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For this occasion I asked LittleShade what was her favorite song on "Songs of Life." "I don't know," she said. "They're all good. I like them all."
Note for LittleShade rating lovers. LittleShade, my 10-year-old daughter, also loves "Songs of Life." We listen to the CD about once per week, almost always while we are making and eating a big-ish weekend breakfast together (usually pancakes, corn bread, cinnamon rolls, or coffee cake with scrambled or over-easy eggs).
As the #1 reign for "End of the Road" goes into the second week of November 1992, and given how I am having hernia surgery on Wednesday & won't be around TNOCS, unfortunately, I am going to take this moment to celebrate my second favorite album of all time, "Songs of Life" by The Gufs, which was released in 1992. In honor of this momentous occasion, I created a little YouTube playlist of my 4 favorite songs on "Songs of Life," since the full album is not on the site. Here is the band's favorite song on "Songs of Life" (and my second favorite), The Chosen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaiG_YMveco&list=PLHcmzwYY3Q8h_TFNJDIWZkVUhBofXHO_I&index=3
I agree wholeheartedly with basically everything Tom wrote today, including (in I a think might be a first?) all the additional top 10 songs rankings. To take ownership of some of these rankings: "End of the Road" - a solid 8; agree with Tom that the 4:15 edit version is perfect length for this song, and love those harmonies in the chorus "Motownphilly" - 10; also wish Boyz II Men had done more songs like it "ISHTSGTY" - 7; a bit slow for me, but the harmonies, again, add so much to the song “Baby-Baby-Baby” - 7; good song! “Sometimes Love Just Ain’t Enough” - Solid 8; almost a 9, but does not quite give me the joy/feels as other similar previously ranked 9's/10's like "Friends & Lovers" (a 9) or "If Wishes Came True" (a 10) "Jump Around" - no-doubt-about-it 10; True brilliant energy packed in a 4 minute song. Side Note: I am a 1990s Wisconsin alumnus who was jumping around in the student section the first time this song was played before the beginning of the 4th quarter at UW's Camp Randall Stadium (and every time thereafter while I was still going to school at Wisconsin); it was a pretty awesome.
Good question, mt. So far I have played every number one from when we started ranking in 1980 to the current virtual date to elicit her ranking. I am unsure what I will be doing when we get to some of the more ">PG-13 style content" songs in future virtual years. I will let you know if I end up skipping an #1's!
Catching up with our rankings on the past few number ones: "Save the Best for Last" Vanessa Williams - My Rank: 9; LittleShade's Rank: 6 "Jump" Kris Kross - Me: 4; LittleShade: "a 6 or a 7" "I'll Be There" Mariah Carey - Me: 4; LittleShade: "a 4 or a 5"
LittleShade, my 10-year-old daughter, did not share these sentiments. Just not quite her style, she gives "Baby Got Back" a 3.
Good song! The lyrics, vocal performance, and music manage to stay on the good side of novelty, cleverness, and catchiness, making this quite the earworm that you don't feel too bad about getting stuck in your head (most of the time). I give "Baby Got Back" a 7.
Love the passion in your post, blu_cheez! (Although I actually like "Friday I’m In Love" quite a bit myself, haha)
Agreed on all of your P.S., rubberbandit! What a great place this is
Agree, sooth, and also love their follow-up single "Tell Her This."
Agree, Lee Chesnut; I also give "Damn I Wish I Was Your Lover" a 10.
Always loved "He Thinks He'll Keep Her" - thanks for posting, Pauly!
Thank you for sharing, Link. Although I do not have such a great story for "Save the Best for Last," I am also with you amongst those who like this song more the most TNOCS commenters. Ms. Williams' perfect understated-but-beautiful vocal performance drives my ranking for "Save the Best for Last." I give it a solid 9.
I am with you, too, Shocker. Great song that holds up well over time, thanks to the sing-along-folksy production & musicianship.
I am with you and the other dissenters, rubberbandit. Always really liked "To Be With You." Once used it on a mix tape I gave a crush in high school (did not work). Still sounds great today. I give "To Be With You" a 9.
