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


Liam

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1996

The arrival of Liam's baby has given me more time to explore each year individually, which is fun because I get to explore styles of music I was oblivious to in '96. I got heavily into Modest Mouse and Silver Jews while I was waiting for his updates. It's indie pop, so your mileage may vary, but it floats my boat.

My memory is fading these days, but I remember Sublime being popular back in the day:

I am pretty sure folks thought Beck was the Second Coming in '96, but it doesn't seem that his music has held up. Here are a few more songs I like from this year:

Spoiler

 

 

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851.      

‘Breakdown’, Mariah Carey (1997)

Influenced by: Tha Crossroads • Bone Thugs-n-Harmony (1996)   

Influence on: Lil Love • Bone Thugs-n-Harmony featuring Mariah Carey and Bow Wow (2007)   

Other key tracks: Emotions (1991) • Fantasy (1995) • Honey (1997)

I’ve never been much of a Mariah fan, as I’ve never been a big fan of the breathless note-jumping nature of her vocals. I get that there is a level of skill there and that it appeals to some, it just does nothing for me. This was a song I was unfamiliar with, one about her marriage breakdown and somewhat prophetic of Mariah’s own state in the coming years. This is pleasant enough, though the best part of it for me is that backing vocals plainly because it evokes the better song ‘Tha Crossroads’.

852.      

‘Chan Chan’, Buena Vista Social Club featuring Compay Segundo (1997)

Compay Segundo was approaching 90 when this was recorded; Ry Cooder was the drive behind the Buena Vista Social Club itself, though it cost him a $25,000 fine (commuted from $1,000,000) for breaking the Trading with the Enemy Act. This feels that it is on the list to celebrate the BVSC and Compay Segundo as much as anything, but that perhaps downplays what is a pleasant Cuban ballad that showcases Segundo on a guitar of his own invention.

853.      

‘Between the Bars’, Elliott Smith (1997)

Having liked work by Nick Drake, Jeff Buckley and a number of other singer/songwriter types, I’ve always found it weird that I’ve never got into Elliott Smith as much as I feel like I should. I own CDs of his stuff, but it rarely enters my rotation. I think, if I’m being honest, that his voice doesn’t do a lot for me, whilst there isn’t the immediacy in his songwriting that I have found in other musicians of this type. That isn’t to try and do this a disservice: it is a good, if slight, tune that does its job and doesn’t outstay its welcome. Feels a bit oddly placed, but there have been stranger things on the list.

854.      

‘Everybody (Backstreet’s Back), Backstreet Boys (1997)

Probably the best pop song of all time. There.

Ok, when I say pop here, I’m referring to that window of time where pop largely meant boy and girl bands creating saccharine tunes for the radio in the mid to late 90s. Of that fare, this song is an absolute banger, helped along by a very notable music video. Fun fact: I used to know all of the dance moves to this song. Don’t over think it and enjoy it.

855.      

‘4,3,2,1’, LL Cool J featuring Method Man, Redman, Canibus and DMX (1997)

As always with rap, I have to defer to others when it comes to whether this is good or bad or indifferent – I can only really state what I think and any of the contextual stuff surrounding it according to the book. The most interesting thing for me is that this started off beef between J and Canibus in particular, spiralling out into a number of different diss tracks. The herky-jerky nature of the tune does little for me and I’ve heard better things from pretty much all of the acts in this (apart from not having any idea who Canibus is…).

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My sister was a huge Spice Girls fan along with every other tween on the planet. 

Given to Fly is a nice song, but I still can't understand why the book waited until Yield to include Pearl Jam. I know a lot of folks checked out on them after 10 and Vs, but the album that meant the most to me in my teen years was Vitalogy. I bought it the date it came out and listened to it religiously. I must've sang along to it on a daily basis (well out of tune, according to the neighbour.) 

OK Computer was our Sgt. Pepper's. I must've listened to that record a thousand times in 1997. I hadn't listened to it in years, but I've been listening to lately and the songs are still amazing. For a lot of us teenagers, it was our first exposure to more sophisticated songwriting. It was like discovering foreign films or comics for mature readers. I still think it holds up. Yorke is incredible on that record. I liked Kid A. Not as much as my stoner mates, but I think it's a great record. I had lost interest in modern music by the time they released anything else and haven't heard any of their later stuff, but they're a 90s band whose work I think you can place alongside any other band from any other era. I was disappointed by them live, btw, though I did get to meet Yorke and the drummer in the street when they toured NZ which was cool.

