Here's how I voted...
Note: It turns out that "Killing in the Name of" by Rage Against the Machine, despite appearing in the 1993 countdown, was released in November 1992, making it ineligible for the Hottest 100 1993 - 2013. This probably confused more than a few people and I'd be interested to see how many votes it got...
What is it with music fans making lists? Conversation starters or assertion of superior music tastes? Not sure but in keeping with the list-making propensity, Triple J started doing its annual Hottest 100 in 1989. The first three were of the “all time” variety but it became a bit predictable because the top spots were taken by either Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division and Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana (which makes you wonder if people really give it that much thought). So all the other bands could have a shot at being number one, they switched to a Hottest 100 of the year in 1993 (with a couple of the “of all time” ones in between).
So they’ve been doing them for twenty years and they’re marking the anniversary with a Hottest 100 of the last twenty years. That’s 1993 - 2013 (although you can’t vote for things from 2013 ‘cause it’s not over yet and that’s what the 21st hottest 100 is for…)
But it’s a big decision choosing your favourite songs from the last twenty years and I didn’t go about it lightly. I went through the archives and celeb lists to jog my memory. Then I went through my CD’s and iPod and scrolled through lists on Wikipedia (I do have some time on my hands right now). My vote has been cast but already I’ve started remembering stuff I missed. But it is now done. So here is a list of my favourite songs of the last 20 years as at last Sunday in no particular order.
Common People - Pulp
Out of Time - Blur
Barcelona - Tin Pan Orange
Fade Into You - Mazzy Star
Wildwood - Paul Weller
Nowhere Without You - Bob Evans
Hearts a Mess - Gotye
What It Feels Like For A Girl - Madonna (there were a few remixes but none of them match the sublime album version)
American Boy - Estelle with Kanye West.
Somewhere Only We Know - Keane (Yep, it’s a daggy song. I don’t care…although this will be probably the only vote it gets)
Dr Worm - They Might Be Giants
Central Reservation - Beth Orton.
Bloody Motherf*cking A**hole - Martha Wainwright
LDN - Lily Allen.
That’s What You Get (for falling in love with a cowboy) - Laine Lane
The Time is Now - Moloko
Stay (Far Away, So Close) - U2 (I wasn't expecting this song to be here and yet...soon people will remember what a great band they are)
One Crowded Hour - Augie March
If I Know You - The Presets
Soon We’ll Be Found - Sia
Honourable Mentions:
Under Cover of Darkness - The Strokes
This Mess We’re In - PJ Harvey
The Dark is Rising - Mercury Rev
Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard / Marketa Irglova
Older Than You - Eskimo Joe
Waltz No. 2 - Elliott Smith
Tears Dry On Their Own - Amy Winehouse
All I Need - Air
Asleep in Perfection - Augie March
Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
Flame Trees - Sarah Blasko
Fast As You Can - Fiona Apple
Viva La Vida - Coldplay
Starlight - Muse
Fast Friends - Paul Dempsey
There Goes the Fear - Doves
Step Into My Office, Baby - Belle and Sebastian
When it comes to omissions, I was surprised at some of the artists who I didn't include. I had a think about why, for example, there isn’t anything by Jeff Buckley. I loved Last Goodbye and his version of Corpus Christie Carol but then Grace is a favourite album and I love it as a whole. Same goes for Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips and Felt Mountain by Goldfrapp.
Regina Spektor isn’t there because I couldn’t decide between her beautiful version of John Lennon’s Real Love or Fidelity or Better or On the Radio or All The Rowboats. Bloody hell she’s talented.
Predictions? Well, the usual suspects have been eliminated (it is hard to believe that Nevermind by Nirvana is 22 years old. I’ll give you a moment to get recover from this fact).
Of my faves, I expect only Common People by Pulp, One Crowded Hour by Augie March and Hearts a Mess by Gotye will be there. I would like to see Central Reservation by Beth Orton and Fade into You by Mazzy Star make it but I’m not counting on it.
Looking at the most recent Hottest 100 of All Time in 2009 (the results of which were greeted with cries of “where are all the sheilas?” which is fair enough - it was a bit of a sausage fest) the highest ranked post 1993 song is Rage Against the Machine's Killing in the Name so I guess that makes it the favourite for the number one position this time. That is okay in my book because it is a nice piece of bolshie-ness.
However, some songs are growers and gain stature the longer they’ve been around so I think Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes will be in the running as well. There’ll be heaps of Radiohead and the Arctic Monkeys and Foo Fighters (in fact you can count on Dave Grohl to make more appearances than anyone) and I guess Wonderwall by Oasis will make it, too. Expect Jeff Buckley’s definitive version of Hallelujah to be there, too. Muse have a devoted following, too and Mumford and Sons and the Black Keys were number one just a couple of years back. Of the Australian acts I think Hilltop Hoods and Powderfinger will feature heavily (but not, thankfully, silverchair - the most overrated band in bloody history IMHO). Gotye of course. Tame Impala seem very popular, too. And since the last “of all time” countdown, hip hop acts have kind of taken over.
But really, “best of” lists are subjective and so I make no claims that my choice is the best. I just chose favourites: songs for whatever reason grabbed my attention, or touched me for whatever reason. I have no idea how the young people will vote. I’m just hoping the countdown will have some surprises.
