Preliminary Pazz & Jop Singles Agony

[koganbot]

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]

Comments

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

'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)

[anthonyeaston.livejournal.com]

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

[katstevens.livejournal.com]

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 :-)

[anthonyeaston.livejournal.com]

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

[nicolars.livejournal.com]

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

or were you askign frank

[anthonyeaston.livejournal.com]

i havent gotten invites from either, he hints broadly

[justfanoe.livejournal.com]

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.

Listz

[skyecaptain.livejournal.com]

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

[mooxyjoo.livejournal.com]

no ghostface? : (

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

[koganbot]

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.)

[mcatzilut.livejournal.com]

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?

[koganbot]

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.

[anthonyeaston.livejournal.com]

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

[justfanoe.livejournal.com]

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.