That Aphex Twin song reminds me of this classic Misfits tune:

Why aren't The Misfits in the book?

All Saints... Jesus... I'm pretty sure my teenage brain wasn't concentrating on their music. I'm not sure my adult lizard brain is either. 

OK, so I listened to Neutral Milk Hotel... How the fuck had I never heard them before? Jaw dropping. Amazing. Best thing I've heard since I jumped on board this thing. 

Is Backstreet's Back the greatest pop song ever? 

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On 2/4/2021 at 10:34 PM, ohtani's jacket said:

Liam, we didn't get a write up for 846-850.

Man, sorry. Will add later as it is on my external hard drive at the moment.

 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.

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866.       

‘Doo Wop (That Thing)’, Lauryn Hill (1998)

Influenced by: Together Let’s Find Love • The 5th Dimension (1971)   

Influence on: Video • India.Arie (2001)

Covered by: Devendra Banhart (2006) • Amy Winehouse (2007) • Rihanna (2008)

Lauryn Hill is another person who I’ve come out of this project with a new found respect for in terms of their musical talent. It isn’t necessarily like I ignored it before, but having some focused time to listen to songs she was involved with has really highlighted to me how good her vocal delivery is, whether she is singing or rapping. Catchy as all hell, this is a great song no matter what style of music you tend to enjoy.

867.      

‘Kelly Watch The Stars’, Air (1998)

Influenced by: Zoolook • Jean-Michel Jarre (1984)   

Influence on: Give it Away • Zero 7 (2001)   

Other key tracks: Modular Mix (1995) • Sexy Boy (1998) • All I Need (1998) • Jeanne (1998) • Le Voyage de Pénélope (1998) • You Make It Easy (1998) • Talisman (1998) • Playground Love (2000)

Whenever I hear the name of the band Air or the album ‘Moon Safari’, I always assume that the song I’m going to listen to will be one I’ve heard before but didn’t know it was by them or on that record. Maybe I’ve wildly overstated their popularity when it comes to soundtracks and adverts, but I feel like there was a time they were everywhere. Having said that, this isn’t one of them. Dreamy and repetitive, this is a song that I could imagine quite enjoying at some point in my musical fandom, but I care less for it now. The appeal is clear though, that’s for sure.

868.      

'You Get What You Give’, The New Radicals (1998)

Influenced by: Way Down Now • World Party (1990)   

Influence on: The Game of Love • Santana featuring Michelle Branch (2008)   

Covered by: LMC featuring Rachel McFarlane (2006) • Timo Raisanen (2008)

Just a huge song that I can only imagine still makes the person who owns the rights shedloads of money considering it still gets radio play and ends up on every bargain basement compilation. A brief, but impressive, time in the spotlight was eventually ended by the Gregg Alexander’s desire to write and product – without him you wouldn’t have had a number of Ronan Keating hits, so you can thank him for that. Pop at its best in some ways; it still isn’t really old to me even though I’ve heard it a million times.

869.      

‘Music Sounds Better With You’, Stardust (1998)

Some songs are just good tunes and this is one of them to me. The definition of an earworm, this is simple yet effective. Played and enjoyed in clubs in its embryonic stage, what was released eventually was further streamlined and the lyrics were largely removed outside of the repeated hook. Sometimes, things are all the better for being simplified.

870.      

‘Erase/Rewind’, The Cardigans (1998)

The Cardigans are a hard band for me to judge as they feel like they were everywhere during my youth, so I assume they were perhaps bigger, if not definitely better, than many may think. This is a decent song, though sits behind songs like ‘My Favourite Game’ and ‘Lovefool’ in my thoughts about it. I’m somewhat tempted to go back and check out more of their stuff; I can’t imagine it will be mindblowing, but the moodiness of the sound coupled with Nina Persson’s icy vocals probably made for some good album tracks as well.

871.      