Yours in lists
What is it with music fans making lists? Conversation starters or assertion of superior music tastes? Not sure but in keeping with the list-making propensity, Triple J started doing its annual Hottest 100 in 1989. The first three were of the “all time” variety but it became a bit predictable because the top spots were taken by either Love Will Tear Us Apart by Joy Division and Smells Like Teen Spirit by Nirvana (which makes you wonder if people really give it that much thought). So all the other bands could have a shot at being number one, they switched to a Hottest 100 of the year in 1993 (with a couple of the “of all time” ones in between).
So they’ve been doing them for twenty years and they’re marking the anniversary with a Hottest 100 of the last twenty years. That’s 1993 - 2013 (although you can’t vote for things from 2013 ‘cause it’s not over yet and that’s what the 21st hottest 100 is for…)
But it’s a big decision choosing your favourite songs from the last twenty years and I didn’t go about it lightly. I went through the archives and celeb lists to jog my memory. Then I went through my CD’s and iPod and scrolled through lists on Wikipedia (I do have some time on my hands right now). My vote has been cast but already I’ve started remembering stuff I missed. But it is now done. So here is a list of my favourite songs of the last 20 years as at last Sunday in no particular order.
Common People - Pulp
Out of Time - Blur
Barcelona - Tin Pan Orange
Fade Into You - Mazzy Star
Wildwood - Paul Weller
Nowhere Without You - Bob Evans
Hearts a Mess - Gotye
What It Feels Like For A Girl - Madonna (there were a few remixes but none of them match the sublime album version)
American Boy - Estelle with Kanye West.
Somewhere Only We Know - Keane (Yep, it’s a daggy song. I don’t care…although this will be probably the only vote it gets)
Dr Worm - They Might Be Giants
Central Reservation - Beth Orton.
Bloody Motherf*cking A**hole - Martha Wainwright
LDN - Lily Allen.
That’s What You Get (for falling in love with a cowboy) - Laine Lane
The Time is Now - Moloko
Stay (Far Away, So Close) - U2 (I wasn't expecting this song to be here and yet...soon people will remember what a great band they are)
One Crowded Hour - Augie March
If I Know You - The Presets
Soon We’ll Be Found - Sia
Honourable Mentions:
Under Cover of Darkness - The Strokes
This Mess We’re In - PJ Harvey
The Dark is Rising - Mercury Rev
Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard / Marketa Irglova
Older Than You - Eskimo Joe
Waltz No. 2 - Elliott Smith
Tears Dry On Their Own - Amy Winehouse
All I Need - Air
Asleep in Perfection - Augie March
Take Me Out - Franz Ferdinand
Flame Trees - Sarah Blasko
Fast As You Can - Fiona Apple
Viva La Vida - Coldplay
Starlight - Muse
Fast Friends - Paul Dempsey
There Goes the Fear - Doves
Step Into My Office, Baby - Belle and Sebastian
When it comes to omissions, I was surprised at some of the artists who I didn't include. I had a think about why, for example, there isn’t anything by Jeff Buckley. I loved Last Goodbye and his version of Corpus Christie Carol but then Grace is a favourite album and I love it as a whole. Same goes for Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips and Felt Mountain by Goldfrapp.
Regina Spektor isn’t there because I couldn’t decide between her beautiful version of John Lennon’s Real Love or Fidelity or Better or On the Radio or All The Rowboats. Bloody hell she’s talented.
Predictions? Well, the usual suspects have been eliminated (it is hard to believe that Nevermind by Nirvana is 22 years old. I’ll give you a moment to get recover from this fact).
Of my faves, I expect only Common People by Pulp, One Crowded Hour by Augie March and Hearts a Mess by Gotye will be there. I would like to see Central Reservation by Beth Orton and Fade into You by Mazzy Star make it but I’m not counting on it.
Looking at the most recent Hottest 100 of All Time in 2009 (the results of which were greeted with cries of “where are all the sheilas?” which is fair enough - it was a bit of a sausage fest) the highest ranked post 1993 song is Rage Against the Machine's Killing in the Name so I guess that makes it the favourite for the number one position this time. That is okay in my book because it is a nice piece of bolshie-ness.
However, some songs are growers and gain stature the longer they’ve been around so I think Seven Nation Army by the White Stripes will be in the running as well. There’ll be heaps of Radiohead and the Arctic Monkeys and Foo Fighters (in fact you can count on Dave Grohl to make more appearances than anyone) and I guess Wonderwall by Oasis will make it, too. Expect Jeff Buckley’s definitive version of Hallelujah to be there, too. Muse have a devoted following, too and Mumford and Sons and the Black Keys were number one just a couple of years back. Of the Australian acts I think Hilltop Hoods and Powderfinger will feature heavily (but not, thankfully, silverchair - the most overrated band in bloody history IMHO). Gotye of course. Tame Impala seem very popular, too. And since the last “of all time” countdown, hip hop acts have kind of taken over.
But really, “best of” lists are subjective and so I make no claims that my choice is the best. I just chose favourites: songs for whatever reason grabbed my attention, or touched me for whatever reason. I have no idea how the young people will vote. I’m just hoping the countdown will have some surprises.
Yours in lists
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