I'll love could easily make up a respectable top 20. 'Promise' and 'Me & U' are pretty much shoe-ins for No 1 and No 2 though.

Albums are so much easier to do. The reason I focus on them more isn't because of rockism but because the volume of good albums doesn't make my brain break (and even so I could easily get between 40 and 50 I wanted to give a shout out to) (three clear leaders in my album list: Ellen Allien & Apparat, Paris Hilton, The Knife; followed by Justin Timberlake, Junior Boys; followed by Joanna Newsom, Fuckpony, Beyoncé, Booka Shade, Cassie, Scott Walker &c &c)

yeah, dollar sign was on the CD tom made for his 30th birthday, which would make it 2002...

lex you are such a rockist though ;)

Problem with albums is that you have to actually hear them to vote for them. (Well, that's not true, but it's advised.) My album list goes Marit, Paris, Brooke, and then it's kinda um... I'll prob'ly pad with compilations, which I have nothing against in principle, but if most of the material on them is from 2005 or earlier I'd rather go with something else.

Didn't realize "Budapest" was that old: It got a PTW review this year, which means it was on a new release, but of course old songs can make their way onto new albs.

I actually prefer the Joakim italo dub of 'Budapest' to the original! I heard it first on the Ivan Smagghe Fabric mix, it's a lot less messy, more disco.

In the 05 I hardly heard it anywhere except for me and my friend Dan (we both played it EVERY time we DJed), but it still felt like this massive house anthem.

Never heard (of) the Joakim. Haven't been wild about the few other tracks of Poni Hoax I've heard. (Think the "Budapest" bitch woman was a guest on that track and unfortunately isn't on all their tracks.)

Will see if I can ysi it or something - it's instrumental! I am not keen on the woman, really.

btw I think I have finally 'got' I Am Me: this happened after I had a bit of a Hole Reminiscence Month, and suddenly realised that I should be listening to I Am Me with my Celebrity Skin ears rather than my Avril/Lindsay ears. Still don't like 'LOVE' though; am bemused and curious about the Missy remix which apparently exists, however.

The Missy remix is pretty horrible, unfortunately. It sounds like two different songs at once, trying to be dark (neither of which are bad approaches; they just don't work in this case). It sounds as if Missy and Ashlee weren't in the room together - which happens on all sorts of recordings, of course, but they're note supposed to sound that way.

"I Am Me" is definitely Ashlee's most Courtney song, and is my favorite on the album. But the most interesting is one that doesn't always work, "Burning Up," a dub song - dance and dub really are not Shanks' forte - but the melody isn't reggaeish, it's this flitty descending thing that reminds me of "Habanera" from Carmen, and then there's the break which manages to be genuinely sexy (I love "La La," but it's more about sex than actually sexy) while being a hilarious send-up of that kind of a husky sex track.

Well yeah, they obviously just took Ashlee's vocals and pasted em over the new track. I don't hear it as "dark," though, just...stompy, with some OH SHIT minor chords to add some drama. Pretty silly overall.

Ashlee/Missy - LOVE

ive spent the last few weeks trying to figure if i could put bubba sparxxx aint life grand on my country poll, i decided against, but im not quite sure...(the line "banjos and fiddle shit" is what make it close, and i could make a convulated arguement about how that makes it country, by refusal, etc, but it didnt quite work.

also, im pretty sure Tim and Faith's duet, while amazing and sexy and deep, with the best video of the year, isnt country, but its on their charts, so.

I am not sure I will get a P&J this year or whatever the equivalent is, but i found it really difficult to fill the list, because i mostly listened to ancient shit, and thats what i was excited about (ie the thing that i listened to the most this year was Shaker Loops by Adams) ...but here is my "singles list":

non country singles
1) fergie--london bridge
2) gwen stefani--wind me up
3) theo blackman--chi chim chi ree
4) jessica simpson--public affair
5) Pharell/Ludacris--money maker
6) max tudnra--so long far well
7) beyonce--ring the alarm
9) alan jackson--like red on a rose
10) kd lang--love for sale

country singles:
singles
1) not ready to make nice--dixie chicks
2) running block--toby keith
3) will daddy sing danny boy tonight--hacendia brothers
4) like red on a rose--alan jackson
5) like we never loved at all--tim/faith
6) jesus take the wheel--carrie underwood
7) Stealing Kisses--Faith Hill
8) On The Shores of Old Mexico--George Strait
9) Honky Tonk Badonkadonk—Trace Adkins
10) Amarillio Morning Aldean

and i can point out something wrong with all of those, but the faith hill

If I'm scraping for worthy songs in my country ten I'll probably vote for LeAnn Rimes' "And It Feels Like," which is so not country it only got released in Europe. Interesting that LeAnn, Hilary, and Britney all released singles this year that had little chance in the U.S. beyond the dance club market.