‘Teardrop’, Massive Attack (1998)

Influenced by: Sometimes I Cry • Les McCann (1974)   

Influence on: Kneight Riduz Wuz Here • Krayzie Bone featuring Kneight Riduz (2001)   

Covered by: Elbow (2004) • Newton Faulkner (2006) • José González (2007) • Simple Minds (2009) • Anneke van Giersbergen & Danny Cavanagh (2009)

Whilst not as high up the list as some of them, ‘Teardrop’ was one of those songs (and music videos) that I can attribute to a growing awareness of music beyond that on the radio, or beyond that that was strictly pop and dance music. It, especially when coupled with the video, was mesmerising to listen and watch, and to me it hasn’t lost any of its power over two decades later. A stunning piece of art in my opinion.

872.      

‘Iris’, Goo Goo Dolls (1998)

Influenced by: Piano Man • Billy Joel (1973)   

Influence on: You and Me • Lifehouse (2005)   

Covered by: Ronan Keating (2006) • New Found Glory (2007) • Finley (2008) • Boyz II Men (2009) • Jai (2009)   

Other key tracks: Name (1995) • Black Balloon (1998) • Dizzy (1998) • Slide (1998) • Stay with You (1998)

This is a track that I think will get some of the most flack of any listed so far. It very much is that post-grunge alternative rock balladeering that hasn’t necessarily dated very well and does little to excite anyone. However, when I heard it (probably several years after it was released) for the first time, I loved it. There is also no doubting how huge it still is – nary a year seems to go by in my time working at schools where I don’t hear it churned out in some capacity at a school event or a talent show. Have to give where credit is due for its longevity at least.

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Bad choice for a Cardigans song.

What edition of the book are you using? Earlier editions had Kelly Watch the Stars by Air and You Get What You Give by New Radicals sandwiched in between Lauryn Hill and Stardust.

The book has gone pretty mainstream with its late 90s picks, but Goo Goo Dolls? I was gonna say something nasty, but I guess we're reaching the point where the songs are more nostalgic for my sister's generation than mine. 

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1997

This was my senior year of high school. I think the book gives a pretty fair reflection of what was going on in music at the time, at least the kind of stuff you saw from the major labels. To me, 1997 will always be remembered as the year OK Computer came out. Like I said before, it was our Sgt. Pepper's, and pretty much redefined music for my generation. 

But other artists were making good music too.

I think the only omission in terms of stuff that was big was The Verve. 

Bjork was still writing beautiful songs like these:

Spoiler

 


Ween had an interesting concept album that year as well:

The usual indie stuff -- Belle & Sebastian, Yo La Tengo, Pavement, a couple of Japanese acts (Cornelius & Fishmans), etc.

Spoiler

 

I always liked Blink-182. Fun band.

This was a favorite too:

1997 also had this monster:

I was quite taken with Robert Wyatt's album from this year:

And I'm still pushing for some Misfits to make the list:

 

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'96 and '97 saw the rise of neo-soul thanks to artists like D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and Maxwell. I prefer classic soul, but compared to the landscape of the previous decade, it was a breath of fresh air. My favorite thing about it is the Gill Scott-Heron & Brian Jackson influence. 

1997 is where I check out on hip hop. I need to listen to more post '96 stuff. Still, everyone was waiting for this to drop:

 

 

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The time for Misfits had long long since ended there. (Coincidentally, '96/'97 was probably when I first bought Collection I on tape and promptly lost my fuckin' mind)

As far as metal goes for '97 there were still a couple good Norwegian black metal albums left to go (Ulver, Immortal, Gorgoroth, Enslaved), the second Nifelheim, the best Brutal Truth album, the Dismember reunion, and this piece of flat out magic. 

probably my second favorite metal album of '97 would be Secret Sudaria though

 

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13 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

What edition of the book are you using? Earlier editions had Kelly Watch the Stars by Air and You Get What You Give by New Radicals sandwiched in between Lauryn Hill and Stardust.

I'll just blame sleep deprivation and fix it tomorrow. Cheers for pointing it out.

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Fixed the last post and left it at 7 songs, so here is 3:

873.     

‘Bok Espok’, Kepa Junkera (1998)

Kepa Junkera is apparently a big name in Basque music, with this album in particular an attempt to showcase how Basque music can sit amongst the styles of other cultures. For this song in particular, he performed alongside the Swedish group Hedningarna for a bit of a what sound like a funky, accordion-led jam. It isn’t really the type of music I’d go back to, but this is four and a half minutes that is hard not to enjoy to some extent.