...And here are my overall top 10 favorite songs released (in one way or another) in 1991: 10. Learning To Fly - Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers 9. True Devotion - BoDeans 8. Things Will Never Be The Same - Roxette 7. Evangeline - Matthew Sweet 6. So Far Away - The Gufs 5. Until the End of the World - U2 4. Lulu - Trip Shakespeare 3. Free Again - The Gufs 2. Walk on the Ocean - Toad the Wet Sprocket 1. Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses - U2 Here’s “So Far Away” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Twfr44w4fQw
Except the subject of this column, for which she has not yet finalized her grade, LittleShade, my 10-year-old fifth grader, also gave a 1 to 10 ranking to each #1 from 1991. These 8 songs got a rank of at least 6 from her: Good Vibrations - Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch featuring Loleatta Holloway - Her Rank: 6 Black or White - Michael Jackson: 6 Baby Baby - Amy Grant: 6 Someday - Mariah Carey: “a 6 or a 7” Love Will Never Do (Without You) - Janet Jackson: 7 Unbelievable - EMF: 8 Joyride - Roxette: 8 My average ranking of 1991 #1’s: 4.9; Tom’s average: 6.0; LittleShade’s average: 4.3 My 1990 average: 5.1; Tom’s: 6.2; LittleShade’s: 4.5 My 1989 average: 5.2; Tom’s: 6.1; LittleShade’s: 5.1 My 1988 average: 5.2; Tom’s: 5.8; LittleShade’s: 4.4 My 1987 average: 7.0; Tom’s: 6.7; LittleShade’s: 5.7 My 1986 average: 5.3; Tom’s: 6.3; LittleShade’s: 4.1 My 1985 average: 4.9; Tom’s: 6.4; LittleShade’s: 4.5 My 1984 average: 6.0; Tom’s: 7.1; LittleShade’s: 5.0 My 1983 average: 6.2; Tom’s: 7.7; LittleShade’s: 5.4 My 1982 average: 5.3; Tom’s: 6.2; LittleShade’s: 5.3 My 1981 average: 5.5; Tom’s: 5.9; LittleShade’s: 4.5 My 1980 average: 5.4; Tom’s: 6.4; LittleShade’s: 3.1
Hi everyone! I give "Black or White" a 6. Here are my ranked list of top 10 1991 #1’s: 10. Emotions - Mariah Carey - My Rank: 6 9. I've Been Thinking About You - Londonbeat: 6 8. More Than Words - Extreme: 6 7. Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now) - C+C Music Factory featuring Freedom Williams: 6 6. Cream - Prince & The New Power Generation: 6 5. Good Vibrations - Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch featuring Loleatta Holloway: 9 4. Love Will Never Do (Without You) - Janet Jackson: 9 3. Someday - Mariah Carey: 9 2. Joyride - Roxette: 9 1. Unbelievable - EMF: 10
Good day, TNOCS commenters, and Merry Christmas Eve to those who celebrate! This virtual week back in November 1991 my to-be favorite musical artist, The Gufs, released their debut album, “Starting into the Sun.” While the band’s enduring classic, “Songs of Life,” would be released a year later in 1992, SITS is a solid, cohesive album that I still listen to today. (Much like SOL, SITS is a great morning album.) To honor this momentous occasion, I created a little playlist on YouTube with the first three songs off “Staring into the Sun,” since I could not find them on their otherwise. Here’s Track 1, “Free Again.” https://youtu.be/VQmR-l-Npu0
dothestrand, LittleShade's two favorite songs are Katy Perry's "Firework" and Guster's "Homecoming King." A few other songs she loves that are randomly coming into my mind now: Hey Monday's "Candles," Wild Moccasins' "Desired Effect," The Aces' "Stuck," Taylor Swift's "Shake It Off," Rachel Platten's "Fight Song," Walk the Moon's "Portugal," Weezer's "Foolish Father," Ricki Lee's "Raining Diamonds," Train's "Play That Song," Benj Heard's "Having a Good Day," P!nk's "A Million Dreams." Here's Homecoming King: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mzVD7MYnhY
Good question, dutchg8r! LittleShade has only given 3 songs a 7 or higher this virtual year, and the most recent was "Unbelievable," which she gave an 8.