Country list so far is Marit Larsen's "Only a Fool," Carrie Underwood "Before He Cheats," Dierks Bentley's "Settle for a Slowdown" (much better than the single from his new alb), Dixie Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice." You were asking about the Aldean; don't remember if I've heard it.

"Jesus Take the Wheel" and "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" are 2005, aren't they? "Jesus" would probably make my list if it were this year; "Badonkadonk" wouldn't.

This looks a lot like mine. I'd put Julie Roberts' "Men and Mascara" on mine too. Maybe the new Monty G as well.

I have been stressing about my list somewhat! I intend to do a singles 'advent calendar' counting down my top 24 and writing a paragraph about each one. I have 46 songs at the moment with no definite order, and it is Decemeber TOMORROW! Anyway I'm not going to do spoilerz here :-)

how can you have 50, its like going into the locker room with john holmes

Are you going to submit your list to Pazz and Jop, or that other new poll?

I'll send to both, though haven't gotten invites to either yet.

But I don't get the point of Idolator doing a poll. There's no reason in principle why Harvilla won't do a good job with Pazz & Jop, though since NT Voice boss Michael Lacey is an anti-intellectual boob, he and his buddies might put enough limitations on the P&J to hogtie Rob. In that case I'll be glad there's an alternative. But I don't trust Idolator, which I pretty much abandoned after day one. On her livejournal posts Maura seems a nice person, but Idolator's complaint about what's supposedly wrong with nu-Voice - that the Voice "a seventh-rate American Idol nitwit" on the cover - is a perfect example of Idolator's not getting the concept. Xgau and Eddy would both be delighted to put American Idol on a cover. If all goes well Idolator will only provide the server, and the poll will be Matos's baby. (I can see why he says he probably won't want to include people who post only on discussion boards - you've got to draw the line somewhere or the project will be impossible - but I've seen better writing on discussions boards than you get from real papers, and certainly if you write about new music regularly on discussion boards then you're writing about music regularly.)

i havent gotten invites from either, he hints broadly

Doubt that they've gone out yet.

A great year for singles. Here is my prelim top 10:

1. Lillix - "Sweet Temptation (Hollow)"
2. Aly & AJ - "Not This Year"
3. Amy Diamond - "Don't Cry Your Heart Out"
4. Aly & AJ - "Rush"
5. Beyonce - "Irreplaceable"
6. Marit Larsen - "Only A Fool"
7. Carrie Underwood - "Before He Cheats"
8. Hannah Montana - "I've Got Nerve"
9. Meg & Dia - "Indiana"
10. All-American Rejects - "Move Along"

Like you, some agonizing leave offs.

I take it that you're allowing youself to vote for album tracks as well as singles. If "Indiana" is a single it's probably in my top fifty, and if "Not This Year" is a single it's probably in my top ten.

Of course, it's moot what I'm allowing myself to vote for because I'm not a music critic and won't get to vote on them anyways. If I had a real vote, I guess I would limit myself to real singles to keep with the rules of the game. In that case, kick out "Not This Year" and "Indiana", but add on Texas Lightning's "No No Never" and Paris' "Nothing In This World". Not 100% sure of "No No Never"'s status, but presumably any Eurovision song automatically qualifies.

Then again, if I had a real vote, "Rush" would have gotten my vote in the top 5 at least last year, so I wouldn't re-vote for it again this year.

You are too a music critic.

Had to submit something for Stylus. Might have stuck on "Stupid Ex Boyfriend" or that new Nadiya single if I was in a different mood, and this might change for the Idolator/P&J stuff (if I get invited), and I also cheated twice, maybe three times. Didn't include "Don" by Miranda! because I'm pretty sure it came out in 2004.

Greg, if you send a link to yer blog to matos@idolator.com there's a chance you could get an invite. They're inviting a couple of bloggers-only, too.