874.      

‘Save Me’, Aimee Mann (1999)

This is a song I’ve never heard from a film I’ve never watched, though seems to be here primarily because not only did it drive the sales of her album Magnolia, but Paul Thomas Anderson was inspired enough to incorporate Mann’s work in multiple different ways. Characters sing songs by her, people snort cocaine off of her album, etc etc. Fun for all the family.  It has a brooding charm, though I don’t quite get why it is on the list outside of the knock-on cultural impact.

875.      

‘No One Will Ever Love You Honestly’, The Magnetic Fields (1999)

’69 Love Songs’ is an album I own, but in keeping with my occasionally short attention span, I’ve never listened to all of it. However, this is one of the songs that I always really enjoyed on the all-too-few times I’ve put on this record. Having read in the book that this was an attempt to capture Tusk-era Fleetwood Mac, you can definitely hear the influence of that band as a whole. The whole project deserves recognition – you have to have some balls to produce something of that scope, and to do it with a number of standout moments…even if I haven’t listened to them all…

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876.     

‘Surfacing’, Slipknot (1999)

Slipknot are a massive ‘your mileage may vary’ group, and it is likely that if you don’t like them, very little is going to change your mind. It is hard to argue about their influence though, both positive and negative – they have pretty much created a whole identity around being a fan of their music. I actually quite like the odd Slipknot song, but this very much sounds like the type of thing that sounds cool when you are 13 and think you want to be a rebel, only to grow up and feel a bit embarrassed by it all. Even from the same album, ‘Wait and Bleed’ is at least a passable song.

877.   

‘Scar Tissue’, Red Hot Chilli Peppers (1999)

To me, this is probably the album that best merges the funky and pop/rock elements of the Chilli Peppers. Outside of BloodSugarSexMagik, a lot of their early ‘funk’ stuff was uninspiring, whilst a lot of the stuff after this album was also less than exciting. Here, however, they nailed it for me. Maybe it is because this is one of the first CDs I own, so my ideas around it have a sepia-tinged nostalgia to them, yet I do genuinely believe the balance between cool sound and well written pop makes this a good album, and Scar Tissue in particular a good song. What had already been a fun, laid back rock song is kicked into the next gear with the great guitar solo outro; a memorable finish.

878.      

‘Ms. Fat Booty’, Mos Def (1999)

This is an interesting addition as this takes the sexist songs and raps of the time and flips them on their head as Mos Def eventually is blown off by Ms. Fat Booty. Apparently, this came alongside an album that looked at things such as cultural appropriation of black music by white singers as well as the world’s issue with water, so Mos Def was a more socially aware rapper than many. The quality of his rapping is not really for me to decide – I do enjoy it – but I will say that the lyrical content was refreshing, whilst the samples and backing vocals create a song to groove to as well as one to get you thinking.

879.   

‘Caught Out There’, Kelis (1999)

Influenced by: Tyrone • Erykah Badu (1997)   

Influence on: Black Beatles (Beatles vs. Black-Eyed Peas vs. Ludacris vs. Kelis) • Loo & Placido (2005)  

Covered by: Tune Robbers (2006)   

Other key tracks: Suspended (1999) • Good Stuff (1999) • Get Along with You (1999) • Milkshake (2003)

Kelis is a perfect example of a singer that I tend to forget about, but whenever a song of hers ends up on the radio, I really enjoy it. She can sing, but has that alternative edge to her vocals and general aesthetic that I like as well. This was a huge song upon release, propelled I can only imagine by a huge chunk of women who had experienced the same as Kelis had. This is not quite as good of a banger as ‘Milkshake’, but it is a great tune.

880. 

‘Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad?’, Moby (1999)

 Influenced by: Pacific • 808 State (1989)   

Influence on: One Perfect Sunrise • Orbital (2004)   

Covered by: Da Capo Players (2002) • The String Quartet (2002)  

Other key tracks: Porcelain (1999) • Honey (1999) • Natural Blues (1999)

Probably the main thing people know about ‘Play’ is that it was the first album to have all of its songs licensed for other media, so it would be a bit redundant repeating it…but it is an insane fact in some ways, as it showed the commercialisation of music for products, films and television, a means to sell things and emotions to people. This song in particular found its way into the Black Hawk Down trailer apparently, and it provides a rather dour lyric for what is otherwise a pretty blissed out chillout track. I like that juxtaposition, though the song won’t be for everyone.