Catching up on the past several number ones: "I Adore Mi Amor" Color Me Badd - My Rank: 2; LittleShade's Rank: "a 3 or a 4" "Good Vibrations" Marky Mark & the Funky Bunch featuring Loleatta Holloway - Me: 9; LittleShade: 6 "Emotions" Mariah Carey - Me: 6; LittleShade: "a 5 or a 6" "Romantic" Karyn White - Me: 3; LittleShade: 5
LittleShade, my 10-year old daughter, does not agree with us. She didn't like this one at all. LittleShade gives "Cream" a "2 or a 3."
Good song! I know I am not as big a fan of Prince as most of you here, but, of course, I still appreciate his genius and like a lot of his songs, including this one. Highlighted by the great groove, I give "Cream" a 6.
Just the news I was thinking we might hear this morning, bigpapi34. Glad to see it! Bonus LittleShade ranking alert. LittleShade, my 10-year-old fifth grader, was understandably a bit reluctant to give "Do Anything" a ranking last week, since it did not reach #1 on the official Billboard charts. But, after I played the song for her again this weekend, she relented and gave "Do Anything" a 5. I, of course, give "Do Anything" a 10. Were it to have officially made it to #1 it definitely would be my top #1 hit of 1991.
Great tease about "Do Anything," bigpapi! Given my 1991 love for the song, I am excited to see your writeup/stats about it on Monday. Also, for those curious, the first week "Emotions" is #1 lines up with the week an online version of that week's Billboard is available: https://books.google.com/books?id=bCgEAAAAMBAJ
Great album! Here's my favorite off Girlfriend: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DZEbej7lgs
Thank you, irishbeartx! "Do Anything" is a former Shade #1 favorite song back in 1991, so I appreciate the write-up. I actually owned that Natural Selection album on CD and listened to it quite a bit, as I recall. Do Anything definitely holds up; from me it's a 10 for sure.
This is fascinating info, bigpapi. Keep them coming!
Trying that again... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ0j-oDWBI0
In sad news, I found out yesterday that the person who wrote the lyric that became my Stereogum moniker, Chris Bergren of the 90's Virginia Beach band Falstaff, passed away this past weekend. I have always told LittleShade and Mrs. Shade that I have one item on my bucket list, to see Falstaff at least one time at one of their rare reunion shows. Now that will never be. My long-distance condolences to all of Chris' family and friends. Here's "Upside Down" https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ0j-oDWBI0&list=RDAMVMtJ0j-oDWBI0
Good call on "Say It Right", vails; always been a big fan of that song.
After my 10-year-old daughter, LittleShade, and I listened to “The Promise Of A New Day” this morning at breakfast, "Cold Hearted" came up next on YouTube's autoplay, and, boy, the contrast between those two songs is pretty stark with regards to how much we like them. Here are LittleShade's and my rankings of Paula Abdul's #1 songs: "Straight Up" - My Rank: 9; LittleShade's Rank: "an 8 or a 9" "Forever Your Girl" - My Rank: 7; LittleShade's: 8 "Cold Hearted" - My Rank: 7; LittleShade's: 8 "Opposites Attract" - My Rank: 7; LittleShade's: 8 "Rush Rush" - My Rank: 3; LittleShade's: 5 "The Promise of a New Day" - My Rank: 3; LittleShade's: 4
Alfred, I was actually wondering about this after listening to TPOAND this morning with my daughter, since it hit number one right after (EID)IDIFY. Apparently, (EID)IDIFY was number one on the Soundscan sales chart for 17 straight weeks, and, in the Billboard magazine dated October 12, 1991, which you can find online (https://books.google.com/books?id=bCgEAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false), a month after this virtual week, (EID)IDIFY was number 1 in sales and number 5 in airplay, yet was only 23 on the Hot 100. I wonder if (EID)IDIFY would have been #1 for 15 weeks or so if Soundscan started earlier in 1991. Regardless, I think it is safe to say it for sure would have been #1 this virtual week instead of TPOAND.