1. The Veronicas – 4Ever
2. Marit Larsen – Only a Fool
3. The Ark – One of Us Is Gonna Die Young
4. Aly and AJ – Not This Year
5. Cansei de Ser Sexy – Let's Make Love and Listen Death from Above
6. Lillix – Sweet Temptation
7. Paris Hilton – Nothing in This World
8. Hannah Montana – Who Said I Got Nerve?
9. Prince – Black Sweat
10. Girl Authority – Hollaback Girl
11. Delays – Valentine
12. Cassie – Me & U
13. Hilary Duff – Play with Fire
14. Fergie – Fergalicious
15. BWO – Chariots of Fire
16. Blog 27 – Hey Boy
17. Britney Spears – And Then We Kiss
18. Ciara – Get Up
19. Teddybears - Cobrastyle
20. Megan McCauley – Tap That

I think "Don" got its U.S. release this year, even if it's a couple of years old in Argentina.

no ghostface? : (

'in the summertime / i broke his jaw / had to do it to him quick old fashioned in the back of the mall'

I forgot that Robyn's "Konichiwa Bitches," which is 2004 or 2005 in Sweden, was just now released in the U.K., hence is eligible. (Will probably place in the high teens or low twenties, but could scrape into my top ten.)

Rush over Chemicals React? Really? Otherwise looks like a great list (though I don't see any Meg & Dia on it... Isn't Monster a single?) -- and I'd personally have Clipse on my list. If I could just figure out that one line in Wamp Wamp...

Also, where's Pazz & Jop running this year?

This list is all over the place, which is how I like it. It was going to be top 10, but then I couldn't whittle is down under 14. So I pumped it back up instead. Trimming it later, I imagine, will be all the more difficult. In no particular order:

A.F.I., Miss Murder
Aly & AJ, Chemicals React
Arctic Monkeys, I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor
Brand New, Sowing Season (Yeah)
Clipse, Wamp Wamp (What It Do) (Feat. Slim Thug)
Dixie Chicks, Not Ready To Make Nice
Gnarls Barkley, Crazy
Gym Class Heroes, 3rd Period: New Friend Request
Jeffrey Lewis, Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror
Lily Allen, LDN
Meg & Dia, Monster
My Chemical Romance, Welcome to the Black Parade
Pearl Jam, World Wide Suicide
Regina Spektor, Us
Roscoe, Midlake
The Raconteurs, Steady As She Goes
Taking Back Sunday, Makedamnsure
Thursday, Counting 5,4,3,2,1
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Cheated Hearts
The Veronicas, 4eva

Pazz & Jop will be in the Voice, and the Jackin' Pop counter poll will be on the Idolator website; I talk about this upthread. I'll vote in both. Xgau told the Times he will as well.

Haven't heard the Clipse yet, and I've got about 26 hours before it disappears from the AOL Listening Party. Damn, I'm so behind on things. If Meg & Dia's "Indiana" had been a single, it might have made the list. "Monster"'s a worthy candidate as well, but there's so much amazing stuff. I wasn't joking about having to whittle the thing down to 50. My favorite Aly & A.J. tracks are, more or less in this order: "Rush," "Not This Year," "Protecting Me," "Chemicals React," "Greatest Time Of Year," "Shine," "I Am One Of Them," "Sticks And Stones," "Walking On Sunshine," "Slow Down." Haven't heard most of Acoustic Hearts Of Winter yet.

I owe you an email, but it may be a while.

Pazz and Jop List:

Albums
Artist Title Label Points
1. Josh Ritter The Animal Years V2/Ada 10
2. Beyonce B Day Sony 10
3. Fergie The Duchess Interscope 10
4. Christina Aguilera Back to Basics RCA 10
5. Kelis Was Here La Face 10
6. Pharell In My Mind Interscope 10
7. Kris Kristofferson This Old World New West 10
8. v/a Rouges Gallery Anti 10
9. Bruce Springsteen The Seeger Sessions Sony 10
10. Gnarls Barkley St Elsewhere Downtown 10
Singles
Artist Title Label
1. Bubba Sparxx/Scar Ain't Life Grand The Virgin
2. Gwen Stefani Wind It Up Interscope
3. Johnny Cash God's Gonna Cut You Down Lost Highway
4. Franz Ferdinand L Wells Domino
5. Ludacris/Pharell Williams Money Maker Def Jam
6. KT Turnstall Black Horse and Cherry Tree Virgin
7. Beyonce Ring the Alarm Sony
8. Justin Timberlake/Timbaland Sexyback Jive
9. Paris Hilton Stars are Blind Warner
10. Jeffry Loss Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror Rough Trade

The more I think about it the more I think that "Nth Degree" may be an egregious omission from my previously posted top 10. I'm not sure yet though.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Preliminary Pazz & Jop Singles Agony

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

not THAT horrible

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

or were you askign frank

Re: or were you askign frank

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Listz

Re: Listz

no subject

no subject

no subject

Top 20 Singles

no subject

no subject

no subject