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On 2/13/2021 at 4:58 PM, ohtani's jacket said:

1997

This was my senior year of high school. I think the book gives a pretty fair reflection of what was going on in music at the time, at least the kind of stuff you saw from the major labels. To me, 1997 will always be remembered as the year OK Computer came out. Like I said before, it was our Sgt. Pepper's, and pretty much redefined music for my generation. 

And I'm still pushing for some Misfits to make the list:

I was 40 in 1997 and thought OK Computer was one for the ages. As far as the Misfits, Glen Danzig is a deadbeat motherfucker who stiffed a bunch of my friends when he had his shitty comicbook company, fuck him and the horse he rode in on.

 

 

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13 hours ago, OSJ said:

As far as the Misfits, Glen Danzig is a deadbeat motherfucker who stiffed a bunch of my friends when he had his shitty comicbook company, fuck him and the horse he rode in on.

Oooo, tell me more. So Verotik went sideways and he split? I wonder how he can have afforded to produce now not one piece of shit movie but TWO piece of shit movies, but then I guess it's all that bank from the Misfits reunion tours (astronomical amounts for even bad seats). Around this time, along with his loss of the Rick Ruben support and making shit albums, he fell so far from the pedestal he thought he was on that he has seemingly self-created this butt of a joke that he is now. 

Full disclosure: I still sing in a Misfits cover band haha

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I've been spending the past week listening to 1997 hip hop and we're up to '99 already?!

For the record, I thought Uptown Saturday Night by Camp Lo, Funcrusher Plus by Company Flow, and the first Jedi Mind Tricks album were the best things I listened to. 

Favorite track was this:

 

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881.      

‘I Try’, Macy Gray (1999)

Influenced by: Baby, I Love You • Aretha Franklin (1967)   

Influence on: Trouble Sleeping • Corinne Bailey Rae (2006)   

Covered by: The Girlfriends (2000) • Andrew Tinker (2007) • Ben Taylor (2008)

For me, Macy Gray is all about whether you like her distinctive voice or not. Whilst I know in my heart of hearts this is a good song, I’m just not really a fan of her muted raspy style. In some ways, I’m pleased that someone who sung in a manner that was very much not the norm for popular music at the time had such success with this song and her debut album, it isn’t really for me ultimately.

882.      

‘U Don’t Know Me’, Armand Van Helden (1999)

Influenced by: The Captain • Johnny “D” & Nicky P. aka Johnick (1996)   

Influence on: Runnin’ • Doman & Gooding featuring Dru & Lincoln (2009)   

Other key tracks: Aliene (1999) • Rock da Spot (1999) • Flowerz (1999) • My My My (2004) • NYC Beat (2007)

Armand Van Helden is someone I didn’t really appreciate when I first listened to him back in 1999. I was pretty much firmly entrenched still in listening to pop music on the radio, so the dancier end of that spectrum was often not really in keeping with my interests. However, as I’ve got older, I can look back and realise that he created some absolute bangers. To be honest, I think this already hit pretty hard compared to some of his other output – it is the definition of a tune. A hooky earworm from start to finish.

883.      

‘Race for the Prize’, The Flaming Lips (1999)

Influenced by: The Whole of the Moon • The Waterboys (1985)   

Influence on: Kids • MGMT (2005)   

Covered by: Palm School Choir (2008)   

Other key tracks: Waitin’ for a Superman (1999) • Do You Realize?? (2002) • The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (2007)

The Flaming Lips are a weird one for me as I love ‘Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots’ as an album – legitimately one of my top ten or so – yet I’ve never gone out of my way to listen to anything else produced by then. This is weird, but there is an earnestness about it that is hard not to admire I feel. According to the book, this somewhat served as a transitional piece before the aforementioned ‘…Pink Robots’, thus probably why it ends up on the list. Not only is it a nod to the band, but it is the start of their highest profile (?) run in the spotlight. The song is fine.

884.      

‘One Armed Scissor’ At the Drive-In (2000)

Influenced by: Smallpox Champion • Fugazi (1993)   

Influence on: Bleed American • Jimmy Eat World (2001)  

Covered by: Paramore (2007)   

Other key tracks: Proxima Centauri (1999) • Arcarsenal (2000) • Pattern Against User (2000)

An absolute barnstorming salvo from the band, one that I don’t think they ever really match up to in their short-lived career. There is a lurching quality to everything, the song bouncing around and encapsulating the key elements of what would eventually be realised in The Mars Volta and Sparta as the band split up shortly after this due to their different artistic desires. It is definitely a song to go out on a high.

885.      

‘Hate To Say I Told You So’, The Hives (2000)

I don’t think people will like this song, or the Hives, as much as I do. Maybe I’m wrong, but it feels like this was part of the transition to the ‘The’ bands taking over, a period of time that I don’t remember going down to well with certain music fans. Whilst I’m by no means the biggest fan of the band, the energy throughout this song is palpable and everything coming through the speakers makes you want to dance, or sing, or nod your head. The Hives were also – easily – one of the best bands I saw live. No relevance to this, but it’s worth stating.

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886.     

‘Frontier Psychiatrist’, Avalanches (2000)

Influenced by: Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain • DJ Shadow (1996)   

Influence on: Non-Stop Party Now • Girl Talk (2003)   

Other key tracks: Rock City (1997) • Since I Left You (2000) • A Different Feeling (2000) • Pablo’s Cruise (2000) • Electricity (2000) • Avalanche Rock (2000)

Considering they left out ‘Since I Left You’, I knew this was either going to be a song I knew really well but had no idea it was this, or it was a deep cut just to be contrary from what was a more obvious choice. However, as soon as the song kicked in properly in the music video, I knew it within the opening four notes. The sheer scale of the number of different samples that were laid down to create this tune is pretty impressive, whether you particularly like the song or not. I still probably prefer ‘Since I Left You’, but this is an interesting song that is a valid choice from Australia for once.

887.      

‘One More Time’, Daft Punk (2000)

Influenced by: One More Time • Third World (1985)   

Influence on: One Mo’ Gin • Play-N-Skillz featuring Lil Jon, Bun B & Krayzie Bone (2008)   

Covered by: The Gossip (2008) • Starburkes & The Tea Leaf (2009) • Richard Grey (2009) • Marc Mysterio & Téo Moss (2009)

Though this wasn’t the first Daft Punk song I heard (‘Around the World’), this is by far one of their most well-realised songs. I feel Daft Punk are a band that transcends genre; I genuinely don’t think I know anyone who actively dislikes them. Apparently, this album and song didn’t go down to well with fans of the band who thought they had ‘sold out’, whilst this was also an early example of autotuned vocals. Sometimes, just enjoy the tune.

888.      

‘Stan’, Eminem featuring Dido (2000)

Influenced by: Thank You • Dido (1999)   

Influence on: U Didn’t Care • Canibus (2001)   

Covered by: Eminem featuring Elton John (2005)   

Other key tracks: My Name Is (1999) • The Way I Am (2000) • The Real Slim Shady (2000) • Kim (2000) • Marshall Mathers (2000) • Under the Influence (2000)

Your mileage may vary on Eminem, but I do – for someone who admittedly doesn’t know much about rap – think he was different class in his early days. This was one of the first albums I owned (bought for me by my Dad) and I loved the mixture of playful idiocy and shocking imagery/lyrics. Even at the time, I think this was the song that stuck out most to me – the haunting use of Dido’s ‘Thank You’ a brilliant sample – and it still has a lot of impact nowadays. That ‘stanning’ has become a way of professing your support for someone considering how this song ends up is pretty odd, but also speaks to the song’s legacy.

889.      

‘Oh My Sweet Carolina’, Ryan Adams featuring Emmylou Harris (2000)

Not really relevant at all, but I used to love ‘Gold’. Then it turned out Ryan Adams was a douchebag. Fuck him and his music.

890.     

‘Fuck The Pain Away’, Peaches (2000)

I remember Peaches being all over the media that I consumed in 2000s, yet I never went out of my way to listen to her. I hadn’t realised that this was by her, so obviously I had checked her out by osmosis it would seem. This could just be a song that gets by on its gratuitous swearing and ideas, but the electro beats that it plays across make it a pretty fun song beyond that. The inclusion on the list might be weird, though I guess a move towards an element of ‘female empowerment’ through reclaiming sexuality is an interesting step in music’s evolution.

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